Covet & Shove It

Burda is a fun little anomaly to me. I know it's a mainly European company and they [seem to] aspire to be cheap and easy patterns, which I appreciate. They try to be funky and sometimes fall short, but in a fun, "Aww, they tried," sort of way. I also love that their costumes are labeled as Carnival costumes, which sounds ever so much cooler and adult than Halloween. (And don't get me wrong, Halloween is my favourite holiday.) This pattern is, obviously, not in their Carnival collection:


My first thought upon seeing this trim little jacket? "Your grandma's going to be so pissed you turned her couch into a jacket." I understand the appeal of upholstery fabrics, really I do. Every time I go to the fabric store I squeeze to the very back with all the big, thick tapestry-type bolts and imagine having rooms full of couches, sofas, and chaise lounges with all of those prints. But the thought never crossed my mind to actually wear them. It's not like the print screams "Young and hip!" and with the way the model is standing, I'm thinking she's more likely to have a hip problem. The black bands across the 'pits make me think of a couch even more, you know, those couches with the leather bands across the base to hold the seams together and make it look not-so-monotonous?

But I'm evening the karma with Burda by unabashedly coveting this coat:


It's cute! It's houndstooth! I must admit I was very happy to see that houndstooth is en vogue again, because I've always loved it and it's always in season to me. It also reminds me of the C&R my dad used to get his suits from in the mall, for some weird reason. Anyway, I love coats that are cut in more of a 50s or 60s style but are really timeless, and this is it. I want to buy it and make at least five copies and wear one (maybe more) at all times.

So, are we cool Burda?