Colette

[Ravingdoll]

Hmm I am wondering whether there are things afoot here.  Now I personally get on well with Colette, their patterns tend to fit me with the minimum amount of tweaking and I like their designs.  However there’s no getting away from the fact they’ve had a bad year with lots of negative reviews and, what must have really stung, launched a dress pattern that had to be reprinted.  So as someone who kind of follows them, I can’t help but note that there’s been nothing on their blog for a month, very unusual, and their latest pattern, the Claudette dress, has been launched with barely a whimper whereas normally they’re all about the sewalongs, the ‘hacks’, the FBA tutorials etc.  Gertie is usually one of their staunchest supporters but as she has got her own patterns to sell now I guess she’s not going to be as vociferous?  An interesting silence methinks .....   

[UttaRetch]

There was a big old brouhaha over on PatternReview concerning her Rue pattern and even after re-drafting there was still discontent.  I don't sew 'indie' preferring the usually better drafted 'big 4'.

[Ravingdoll]

Yes the Rue dress has been a disaster for them.  Very aptly (and ironically) named!  I just think there must have been some internal fall out over it, and I am wondering whether there is 'trouble at the mill' given their uncharacteristic silence.  It will be interesting to see whether they can bounce back.  I don't tend to get involved in the 'politics', I've had no dealings with them as a company having purchased all my patterns from UK stockists, and I've not had any problems with fit or instructions so I take as I find but I have the feeling something is afoot.  There are plenty of other indie patterns, and the big 4 aren't going anywhere (and Simplicity has overtaken Vogue when it comes to my personal tastes) so I will still be sewing merrily away!  I am hoping to finish a Simplicity blouse this weekend - when I do I'll post a photo.

[elephun]

They have really cut down on their blog presence, favoring Instagram. I caught a sizable mistake in one of their magazine articles and I let them know via Instagram because they stopped announcing the new issues on the blog. No announcement on the blog, no comments section to get embarrassing feedback that people might go back and read later.

It will be interesting to see if there is any fallout, but I think it may be a change in social media strategy, more than anything.

[Ravingdoll]

Oh that might be it then Elephun. I am not on instagram. They do seem unable to take criticism and deal with it! Well whilst their patterns suit I shall just carry on with those I like.

[Francesca]

I wonder if people are wising up that just because it's "indie" and has "hacks" and has "sewalongs" doesn't mean it's good. They surely upset a lot of people with their Rue problems.

I still subscribe to Seamwork because the patterns are so simple they're hard to go too wrong, and I've had several successes (I love the Astoria). But I've never bought a full Colette pattern and I don't think I ever will.

[lakaribane]

I'll just come out and say it: I'm a Colette Anti-fan, as they say in Asia.

I loved their initial 50s-inspired style of nearly 10 years ago. But I never made a single because I kept reading about the extra-wide necklines. Being Petite, my shoulders are narrower than standard so if average height people were struggling, where would I be!?!?!? Never mind the capri pants they had with no butt space!

But the Rue Debacle last year soured me completely on them and I never ever recommend them. When 1 out 27 seamstresses in a contest gets a good fit, there is a problem. When you talk about braiinstorming an original design with mood boards et al...and then someone find the vintage dress you copied online, there is a problem.

(Funnily enough, I bought a couple of real vintage patterns that MUST have been the originals they copied.)

If you don't know about this story bc you were a member of PR, you'll think Colette is the greatest indie ever! But they sent 1 email to PR when things got really hot and never posted a single mention of the episode on any of their social media. Basically, sweeping things under the rug.

All the marketing and spin they put out afterwards showed me that the SBC was blinded by all the pretty dresses.

I think that the fangurling around Colette, By Hand London and Tilly And The Buttons is really off-putting. I watch a number of sewing vloggers on YouTube. Seems like those are the only brands they sew, poor things. And in Cotton+Steel quilting cottons, no less! Such a shame 

The current blank designs at Colette do not appeal at all. And the photoshopping incidents in the past have made me very suspicious of their "new and improved" draft.

Sorry, went all ranty there for a bit but my mind is still reeling at the incompetence disguised behind the pattern knoc-offs...

[Francesca]

No worries about the ranting here lakaribane, I agree with everything!

Yes the photoshopping is awful. And the deleted comments after people point out the photoshopping is worse.

And the moodboard! Ah I'd forgotten about the moodboard. For anyone who is out of the loop, they posted their "inspiration moodboard" for the Rue dress with lots of lovely pictures of vintage dresses and smack bang in the stupid moodboard was a picture of the exact dress. They just ripped off the design from a vintage 50s dress. Now I don't think there is so much wrong with that actually, as long as you say "we're reproducing this 50s dress!" but they tried to claim they had designed this thing and instead just reproduced it. And worst of all actually the dress they repro-ed showed the correct seam placement and they couldn't seem to make up their minds where the seam actually sat.

[Ravingdoll]

Yes you carry on Lakaribane! That is kind of the point of my post, they have become very quiet and I know that you (and Fran) are not in the minority with your views. I just feel that they cannot have been in a bubble and missed out on the tide turning.  Can they?? They just don’t seem to have reacted to try and get people back on side.  I personally don’t have an issue with their sizing but I think that puts me in the minority! I am certainly not one of their fan girls (and I know exactly what you mean) but they would probably benefit from listening to a wider audience.   

[lakaribane]

So, now Colette is selling fabric...as if their selections had impressed me in the past!

And they have another bouyi vide (literally, in HT Creole: boil and serve) dress pattern: Prudence.

I think the neckline is odd, and something is going on in the bodice, as usual.

Is it odd that this is a 88Mb PDF? I need to check one of my Pattern Variations KnipMode downloads to compare, that seems like a large size.

And, surprisingly, on the Black Friday post, this exchange was posted:
"seventythreads90
Why is there so much extra fabric in the back of the pink version?
colettepatterns@seventythreads90
It does look like there is a little bit of excess fabric in that particular sample, but if you double check the finished back length measurement against your back length measurement, you can lengthen or shorten as necessary to fit your own measurements.
seventythreads90@colettepatterns
Thank you, I'm aware of the adjustments that can be made. My concern was more to do with why you would promote a product with samples that don't fit the model - lack of professionalism that might make potential customers doubt the quality of your products, if you will."

And Colette left it up!

My big thing is : how deep are these armscyes?!?!

[Acorn]

That does seem large for a pdf pattern.  My Style Arc patterns vary from 212KB to 2.3MB, and the largest pattern I have is the LoveNotions Sloan at 13MB.  The vast majrity of my patterns are under 1.5MB.  Maybe there are lots of colour pictures in the file, but 88MB is astonishing.

I see what you mean about that fabric in the back - oh dear! 

[Sewingsue]

Couldn't find a back view of the pink, but it looks to me as if there is excess fabric at the back of the black as well.
Patterns that teach? Seriously?

[Ploshkin]

I've never used a Colette pattern.  That bodice is just shapeless.  Apart from a bit of thought about the neckline the bodice is just a bag (not even a well fitting one) with a couple of darts.  Those extra flaps on the side aren't what I would call dolman sleeves.

[Samantha]

88mb does seem massive. I see what you mean about the pink dress. I would also be concerned if I was a slimmed armed person that I might be displaying a large amount of side boob in the dress!

[Francesca]

It's interesting but poorly executed IMO.

I see where they are headed. Yes, it's pretty shapeless, but that's the intent of the design. However, it seems to have been quite poorly drafted as others have mentioned there is excess fabric in the back and the armscye seems huge. I do like what they were going for (we all too often complain about designers churning out the same drab thing, this is definitely different) but Colette does not have the ability to professionally draft anything so no wonder a design like this, which requires significant thought and knowledge, has not come off well.