Reversible skirts - perfect holiday clothes!

Here's a line up of our new and current reversible skirts. With the holiday season approaching fast (two months to Christmas, eeek!), it is nice to have clothes that can multi-task.

They are effectively two skirts in one so are brilliant for travel and holidays. The skirts have POCKETS in one side and like all our skirts are FLEXI-SIZED due to the snaps that close it across the front. Snaps are about 5cm (approx 2 inches) apart and you can change size by closing more or less snaps. 

This one has quite a vintage vibe about the print:

Minnie + Ree reversible skirt in new vintage

This one continues our poppies theme but is much brighter and goes so well with the blue/green/teals on the other side:

Minnie + Ree reversible skirt in new poppies

These are the blacks that we put together a couple of months ago. The plain black side is a fabric that is already wrinkled so you don't need to worry about this one getting crushed in your bag:

Minnie + Ree reversible skirt in black sunglasses

We've just made a new batch of these beautiful summery butter and raspberry skirts:

Minnie + Ree reversible skirt in raspberry butter

And there are still a very few left of the grey floral with spots:

Minnie + Ree reversible skirt in grey floral

Which one is your favourite or what colour combo would you like us to do next?

Ree

Wearing Minnie + Ree 3

Here's the final compilation of photos of people wearing Minnie + Ree.  I have so enjoyed putting these together!

If you have photos and would like to be a Famous Model - please email them to minnie.faux at gmail.com and I will add them to this beautiful collection.  Thank you to all my lovely models!!

Ree
xox

Wearing Minnie + Ree 1

It's been a while since I've shown real people wearing Minnie + Ree clothing so here's a compilation of photos.  I still LOVE it when I see someone wearing clothing I have made ...

This collection of photos is from various markets. All are wearing snap wrap skirts in beautiful colours and patterns. All skirt fabrics are cotton and they all have the adjustable snap fastening.

The choices of colours and prints is always changing.  You can check them out on our website HERE. 

Remember that it's easy to find your size - we only have two sizes SMALL and AVERAGE. Here's the sizing info from our website:

This cotton skirt is FLEXI-SIZED due to the snaps that close it across the front. Snaps are 5cm (approx 2 inches) apart and you can change size by closing more or less snaps. 

There are two SIZES for the skirt. Size AVERAGE fits Aus/NZ 14-16-18. This is approx US 10-16. Size SMALL is Aus/NZ 8-10-12 which is approx US 4-6-8. See Size Chart above for more details or check the measurements in the listing.

The waist measurement at smallest size starts at about 28" or 72 cm and at its larger size goes to about 40-42" or 102-107cm. That still leaves a respectable amount of fabric to cross over!

The snap wrap skirt is knee length. Actual length is about 23 inches (58 cms). The Katydid skirts are about 33 inches (84 cm) long at the front.

The cut is an A-line and like all Minnie + Ree clothing is cut for the straight figure.  If you have an hour glass shape with a tiny waist this skirt will not fit you well (the waist will gape) and you may need your dressmaker to put darts in the back. 

I'm having heaps of fun compiling this pics - more soon!!
Ree
xox

Updating website ... reversible skirts are back!!

We have spent the morning working on updating the website.  It's quite a process, a mix of tedium and frustration and joy at getting new stuff online!  

Happily we now have the reversible skirts back online.  These are great - two skirts in one, so ideal for travel or a couple of days away.

These are the ones that we have uploaded.  Note that we don't always put our short runs and one-offs online but we can put photos on our facebook page if you want to see what else we have - just email us minnie.faux at gmail.com.

These ones are gold and purple floral and butterflies:

With either a reverse side of butterflies on cream or a purply floral:

 

And here's our famous Poppies skirt with either a contrast Mosaics reverse or the toning Petals:

There are all here - http://www.minnieree.com/webapps/category/95128/270140/82472. 

Take a look and keep an eye out for some more on our Facebook page.  
Like us here!
www.facebook.com/MinnieReeSmith

More women wearing Minnie + Ree skirts ...

A happy visitor to the market - she knows how to pose - looking fantastic in Poppies!!  If you love this fabric it's time to buy one of the last ones as I can't get any more of the fabric.

And here's another street shot - Willis Street in Wellington and the fabulous sugar skulls skirt - I love how she's styled it up for work!

New longer skirt ...

I've been working away on a longer skirt pattern.  After six (!!!) prototypes I've finally got it to what I had in mind.  The first ones will be available at Underground market the week after next - Saturday 8 March.  I'm off to Auckland on Thursday for a few days so won't be at the market this Saturday.  Hopefully we'll also get the new skirts up on the website next week as well.  

Here's a sneak peek ... longer, asymmetric hem, snap wrap of course, pockets!

Katydid skirt

Wearing our clothes!!

Minnie + Ree have been up in the Coromandel doing some of the big craft markets up there.  Despite the long drive, early mornings and tough physical work associated with setting up a gazebo and an outdoor market stall this wasn't too much of a hardship ... this is where we were!

And here are some pics of women wearing Minnie + Ree skirts.  They look beautiful and it is so great to see people wearing our clothing!!

So I guess I will have to go up and enjoy their beautiful weather again next year!

Skirt lengths and the economy

Have you heard the theory that hemlines are an important economic indicator?  According to the theory that started in the 1920s the higher the hemline, the shorter the skirt, the better the economy.

Now lately I have been thinking about a new skirt design and the one in my head is a longer wrap skirt but with a bit of a high-lo look.  So the question is - will I negatively affect the economy with my longer skirt??? 



Further research has now revealed:

1. There are quite a few midi skirts and dresses around and I am really liking the look.
2. The theory has been 'discredited' and replaced by heel height and lipsticks.  Do these researchers have nothing to do I wonder!  The original theory was supposedly to do with the silk stockings that were worn with the shorter skirts by the flappers and then it was 'proven' by the mini skirt in the affluent 1960s. It started with women not being able to afford silk stockings in hard times so wore their skirts longer ... but the flapper pics above are from Wikipedia - hmmm, these skirts would be considered long by the theorists - they are well below the knee!

So it's all just a bit of fun.  And I am continuing on with my new skirt design.  And I've also made another big decision - all Minnie + Ree clothing must have pockets.  They do add to the time and so the cost of making them but it is so worth it.  

Tell me - I meet lots of women who want skirts that cover their knees - are you one of them?

Designer Cats

Did you know there is a Sewing

with Cats award?  And all great designers have a cat?

I hate to miss out on a trend so here we go - the official Minnie + Ree cat is revealed. 

His name is Gleep and of course he is such a good cat and would never sit on any fabrics unless he was specially posing for a photo - yeah right!!  Don't you just love the evil "Don't mess with me" stare?  Yes he is the boss of this place.

Next up is a picture of famous NZ shoe designer Kathryn Wilson.  

This photo was in a newspaper several years ago and it says that she takes her cat to work every day. Her cat is also a Cornish Rex - they have curly fur and are long and skinny (and bossy).  

I am thinking that Gleep and I will get a professional photo done like this, if that's okay with him ...

The Sewing with cats award is here:

Gleep is a multi-tasking cat so here he is helping out with the laptop.  I was watching an Etsy video featuring Megan Auman and it was all about pricing your products properly. It's a great video and if you are thinking about how to professionally price your products or how prices are set it is great to watch.  Here's the link.  

And here is the skirt that he has NOT been allowed to sit on!

Skirt of the week - Poppies for ANZACs

 I was so happy when I was able to get more of this Poppies fabric - it is beautiful and with New Zealand and Australia just celebrating Anzac day it seems particularly apt.

We will be at Underground Market on Wellington's waterfront again this Saturday 10am-4pm and of course they are available online at MinnieRee.com.  Just click on a skirt to go through to the skirts page!

Skirt of the week

I originally bought this fabric because I loved it but didn't expect it to be as popular as it is.  It must be the current favourite amongst our range.  So here it is - the Mexican cowgirls cotton snap wrap skirt!!

Minnie + Ree Mexican Cowgirls skirt

What do you think?  Would you wear it or will you wait for a slightly more conservative skirt next week?

Creative life - the best cartoon!

I am thinking about a new range of skirts and other products for the Southern hemisphere winter.  I am also thinking summer because it is still really warm here and I'm influenced by the new spring/summer stuff coming through for the Northern hemisphere.  This cartoon from Sticky Comics sums up the process!

from Sticky Comics

Skirt of the week

I saw a woman the other weekend and thought I think I made a skirt out of that fabric - it's really cool. Then I realised it was one of the Minnie + Ree skirts!  I guess I am just starting to realise how many wonderful fabrics I have used over the last couple of years of skirt-making.  And I don't want to forget them!!

So here is a reminder of the most famous Minnie + Ree skirt - featured in the DomPost too!!  The Famous Frida skirt:

The famous Frida snap wrap cotton skirt!

Like all good things Frida will come to an end one day unless the manufacturer prints again.  No sign of that yet but I have my fingers crossed!  Frida is still available online but the Size Average is down to the last few.  Get in now if you really need one!

Market style - men in skirts

Most Saturdays I have a Minnie + Ree stall at the Underground Designer Market in Frank Kitts Park on Wellington's waterfront.  The waterfront is stunning on a good day in Wellington.  It's a little more challenging when the weather is bad but we are under cover.  An outdoor market would be just too hard in Wellington.

Man in skirt wearing Minnie + Ree Sugar Skulls snap wrap skirt

One of the great things about being at the market is the people watching.  We get a lot of people visiting and see some beautiful sights.  We have everything from couples in matching cruise-ship-chic to some really out there stuff. 

Man in skirt wearing Blaklader kilt - workwear from Sweden

So my first Market style post has to go to the men in skirts!  We love you!!