Fall 2012 brocade fashions from Carolina Herrera, Rochas, Proenza Schouler

Hey readers, let’s talk about brocade. Brocade is absolutely one of my most favorite fabrics to sew. Quality brocade of silk, silk blends or first-rate polyester is a joy to sew with: It presses neatly, usually has an interesting texture or sheen, and always looks expensive. Brocades can range from a weight suitable for jackets, skirts, dresses and slim pants, then all the way to heavier weights suitable for drapes and upholstery.

Besides being a mellow fabric to sew (excluding the cheap brocades that fray like crazy), the reason brocade is one of my go-to fabrics is that everything I make with it looks great and becomes a favorite piece that I wear year after year. Trust me, that’s not a claim I can make for many of the garments I sew; I still make some real dogs every now and then.  Right now I’m thinking about making a pair of slim brocade pants, maybe like these from Stella McCartney:

Stella McCartney slim brocade pants, $965, Saks.

Checking out Mood’s brocades is always fun, because I think we have one of the best selections around.

You could spend a whole day at Mood NYC just trying to decide which brocade to pick. If I need to get work done I make sure I stay away from this part of the store.

If you can’t get to our stores, there is plenty to choose from at MoodFabrics.com, like these two cool brocades:

We have this lightweight gray floral brocade in our stores and online. From Italy, $50/yd. I'm thinking I might use this for my Stella McCartney-style slim pants. Because it's a really chic fabric.

At $14/yd, not as pricey as the brocade above but still really gorgeous is this metallic poly brocade.

I haven’t made fitted pants in awhile, but I’m so tired of wearing jeans all the time that I’m committed to sew more pants this fall and winter. Speaking of, have you started your fall and winter sewing yet? Tell me about it!