If you haven’t noticed by now, I love to sew my patterns in as many different fabrics as possible. No one wants to buy a pattern that is limited to one fabric, or at least I definitely do not. But what I also want to show is that you will get a different look depending on the fabric you choose. Magnuson is the perfect example of this which you will see in the 3 versions I sewed. So if you are unsure of whether Magnuson is even your style or if you aren’t sure which fabric to use, let me help you choose fabric for your Magnuson vest.
When I was first designing this pattern my vision was for it in a crisp fabric that would really show off the collar and waist gathers, but then as I began sewing it in a viscose twill I realized it was freakin amazing in that fabric too.
I want to walk you through these three fabrics and share the different look you can get and how I styled them differently to play off of the shape of the vest. All of the fabric was purchased from La Mercerie and I will be linking to each fabric listing. And because Jess is the best she is offering 10% off these three fabrics with code MAGNUSON through Sunday, so make sure to click over to her shop and get some fabric. Everything I have ever purchased from her is really high quality so you can’t go wrong with any of it.
As I said above, a crisp vest was my original vision and since most of the spring/summer weight vests you see are army green I knew one of mine needed to be that classic colour. Jess had just the fabric I wanted in this stretch chino twill which was not only a dream to work with but gave me the vest I had thought of from the start.
Sewing this vest in a bottom weight is really easy since you don’t have to compete with stretching out of fabric and shifty seams as you would with a fabric that has rayon in it. Plus every little detail like the flat felled seams on the back and shoulders or the pockets and waistband casing really stand out. I mean really, look at that collar!
My absolute favourite way to style this vest is with a simple t-shirt and jeans. When paired with Birkenstocks you have a casual running errands look, but throw on a pair of cute sandals and you have a perfect casual date night outfit.
Just like with kids you really shouldn’t play favourites, so don’t tell the other vests, but this is hands down my favourite version I have sewn. Definitely try making this pattern in a bottom weight, believe it or not, it pairs well with so many outfits.
The second type of fabric I used was a viscose twill in this beautiful light beige colour. I am actually surprised I got this colour as I tend to avoid it for whatever reason, but I am so glad I got it because it just looks so great paired with a white t-shirt. What I especially liked about this lightweight version was how it instantly gave my outfits a put together slightly elevated daily look. When I paired it with a simple knit Montlake dress I felt like I was ready for a day date with my husband or even one of the never ending last month of school events.
Even paired with jean shorts and sandals you had a perfectly casual look that just had a little something extra. Who knew just adding a vest to my outfit would give me such confidence for my day. I never knew I would love this pattern as much as I do.
The viscose twill was a dream to work with and as long as you don’t handle the pattern pieces too much after cutting you shouldn’t have any stretching. And where I thought the elements I loved so much in the chino twill version wouldn’t show as much in this fabric, they do and in their own way. I love how the pockets are a little more relaxed while not being too sloppy and the collar opens up naturally.
This striped linen fabric was not in my original plan, but quickly realized while sewing up the other two that I wanted to show just how great it would look in a crinkly linen. I reached out to Jess to see if she had any linen in stock and managed to get my hands on this lovely fabric. It also comes in a blue colourway, but I felt like the pink fit better with the other two vests.
When sewing with a fabric like this linen I had to make a decision before cutting, do I plan to iron it every time I wear it or do I want to embrace the wrinkles. After getting a bunch of different opinions the consensus was to wear it wrinkled which means I had to cut it out wrinkled. You may wonder why this decision had to be made before cutting and that is because if I cut it out wrinkled I had to wear it wrinkled or it would be a few sizes too big when iron.
I adore how this vest turned out, it is the absolute perfect casual layer that I can pair with my new Sandbridge jean skirt or jeans and a t-shirt.
So if you have been on the fence about Magnuson I hope seeing it in 3 different fabrics styled in numerous ways has helped you see you definitely need this garment in your closet. The pattern is on sale for $2 off through Sunday so get your copy today. And don’t forget that La Mercerie has the coupon code, MAGNUSON, to save 10% off your order of these three fabrics through Sunday as well.
Make sure to head back here tomorrow to see my tester roundup. There are some pretty amazing versions I get to share with you!