ET AL., ETC.

Anyone who has ever gone shopping with me knows just how difficult a time I have buying clothes. It's an experience that always begins positively - I'll be willing to go into every and any store around, there will be plenty of items for me to try on, I might even be talked into making a purchase or two - but inevitably, the day will end with me cranky, unwilling to even enter a dressing room, and deciding that everything is either too expensive or doesn't quite fit the way I'd like it to. Years of this, plus some amazing pattern books picked up in Japan, have led me to decide that this is the year I learn how to use a sewing machine once and for all. Not that I own one, but that's beside the point. The real side effect of this problem is that I do a lot of my shopping either alone, where I can pick things out and then try them on for people later, when they're not hot and hungry and wondering why I've spent 30 minutes trying on the same top over and over again, or online, where a similar type of thing is possible (especially when there's free shipping involved). So it's always a great and happy day for me when I find a new store, or person, who makes clothes that I both love the style of and that fit me well. Which brings me to the whole point of this rambling post: ET AL., ETC.

I found ET AL., ETC. through a little q & a post with Évita, the talent behind the store, on the Ladies & Gentlemen blog, a few weeks ago. I love reading about people's process and inspiration, and I immediately had to jump over to the shop to check it out for myself.

As you can see from the above images, Évita runs a fantastic Etsy shop. Everything is both beautifully and interestingly photographed, with a really nice range of clothing styles as well as some fun objects. Évita lives in Tokyo, and all of her clothing is made from scratch, patterned from vintage or found fabrics from Japan. The combination of white space and well-constructed, understated garments makes for an all-around great shop. I ended up purchasing two very different tops, both of which I adore and fit like they were made for me. And did I mention that you can also purchase custom-made jeans, for both women and men? Very, very impressive.