When I got a job in Midtown for the second time in 2019, I made a few outfits to wear to the office, including a skirt made with a Barocco print. I made it long enough to cover my knees and moderately loose around my hips so that it wouldn’t show my hip lines and would look presentable. Even though I made it as conservative as possible, when I started working at that office, I realized that the Barocco print on the fabric did not suit the office’s staid culture. Alas, ever since I made it, I’ve never had the chance to wear it.
The skirt was really made for Madison Avenue
This skirt was definitely made to walk on Madison Avenue, the richest and showiest neighborhood in Manhattan. The Barocco print on the fabric reminded me of the classic designs of Versace, the Italian brand I admired when I was a teenager. It was luxurious, but felt gaudy at the same time. So I couldn’t wear it anywhere else unless I was going to Madison Avenue. And I rarely went to Madison Avenue.
But then, one day, I started thinking: What if I had an opportunity to go to southwest Brooklyn? I had never really had the chance to go to southwest Brooklyn—Dyker Heighs, Bay Ridge, and Bensonhurst. But I had an idea of what type of outfit I would want to wear when I go there. It was this Barocco print skirt.
Though it was made for Madison Avenue, the fabric came from a local discount store, not a high-end stores such as B&J or Elegant Fabrics. So it really made sense that an outfit made with fabric from a discount store would fit perfectly well in this area of Brooklyn rather than on Madison Avenue. But even though the fabric was inexpensive, I made the skirt to look expensive, so people probably wouldn’t be able to tell the difference.
Making alterations: shortening the skirt
I had already decided that keeping the skirt at a moderately modest length didn’t make any sense with a flashy print. So I shortened it.
Making a top to go with the skirt
Luckily, I had extra pieces of the same fabric left in my inventory. I used them to make a new top to go with the skirt. I used the pattern I had made when I made a very simple top for Halloween in 2024 and made an alteration to it. If I wanted to go all the way and make it look more gaudy, I would have made it a surplice wrap top with a V-neck showing cleavage. But that’s not me. I didn’t want to go that far.
Designing the top in front of the mirror by pinning the fabric onto my bra, while wearing the skirt I had shortened and pinned.
Frenchy, cute, and dainty designs made with Italian, sexy, and gaudy fabric
With the new top, this outfit is even better for Madison Avenue. But if not for Madison, I should skip all the neighborhoods in between and go all the way down to southwest Brooklyn. I can’t think of any other neighborhoods in between these two areas where I should wear this outfit.
In southwest Brooklyn, I would probably be disappointed to find that no one is really wearing anything like this in the neighborhood, but I’m also sure that this outfit would be appreciated there.
I was thinking—me wearing Barocco style print in the middle-class Italian-American neighborhoods of southwest Brooklyn might be like an American person wearing a traditional kimono-patterned shirt in Tokyo. That would be appreciated there.
This outfit didn’t get a chance to be seen this year.
I started and completed the outfit in May of this year and waited for an opportunity to wear it this past summer. I would have worn this outfit anywhere in New York City if it had been sometime between 2000 and 2003, but I realized that I didn’t even want to step outside in this outfit this year.
Besides “down south” Brooklyn, this outfit may also be a good fit for Staten Island and some parts of New Jersey. What if I wore a red baseball hat to go with it? I kind of want to see how many people would look at me a certain way. But no, no way.
In reality, I will be waiting for this style to come back among city people under blue skies. Until that day comes, this outfit will remain in my closet.
