The Art of Getting Dressed Again

IN DETAIL

I made the first Frida top about two years into living with M.E./CFS.

The first stretch of illness had mostly been spent in pyjamas and joggers. I was comfortable, but I didn’t feel like myself. I kept wondering, surely there was something I could wear that allowed me to rest, to nap…but still feel like pre-M.E.-me?

There’s a time and a place for jammies as daywear, but it was becoming an unwelcome uniform.

I found my answer, unexpectedly, thanks to Frida Kahlo.
I’d long admired Frida’s paintings and way of dressing, but it wasn’t until then that I really understood how much of her life was spent in recovery and rest. And yet, she always appeared composed, deliberate, unmistakably herself.

How did she manage it?

Her traditional dress, now so iconic, was, in many ways, perfect comfort dressing. The loose huipil top worn over full skirts allowed her to live within her body as it was, accommodating the plaster casts she wore for years, without compromising her silhouette. Nothing clung or restricted, but everything still felt considered.

The huipil itself is beautifully simple: a square cut, open and generous. A blank canvas for colour, texture, ribbons and lace. No darts and no unnecessary seams to contend with.

The Frida top was my first attempt at translating that idea.
I chose a lightweight fabric that would fall softly over the body, allowing for ease without becoming shapeless. The print does a lot of heavy lifting, but I added soft pleating to form short sleeves, and finished the neckline with silk binding so it would sit comfortably against the skin. A single vintage button felt like adding a favourite piece of jewellery.

Later came the Magdalena (one of Frida’s given names), where I introduced Baue’s horizontal stripes. It also became a way to work with smaller pieces of fabric, using what I had collected from other designs, rather than cutting into something new.
Both have become staples in my wardrobe.

And a blue version here

They carry the ease of a loose t-shirt, but offer something more; a sense of intention and identity. On days when I don’t quite feel like myself, they help me edge a bit closer.