Oh, Burda, Burda, Burda. I know it’s a Fasching costume and realism goes out the window when you decide to dress like a pirate, but must we be subjected to your infatuation with one-sleeved garments in every aspect of the wardrobe? It looks like January 2010 will be the third consecutive issue that fails to acknowledge the conventional wisdom that sleeves are generally best when they occur in even numbers, ideally zero or two. Perhaps they’ve been too busy refashioning their website to sew a second sleeve. Didn’t stop them from making a pirate armwarmer though. Wow. There’s two words I never thought I would string together.
Once again, there’s nothing in the Burda Modemagazin/Style/WoF preview to tempt me to renew my subscription (though we’ll see when the full preview comes out in a few weeks). And if you can’t say something nice, you may as well make fun of stuff so everyone can have a good laugh. So let’s mock the crafts together, ok?
Right. So this is a chair that has been studded with the word “Rock” on the back. I have to say, unless you tape a bunch of printouts of band equipment (Burda, seriously? Printouts? Again with the 3-minute prep for the photoshoot??) to the wall right next to it, and prop a cheesey electric bass against the side of it, this chair is not exactly rockin’. Add to that the fact that “Rock” is the German word for “Skirt” and you really have to be wondering what the good folks at our favorite German sewing magazine were thinking. In what context would one actually have this in one’s house? Let’s move on and see what else we’ve got this month:
I don’t know where to go with this one. Except to suggest that BurdaStyle magazine may want to reconsider the recent inclusion of the word “Style” in its new title. This doesn’t even look symmetrical to me. It’s making my eyes explode. Someone help me out here. What is going on???
The Selfish Seamstress 
28 comments
Comments feed for this article
December 7, 2009 at 5:51 pm
Katie
And what is with the cami with the scarf stuck into her cleavage??? Oh, no.
December 7, 2009 at 6:36 pm
marlies
The purse is just ugly!! I was thinking about getting a Burda subscription… now I am not sure…. what’s with all of the crafty things? We want fashion!!
December 7, 2009 at 8:26 pm
Venus de Hilo
Totally with you one the one-sleeve thing. Very possibly my most-hated “style” of all time. Awful doesn’t begin to describe it, so why do we keep seeing it? And how could it possibly, ever, be comfortable: isn’t one arm or the other going to be either sweaty hot or “chicken-skin” cold? How is that appealing?
I’ve been tempted by a Burda subscription and telling myself that maybe next year I’ll find some room in the sewing budget for it, but now I think that’s money I’d rather spend on fabric.
December 7, 2009 at 9:54 pm
selfishseamstress
I had one of these one-sleeve tops back in the 90’s when either they were cool or maybe I just thought I was cool. And the thing that really bugs me about them is how hard they make it to wear a bra underneath. It’s like, you don’t want to wear a strapless if the top isn’t strapless, but at the same time, half of it is strapless so you’re kind of forced to. And then they have those convertible bras where you can just wear it with one strap, and then everything is sort of held up better on one side than the other…. anyway. Yes. They need to shelve this trend for at least another half dozen issues and hopefully more.
December 7, 2009 at 9:17 pm
Amy
It would make a lot more sense if the chair were a rocking chair. silly joke :) January Burdas generally aren’t my favorite.
December 7, 2009 at 9:56 pm
selfishseamstress
Ha! I thought that too. It actually *would* be funny to stud the word “Rockin’!” on a rocking chair. I’m with you on January Burdas. Summer issues also don’t hold much appeal for me. I’m all about August, September, and October. And sometimes whichever one has the big feature with lots of dresses in it– May, I think?
December 8, 2009 at 6:34 am
Nancy K
I posted that picture over on PR too. What exactly is this craft? I’m afraid that I am not enamored of their redesign either. They are redesigning but leaving alone the worst of their ‘sacred’ cows. I was attacked on my blog for saying that the annual folkwear section should be eliminated. I am a long time subscriber and I can’t remember ever seeing such bad crafts before. Their DIY fashion sections are certainly lacking in style and competence too.
December 8, 2009 at 8:15 am
selfishseamstress
Hahaha. I guess the dirndls are relevant to the German audience at least. And perhaps to some of the Renfair-going Americans :) I’m more curious as to why Burda thinks everyone goes on safari on an annual basis though! Then again, if it were up to me, Burda would be nothing but features on Parisian Style, Office Chic, Classic White Blouses, and Little Black Dresses. :) I’d ditch loungewear, Bambi Style, Boho Luxe, Hippie Chic….
December 8, 2009 at 7:09 am
Liz
Oh, dear – of course, the moment I subscribe to Burda, it goes all to hell.
=[ Hopefully there will be at least ONE pattern I like in the 1/2010 issue!
Some background on the purse: I lived in Bavaria for many years and that kind of rose pattern is typical for the area – they do a lot of Tole painting and that “look” is pretty typical.
December 8, 2009 at 8:17 am
selfishseamstress
The look of the fabric is typical or the look of the purse? The fabric itself isn’t bad (though I question its use on a purse). It’s more hot-glue-jumble of stuff that’s getting to me– the bright blue flap with the doily bits, the flimsy gold chain, the not-quite symmetrical shape, and is that …. laminated???
December 9, 2009 at 10:19 am
Liz
The style of the rose on the fabric is typcial (although this one looks faux-tapestry). I personally don’t care for it much, but it appears that Burda is trying to take a new twist on something traditional. I think they need to keep trying!
December 8, 2009 at 7:47 am
Karin
Ok, hate to say this, but it’s German magazine… and although there are plenty of Germans with looooads of style, and some of the coolest of cool art and architecture is going on there, there seems to be something wonky going on fashion-wise down there, and “always” has. Neon-colours, patchwork, snow-bleached jeans and folklore stayed in “fashion” for almost a decade after the rest of Europe had abandoned and forgotten all about it
(sorry about bashing Germany, I love Germany, just not German fashion…).
Burda magazine may have something to do with this actually, they should move the whole staff to Paris, London, Milano or New York for a year or so and educate them in fashion hot:s- and not:s (is the staff too old maybe? or just not interested in fashion?), they have a huge responsibility in marketing Germany as a fashion-conscious, stylish nation. Hope they realise that soon.
December 8, 2009 at 12:41 pm
selfishseamstress
Heheh. I wonder if this is more an issue of sewing magazines than German style though? Burda has to cater to a wide range of ages and tastes. It’s not like there’s enough market for sewing magazines that they can really tailor some to the 20s and 30s crowd, and then also some to the 50s and 60s+ crowd. I don’t find the garments in American magazines like Threads to be particularly chic either- they have to tailor to that “women-of-all-ages” aesthetic, which generally means skewing more conservative. I used to live in Germany and didn’t notice that the women dressed *very* radically differently from North Americans in real life. I have to say, the men certainly wore more body-conscious, style-conscious clothing, which was usually a good thing unless they took it too far in the skintight checkered jeans direction :)
December 9, 2009 at 3:49 am
Karin
Hm, could it be the age/interest-factor then? I looks as if the “trendy” sections are styled by someone quite desperately trying to be trendy, but who doesn’t really have a clue… I think instead they should employ some young, forward designers to take responsibility for the trendy sections.
I always (ok, often) like the plus-size patterns in Burda the best, they often work with fluid lines that really flatter the body, and subdued materials that show off the lines of the patterns as opposed to the pirate-patchwork-disasters in the trend-sections.
And ok, I like the “classic”-patterns too (good, since they actually come in my size!).
December 8, 2009 at 9:31 am
Uta
Well, I certainly have no idea what’s going on, but you made me smile with the “Yarr”. Reminds me of when I was sixteen and an exchange student in the US, and my classmates were trying to speak made-up German. A lot of Yarrr in there.
There is such a thing/word as “Rockmusik” (rock music, not skirt music) in German, just to clarify that!
December 8, 2009 at 9:37 am
Uta
I just read Karin’s comment, lol! It might be worth a post/discussion what Burda thinks and whether it relates to Germans’ fashion sense or not! Actually, I always think of German style as safe and boring, but that’s what’s in the shops. As to what people are wearing… there’s definitely a tendency here to hold on to the style of one’s youth, which might just be folklore (70s), neon and bleached jeans ( 80s) and so forth. I’m not seeing anyone (IRL) wearing what Burda is suggesting, though!
December 8, 2009 at 10:02 am
amber
Pirate costume in a January magazine? So confused. :/
December 8, 2009 at 11:45 am
selfishseamstress
:) It’s for Fasching/Karneval/Fastnacht. It’s a holiday that takes place in Germany (and other countries) that corresponds roughly to Mardi Gras and people wear costumes. One-sleeved pirate costumes.
December 8, 2009 at 12:48 pm
Reethi
My first Burda issue was August 2007 – and I think I wanted to make near everything in the issue. The last issue December 2009, I was struggling to find 3 things I wanted to sew, and the focus on crafts is driving me insane! Not an improvement, and I wish they’d knock it off. Their crafts suck.
December 8, 2009 at 2:37 pm
Laura Georgina
Burda is looking like it was run by a sensible group of successful career women–who had a nervous breakdown and left their six year olds and grandmothers in charge while they went off to the Mediterranean to have affairs with dodgy poolboys.
If I got that purse, I think I’d cry.
December 8, 2009 at 7:14 pm
Chantelle
I’m currently making a one-shoulder dress with a cut-in-one cap sleeve for an upcoming holiday party. It’s a vintage pattern and I love the style.
Then again, both of my arms will be bare. I’m not even planning on making armwarmers, as surprising as that might seem.
That purse is something else. It would have been better if attempts at symmetry were abandoned. And if it wasn’t laminated. And if the blue thing wasn’t there… or maybe the doily part. I liked the strap and shape of the purse, though.
December 10, 2009 at 3:23 am
senaSews
I’m with you…don’t know what it is about this whole one-sleeve thing. Either both of my arms are cold or none!
December 11, 2009 at 7:51 pm
Jacquie
I used to sew out of Burda back when I lived in Germany (mainly in the ’60s as I gave up sewing clothing after that — just couldn’t keep up with the everchanging skirt lengths!) but it seems top have deteriorated somewhat. Pity. I used to love it!
December 17, 2009 at 10:32 am
Burda 1.2010 and website confusion « The Selfish Seamstress
[…] Or at least, I think it’s the full preview– it’s got more images than the sneak peek that went online last week, but some of the stuff that was in the sneak peek, such as the puffy ski […]
January 6, 2010 at 4:36 pm
Burda 2.2010 preview: Getting warmer? « The Selfish Seamstress
[…] I have to give Burda props for going all out with the accessorizing on this one. Not just an oversized fringed vest, but an oversized fringed vest with a piece of rope for a scarf, and some strappy leather armwarmers (oh gosh, yet another set of words ending in “armwarmers” that I never thought I’d string together!) […]
January 15, 2010 at 4:59 pm
The Selfish Seamstress is a B who wants you to fail. « The Selfish Seamstress
[…] a laugh at me, so others could laugh at themselves, and so we could all get together and laugh at pirate armwarmers. [Please note: I do not and will not mock the sewing projects of other hobby seamstresses; you […]
March 1, 2010 at 9:12 am
Burda 4.2010 preview: Innocuous. « The Selfish Seamstress
[…] no cheetah jumpsuits, no wedding dresses with crepe paper nosegays hot glued to them, no shrests, no pirate armwarmers, no one shouldered skankgear. And yet on the other hand, there are zero items in the preview that are appealing to me at all. No […]
September 27, 2010 at 2:43 pm
Pirate Birthday Costumes
I like the Pirate Costume – simple, subtle but very effective. That is the great thing about the pirate costume, you can go all out with ye loot or tighten thy purse strings and still have an authentic pirate costume look!