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The new uniform

Megan Nielsen wide leg Dawn jeans in light enzyme wash denim + Floreat knit crop top in grey marle

I’m here today to answer the question that no one has ever asked: What does Meg wear on the school run?! Hehehehe

But in all seriousness, my absolute favourite outfits for everyday wear are updated takes on the classic jeans and tee combo and this one is my current favourite! I should probably be embarrassed by how often I wear this combo… but instead I’m going to say that I have a really defined sense of personal style. Yes that sounds better than “I think I might wear this exact outfit more than once a week sometimes without washing it in between” ;)

Megan Nielsen wide leg Dawn jeans in light enzyme wash denim + Floreat knit crop top in grey marle
Megan Nielsen wide leg Dawn jeans in light enzyme wash denim + Floreat knit crop top in grey marle

I made the Dawn wide leg jeans in this fabulous light enzyme wash denim from Fabulous Fabrics and I’m so in love with how soft and comfy this denim is! I feel like light wash denim can be hard to find, so i was super excited to find one this light and snapped it up right away.

The only problem (which you can’t really see at all in these photos) is that the first time I wore them Birdie dropped her entire hot chocolate fresh from the cafe, the takeaway cup exploded at my feet and hot chocolate splattered all over the hem. I have scrubbed and scrubbed and googled numerous methods for getting chocolate out of clothing, and there are still faint brown marks around the hem. So if anyone has any great tips for removing hot chocolate stains, let me know!! I will be eternally grateful.

Megan Nielsen wide leg Dawn jeans details
Megan Nielsen wide leg Dawn jeans details
Megan Nielsen wide leg Dawn jeans details
Megan Nielsen wide leg Dawn jeans details
Megan Nielsen wide leg Dawn jeans details

For this pair of jeans I wanted some really subtle top stitching, so I actually used a cream top stitch thread, and must admit to being head over heels in love with the effect! I also didn’t include any rivets as I wanted these to have more of a denim pants rather than jeans vibe, if that makes sense. Instead I sewed bartacks at the top of the coin pocket and back pocket edges and they have worked really well so far. I used the Nickel jeans buttons and leather patch from our jeans button fly kits.

For the pockets I used my Ellie Whittaker Gone Coastal fabric and it’s so enjoyable to see those bright happy pocket bags every time I put my jeans on! I sewed french seams for the pocket bags which is something we’ll be showing you how to do in the Dawn jeans sewalong in a few days.

Some of the detail shots taken above were taken before wearing the jeans and some after many months of wear and I enjoy seeing how that leather patch has aged and weathered!

Megan Nielsen wide leg Dawn jeans in light enzyme wash denim + Floreat knit crop top in grey marle

The top is the knit Floreat crop top and I made it in my favourite Marl cotton jersey from Potter & Co which sadly hasn’t been in stock for years. You’ve probably seen this fabric used by me SO many times without realising…. or maybe you did notice and you’re like “Geee Meg enough with the grey marle already yawn”.  It’s my favourite basic knit, and at one point I bought 10m of it so I would have enough for pattern development and personal use, and I’m getting down to the last of it so i’m using it sparingly!

I love how this top turned out – it’s the perfect length to wear with my high waisted jeans. It can knot it and it doesn’t feel to tight or ride up too high. This fabric has much less stretch and better recovery than the pink knit we used for our Floreat photoshoot, so you’ll probably notice that this tee is more structured and not as loose as that one, even though they are the same size. I’m not sure if I’m the only one who feels this way – but I really enjoy seeing how differently a garment can look based on fabric choice. Not all knits are created equal, and it’s always fascinating to me what different effects you can get from the same pattern.

I’m actually really excited to try this crop top over my Eucalupt tank maxi that I made a few years ago. That dress is made from the same jersey and hasn’t faded at all so I think it would make a really fun layered combo! Soooo I guess that makes the large stash of grey marle totally worth it… right?! Have you noticed how I can end almost any blog post with a statement about how it was totally worth stashin something?

I better end differently.

These were both really enjoyable makes and I love how they turned out and plan to wear them on loop ;)

Megan Nielsen wide leg Dawn jeans in light enzyme wash denim + Floreat knit crop top in grey marle
Megan Nielsen wide leg Dawn jeans in light enzyme wash denim + Floreat knit crop top in grey marle

photography: Bronnie Joel

About Author

Meg is the Founder and Creative Director of Megan Nielsen Patterns, and is constantly dreaming up ideas for new sewing patterns and ways to make your sewing journey more enjoyable! She gets really excited about design details and is always trying to add way too many variations to our patterns.

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Cat
Cat
4 years ago

We have a stain removing product in the US called Zout that gets out any stain. Seriously *any* stain – old stains that have been through the wash several times, etc. I wonder if there’s a similar product where you live…?

Danita Courtney
4 years ago

I love this outfit! Wow! It looks amazing on you!

Nicole
Nicole
4 years ago

I once took a blueberry stain out of a pair of pants with glycerin. Maybe that would work

Lia
Lia
4 years ago

Gorgeous! So light and floaty!