Inside the glamorous world of fashion photography

photo shoot for zero waste hoodie

It’s photography week for the zero waste hoodie top.

I find photo shoots lots of fun. Also incredibly tiring as well, probably because I talk non-stop the whole time!

There are no modelling agencies out here in rural Australia. Therefore as well as using myself as a model I ask “regular everyday people” to model and try to show the clothes on a variety of ages, body shapes and ethnicities. The latter is difficult because there are very few people of colour in this area (and not everyone wants to be a model).

I take the pictures, and the model and I organise the styling together.

To show correctly how the garment fits, I often make the item especially for the model, in a colour that suits them.

In the “show and tell” spirit of this series, here are some of the week’s photos:

I asked a friend’s teenage son if he would like to be photographed. I created a hoodie top mood board on Pinterest and Sebastian chose the fabric. He found modelling much harder than he thought but he was a tremendously good sport and a lot of fun.

photo shoot for hoodie top Seb

I photographed my husband in the same brown plaid top. He’s clearly been working on his “catalogue model” look since I used him to model scrubs earlier this year. He says he’s too old to wear hoodies but I thought it looked fine on him.

photo shoot for hoodie top
Sharp-eyed readers will spot the kangaroo in the background (centre right).

Too old? No way! Jill rocks the red-white-blue hoodie top.

photo shoot for zero waste hoodie Jill

Still to photograph is the blue poplin (the model came down sick).

photo of blue poplin hoodie laid flat

And the top made in Japanese chambray. I love this one best of all! The fabric was a dream to cut and sew. Planning to style it with a white t-shirt and vintage baseball cap.

photo of chambray hoodie top


If you’d like to read the previous posts about this hoodie top:

Part 1 Where I tested out the initial idea from a tiny sketch.

Part 2 Where a sample is sewn and some thought given to multiple sizes.

Part 3 shows some samples in different sizes and fabrics, after a frenzied week of sewing.

Part 4 where I did the drawings for the sewing and cutting directions.


I still have to think of a name for this pattern. The criteria are:

  • it has to be a non-gendered name since this is a non-gendered top.
  • it can’t be a rude word in another language.
  • it can’t be already in use as a popular pattern name (ruling out wiksten, ogden, zadie, hinterland, kielo etc).
  • it has to have an available hashtag on instagram so it can be found.
  • alliteration is okay (eg haywoodhoodie – hey, that’s not bad!).
  • it can’t share a name with any unpleasant person I’ve met in my life.
  • place names are acceptable.

We had a naughty giggle through lists of unusual baby names and got some ideas, but maybe it would be easiest to call it the zero waste hoodie.


Cheers!

PS Donna-in-the-comments – that vintage argyle knit still hasn’t been cut up, but don’t worry I haven’t forgotten!

8 Comments

  1. Donna on August 17, 2020 at 12:16 am

    Hey Liz – thanks for the updates – your husband has got that ‘far away look’ down to a T! Loving the hoodie so far, but also excited to see how it comes up in knit (I don’t sew woven – I hate ironing, so the ironing during construction is ALL I do!)
    Can’t wait for the naming ceremony either 🙂
    Take care xx

    • lizhaywood on August 17, 2020 at 8:54 am

      The construction needs a tweak for knits but I’m keen to try it 🙂

  2. Barkat on August 17, 2020 at 1:38 am

    Very nice.

    • lizhaywood on August 17, 2020 at 8:52 am

      Thank you!

  3. Kim on August 18, 2020 at 8:25 pm

    It looks great – I particularly like the chambray version

    • lizhaywood on August 18, 2020 at 8:52 pm

      Thank you – I think it’s THE perfect fabric for this top.

  4. Tracey on September 10, 2020 at 3:58 am

    I love the idea of no waste sewing and the pattern being for anyone and from woven or knit!

    • lizhaywood on September 10, 2020 at 8:24 am

      Thank you; I love it too!

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