2019. I was pregnant with my first son, sitting in our one-bedroom apartment, watching YouTube videos on how to sew.
Not because I had dreams of becoming a designer. Not because I was thinking about launching a brand. I learned because I wanted to make wigs, and the ones I actually wanted to buy were way out of my price range.
So I bought a cheap Singer sewing machine, grabbed some human hair bundles, and made my first wig. It was cute. It had some minor imperfections, but nothing overly noticeable. I felt so proud of myself—I had zero sewing experience before that moment.
But here's the thing about sewing wigs: it's time-consuming. It requires industrial machines if you want to do it effectively. And I had a baby coming.
Zipper Pouches and Small Victories
From wigs, I moved to zipper pouches. That year, I made so many as Christmas gifts for friends and family because our budget was tight. Video after video, tutorial after tutorial, I was learning from other seamstresses. But I still wasn't brave enough to try sewing a garment. That felt like a big leap.
Then 2020 Arrived
I was nervous about giving birth to my first son via C-section. During a pandemic. I couldn't see my family or friends. It was terrifying, to say the least.
My husband, our new baby, our little Yorkie, and I were all sequestered in that one-bedroom apartment. I was still watching sewing videos. And slowly, the bug to try garments started creeping in.
The truth is, I was struggling to find clothes that fit me properly—clothes that made me feel good about myself. I was trying to embrace my new mom body, but it was challenging. The extra skin after the C-section, the changes in my shape—I didn't really like what I saw in the mirror sometimes. (My husband kept saying I looked beautiful, but postpartum is a trip.)
Here's my geometry: broad shoulders, small bust, full thighs and bottom, smaller waist, and a slightly full midsection. I'm that in-between size of 12 and 14 depending on where I'm shopping. Not quite an apple shape, kinda pear-shaped, but none of those labels actually fit what I have.
I lived in yoga pants because that's all the bandwidth I had to dedicate to myself while adjusting to motherhood.
The Boxy Top That Changed Everything
One day I came across a content creator doing a sew-along video with a free pattern. It was a boxy top. Simple. Beginner-friendly.
I made it. And to my surprise, it turned out cute. (Okay, I sewed one of the sleeves right side out so you could see the stitching, but I was so proud of myself anyway.)
Then I put the top on.
And I was kind of let down.
It looked cute on the hanger. But it did nothing for my figure. In fact, it hid it. It made me look frumpy. Yikes.
That's when something shifted.
Learning to See the Architecture
I started copying some of my current clothes into patterns. I began altering patterns I'd purchased, adjusting them to fit my actual shape. And each time I had to rip a seam and redo it, or cut something too short, or forgot to add enough seam allowance—I learned something.
I got better. With every mistake.
And I realized something: I didn't want to just make clothes for myself. I wanted to create sewing patterns for other curvy sewists. I wanted to design garments that would make them feel bold, feminine, and empowered.
That's when the idea of Lovely Image was born.
It Had to Be Intentional
But I also knew I couldn't just create more clothes. The fashion industry already produces too much waste. Too much textile pollution. Too much that ends up in landfills.
So every garment Lovely Image makes is created from sustainable fabric or deadstock. Not that fake recycled polyester that still sheds microplastics. Real, intentional materials. Even the packaging is made from eco-friendly or recycled materials.
Everything designed with Lovely Image is made with intention. Because your curves deserve that. Your geometry deserves that.
This isn't a brand trying to sell you clothes.
This is a sewist who finally decided to design the clothes she wished existed.
What's Next for You
If you've felt that gap at your waist. If you've walked out of dressing rooms frustrated. If you've wondered whether fashion was ever designed with you in mind—it wasn't. But something is changing.
Start with understanding your silhouette. Read our next post on the Six Lovely Silhouette Profiles to discover which one is yours—and what that means for how you get dressed.
Then, if you're ready, the full guide—Wear What Was Made for You—goes deeper into wardrobe building, fabric intelligence, and the five capsule styles that will transform how you show up.
And when the collection launches, you'll already know which pieces are engineered for your specific geometry.
Your chair at the fashion table is ready, Lovie. Hearts n kisses 💙
Janay Jackson-Ukah
Founder, Lovely Image | Self-taught Sewist | Maryland-Made Quiet Luxury
Building clothes for the woman fashion forgot.
0 comments