I was meandering through Instagram one day and came across An Acre of Land.  I was immediately drawn to the photography, the styling, and the layers of feminine, generously gathered skirts.  I pressed the follow button.  For months, maybe even years, I would admire the clothes, which are just my style.  It was the appearance of a cyanometer, though, which made me realize the creative minds behind An Acre of Land were my people.

A cyanometer is a scientific/art instrument used to measure the color of the sky.  I tripped across their existence in a book in 2021 and fell in love immediately.  I haven’t seen one referenced anywhere else, though.  (I still have my cyanometer, hand-painted in oils, in my studio.)

The use of blue in An Acre of Land’s Blueprints Collection further piqued my interest.  Their featured collection when I started following the account consisted of black, cream, and white, which aren’t the best colors for my fair features.  But blues?  Yes.  I’m in. 

Julia, the founder, designer, and maker behind An Acre of Land, and I connected about featuring her clothes and my book in a giveaway.  Our philosophies about creative work and making things align perfectly.  She sent me a generous box of clothing, and I ordered a few pieces as well so I could be a paying customer of a business I have a major creative crush on.

Here’s one of the best parts of this pairing.  I am not a model, and Julia is not a fashion designer.  We are just two women who love clothes that “sit and swish” in just the right way, as Julia describes it.  “I am literally the least fashionable person you could meet. I have never been fashion-conscious. I just like what I like, with as little fuss as possible. That feeling sits very much at the heart of An Acre of Land, and of this collection too.”

Most of the time, you’ll find me wearing sweats and a hoodie in my studio.  I work with paint, and those are clothes that are comfortable and not precious.  When I need to smarten up a bit, I usually gravitate towards classic clothes like button-up shirts, a navy blazer, and dark jeans.  Ralph Lauren-ish.  But when I am showing up somewhere as an artist, a maker, a creative, a writer (and when I travel), I embrace being an eccentric and break out the layers of dresses, antique petticoats, artist’s smocks, and leather boots.  Honestly, it’s what feels most like me.

I had the best time mixing and matching all of the pieces, and I can’t wait until layering weather is in full swing in our area. Their jackets and coats are some of my favorite pieces.

So many of their pieces fit seamlessly in with my existing wardrobe of linen dresses and tunics.  I know an article of clothing is a keeper and will be a favorite when I can wear it with ten other things already in my closet.

While I’m wearing all of these An Acre of Land Clothes together in these photos, I could pair the jackets with a button-up shirt or a simple top and jeans for a look that’s a bit more conventional.  I also tried on some of the dresses with the empire-waisted coats I bought in Italy, and they are a great match.  I’ll have to do a non-fashionable fashion show at some point!

What cannot be fully conveyed in pictures alone is the quality and feel of these clothes.  These are probably some of the most well-made clothes I’ve ever owned.  Jackets are lined, the gathering is generous, and embellishments such as pleats, buttons, and pockets make each piece special.  You know the details modern clothing manufacturers skimp on to cut costs?  Like making the pleats just a little shallower or cutting out some fabric in a skirt?  There isn’t a hint of that in An Acre of Land clothing.  Every fold, pleat, and gather is overly generous, so each piece feels luxurious.  It is the antithesis to fast fashion.

You can see how it dovetails nicely with my book, which focuses on moving at an intentional pace and choosing creation over consumption.

Julia is sharing a review of my book in the An Acre of Land newsletter today.  She shared it with me a few weeks ago, and it was so beautifully written.  She doesn’t know it, but it was a gift to me to read about my book in someone else’s words.

“Ultramarine and burnt sienna, Ultramarine and burnt sienna, washed thin across a small cut of gessoed cotton. A preparatory act. This moment, Marian Parsons tells us, is exactly where the creative life starts. Just a single, tentative mark in the right direction.

That is the ethos at the heart of Move Slow & Make Things. Known online as Miss Mustard Seed, Marian is a painter, writer, home maker, furniture restorer and lover of the made thing. 

She’s been sharing her work online since 2009, and through her long creative practice, she has an abundance of gentle wisdom to share.

Move Slow & Make Things is a collection of essays and honest observations about what the creative life actually asks of you and what it gives back.”

 – Aimee Francis

You can read the full review HERE.

An Acre of Land is based in England, but they do sell online HERE and offer International shipping.

If you’re considering buying a piece, I assure you, you will not regret it.  I ordered two jackets, and it was absolutely worth the VAT and shipping from the UK.  I found their sizing charts to be accurate.  For reference, I’m 5’6 and am wearing a size medium.

But we are giving away a £150 An Acre of Land digital gift card plus a signed copy of Move Slow & Make Things to one winner.  Hop over to THIS POST on Instagram to see the rules to enter the giveaway!

 

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