5 Things That Saved My Life (and Style) This Year: Best Style and Sewing Awards 2025
Best Style and Sewing Award 2025. 2025 was the year I officially stopped apologizing. I stopped apologizing for wearing sneakers with dresses, I stopped apologizing for buying “expensive” primers, and I definitely stopped apologizing for taking shortcuts in the sewing room that actually work.
It was a year of “doing more with less.” Less stress, less fuss, but significantly more style. As we close out the year, I’m ignoring the trends that didn’t work (goodbye, low-rise jeans, you are not welcome here) and focusing on the 5 items that actually earned their keep in my studio and my suitcase.
If you buy nothing else for yourself in 2026, let it be these five sanity-savers.
Affiliate Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning if you click through and make a purchase, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. This helps keep the “Sanity” in “Sewing For My Sanity” and funds my fabric addiction. Thank you for your support!
1. The “Game Changer” Award (Tool): Zirkel Magnetic Pin Cushion
You know I don’t praise gadgets unless they work. This isn’t just a magnet; it is a sanity-saver. Unlike the standard tomato (which dulls your pins) or those cheap magnetic bowls that let pins clump into a dangerous metal mountain, the Zirkel Magnetic Pin Cushion forces your pins to fan out in a perfect circle around the edge.
Why it won:
I can grab a single pin without stabbing myself—which sounds like a small thing until you’re pinning a silk hem at 11 PM. But the real sanity saver? When I drop a pin on the carpet (which happens daily), I just wave this over the floor and it snaps them up instantly. It saves me about 5 minutes of frustration per project, and it has single-handedly saved my toes from becoming a pin cushion. Best Style and Sewing Award 2025 on shear safety alone (LOL).
2. The “Frequent Flyer” Award (Shoe): Adidas Stan Smith
I walked Paris, New York, the halls of my pediatric practice, and the grocery store in these. The Adidas Stan Smith is the only sneaker that looks as good with a handmade maxi dress as it does with joggers. It’s the “Rich Auntie” of sneakers—classic, understated, and always appropriate.
Why it won:
They require zero “break-in” time. I wore them straight out of the box for a 20,000-step day in Europe and had zero blisters. Plus, the leather (or Primegreen) wipes clean, so you don’t look scruffy. White canvas shoes get dirty if you look at them wrong; these stay fresh with a simple wet wipe. That is sanity.
3. The “Runway Reality” Award (Pattern): Vogue 1723
If you want to look like you spent $2,000 on a designer dress but only spent a Saturday afternoon sewing, this is the pattern. Vogue 1723 (the Misses’ Special Occasion Dress) delivers high drama with those balloon sleeves and that chic stand-up collar. More on this in the big reveal post next week. Stay tuned.
Why it won:
It looks complicated, which is exactly what we want people to think. In reality? It is surprisingly forgiving. I made it in a structured brocade from my fall Paris haul for a holiday party, and I’m already cutting it out in a rayon challis for a boozy girls’ brunch. It is the definition of “secret pajamas”—it looks rich, but it feels like you’re wearing a nightgown.
4. The “Filter in a Bottle” Award (Beauty): Laura Geller Spackle
Listen to me closely: I am over 40. I am done with foundation settling into fine lines, and I am done with products that promise miracles and deliver cake-face. The Laura Geller Spackle Skin Perfecting Primer (specifically the Hydrate formula) is basically Photoshop in a tube.
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Why it won:
It doesn’t just sit on top of your skin like a silicone mask; it actually feels like skincare. On days when I don’t want to wear a full face (which, let’s be honest, is most days in the sewing room), I just put this on to smooth out the texture and add a little glow. It makes you look “awake” even when you were up until 2 AM finishing a hem.
5. The “Sanity Saver” Award (Random): CHI Handheld Garment Steamer 11615
I threw my iron out… okay, not really, but I rarely use it for finished clothes anymore. The CHI Handheld Garment Steamer 11615 deserves the Best Style and Sewing Award 2025 because it is powerful enough to steam drapes but small enough to toss in my carry-on. It comes in solid black with red CHI accents and this fun vibes version pictured above. The full-size one, 11580 F, is a beast also, but if you are just rolling for the weekend, the mini version will do.
Why it won:
It heats up in seconds (literally, seconds) and it doesn’t spit hot water on my silk blouses like some steamers I’ve tried. Here is a hard truth from a 10-year sewing veteran: The difference between a garment looking “homemade” and “handmade” is usually just a good press. This steamer gives you that professional finish without wrestling with an ironing board.
Tell me below: What was the ONE thing—tool, shoe, or beauty find—that saved your sanity in 2025? I’m building my list for 2026 and I need your recommendations!
XOXO,
Shontae