Great British Sewing Bee 2026

[LIZS]

Back on 14th July at 8pm

I’m not sure Anna will win. Series 10 was Pascha all the way - until it wasn’t. (She should have won though).

I would be happy with Anna or Beth at the moment but Emma and Heather also turn out some brilliant garments.

I think Anna looks like Elizabeth Day.

I think it’s weird when Beth and the red dress one just ignore the task and go block colour or in this instance, no sparkle. Whatever you think - it’s weird to ignore the brief because of what you would wear? It’s just asking for fewer points. I mean it’s like ignoring the essay question, it’s just kind of stupid particularly as people are almost always penalized when this show for doing so. So weird.
Anna kept to the brief and sewed brilliantly and had “impact” the judges adore impact when it’s executed well, it’s so obvious.

Patrick looks like he adores Anna and Beth. Esmé is more hard hearted in judging & less swing by partiality.

Swung IMO

I also wouldn’t be surprised if the production team had a points system that they went through with the judges after the judges have discreetly decided on a task - just to show them an impartial points system to defend against too much subjectivity.

I agree, there is probably a lot more to the judging than the brief conversation we see.

The same conversation regarding subjectivity crops up every year on these threads. It is what it is. We can certainly agree or disagree OR agree to disagree.

But Rebecca didn’t ignore the task? She went for the Halston Studio 54 vibe. If the brief was sparkly Disco stage costumes of the 70s then fair enough. But if it was simply ‘Disco’ then she probably researched and thought that she was on brief. As in Bianca Jagger at Studio 54 in 1978. Similarly Beth’s was much more 70’s shaped than Anna’s and whatever Esme may say about colour, 70s clothes were VERY brown.
Did the brief expressly say glitter is the question I suppose

Just rewound the programme and they were told the make to measure should be ‘Inspired by the outrageous fashion of disco - think studio 54 but without the mafia or the hard drugs’
Then the fashion history session referenced Earth Wind and Fire, but also Studio 54 again. Patrick then says ‘ this shouldn’t feel like fancy dress. These were people making beautiful elevated clothes. To wear in a club environment.’ Esme adds’’ it was really glamorous’ and then she goes on to talk about using sequin fabrics.
so I personally think Rebecca was on brief with her Halston outfit, although my favourite was Heathers for the silhouette with the fluffy coats and trousers.

With Rebecca, all week I’ve had the adjacent image of Stephanie in Saturday Night Fever. If Rebecca had really leaned in to that it would have been far more disco…

I sometimes see Dan from last season on my feed and he says they spend at least 15 mins critiquing each M to M. Both Esme and Patrick examine it in detail and discuss the make etc. That’s edited down to two or three comments. So I do think they have very good reasons for their choices, it’s just it doesn’t always come across.

It may be that Anna’s was very well made, her trousers were her own design and innovative and they liked the fit and detail. To me it looked a bit naff and I preferred Heather’s but I wasn’t there so …

I looked up Saturday Night Fever too. I went to see it aged 15 😬 in 1978. Definitely not suitable.

SNF is really gritty. I think that's why I like the kaftan - it felt very SNF. Someone should have done one of those floaty dresses.

Fame is another film that is surprisingly dark.

The film of Fame was much much darker than the TV series.

Oh yes, that was quite silly! But iconic.

I was watching old TOTP last night and 'High Fidelity' was on. Memories.

I was a student at Goldsmiths at that time and the students from the Laban Dance centre used to hang about in the Refectory in their lycra and leg warmers. I wonder what happened to them, I think of them when I see the Pepto Bismol advert.

Ha!

I often watch telly and think 'they went to RADA for this'.

I read a hilarious thread on TwiX about that advert and the actors giving their all to their art. It was one of the funniest things ever, but like an idiot I forgot to bookmark it. One of my greatest regrets!

I need to watch Fame again. I wonder if it’s on anywhere.

I was in a quiz where they asked 'what are the six things PeptoBismol treats?'. Smashed it.

Me too! I have a Stephanie dress somewhere I bought for a fancy dress '70s party. A proper dress not a fancy dress outfit.

Been watching the BBC night at the Proms James Bond themed and those costumes are FABULOUS!!!

Interesting. I have a permanent stoma and bag

the red dress was an inspo of a designer (forget the name) who dressed many famous women who went to Studio 54 and that makes it perfectly fine imo.

Disco fashions in the 70s/early 80s weren't homogenous sparkly flares. There was a lot of colour, but also a lot of that kind of thing.