Smockin'!

As i scoured through boutiques and high street shops, one thing that pops up in almost all of them is the smock. Formerly the garb of artists---the baggy white tunic they wear to protect their garments---the smock has since been shortened and pretti-fied, such that now, it is mainly worn as a top, though there are smock dresses, and (almost) no one would use it for dirt protection purposes.

There are a few characteristics of the modern smock: 1. It tends to have a squarish or wide scoopnake collar. 2. It tends to be voluminous, thereby allowing pregnant women to be au courant while expecting. 3. It mostly comes in white or pastel colours (a throwback to the original smock). 4. Unlike the artist smock, it usuaully has short sleeves. 5. It is often made with cotton in materials such as broderie anglaise, although there is now a surge in alternative renditions in other colours and materials. All the better for us i say :)




By Paul and Joe Sister, the diffusion line of Paul and Joe, designed by Ms Sophie Albou who is also known as, at least to me, Ms Smock herself. I call her such as she tends to feature the smock, especially in broderie anglaise, in each of her collections while other designers usually save it for spring or ignore it altogether. As such, her smocks are often the yardstick in which other brands measure up to.



From C and C California. Perfect for spring's romantic look. They are FINALLY branching out to something more interesting that plain tees in different cuts.




From Miss Selfridge. I like the big buttons---they add a cute twist.




From River Island. The bell sleeves make this piece stand out---most smocks are usually short sleeved. River Island has a very comprehensive smock collection in white this season, but i couldn't find pictures of their other white smocks online.



One of my favourites! From Adam+Eve. I simply love the rich dark blue colour and the gold accents.

If wearing your smock hung loose over your pants/skirt is too casual for the office, follow Ms Albou's direction (below left; from Paul and Joe) and tuck it into a pair of high-waist pants or skirt (high-waists being another key trend of spring 2007)



This high waist skirt is from Topshop and its conservative shape and length should suffice to balance out the casualness of the smock top.

For dress lovers, don't worry about missing out, smock dresses are also popular this season, as Ms Albou again demonstrates with her Paul and Joe Sister line.

Fed up of white? River Island has a black alternative:




Don't like 'em plain? Try them in prints!

This is from Rebecca Taylor and would look stylish on expecting mums and non-pregnant women alike.



Don't like Rebecca Taylor's prices? There are high street options as well.



This is from Mango and...



this is from Miss Selfridge.

Still unsatisfied? Make your own.


Photographs from: www.missselfridge.co.uk, www.topshop.com, www.paulandjoe.com, www.mango.com, www.elle.com, www.stylefinder.com, www.riverisland.com, www.activeendeavors.com

The year of the dress part 3: the Little White Dress

While the little black dress (lbd for short), which Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany's propelled into iconic status, will remain an closet favourite for years to come, its lesser known cousin the little white dress (lwd, also featured in the film but for some reason was not as popular), is fast picking up on the popularity stakes. Particularly now with white such a prominent feature in the Spring 2007 collections, and its airy colour very suitable for spring.



The famous little black dress.



The, until recently, sidelined little white dress.

Catwalk options:



From Balmain. As you can see, it takes "little" literally.



From my current favourite label---3.1 Philip Lim. For a very "white" collection, check out Badgley Mischka's Spring 2007 show. It is a bride's, and those harbouring bridal ambitions, dream.



From Michon Schur. White, short and chiffon-y. What's not to like.



From See by Chloe. Love the Grecian details.



I got this from www.net-a-porter.com. Forgot the name of the designer, but it looks really 1920s. Would be lovely to pair with ballet flats and wear to school.



From Theory. I like the detailing. The hardware toughens up this piece and the juxtaposition is just great.



Prada. Can't or won't afford this? Miss Selfridge has a similar option at a fraction of the Prada price.



This is from Alice + Olivia.



This is also Alice + Olivia. I prefer this piece. Very Merrakesh or Ibiza.



I'm not sure where i got this picture from. But i really really like this dress and the way the model's hair goes with it. I'd wear this to school too.



From Milly.This is a cute interpretation of the Little White Dress. It's mod shape provides a nice difference from the other floaty white pieces.

For high street options, besides the Miss Selfridge number shown above, there are these:



This Bebe piece is just pretty and can be easily dressed up or down.



From Mango. The buttons are a cute touch.



Mango was really smart to get Milla Jovovich as their spokesperson. Not only is she gorgeous but she has a very cool sense of style and her label Jovovich-Hawk stands out from most celebrity labels as actually being creative and chic (L.A.M.B is another one). This tunic and the gold lining is a great combination, and it has a gives out a easy elegance vibe.


Photographs: www.mango.com, www.elle.com, www.missselfridge.co.uk, www.bebe.com, www.net-a-porter.com, www.imdb.com, www.style.com