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 spring romantics: the high street version

In this post, i have selected from the high street shops, pieces of the spring romantics trend that i like. Enjoy!




This is from Bebe. Lace, soft in material and colour. Very spring romantic.



This is a dress, (You saw it right, dress. Just very very short. Do you know that if the dress is shorter than your fingertips laid by your sides, the hemline would rise to above your midthigh when you sit down, but i digress.) from River Island. If you're uncomfortable with the length, just wear it as a top and pair with shorts or pants. A nice white pair would compliment the look without making it overly girlish, while a grey pair would provide a nice contrast.



From Tracy Reese. The floral cutouts is pretty cool way of interpreting the romantic trend while the trapeze shape is flattering (good for hiding tummies).



Floral trapeze tieback dress. From Shop Intuition. This would work well on the beach with sandals or with wedges. These 2 are from Madison Harding.



Or you combine the above 2 and have this:



This is from Topshop and i really like the soft nautical look. Preppy and pretty is one of my favourite combinations.



From Rebecca Taylor. Her spring 2007 has many romantic pieces. Not surprising since most of her clothes, including those from her autumn/winter collections have a very feminine vibe.

For those who don't like frills or floaty pieces, there's always the option of wearing structured pieces in pastel colours like this Madewell pair of shorts in a lovely pale pink.

Or you could just give this trend a miss altogether. Heh.

Photographs from: www.madewell1937.com, www.shopbop.com, www.activeendeavors.com, www.stylefinder.com, www.elle.com, www.shopintuition.com, www.topshop.co.uk

The spring romantics

Fashion, like economics, usually follows certain cycles, and come spring, the look is usually romantic. The romantic look usually entails pretty trimmings such as lace, rosettes and bows, all in pastel shades consisting mainly of white, pink and violet. Choice of material is also important, with most designers favouring lightweight fabrics such as chiffon, satin, tulle and light cotton to express the flirty airy feel often associated with the romantic look.

Labels that strongly showcased the romantic look in the Spring collections include 3.1 Philip Lim, Badgley Mischka, Louis Vuitton and Thakoon.

From 3.1 Philip Lim (Rosettes, white colour, lightweight material all there)



From Badgley Mischka. This is the epitome of the spring romantics look: lace (check), rosette-like trimmings (check), bow (check), pastel palette (check), lightweight material (check). Put it on a nice fair and lithe model, keep her make up and hair simple, with a touch of pink on her cheek and lips and voila! The ultimate embodiment of spring's romance.



Another statement piece by the duo that screams---or should i say whispers---the romantic look.



Yet another Badgley Mischka piece. More subdued but the rosettes remain.



A non-white Badglely Mischka romantic piece.

My personal favourite from this label:



When i was seven or eight, I had a dress just like this but made of tulle. It even has the same midcalf hemline. It felt a bit titchy when i wore it, but like any good fashionista, i endured the temporary discomfort for the priceless feeling and knowledge of being pretty pretty pretty. My shoes were the same sort of Mary Janes featured in the above picture, though in black. And i paird my outfit with a white brocade hairband and white lacy socks. (No parental choosing of outfit for me---I am my own stylist, both then and now). I am now 21 and it delights me to find out that my choices then were fashiontastic. (Badgley Mischka has the same dress!!!)



From Louis Vuitton. Notice that the model's hair has not been spared the rosettes.



This is from Thakoon. Again the rosettes, bow and pastel palette.

Moving on from the catwalk shots, let's now examine the pieces themselves...

3.1 Philip Lim rosette dress.



3.1 Philip Lim rosette tee. Would be nice with shorts and wedges; or paired with jeans, especially the new wide-leg ones.

3.1 Philip tea dress. Another personal favourite and something I'd wear to school, to the park, for a casual meal or just for gallavanting around town. It is stylish, with an easy elegance and rather fuss-free.

Jill Stuart dress.

Calypso tunic. Can be worn just like that or paired with city shorts. These ones from Reyes and Topshop respectively provide a tasteful juxtaposition as their sombre colours and structuredness balance the soft bohomenian look of the Calypso tunic.

Rebecca Taylor dress. The 60s shift shape adds a modern touch to an otherwise Regency-era trend.

Photographs from www.elle.com, www.net-a-porter.com, www.topshop.co.uk, www.style.com