The year of the dress part 5: Eyelet dresses

Eyelets were a feature of the spring catwalks and not surprisingly, high street quickly caught on. Usually the domain of white dresses, eyelets can now be found in other colours and other pieces like tops and even shorts.

Badgley Mischka's eyelet dress.



Peter Som's eyelet dress. Black is a refreshing take on the usual white eyelet.

Again, there are always high street options available.



Old Navy does a simple empire-cut eyelet dress. Perfect for those summer days matched with a hat and bejewelled sandals or espandrille wedges. These Christian Louboutin espandrille wedges and Miu Miu bejewelled sandals are utterly adorable.


This eyelet dress is from Delias, and the ribbon belt adds to the romantic vibe.

Another eyelet dress in a romantic cut is this piece from French Connection. Pair it with knee length flat soled boots and and you'll look straight out from the movie set of Pollyanna. As I am not fond of Pollyanna, i suggest those interested in this piece to keep with the wedges, espandrilles or sandals combi.



For those who might not like the country-girl connotations of the white eyelet dress with empire bustlines, there are eyelet dresses in more modern shapes. For instance, these two pieces are from River Island and Delias respectively and come in A-line shift and babydoll style of the 60s, short short hemlines included.



Not to be outdone, Arden B also provides a eyelet style in a modern shape.



C and C California also created a series of eyelet dresses for their spring-summer collection. I like the way it is paired with a tank worn underneath.



These are eyelet dresses, also from C and C California, in the tube dress style.



While it can be worn plain like in the picture, i would suggest pairing it with a tee of another colour worn beneath the dress. Yellow and white would be a nice combination. This Topshop one would do the trick. You might also want to add a wide-waist belt to cinch the waist and break up the white.



Eyelets also make for beautiful tops, as this Webster piece adequately displays.



For those who can't get enough of this trend, there are also eyelet shorts. However, I hope eyelet trousers or jeans never come to fruition.




Photographs from: www.shopbop.com, www.activeendeavors.com, www.delias.com, www.ardenb.com, www.topshop.com, www.saks.com, www.style.com, www.elle.com, www.fcukbuymail.com, www.riverisland.com, www.oldnavy.com, Elle Uk magazine April 2007 issue.

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

The new neutrals

For Spring 2007, lots of fashion trends have been thrown up, from 80s neon to futuristic to the new Romantics. But my favourite of all has to be the neutral palates favoured by designers such as Philip Lim of 3.1 Philip Lim and Thomas Maier of Bottega Veneta. For the uninitiated, neutrals refer mainly to colours such as white, light grey, cream/beige, khaki, camel... (you get the idea).

3.1 Philip Lim and Bottega Veneta respectively.

Other collections that featured lots of neutrals include the Badgley Mischka, Thakoon, Derek Lam, Marc Jacobs, Burberry Prorsum and Stella McCartney 2007 collections.



From Badgley Mischka



Burberry



Derek Lam



Marc Jacobs



Thakoon



Stella McCartney

And you don't need a big budget to indulge in these pieces. High street stores such as Massimo Dutti, Zara and French Connection allow you to partake in the neutrals trend without busting the bank account.



Thakoon and Zara respectively.

The Zara dress (featured above) upfront.



3.1 Philip Lim vs French Connection.

And beautiful versions of Burberry's sought-after trench can be found at Zara and Massimo Dutti.



The Buberry Trench, updated for Spring 2007.



Zara and Massimo Dutti respectively.

Photographs from the Massimo Dutti Spring/Summer 2007 catalogue, www.zara.com, www.style.com, www.frenchconnection.com, www.fcukbuymail.com