STATEMENT PIECES
TOP FIVE SPRING PICKS
There’s nothing like a new season to jump-start a closet cull and inspire a little retail therapy. Herewith, my 5 top to toe picks to instantly give your wardrobe a Spring refresh. The best of the current roster include: micro floral print dresses, kitten heel sling-backs, a statement shirt, shimmery tops and a retro logo or slogan tee.
01.Glisten up
Plug into the fashion grid with a glimmering top, steering away from the obvious choices: gold and silver (unless paired with vibrant block colours). Lustrous tones will instantly enliven your day look. Try Jac+Jack’s light knitted sweater and tank top crafted from a silk and viscose blend to create a shimmery lurex effect. Available in lapis blue and bronze, team with a classic knee-length denim skirt or wide-legged cotton or silk pants to tone down the glare. To build up your illumination immunity, start small. Try Gorman’s teal blue pearlescent Bonita sunglasses or glitter ankle socks in assorted gemstones. They often rotate their sparkly knits, whatever the season, so keep an eye out for new pieces online.
02.Force of nature
Micro floral prints have become potent blooms this season. They’re no longer synonymous with passive feminine whiles. Designers took a strong stand on the international catwalks this year: think dark bewitching blooms at Gucci, modern floral confections at Isabel Marant and graphic posies at Marni and Miu Miu.
Your goal when wearing a micro floral print is to make an impact and not become a wallflower – these prints work best when they’re a little undone. Try deconstructing the prettiness of a floral dress by toughening up your look: dark eyeliner, a love-worn tee under delicate straps, adding a bomber jacket or cinching a denim one around your waist. Even pair with biker ankle boots. Zimmerman’s Summer Swim ’17 collection includes a range of dresses with creeping buds in soft chiffons and crinkle georgettes. Their sheer black Paradiso Floating Dress is a multi-tasker – wear with espadrilles for a weekend lunch or team with strappy heels for Christmas party rotation.
03.spell it out
Though fashion may not be the first industry that comes to mind when one thinks of a group addressing political and socio-economic issues, designers are sharing their positions loud and clear. An unflinching radical air dominated the European ’17 shows. Slogan tees ruled the catwalk including “The Future is Female” and “I am an Immigrant” at Prabal Gurung to “We Should All Be Feminists” at Dior. Even graphic tees loudly stamped with a retro visual or rock group’s logo (the kind that spent most of their history relegated to the bottom drawer – designated for gym or laundry days only) are hitting the streets in force.
But how do you wear these statement tees? It’s all about a high to low mash-up. If you’re feeling après beach, pair a cult band’s tee with rolled sleeves loosely tucked into roll-cuffed boyfriend jeans and slides. Come evening, wear the same jeans with stiletto heels, a fitted slogan tee, slicked back hair and hoop earrings with a sleek clutch. The Standard Store sells cool retro-style Rika and discreet slogan Maison Labiche tees, whilst Maje’s Enfant Terrible tee ticks my box!
04.frill seekers
Ruffles, exaggerated bell sleeves, asymmetrical cuts and elongated lengths dominated the shirts that strutted down runways and gathered on sidewalks outside them this year. They were deconstructed, one-shouldered, oversized and loud. Anything goes with these staples, and the more dramatic, the better. For the generous cuts, remember to avoid that potato sack look by tucking the front into pants or all into a long skirt with a nipped in waist (you can afford to look puffy up top so long as you give your waist definition). Try adding a corset belt over the untucked top but just pull the laces in and leave them undone, or cinch in a belt to achieve some definition. Scanlan Theodore is the place to look for all these new takes on the simple shirt. My favourite is their corseted style on a classic blue shirt with rainbow-hued cuffs, whilst Jac+Jack offer several minimalist versions of the mid-thigh length cut in block colours that are best paired with slim pants.
05.the cat's meow
The cat’s meow: Kitten heels are back. You’ve no doubt noticed them gliding across editorial pages ever since Maria Grazia Chiuri’s inaugural collection for Dior where she replaced the leather sling-back on a black pair with dressmaker’s cream ribbon logoed “J’adior.” Whilst their price may be a tad in excess of your quarterly wardrobe spend, your feet can feel equally smug with other options including a leopard print style by Sam Endelman – helllllllo kitty!
My tip: look for a micro-heel (around 1.5 to 1.75 inches), not a high heel sling-back (wrong look). They’ll give you just enough lift to the derrière. Also avoid the prissy and buttoned-up stereotypes kitten heels once possessed by pairing them with rolled up boyfriend or cropped (even frayed hem) jeans instead of a classic full length pant, giving them an instant urban edge.
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