Fashion Blog: Easy Pieces... T By Alexander Wang Silk Shirt Dress

Everyone wishes to have a section of their closet full of "easy pieces" ie. items that you can put on and they just look great what ever you are doing that day, from work and dashing about to lunch or checking out a gallery or museum (what ever the weather!). Pieces you can add layers to for warmth or just wear as they are without loss of style.

The top half of this dress is a delicate silk, the bottom half is a double layer silk crepe de chine.

I spotted this sleek T By Alexander Wang silk-georgette and crepe de chine dress on TheOutnet.com Was £205. Now £92.50 55% off. UK only, not available in the USA. The Outnet is my "go to" place for great quality pieces at the right price, you get more than what you pay for. Each time I have looked there has been an enticing range of easy pieces that you can literally slip on a go out looking smart and polished, even when opting for a more relaxed look.

I feel very satisfied when I find a beautiful piece of clothing that is not only cut well, finished well and of a quality fabric. I just know if it fits right it will be worn again and again.

I added my camel cashmere coat to the dress ...

I have already worn this dress to a relaxed party with friends that was partly outdoors and partly inside, it began in the afternoon and continued well into the evening.

I pulled the outfit together with a pair of Chloe dark brown leather boots.

The textured leather, prominent stitching and chunky hardware adds a tough edge to a delicate fabrics.

The versatility of this dress resulted in a smart look with Chloe dark brown leather boots from a few years ago (buy similar at Past Season Site Yoox.com) and my cherished New York Industrie camel cashmere coat (buy similar here) purchased 14 years ago. The coat could be slipped on and off without loosing the polished look I had planned, the boots kept my legs warm and added a relaxed element to the outfit as well as a nice tough texture against the luxe silk and cashmere.

Fashion Blog: Yves Saint Laurent Couture Dress for a fraction of the cost

On seeing the 2011 Fall Winter Collections I fell in love with the silk crepe pussy bow 70's style dresses offered by Gucci and Chloe, stunning, effortless chic. The price tags were as stunning as the dresses at around £1300. After a very rare trip to the cinema I saw Michelle Pfeiffer in Tim Burton's Dark Shadows and was under the spell of the seventies dress again. In 2012 I saw the 70's shirt dress return in the Spring Summer collections from Chloe and Gucci. I still really wanted one but could not see this piece as being enough of an investment item to spend £1300 as I wished to add a piece like this to general daywear, rather an occasion wear. I wanted to spend upto £350, for silk crepe and good workmanship.

Image Copyright Gucci 2011

So I started looking… and I came across a bygone gem, the Vogue designer sewing pattern. Up until the 1990s high end designers produced patterns for Vogue which were sold in stores. The earlier years saw the Vogue Couturier Design Patterns from the likes of Valentino, Lanvin and so many more. Then came Vogue Paris Originals, again with great designers such as Yves Saint Laurent, Chloe and Donna Karan to name a few. Today there are still a very small quantity new designer patterns sold from brands such as DKNY, but nothing like the choice of those available from the 1920s - 1990s.

So the only way to buy an original pattern is to seek out vintage pattern, online is the best source. I like sovintagepatterns.com and ebay.com for this.

I found this Vogue Paris Originals Yves Saint Laurent dress pattern on ebay and bought it for £1.04. Bargain. I then sought out the fabric, I wanted good quality medium weight silk crepe. At the time I was drooling over the Gucci Cornflower Blue Dress (culottes actually) from the Pre Fall 2011 Collection so I was looking for that particular shade of blue. I requested some fabric samples from NYFashionCentreFabrics.com, the online store has the best range of colours for silk crepe. The two samples arrived a few days later, Silk Crepe De Chine in Ultramarine and Bluebonnet (Cornflower Blue). Great Quality. The Silk Crepe De Chine fabric is $28.49 per yard and $1.99 for a sample swatch.

NYFashionCentreFabrics.com sends regular holiday offers and coupon codes if you register for emails.

The Cost Breakdown:

Vogue Paris Originals Yves Saint Laurent Vintage Dress Pattern £1.04 / $1.63 approx.
Postage £1.50 / $2.35 approx.
3 yards Silk Crepe De Chine in Blue Bonnet $85.47 / £54.60 approx.
Shipping extra based on the weight and destination.
Dressmaker charge was quoted at £100 / $156.00 approx.

Total £157.14 / $245.45

Fashion Blog: UPDATE The Net-a-Porter Sale has now started in the UK

I recently posted about the net-a-porter.com sale in the USA, always beginning weeks before the UK site launches it's sale. This week the UK net-a-porter.com sale has started too. There are lots of wearable pieces and good quality items with huge discounts. The items are relevant too, as it all just seems like yesterday the new Spring Summer 2012 collections were fully stocked into the market place and now they are on sale!

Although tough, I am ignoring the slow infiltration of the Autumn/Fall 2012 pieces appearing online and in-stores! I still want to see and immerse myself in these beautiful summer colours, the corals, tans and whites that are so uplifting.

I am still continuing my longstanding and wholly devoted love affair with Chloe. I recently jotted a note about the quality of my Spring Summer 2012 Chloe Silk Dress.

There are some great Chloe items here with 50% off.

This Chloe Brushed Silk Shirt (Was £495. Now £247.50. 50% OFF) is a great buy, the peachy colour is already thinking ahead to the 2012 Fall Autumn Winter Collections which see the summer corals and oranges dulled down onto duskier softer shades. This Chloe shirt is a wear now with shorts and wear later with pants piece, to create two very different looks.

Fashion Blog: It's Nice To Be Appreciated… Especially With A Chloe Dress!

I really wanted to highlight the quality of this Chloe Tonal Pleated Dress. It's the part of high end fashion that you never really see unless you actually wear something or go and have "a good look with your hands" in a boutique. The breathtaking looks that glide down a catwalk are the just the beginning of the whole "quality experience". The fabric, the cut, the detail and the interior are often never seen. You simply can't experience this from a show or a magazine.

1. The first thing you notice about this dress is the perfect pleats that will stay in place, they hold their blunt shape at the bottom beautifully. They are also the correct size (width) pleats, to flatter, hang flat and not look bulky. The dress is 100% silk on the outside.

2. The next thing you notice are the tan tones with just the right amount of white and coral. This proportion of colour and the hues chosen by the designers at Chloe are a big part of what will keep this piece a wearable item for the future that will always look special.

3. The sleeves are just the correct length, perfect stitching, perfect colour proportion again with just the right hint of coral. The shoulders are a good width and structured too.

4. Hidden buttons, with the correct weight of fabric and stitching around the button holes to ensure when fastened the front of the dress looks flat and doesn't sag.

5. Structured collar. The collar looks just as delicate as the rest of the dress, but careful construction ensures it maintains is structured shape, it's not floppy. This adds to a polished look.

6. Designed interfacing, structural elements and lining. Again the quality here is outstanding with every stitch perfectly performed even though these parts of the dress will not actually be seen.

7. The feel of the dress when it is worn. It's a feeling of walking on air, a weightlessness. You don't don't have to make it work. I guess thats why it would be called effortless chic.

To sum up… the fabric, the cut and the colour palette make this dress something unique, this is down to the bits you can see and the bits you can't! Never underestimate the hours of design and development that goes into each piece that you see in a runway show to make the items look the way they do.

This dress is elegant, it's stylish and the perfect piece for summer from outdoor events, weddings and drinks evenings. It's the perfect investment piece as the coral and tan subtle hughes will out live the acid tones offered this season. There is tan in the Autumn collections, so will carry through well.

I was very overwhelmed and honoured to be given this dress as a gift. It's nice to be appreciated... especially with a Chloe Dress!

Please forgive the creases in the dress in the photos, I wore it, packed it, it's travelled and then unpacked again, so not too bad considering so much action! It's now on it's way to have the creases gently steamed away.

This dress in the SS 2012 Chloe RTW Collection, a runway piece.

Available to buy at MyTheresa.com
SS 2012 Chloe Colour Block, Tonal Pleated Dress.
Europe € 3,101.00
UK £ 2,740.00
USA $ 4,373.00
Made in France.

For A Cheap 'n' Chic Alternative…
Look for items with coral and tan tones (even if you have to buy two separate pieces to achieve this) and avoid shiny fabrics. I spotted this Vanessa Bruno Dress (Original price £445. Now £155.75. 65% off.) 100% silk with cotton trim on TheOutnet.com, the dress has the same tonal and draping qualities of the Chloe dress and would look perfect with a coral jacket and a dash of white.