It took me and the girls a while longer to analyze what we saw in Milan. There were more choices in Italy (as opposed to London), but those looks tended to be, once again...basics. So I suppose the message her is the return to a simpler life where silhouettes are less complicated and we can, once again, allow ourselves and our dolls to get lost in the details. In some cases, it's all about styling...taking something simple and transforming it into high drama through a bold choice of fabric and accessories.
Chex Mix
Big checks, oversized houndstooth and plaids, these look immediately drew our attention. What's so much fun is the fact that most of what you find in the fabric stores are already out of scale for the doll, which in this case.....will be perfectly suited for this season!
Meow!
Animal prints...spotted cats in particular...have become the new neutrals. They work all by themselves or teamed with nearly any other color! Once again, we're looking at very simple garments here.
The Cloak Room
Coats are both beautiful and functional...cut with plenty of volume to glide over dolly's shoulders no matter what is underneath! What is new here are the broad shoulders signaling the return of 1980's all star styles!
Madame Jolie
These are graceful, elegant look. The jacket is supersized and worn as an overcoat or...transformed into a coatdress! The cut of the coat also takes its lead from the Jackie Kennedy days of the early 1960's.
Knit Wits 2.0
Sweater dressing has hit the European shores with a bang! What's great is that it is not confined to traditional cardigans and pullovers. You can buy socks or knit caps from the dollar store to create big dresses, tops and cardigans or slouchy sweaters worn over a lace, gathered skirt!
Fur, feathers and faux fur....the best way for dolly to wear this is in touches....wrapped around the throat or around the head (as a detachable hood) of a simple dress; following the zigzag movement of herringbone over a coat; or cut into one big, fluffy bathrobe!
Often we are confused by clothes that look more Spring than Automne. But here, we applauded these old fashioned rayon floral border prints, slightly muted for a cooler season. What really makes this work are the prissy little 1960's styles which are nipped in at the waist and flare over the hips in A-line silhouettes.
The fabric store nearest me did not carry the rayon border prints I had hoped to find so.... I achieved the same look through decoupage. I cut out pieces of a floral pattern from some old upholstery material I had on hand and glued this to solid black cotton. The dress was sewn only at the side seams before I attached the flowers. You can apply an anti fray product to stabilize the edges of the print. Just be sure to give everything a good pressing after you have glued the print to the dress.
Soho
The girls chose this set of looks for their vibrant prints. In a season full of grey and black, they were happy to see a few sparks of color. Look for vibrant prints. Again, keep the silhouette simple!
Suits Me!
Again, the best looks for eveningwear keep it simple. The devil remains in the details of subtle laces, discreet velvet embellishments. The slip dress and the sheath is the only way to go!
Up next: Our last stop is in Paris. Throughout the nine days of Paris Fashion Week, the girls came away with a great deal of looks they were excited about. We'll be presenting those in two parts!!!
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