I recently declared my cobalt blouse a seldom worn item. In fact, it had gone unworn for well over a year because I went off cobalt and preferred stiff shirts over soft blouses. But I never stopped liking the blouse, so I kept it. The fabric is luxurious and I adore the fit. I assumed I’d wear it again when the mood struck me.

No sooner had I declared the piece “seldom worn” than it came back into frequent rotation. Suddenly I found myself missing the blouse whenever it was at the cleaners. That’s how frequently I’ve been wearing it over the last few months. 

It’s interesting how your feelings about a certain item in your wardrobe can change over time. In this case, our unseasonably mild weather has been particularly blouse-friendly. My increased need to incorporate soft and pretty pieces into my outfits has shifted me away from my masculine shirts and towards my blouses. Wearing the blouse with a refreshed jeans capsule has made it feel new. And I have fallen back in love with cobalt blue. 

Here are two combinations (with the exact pieces from my wardrobe) that I was wearing most frequently with the blouse before the weather turned cold. I particularly liked the cobalt paired with sour greens and warm cognac: 

Combination 1

Combination 2

I think the point here is that if you love an item, you should hesitate to pass it on if it falls out of rotation. There is quite a high likelihood that items will come back into favour when there are changes in the internal and external factors that impact your style. 

That’s exactly what happened here. I’m glad that I held on to the item. If I passed it on using the “purge what you haven’t worn in the last year” guideline, I wouldn’t have a favourite blouse!

Raf Simons leaving Dior, a British Vogue colouring book, Vince’s first fashion collaboration and other style news that made the rounds this week.

• Made2Measure, which debuted exclusively on Apple TV on Tuesday, is the first digital network dedicated entirely to fashion.
• After three and a half years as artistic director at Dior, Raf Simons is leaving the French luxury fashion house.
• For its first collaboration, a 16-piece capsule collection, Vince has teamed up with Garance Doré.
• A new Met exhibition highlights the origins of textile design and patterns from the Renaissance.
• South Africa got its first H&M store with the flagship store opening in Cape Town last Saturday. 
• Kate Lanphear is stepping down as editor-in-chief of Maxim.
• British Vogue now has its own colouring book featuring hand-drawn designs inspired by the fashions of the 1950s.

Fun Fashion Fact

Did you know that after Honey Ryder — played by Ursula Andress — emerged from the Caribbean Sea sporting that iconic white bikini in Dr. No, sales of the two-piece swimsuit rocketed. The bikini was auctioned in 2001 for charity and sold for almost $54,000.

This ensemble was inspired by designers Nicholas K and Rick Owens. The silhouettes are very asymmetrical, arty and drapey. The outfits are dramatic, layered, intricate, ruched, monochromatic and hard-edged. The fabrications are generally knitted, which conveys a casual vibe. The trims on the items are usually leather, silver hardware, mesh or nylon insets. Some items are rugged and distressed. The avant-garde aesthetic is an acquired taste with a high longevity factor. 

The colour palette for the look is for the most part black and grey, with the occasional pop of murky olive, brown, burgundy and white. Denim is absent. Outfit proportions are just flattering enough, creating sufficient structure in the right places to prevent the look from wearing you. You’ll get a good sense for post apocalyptic style from these pictures.

There is an art to creating this vibe and it takes practice. But once you begin combining all sorts of drapey knits together in one colour or tonal colours, you’ll get into the groove and have fun with it. I’m going to give two easy renditions to get you started.

Here are the components:

Bottoms: Choose a pair of leather or pleather skinnies. If you don’t have those, regular black skinny pants will do — either full length or cropped. Black harem pants are the next best silhouette. If you don’t have those, black joggers or upscale track pants will work just fine, especially when you pull them up to create a scrunched effect at the lower leg. 

Layered Tops: Layer an asymmetrical drapey topper over a similarly asymmetrical drapey top in the same colour or tonal colours. Sometimes you can layer three pieces over one another for a fab effect. Layer short over long, long over short, or keep the layers a similar length. Some of the items can be VERY long and voluminous. Their asymmetrical hems give them structure. 

To create structure you can add a black waist-cinching obi belt when the pieces are soft and floppy, as seen with the black cardigan on the far right. 

Footwear: You’re after fairly severe black footwear. Think pointy toe pumps or loafers. Peep-toe booties, chunky flatform sandals and buckled sneakers.   

Accessories: Finish off the outfit with a black handbag. Think angular clutch, upscale backpack or slouchy satchel. A slouchy black beanie is a good choice for headgear. Add jewellery, eyewear and watch as desired.

I haven’t included skirts and dresses here because those are a little more complicated to incorporate, but feel free to experiment with those pieces too. And if you’re after post apocalyptic lite, substitute the bottoms for blue jeans and add a handbag in a colour other than black.

Did you know that freezing them can extend the life of your tights? Apparently this firms and strengthens the individual fibres, making tights less susceptible to runs later on.

If you want to get every last bit out of your mascara tube, all you have to do is soak the tube in hot water for a few minutes.

Yahoo! Style advises to thread necklaces through a straw to prevent tangles. Might come in handy while travelling.

I’m curious to hear if you have more practical fashion tips to share.

Fab Links from Our Members

Alaskagirl found this article on American consumerism eye-opening. It is making her rethink her needs, which she’d already been doing.

As an avid supporter of rust paired with navy, Angie loves the colour combination in this outfit. The ‘60s meets ‘70s flair of the look that’s stamped with a big dose of Modern is utterly charming. The double A-line effect of skirt and cape are genius. Retro Futurism for the win.

The Guardian recently published two articles on wearing black tights, which Joy found very interesting. This one discusses when it is socially acceptable to wear them. And here’s Lucy Mangan’s practical take on the issue. If you need tips on how to wear black tights with non-black clothing, this video might come in handy too.

Many articles about uniform dressing emphasize that it’s a way of dressing to make everything “easy”, to enable a person to concentrate on other things. This blog post had Astrid wondering if there isn’t another side to it.

Zendaya called out a magazine for heavily retouching a photo of her. Robin adds: “Will we ever be able to move past the idea that slender, with bumps and curves only in certain places, is the only way a body can look beautiful? Uniquely shaped buildings are admired for their originality; why not all bodies in their unique shapes and sizes?

MsMaven came across an article that appears to confirm that there is truth in the old adage, “you are only as old as you feel.”