The top lipstick shades across the world, an Audrey Hepburn exhibition in London, Alexander Wang bringing back his greatest hits, and other fashion news that caught our attention this week.

• To celebrate the brand’s tenth anniversary, Alexander Wang is bringing back his greatest hits, and you can vote for your favourite.
• The first Yves Saint Laurent exhibition in the UK will be staged at the Bowes Museum in County Durham next month.
• A survey commissioned by Heathrow Airport reveals the top lipstick shade bought in cities across the world. According to the results New Yorkers love bright red, Londoners go for caramel nude, and Parisians often pick dusky rose.
• The National Portrait Gallery in London is organizing an Audrey Hepburn exhibition consisting of 75 images. The majority of the prints on show have never before been exhibited in the UK.
• For its annual suit drive, Men’s Wearhouse has teamed up with 180 local charities. You can help someone ace a job interview by donating professional clothing until July 31.

Fun Fashion Fact

Did you know that Marie-Louise Carven, who passed away at age 105 earlier this month and was noted for her designs for petite women, also had a knack for coming up with clever promotional campaigns. In 1954, for example, in memory of the liberation of Paris, she had hundreds of sample bottles of her signature Ma Griffe perfume dropped over the city on little striped parachutes.

If you like to wear dresses for Summer, I highly recommend the handkerchief hem dress. The jagged effect of the asymmetrical hemline creates an interesting and flattering effect. Combining it with a pair of comfortable sandals is the easiest Summer ensemble of them all. 

I’ve shown five handkerchief hem dresses here, each with a different vibe. Some are casual and others are more dressy. Choose any colour in a pattern or solid.

Here are the components:

Dress: Choose a handkerchief dress in a length that tickles your fancy. I’ve chosen a sleeveless maxi dress, a very fitted flared dress, a baby doll style, a shirt dress, and a striped sack dress. Note that the dresses can define OR surrender the waistline. 

Footwear: The footwear sets the mood of the outfit. Of course, a pair of gladiators or classic wedge sandals will work with any of these dresses, but if you’re after a more trendy look, choose another style of shoe. Think slides, Birkenstocks, chunky soft bed sandals, chunky platform sandals, d’Orsay flats, ankle strap flats, ankle strap pumps, sandal booties, flat oxfords or slip-on sneakers. 

Accessories: Finish off the outfit with a bag that works with the look. Add jewellery, eyewear, watch and headgear as desired. 

A topper like a denim jacket, a vest or a short fitted blazer with rounded front hems is a slam dunk for this style of dress. But worn without a topper, the fabulous dress and your shoes do the talking. I vote this minimal combination best of all.

If you are looking for ideas on what to wear to the weddings you’ve been invited to this Summer, then these links might come in handy.

Jess Carter-Morley at The Guardian suggests pairing an off-the-shoulder top — also known as the “Bardot” — with a patterned maxi skirt and comfortable sandals.

PopSugar has 30 dresses you can wear to anything from a casual backyard wedding to a fancy black-tie event.

Fashionista suggests trying one of these two-piece dresses for a Summer or Fall ceremony.

Fab Links from Our Members

Kirstjen liked this tip on The Huffington Post for how to keep your strapless bra from falling down.

Vicki enjoyed reading about Diana Vreeland’s legacy, and how her cult of personality lives on in a collection of fragrances.

UmmLila directs us to an article about “fashion tech” companies like Stitch Fix who are using algorithms and personal stylists to sell women the priceless commodity of confidence.

Deborah recently discovered The Third Person, an Australian blog with thoughtful and informative posts.

As if high heels weren’t risky enough. Laurinda lets us know that now there is a medical risk associated with skinny jeans: Compartment Syndrome. Forum member Alaskagirl started a thread about it on the forum.

Gardenchick found an interesting article on going grey, a topic that is often discussed on the forum.

Michelle came across an article stating that Zara is facing accusations of racial discrimination, and wonders if you have experienced anything of the sort.

Handkerchief hems, or hanky hems as they are sometimes called, were popular in the ‘70s and ‘80s. They disappeared for decades after that, but resurfaced about five years ago in all sorts of modern incarnations. Initially a fringe trend, they later gained momentum and are now completely mainstream. 

Handkerchief hems appear on dresses, cardigans, tops and skirts. It’s when the hemline of the garment meets at one or multiple points — much like the corners of a handkerchief — creating a jagged effect. The asymmetrical integrity of the jagged hems creates visually interesting lines on the body, as well as a good amount of volume that tends to be quite flattering. 

Handkerchief hems are best in soft and delicate knitted or woven fabrications to achieve maximum drape and to temper some of the volume. The vibe is arty, architectural and avant-garde. The examples in this post are a good representation of the design detail.  

Dresses

Dresses with handkerchief hems can be long or short. The silhouettes can be fitted or sack-like. There is a handkerchief hem dress for all body shapes. Generally, you should choose a fit-and-flare style if you’re a curvy hourglass or pear. Choose a sack or shift style if you’re an inverted triangle or apple shaped. Rectangular body types can choose between the two. Of course, pear and hourglass body types can also choose waist surrendering styles if they are content with creating a voluminous look.

Cardigans

You’ll find handkerchief hems on cardigans in long and short lengths. The points of the hem are usually at the side seams, creating a high-low effect. The silhouette is extremely comfortable and one way to create outfit drama with cozy casual pieces. 

Tops

Handkerchief hem tops are the most popular item of all. They can be cropped, regular length or tunic length. The hems can meet at two points on either side seam, or at multiple points all the way around the hem. Sometimes there is only one point on the side seam, which creates a more distinctive asymmetrical look. 

Surprisingly, the right handkerchief hem top can be well suited to both pear and apple shaped body types. It seems counterintuitive, but can work if the silhouette of the handkerchief creates volume in the right places. For apple shapes, the silhouette is forgiving over the midsection, whereas for pear shapes it’s forgiving over the hips and thighs.

Skirts 

The handkerchief hem skirt is probably the least common item, but a gorgeous one nonetheless. Like handkerchief hem dresses, the points of the hems can be positioned on the sides, in the front and back, or all around the hemline. Skirts can be any length and vary in volume. The more voluminous versions are particularly well suited to curvy hourglasses and pear shapes because of their fit-and-flare integrity.

The best part about items with handkerchief hems is how they swoosh and move as you stride, which is especially true of the skirts and dresses. Fun, flirty and festive.