I recently wrote about modernizing the arty kimono jacket, and wearing it with denim bottoms is one way of achieving that look. Here are two ensembles to illustrate the concept. A neutral ensemble that is casual and earthy, and a bright ensemble that is more crisp and dressy. 

Here are the components:

• Kimono Jacket: This is the key component. If you don’t already have one, you’ll find affordable versions at Zara and the like, flea markets, or vintage stores. They come in all sorts of colours and lengths. The shorter lengths are easier to wear with flats or if you are petite. Kimono jackets made of soft drapey fabrics collapse back onto the body and are less overwhelming. Sleeve lengths can be shortened to provide more structure. Wear the jacket loose and open. 
• Denim Bottoms: Wear faded, dark wash, white or any colour. Boyfriend styles, shorts, clamdiggers, bootcuts, skinnies, straight legs or a denim pencil skirt. White jeans and dark denim dress the look up, while faded denim dresses down the look. 
• Layering Top: A neutral layering tee or tank top in white, navy, black or grey is an easy solution. Choose your favourite neckline and wear the top untucked. A silky shell top dresses up the outfit. Or choose a colour that picks up the pattern in the jacket.
• Footwear: Set the mood of the outfit with footwear. Rugged boots or casual sandals are a good match for faded denim. With dressier denim, try pumps or wedge sandals. Or wear super dressy shoes with faded denim. I love light footwear, so that’s why I’ve chosen metals and shades of white, but you can go to town and choose a dark neutral or a colour. 
• Accessories: A weathered leather bag gets my vote for the casual rendition, be it a crossbody, tote, hobo or satchel. An angular clutch gets my vote for a crisper touch because of the fun juxtaposition of the straight lines against the drape of the flowing kimono. Finish off the outfit with jewellery as desired. 

Seeing an outfit formula come to life is a lot more compelling than reading about it. This is exactly what happened on our forum last week when some of our members shopped their closets and came up with fabulous kimono jacket outfits.  Cocolion put together a stunning bohemian look with faded jeans, booties and fringe. Suz mastered her polished boyfriend jeans and belted version with elegant sass. And Ceit, who is actually wearing the Zara kimono jacket I used above, nails her fun “rough around the edges” tough look with boots, shorts and graphic specs. Thanks for the inspiration!

While working with clients and refreshing my own wardrobe over the last few months, four things have stood out about this year’s Spring and Summer collections. The first three observations are general, while the fourth is personal and specific. 

First, green was named the colour of the season, and while there’s been plenty of green represented in stores, it hasn’t struck me as the colour. I’ve found that all colours are equally represented thus far.

Second, if the runway shows were anything to go by, we should have seen a greater assortment of skirt and dress lengths. Hemlines in the US are generally not knee-covering, especially on flared skirt styles. 

Third, there was so much white footwear on the catwalks for Spring 2013, especially white booties, but this has not been represented in retail at all, where shades of tan reign supreme. 

My fourth observation is more personal. For the first time in a very long time I am generally underwhelmed by the designer merchandise in stores. I am more than willing to pay the price for one beautiful and expensive piece that pulls at my heart strings, instead of purchasing five lower price pieces for the same amount of money. I enjoy “high-low” style — mixing high and low-end pieces in a single outfit —  and I adore the feeling and look of impeccable workmanship and luxurious fabrications. But this season, as I browse better-end designer collections, I haven’t swooned at their offerings. And I usually do.

Cuts, fabrics and colours have generally not been to my taste, and that includes footwear and handbags. Yet I’ve found many, many items at Club Monaco, J.Crew and Zara that have pulled at my heart strings. In fact, I want to buy up half the stuff at Club Monaco at the moment, I love it so much. Similarly, the items at Nordstrom that caught my attention this year have been less expensive in-house brands and not my usual pricier go-to brands. I did purchase an Alexander Wang clutch and a few pairs of premium jeans. But for the rest, I’ve purchased more lower than higher end for Spring and Summer. 

Leave no retail stone unturned has never proved to be more true, and each retailer has the chance to start afresh each season. I love this aspect of modern retail and I’m already excited about what will be on offer for Fall 2013 — both high and low end. 

Of course, these observations might be regional, and the last one is particularly personal. Have you observed anything interesting about the last four months of retail?

Milliner Rosie Boylan talks about designing all the fabulous daytime hats and elaborate party headpieces for “The Great Gatsby”. While hair designer Kerry Warn explains how one goes about creating true to the 1920s hairstyles for over 300 extras.

Costume designer Julie Weiss sees the clothes she makes “as tools of communication”. In this Wall Street Journal article she chats about six style principles that emerged from her work on “Hitchcock”, and the similarities between movie costumes and everyday clothing.

If you enjoyed Robin Wright’s outfits on “House of Cards”, then here’s your chance to learn more about Tom Broecker, the designer behind her tailored TV wardrobe.

Fab Links from Our Members

Ingunn sees shopping vintage as a budget-friendly way to lighten her footstep on earth and a great way to develop a more personal wardrobe. She thought that the guidelines for shopping vintage over at A Pair & A Spare were spot on.

This article talks about Spring trends to avoid. While Lisa would not wear clear heels herself, she does regularly sport Bermudas in the heat.

As a mother of a 17-year old young man, Transcona Shannon believes that some of the late teen/early twenties’ men could certainly use the advice in “5 Reasons Why Young Men Should Dress Sharp“.

The Jezebel article “Please Stop Telling Me I Don’t Have to Dress Up For Work” is very funny and so true, says MaryK.

A different article on Jezebel asking if we are a nation of slobs on the other hand made Angie sad, as she is very much in favour of defying your environmental norm and setting the stylish example. Alaskagirl also started a very interesting discussion about this topic on the YLF forum.

Ironkurtin loves skateboard-apparel-designer and blogger Jayne Min, who’s a big fan of closet purging.

My Year of Fabulous had Vildy howling. Holly, a self-proclaimed “sloppy dresser”, is on a year-long mission to redeem herself, and is using “The Lucky Guide to Mastering Any Style” to figure out her signature look.

Sarah found this NYT article an interesting update on how major labels are responding to the crises in the Bangladesh garment factories.

Last but not least, Parsley directs us to an informative story about what really happens to those clothes you donate.

The draped blouse is also called a “crossover blouse” or “fold front blouse”. The concept of the crossover “wrap” blouse is not new to us at all, and formfitting wraps are a classic style. Draped blouses, on the other hand, are like wraps on steroids because they are slouchy and oversized, which is perfectly in keeping with directional fashion. 

I love this shape of blouse, which reminds me a little of the way Audrey Hepburn wore her shirt back in the day. The loose drape is elegant, alluring, chic, interesting and playful. Their unstructured take on a classic looks fresh to my eye, as does the high-low hemline with banded front. The shape works particularly well on a broader shoulder line and shorter neck because broad shoulders fill out the silhouette, and V-necklines elongate the neck. It can also work well on a large bust, depending on the cut. It’s forgiving over the midriff and can be dressed up or down. 

The draped blouse lends itself well to the semi-tuck, and adds an unstructured integrity to structured bottoms. Wear it with a camisole, or lots of fashion tape! It’s breezy in hot weather and pretty versatile. Fab with dressy trousers, a pencil skirt, short shorts, and just about any pair of jeans. 

The unstructured integrity of the style is also its downside, making you feel shapeless and unattractive if your preference is to show off your shape. The front crossover flaps shift about because they are oversized and look slightly odd from the side. If you’re petite, you’ll probably need to wear a heel to balance out the long torso that this style creates. And there’s the “baring all” when you bend over unless you’re wearing a camisole. You can of course add structure to the silhouette by showing skin through sleeve scrunching and choosing a sleeveless option. But you’ll have to be at peace with the downsides if this shape tickles your fancy. 

I’m in and have the Funktional fold front blouse on order. I’ve fallen in love with the draped blouse style although I don’t hold out much hope for filling it out. My dainty shoulder line and long neck are not ideal for the silhouette, but the style I chose has a shirt collar so I’m hopeful. 

What’s your take on the draped blouse?