Manidipa --
Nice to hear your voice/opinion since I know you have an appreciation for this general style! Since you live somewhere where the construction/shape is fairly common I hope you find your own perfect version.
And yes, I was super-lucky to have someone with such a great eye for design working on this tricky print. She saved me from having the "eyes" of the feather directly over certain body parts, ha.
[It really is a super-easy general pattern -- now of course she's an advanced sewer, but even with the print placement stuff it took her an hour to whip it up.]
Thanks also for the shoe love.
I freely admit I'm not much shoe person -- and have avoided anything cage/gladiator like because I much, much prefer a loooow vamp on myself a la the DIY metallic ones in the other photos.
However, saw the lavender patent this winter when swaddled in tights/boots and the past-season sale price, blendy-with-skintone shade, and the V in the vamp lured me into different waters.
Surprising weather means I've actually broken them out well before my July estimate -- mostly with pants/jeans, but even with skirts. Luckily my shortened leg line hasn't stopped the world from turning.
Helen --
Oh man, no worries; I somehow feel the need to be hypercorrect since I *have* talked about a tailor I like/us and because I've had custom things done by various people. It's all getting a little complicated to track even for me!