Classic Stripes

Summer is without a doubt the most inelegant of all the seasons.  It is difficult to feel sophisticated while breaking a sweat.  But, where there's a will, there's a way.  So at times like this I simply ask myself, What Would Audrey Wear.

Audrey Hepburn is the epitome of style in any season or era and at any age.  If she can do it, I can do it, even when it's a million degrees outside and I am starting to have more gray hair than color.

Let's start at the most timeless of patterns: basic black and ivory stripes.  Stripes are chic; I don't know why, but they just are.  So, I started with a simple strip pattern and chose it on this Folded Off-Shoulder Rib Knit Top from ChicWish.  Now it's timeless, but not basic (i.e. Boring) when it's on this neckline. 

Next I added some high waist paper bag trousers that are light and because they sit so high on my waist, they are also comfy for lounging or walking around.  These trousers are so flattering, I wish all my jeans, shorts, and trousers fit like this! And the final touch, and a style tip that I learned from looking at Audrey's most famous photos, is to wear ballet flats instead of flip-flops or sneakers for a more polished look.  Make it even better by wearing flats with a little sparkle instead of basic black. Voila!  A sophisticated style to beat the heat.  

Shopping Info:  
FOLDED OFF-SHOULDER RIB KNIT TOP IN BLACK STRIPE-$29.90 from ChicWish, MOUSSE Rhinestone Pointed Toe Slip On Flats-$42 from NEWBELLA  Use code BLEU to save 18% off your purchase

Maxi Skirts for Summer

As the days get hotter, and believe me when I say that they definitely are getting unbearably hot in my home state, the key to keeping cool while staying chic is light, flowy garments.  I am never quite so glad to be a girl as I am in the summertime when I put on an airy dress instead of stifling trousers.

I know it seems like when it comes to clothing in summertime shorter is better, but let me assure that is not always the case.  Especially when you'll be out walking around quite a bit, it's best to have a little length so those summer breezes don't catch you off guard and reveal more to the world than you intend.  The only way to avoid that of course, is to either wear shorts (and add an extra layer in the heat? No, thank you!) be constantly on your guard (and miss out on a little relaxation in the process) or wear a longer skirt.

Maxi skirts made of lightweight airy fabric like this Watercolor Wild Flowers Printed Chiffon Maxi Skirt from ChicWish.  If flutters and floats on the air like silk and this print is so lovely.  It might even be more comfortable in this weather than cotton.  It was already a balmy 75°F/24°C when I took these photos are 6:00 a.m. so believe me when I say I know this dress will do well in the weather.

I paired this skirt with a blush peplum top and nude heels so that the colors in this floral watercolor print really shine.

Shopping Info:  Watercolor Wild Flowers Printed Chiffon Maxi Skirt-$42.90 from ChicWish

Be Bold

In case you haven't noticed, style trends tend to follow the colors of nature.  Autumn brings us rich oranges, yellows, browns and reds to match the leaves.  In winter, we wear warm basics with a few pops of color thrown in the mix to put a little pep in our moods much like a cardinal set against the snow is always cheery.  In spring it's all pastels as color returns to the world and flowers bloom.  And summer is nothing if not a time when we don our boldest and brightest colors.

So many women are apprehensive about trying colors.  Either because they've heard a certain color won't look well on them, or because they just don't know what colors will look nice with their complexion, hair, and personal taste, and they're worried they'll stand out in a bad way, so they just don't try anything at all.  If you can relate, it's time to shake it off and shake things up with a little color in your wardrobe.

Black is a timeless classic, there is no denying that.  But, black should never be the only thing you wear "just to be safe."  Having a personal style means taking some risks to find out what you love.  Personally I have been on both sides of this fence and I can tell you from my own experience, it's way more fun to experiment and wear colors and summer is the perfect time to do it because there is so much color in the world right now, you'll fit right in.

Take this gorgeous Exotic Garden Dress from ChicWish as a prime example.  Not only does it have this eye-catching eyelet cutwork embroidery pattern, but with the fitted button-down bodice, full skirt with scalloped edges and the feminine puffed sleeves, this dress would look heavenly on any body in any color.  It creates an extremely flattering silhouette.

However, when you take that solid design and add a bright color palette, you have a knock-out dress.  Hot pink, duty blue, coral orange, wow! Does this dress have some seriously bold colors and I love how they all look together.
 

If you're new at colors, don't be afraid to start with a statement dress like this and then pair it with more neutral accessories.  In this outfit, I went with a straw bag--neutral--but it also has a kitty face to make it whimsical.  And I added gray wedges, but they have mirror accents down the front for a little sparkle, so nothing about this outfit is boring or dull.  Each piece is bringing something to the overall look.

ChicWish has so many dress pieces like this and I love them for their ultra feminine, timeless styles and their stunning colors.  These dresses were made for summer.  Join me right back here as my collaboration with ChicWish continues with more summer faves you're going to love.

Shopping Info:  EXOTIC GARDEN CUTWORK EMBROIDERY MIDI DRESS-$79.90 FROM CHICWISH, ENDLESS HOLIDAY ANKLE STRAP ESPADRILLE WEDGE SANDALS-$59 FROM NEWBELLA 

Toile Part 3: Violette

While Marie-Antoinette adored her private world of Petit Trianon, she was also quite the social butterfly.  And with nearly 300 dresses made each year to accommodate all her social engagements at the theater, at court, and at her own private parties, many from the brilliant dress maker, Rose Bertin, how could she stay at home for too long?  France was totally enamored with the young dauphine and later queen-consort for many years.  If the queen loved it, it was sure to instantly become high-fashion, and the queen loved toile.  I imagine she would have been just as gaga for this pink toile Violette princess dress from JessaKae as I am.  To be sure it has a heavy Antoinette influence.

The last and final installment in our Toile series will explore the high life surrounding Toile fabric as well as the plight of the worker.  As I mentioned in my previous post, Marie Antoinette, the queen of all things couture, whose style endures to this day, simple adored Toile prints, in particular those of Christophe-Philippe Oberkampf whose illustrated toile prints set the standard.  

But, toile didn't end in the French court.  The style was making its way across Europe and England and was picked up by visiting American dignitary, Benjamin Franklin who sent it home to his wife.  

Thomas Jefferson decorated Monticello in Toile, and if these elites were stylin' it, then virtually every fashionable home was following suit.  America's revolution was over and cotton was readily available for printing on what was then called "curious copperplate print," so it was only natural that toile abounded in the newly free America.  The winds of revolution however were just beginning to turn into a tempest in Europe.  

While Oberkampf's ethics in gaining his knowledge of toile production are highly questionable, he was wise to treat his workers rather well and use his illustrations to depict scenes of the workers' life in illustrations such as Les Travaux de la Manufacture" in 1783.  Oberkampf endeared himself to the common man by expressing his knowledge and admiration for the worker.  When revolution swept through France and his devoted patroness, Marie Antoinette, lost her head, Oberkampf's factory remained untouched and production continued as usual. 

Toile may have eventually experienced some decline as a new century emerged, and fresh new takes on home decor and fabric emerged from the likes of the pre-Raphaelites like William Morris and the eventually gave way to the geometric styles of Art Deco, toile has never fully disappeared from the decorative landscape.  It remains a charming timeless symbol of elegance and refinement.

Shopping Info:  Violette Dress-$250 From Jessa Kae.  Use this link to save $10 when you shop

References: 

https://en.chateauversailles.fr/discover/history/great-characters/rose-bertin

https://12tomatoes.com/toile-fabric-history/

https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/221839

https://fredericmagazine.com/2020/11/toile-jill-lasersohn-fabric-design/

Toile Part 2: Antoinette

I remember on my tour through the great palace of Versailles the tour guide commenting that although she was Austrian born, and although the tide later turned against her, Marie-Antoinette contributed much to what is classically considered "French." 

It was Marie that welcomed in so many artists that became attributed to the French style. It was Marie that introduced the French to their beloved croissants, which had long been a staple in Austrian cuisine.  And Marie-Antoinette was bonkers for Toile de Jouy.  As part of her welcoming of artists, Marie-embraced the style of German dyer Christoph Oberkampf.  Oberkampf, like his father before him, made fabric.  Upon hearing of a new technique developed by Frances Nixon in Ireland, Oberkampf high-tailed it to the emerald isles to work as an apprentice for Nixon.  He learned, and then stole, the technique  before hoofing it back to France to set up shop now that the ban on imported cotton had been lifted.

There were two sides to the little dauphine who would later become, at the tender age of 19, queen-consort of France.  One side was her vivacious public persona and her fashion forward style is still admired around the globe, but let's save that topic for part three in this series.  It's the other side of the queen that I want to discuss in this post, the side that longed for quiet and nature.  Is it any wonder that she was drawn to the rustic pastoral scenes depicted on Oberkampf's cotton fabrics.

Upon their ascension to the throne, King Louis XVI gifted Marie-Antoinette with her very own Petit Trianon, a chateau built during his grandfather's reign complete with the rustic retreat Hameau de la Reine.  Marie transformed them into a mock rural village, complete with farm animals and actual peasants, where she could play at a simpler life.   She wanted to gather eggs, have picnics on the lawn and wear simpler, lighter dresses. 

Marie was a great admirer of Oberkampf and actually took her children to visit his factory on multiple occasions.  Oberkampf let the children watch the production and even help with some of the printing.  They invariably returned home with dye stained hands which infuriated their nanny but created much laughter for Marie and her husband the king who himself liked nothing better than working with his hands and would often stop to help peasants fix farm machinery as he drove by in his carriage.  (Sounds like a monster worthy of execution, doesn't he!)  I imagine them as a close little family desperate for a quieter life such as those depicted in her beloved toile prints, and grasping for as much of that life as they could.

This Antoinette dress in pink and white toile print are a lovely example of a combination of two sides of Marie's style.  The cultured toile in a simple yet timeless cotton dress.  Alas, with one foot in the palace and one in the mock-countryside it would all eventually come crashing down.  But, like many beautiful things, it had a perfect moment of enjoyment and long after Marie was gone, her contributions to French culture remain.   This topic will be continued in one more post about Toile fabric, so check back with me on Friday.

Shopping Info: Antoinette Dress-$87.99 from Ivy City Co.  Use this link to save 10% off your purchase.

References: 

Castelo, Andre.  1957.  Queen of France.

https://fredericmagazine.com/2020/11/toile-jill-lasersohn-fabric-design

Toile Part 1: Zoo Land

1. What is Toile and 2. why do I care?  To answer your second question first, you may not care so keep reading to find out. As for the first question, I am so glad you asked. The word “toile,” pronounced twall, has several meanings because like many words that have been around for ages, the term has evolved over time. Toile simply means fabric in French and could refer to the type of cheap thin fabric that dressmakers used to create their prototypes before cutting up the good stuff. For the purposes of clothing and home décor today, however, toile refers to repeating pastoral prints in a 1700s style of illustration.  Before we can understand why this design element has stood the test of time, we must go back to its origins. 

European cloth with printed designs was a thing of beauty and could be quite costly, there was just one problem, as of the 1600s, Europeans had not discovered a way to make the designs withstand washing. So fashionistas of the day had to choose between being dressed to the nines or having clean clothes. It was a tough call indeed. Then trade with India opened up. India not only had the perfect climate to grow an abundance of cotton for making fabric, but had also discovered a way to preserve printed designs through the use of metal and salt fixatives. 

Suddenly you could have it all, clean clothes that were also beautiful and made of breathable fabric. The demand grew so much that certain Europe countries placed a ban on all imported cotton for fear that it would ruin their own fabric industries. Undeterred by the rule of law, black markets sprang up and people continued to buy this illegal ware even in the face of public attacks and humiliation. Several reports from the time indicate that women were attacked for wearing printed cottons and had their dresses torn from their bodies. And yet, the style persisted. That is a level of commitment, I'm not sure I could have to any clothing style or print.

Although we think of toile, that is to say cotton or canvas fabric with a pastoral print classically in red, blue, or black on a white or unbleached background, as a French creation, it actually began in Ireland in the 1700s and then spread in popularity to England, France, and the rest of Europe. One reason for this is that France lifted its ban on Indian fabric in 1759 during the reign of King Louis XV. Louis XV is well known for having one of the most lavish courts not just in France but in all of history. With the flood gates open on imported goods and the money flowing from the aristocracy to buy them, it wasn't long before textile manufacturers discovered the secrets to Indian printed fabrics and then began to improve upon them. 

Jouy-en-Josas became the most prolific producer of toile fabric under the direction of German designer Christoph-Phillippe Oberkampf. Oberkampf discovered his own technique for creating colorfast prints, further refined the process by using engraved metal plates for his prints which could achieve far finer details than the previous wood block method. Embraced by the French court and the likes of Marie-Antoinette who although Austrian born and French executed, set the standard for much of what is considered to be classical French culture even today. More on that in another post. As the designs grew in popularity, the use of this style as a method of storytelling also emerged. Today what we see in toile prints can be anything from the classical pastoral scenes to more modern whimsical designs such as this Zoo Land print from ChicWish.

Now, if you have read this far and decided that you really don't care about Toile or learning anymore, then you may want to skip the next two posts because this print set up permanent residence in my heart many years ago and I am delighted to share not only my latest acquisitions in toile, but also the history behind it. So, toile has found a place in your heart too, join me here again for parts 2 and 3 in this series.

Shopping Info: ZOO LAND PRINT CUTOUT CHIFFON MIDI DRESS-$60 from Chicwish

References:  

https://www.houzz.com/magazine/history-comes-home-the-story-of-toile-stsetivw-vs~156418

https://fabriclore.com/blogs/fabric-wiki/information-about-toile-fabric

https://www.masterclass.com/articles/toile-de-jouy-what-is-toile-a-brief-history-and-toile-fabric-care-guide

Casual Chic with NEWBELLA

Three jobs, taking classes, and still being mom to kids who need a ride or a shoulder to cry on now and then.  More often than not, I fall into bed exhausted, and wake up again long before I feel rested.  But, this is the season we're in and there is no getting around it, just getting through it as best as I can.  Now more than ever, I rely on simple, chic pieces in my wardrobe that work with everything and really that make everything look polished and chic.

Classic black ballet flats have been a staple in my wardrobe since 2011 when I bought my very first pair and realized that this was something that had been missing from my style for far too long.  I wore them until they literally fell apart and since then, I've always had a pair of black flats in my closet, but never before have I had flats with such sparkle as these MOUSSE Rhinestone Pointed Toe Flats from NEWBELLA.  Use my code, BLEU, to save 18% off your purchase at NEWBELLA.

I have more outfits planned with all my NEWBELLA shoes from our collaboration, because the possibilities are endless, and especially now, when I have to go casual for one of my jobs, I love that I can dress up jeans and a button down shirt with these flats and suddenly the compliments start rolling in.  They're perfect and I cannot wait to show you all the ways I am wearing them!

Shopping Info:  MOUSSE Rhinestone Pointed Toe Slip On Flats-$42 from NEWBELLA Use code BLEU to save 18% off your purchase

Princess Shoes with NEWBELLA

Oh, for a princess dress!  You know how much I love my princess dresses, but I do admit that when they drag the ground, something has to give: either the dress has to get shorter or I have to get taller. Naturally, I'm done growing, so it only makes sense to get a little taller with a nice platform shoe.  Since this JessaKae dress is completely stunning, and it would be almost a crime for it to sit in the closet, I decided to don my highest shoes and wear it anyway.  I chose these Endless Holiday espadrille wedges from NEWBELLA.  These mirror pieces down the front make them a perfect pairing with a princess dress. 

For my collaboration with NEWBELLA you can save an extra 18% with my code BLEU and get some great summer sandals that also work perfectly with your princess dresses.  A little height, a little sparkle, and a lot of style.  Made of soft faux suede, these Endless Holiday Wedges, (I love that name, by the way!) are comfortable and surprisingly easy to wear despite the height thanks to the wide base of the wedge design.

Never let your best things sit in the closet.  Instead find the right pairings so that you get the most enjoyment from your clothes.  My collaboration with NEWBELLA continues with one more very classically stylish pair of flats, so join me right back here on Sunday for the final installment in this collab.

Shopping Info:  ENDLESS HOLIDAY Ankle Strap Espadrille Wedge Sandals from NEWBELLA. Use code BLEU to save 18% off your purchase. Violette Dress in Pink-$250 from JessaKae.