Wednesday, August 14, 2019

Genie Skirt, Lace and Mixed Metals

After spending time last night actually trying on this wonderful Dries Van Noten skirt, I was satisfied with today's look. 
As I mentioned yesterday, it's a reminder to me that I need to spend that time to make tricky pieces like this work and play well with the other occupants of my closet.


  • Top - VanessaVirginia, thrifted; last seen here in June with pastel pajamas
  • Skirt - Dries Van Noten, consignment; purchased here for $57.00
  • Shoes - Lucky Brand, consignment, Powell River; last worn here in June with Kenzo


How is it tricky? Well, the bubble hem looks like genie pants!
I decided to roll with a long up-and-down silhouette, sort of a flapper-ish vibe. I tried peplums, tucking in tops...nothing quite worked until I put this lace top on.

I think this will work better with some of my fall/winter things, so this is now going into my stash to hang up properly at the end of September/early October when I do seasonal swap-over.
 I had a lot of comments on it from my colleagues - nearly everyone wanted to feel the texture.
 Although it looks quite stiff and bark-like, it's actually very soft.

See?
 Mmmm...scrunchy...

I noticed that it also had a pinky cast to it, so took a really good look at the weave.
 Aha! It has rust-coloured threads woven on the weft (explanation of warp and weft here). Yes, now I definitely want to wear this with some fall colours.

The stuff:
 Once I had the top paired with the skirt and the idea of "flapper" in my brain, I looked at my long necklaces. I don't have a ton of them (I weed out my accessories too), and I wanted to stay fairly neutral with the red top providing the pop of colour. The shoes were the last thing I picked out, once I had settled on a mix of metals for the accessories. I am quite fond of these clunky cork wedges - I like how they look on my big feet.

Mixed metal bling:
Most of my Christophe Poly collection!


  • Chain necklace (long) - POLY, thrifted
  • 3-circle silver necklace - M&M, consignment, Vancouver
  • Short square necklace - POLY, thrifted
  • Cuff bracelet - JPL, vintage fair
  • Torc bracelet - POLY, thrifted
  • Green ring - POLY, Art Gallery of Hamilton gift shop
  • Gold ring - POLY, vintage expo
  • Earrings - thrifted - first wear, purchased here for $9.95

16 comments:

  1. It's lovely to see a close-up of the fabric to see its amazing quality. Well, it is Dries Van Noten, whose flagship store in Antwerp I'm passing on a regular basis, at which point I always think of you. There's the most amazing pair of platforms in his window right now. But back to your outfit. I can totally understand why it's not easy to style, but you did it perfectly with the lace top and all your metallic accessories. Can't wait to see how you style it in Autumn/Winter. xxx

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    1. Thank you, Ann - yes, I love Dries because of the care and thought and above all, the details that he puts into his clothing. Oh, I would be in trouble in Antwerp! I'd definitely be broke!

      It's a very tricky style/shape - I'm thinking a fitted jacket with tall boots could be fun for fall. I think this is the best I could do for a summery outfit!

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  2. You did a blinding job on the styling. The red is perfect and I'm liking the Flapper-ish vibe.
    You know I love those sandals, they were a great choice. xxx

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    1. Thank you, Vix! Very tricky, as I said, to style this - I can see why the previous owner gave up and consigned it. I like the sandals too - they get better every year!

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  3. Such a beautiful fabric on that skirt and your shoes are the perfect match they seem to be the same color.
    If you ask me I would not have the slightest idea on what to pair it with.

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    1. Isn't it lovely fabric? I love Dries' attention to that. The cork of the shoes is beige, the leather is pewter, and the skirt is mostly a gold shade, but they all work!

      Yeah, I knew I wanted the skirt - I fell in love with it - but it's going to continue to be a challenging piece in my closet.

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  4. I never would have thought the skirt would be tricky to wear but I think you did a great job with the lace top, it looks so nice on you! Hope you can come up with more great outfits when the cooler weather arrives - it is a very pretty statement piece! :)

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    1. The bubble hem really...bubbles! when you walk, Mica, and it's a really exaggerated shape so it matters what shape of top goes with it, to help balance it out. Thank you so much! I agree, and I'm excited to experiment with my fall wardrobe!

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  5. You deserve a medal for Pushing The Envelope Of Fashion On A Regular Basis.

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  6. Lovely skirt, the shape and texture are stunning, even if it's also a tricky piece to style!, But you made it work!. I do love your accessories, those Poly pieces are so cool!.
    besos

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    1. I adore this skirt - most of Dries Van Noten's clothes really hit that sweet spot for me. The level of detail is amazing.

      I have gotten quite a collection of POLY - I like that he's Canadian!

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  7. As I was reading this I was trying to figure out what I would wear with this skirt! I can see how the shape makes it a challenge to style. I think you did well, and it will be a great fall piece to wear with sweaters or a jacket.

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    1. Thanks so much! I am excited to try it out with some fall stuff.

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  8. What a fascinating fabric! I can see how the skirt would need careful pairing, given its unusual shape and material. I look forward to seeing all the great outfits you make with it!

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    Replies
    1. It's quite amazing once you see it close up. It's a tough shape, so it'll be a challenge with the fall stuff, but I can do it! Thanks, Mim!

      Delete

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