Because you can't have depths without surfaces.
Linda Grant, thinking about clothes, books and other matters.
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Net-a-porter UK

Tuesday 22 April 2008

The dress not dead after all

Marni

Contrary to laws passed two weeks ago by the Grand Fashion Caliph, the dress is to be spared execution before a baying mob of Parisian designers and magazine editors:

Fashion propaganda would have us believe that the dress is dead. As we affirmed last week, full skirts are certainly storming ahead. But as long as there are sunny days (and summer weddings) the chance of a sartorial coup is negligible. The shape that does seem to be slinking away is the smock. There were still permutations of it to be seen on the catwalk, which intimates that it isn't quite dead and buried yet, but for those who prefer a visible waistline this season, there are plenty of fresher alternatives around. Plus, commuters won't feel obliged to give up their seats on the bus for "pregnant" women.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thank God the smock is dead. According to Trinny and Tranny I am a column, so should never been seen dead in anything without a shape. Mind you I knew this anyway, but it's always nice to have your suspicions confirmed by your betters, isn't it?

Anyway, yesterday I bought a beautiful pink dress that is a sort of skimmed empire line style from Per Una (sorry, am I still allowed to post on this fabby blog, even though I can't afford labels?) Well, I think it's fab, anyway. Nearly as fab as the blue one I bought two weeks ago in the same style.

Geri

Anonymous said...

That sounds lovely, please post a link!

Anonymous said...

If the smock were a vampire, I'd sign up with my stake to put it down forever. Ugly. On the other hand, I'm glad to see the fashion crowd is grinding its teeth and shaking its collective fist -- at the rest of us who never gave up on the dress. Tough on them.

Anonymous said...

http://www.marksandspencer.com/gp/product/B00166NFVS/sr=1-23/qid=1208876403/ref=sr_1_23/026-4035068-7125222?ie=UTF8&node=&m=A2BO0OYVBKIQJM&keywords=&mnSBrand=core&size=63&rh=n%3A43009030&page=

This is the link to the blue one, solemn cat, but I can't find the pink one. I'm not sure it'll show up though because the Bette Davies pic I posted didn't.
Geri

Kelly said...

Well, thank god the designers listened to me and kept dresses after all ;-)

Anonymous said...

Oh puh-lease, do the Fashion dictators really think we listen to them? We nod our heads to placate and humour them and keep on buying what we damn well want.

Kelly said...

cybill, if people *didn't* listen to them, would they have jobs?

Susan B said...

cybill - they may not determine what we actually buy, but they do have a part in determining what we have to choose from.

Anonymous said...

Thank God I'm too old for smocks. Wearing them during pregnancy was bad enough. They also made my barely old enough daughters look preggers. Hideous thought.

I also once gave up my seat on the train for a woman whom I thought was expecting, and in fact she was merely a fatty wearing a smock.

Trinny and Suzannah would have put me in cross-over dresses cinched at the waist. Love them. Love dresses any time.

The easiest way to resist Fashion Nazis is to vote with your feet. I've been hopelessly untrendy for years. I'm sure they've taken note.

Belle de Ville said...

Thank God that dresses aren't dead. They are easy to wear, figure flattering (well not the smocks) and generally less expensive than buying separates. There's a gorgeous Piazza Sempione abstract print dress that I'm lusting for. For some reason when I wear dresses I always feel a little bit Audrey Hepburn-ish.