How to 'toughen up' (or dress down) a pink and/or girly dress

Are you one of those people that looks a really pretty and feminine dress and thinks: "Oh, how beautiful! If only I could wear something like that", but feels they could never wear something that girly?  I am one of them.  Not my sister, she wears girly, frilly, lacy and floral with not one moment's hesitation, even with strappy feminine sandals.

Or, perhaps you have a beautiful dress hanging in your closet but feel you can only wear them on the rare 'formal' occasion?

Either way, for those who would like to wear a feminine girly dress (and yes, even in pink), here are some ideas on how I would wear it.  For some reason I don't feel comfortable in a girly feminine dress and strappy high heels, I need to pair them with something sporty or 'biker chic', or roughen it up a little.

Case in point: this beautiful and romantic pink broderie anglaise dress by Philosophy di Lorenzo Serafini, via Avenue 32.  As you may know by now, I am a huuuuuge fan of online shopping, and Avenue 32 is one of all-time favourite stores.  Not only do they stock some of my favourite designers (Roksanda, Preen by Thornton Bregazzi, Maticevski), but also amazing new designers that I absolutely love discovering (e.g. Litkovskaya, Anna K, and more).

 Pink and pretty: Philosophy by Lorenzo Serafini broderie anglaise dress

 I loved mixing the delicate and feminine broderie anglaise with some texture, like fur (and further down, leather), and tough 'motorcycle' boots

Jacket: Dries Van Noten (old), Boots: Balenciaga, Dress: Philosophy di Lorenzo Serafini (available at Avenue 32)

Pair a feminine dress with a little something sporty, I'm a big fan of bombers, and this is my new favourite, from Zara (!), love its beautiful embroidery!

I paired the dress with two sporty pieces, the bomber jacket and my trusty sneakers...I live in flats and sneakers, comfort is paramount, and not just for my feet, I feel more comfortable in my own skin too...

Dress: Philosophy di Lorenzo Serafini (available at Avenue 32), Jacket: Zara, Sneakers: Adidas x Topshop (similar here)

 Nothing like a good black leather jacket to pair with a girly dress...my Helmut Lang jacket is one of my favourite buys of 2015, it goes with almost everything!

 Frilly details...

 And of course, one of my favourite footwear choice for a feminine dress: none at all, cozing up at home with a sweater thrown over, or barefoot on a beach (I will be bringing this dress with me to Byron Bay next week), love the contrast of cozy with girly...

In a nutshell, my favourite pieces to wear with a feminine dress are:

*Sporty-chic jackets like bombers, and silk hooded jackets

*Leather motorcycle jackets Faux-fur or denim jackets 

*Oversized chunky knit cardigans

* Tee-shirt, turtleneck or fine knit crewneck sweater under the dress

*Footwear of choice: mid-heel boots (with a chunky heel, like Isabel Marant Dicker boots), sneakers, Oxfords (like my favourite Dieppa Restrepo Cali oxfords), perhaps flat strappy sandals.

How about you, how do you wear your pink and/or feminine dresses? 

Outdoor photography by: Kevin Khaw

Indoor photography: me

Happy Friday everyone!
x
CC

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Uniqlo x Lemaire - a match made in Sartorial Heaven

Hello there! I am still here, and apologize for my absence! Life's been a little crazy lately!

But I have decided I will try my best to keep this blog updated from now on...

So thought I'd start with one of my all-time favourite 'designer' collaborations ever, which was Christopher Lemaire's final collection for Uniqlo.  Since last year I have been a huge Uniqlo fan, with its affordable basics for the entire family, from my little ones, to Mr Brigs. I especially love their Heattech range (of thin yet warm thermal clothes), which I first heard about from Susie Bubble many years ago.

And of course, I am a huge fan of Christophe Lemaire's work, not only for his own label, but also during his stint as creative director at Hermès.  Love his crisp, paired-back simplicity and flawlessly tailored designs, and wonderfully edgy silhouettes.

Now I know I am a little late to blog about this collection, but since it is almost all I have been wearing lately, I thought I'd share anyway.  I put in countless orders in for this range, as I became enamoured with the entire collection (and not just the womenswear, but the menswear too, some of which went into Mr Brigs wardrobe, but some actually went into mine).  I zero-ed in on the mustard yellow pieces, as it is a colour I love but cannot find often in silhouettes I like.  Not only were the pieces beautifully designed, the quality was impeccable, beautifully tailored, timeless and classic but with an evident edge to them.

 This yellow mesh polo sweater is one of my favourites of the collection, I'm so glad I checked the store the night before the range was meant to be released, as it (and the rest of the collection) was already there, so I pounced on it before it sold out.

Bag: Balenciaga Navy Pochette (available at Matches), Sandals: Sydney Sandal Co. (the comfiest sandal ever, these are so delicious on!), Swimsuit: Seafolly,

Here I layered the v-neck knit over the milano sleeveless rib dress, for a double-dose of yellow, in a beautiful ribbed fabric - love the texture and quality of these, so luxe!
Bag: Mansur Gavriel backpack (love it in pink!), Shoes: Adidas Superstars (available in b&w here)

 Lemaire's expert tailoring in 'gaucho' culottes and blazer

Borrowed from the 'boys': Chambray blouson 'shirt/jacket' and pleated elasticated pants, with a cashmere-blend sleeveless tank from the women's range (oh so soft and versatile!)

 I also got the cashmere-blended bodysuit (and in white too), these are so comfy, cut beautifully and so versatile!

Bag: Proenza Schouler PS11 (available at Net-a-Porter, Forward, and My Theresa ) , Bracelet: Céline

I'm embarrassed to say this is only a fraction of the items I got, anyone else a fan of this collaboration? Or of Lemaire? Or Uniqlo?

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