backstage / www.bracesandlaces.tumblr.com
Regardless of what that groundhog had to say, it’s pretty clear from a peek outside the window that spring is busting its way up in here ASAP. And with spring, comes floral on everything—your jeans, your shoes, and your press-on nail decals. Ease your way into it with Clare Vivier’s crazy-good clutch—a larger take on our previous two pochettes, constructed of vintage floral-printed leather. —claire
Read more about Clare:
+ On how she stumbled into this whole handbag business
Jason Wu for Target: Product Review
I was very excited to check out this collaboration in store because I love most all Target collaborations & Jason Wu is one of my favorite designers. I was certain that the dresses would be too short on me (which is usually the case) but was pleasantly surprised by a few. While there were some misses in the collection, I loved how on-trend many of the items are. Peplum, pleats, florals, stripes, red/white/blue combinations, slight Peter Pan collars. The collection had a bit of everything. It also had elements that reminded me of Jason Wu’s S/S 2012 RTW collection which was nice to see, too!
1) Peplum top + pleated skirt + 2 tone bag: Yellow is typically a bad color on me, but, to both of our surprise, we loved this top. It looks nice without a belt, but I like the waist belt above the peplum which makes the top + skirt look more coordinated. It reminded me of a couple looks from Jason Wu’s S/S 2012 collection (here, here). The top would look nice with a pencil skirt, too. The color reminded me of the Jason Wu dress Diane Kruger wore in 2010. Also, the bag is perfect.
2) Floral dress with yellow belt: This dress runs big, and the belt is ridiculously huge—I’m going to have to get additional holes put in. I like the neckline and length of the dress. The yellow, for lack of a better word, “pops” against the floral print and it’s a flattering cut. It would look cute with a cardigan and ballet flats for work in the spring and I also think I’ll wear it to my cousin’s wedding over the summer.
3) Shirt dress with slight Peter Pan collar: If you are wanting to try the Peter Pan collar trend, this one is very slight. Personally, I do not like this look on me, but by unbuttoning the top button it just looks like a printed shirt dress. The dress has a defined waist but with its shape it requires a belt (borrowed from Mom for this pic). It’s cute with tights, though 1) it needs a slip underneath and 2) it’s on the shorter side so I’m on the fence as far as keeping it.
4) Red/white/blue stripes: Red/white/blue “Americana” is a trend for the coming season which can be seen in retailers’ nautical looks and in several of the Jason Wu for Target looks, too. Seeing as I’m always drawn to stripes, I liked this shirt because it captures the trend while still being the type of separate that can be dressed up or down. Plus, it’s more flattering than the striped dress from the collection…which was kind of nightgown material.
5) Lace top + pleated skirt (same skirt as #1): Pleated skirts are “in” this season, though pleats can be hit or miss. Often they can accentuate the hip region and thus, can be unflattering. I was very happy with the fit of the black and floral pleated skirts—the waist band helps the skirts to fall nicely and the length, just at the knee, would be perfect for work or evening. I like the lace top though it’s nothing special and therefore I will probably return it. It looks cute with jeans and a cardigan, too though.
6) Mixed prints (replicating the look from the above ad): When I first saw the Jason Wu for Target ads, I thought the floral look was a dress with mixed prints. I was surprised to find that it was actually a top and skirt, but I like the interesting mixed print look. Also, the pleated floral skirt reminds me of Jason Wu’s spring collection (here) and would look nice paired with a white top, black top and even chambray. It’s a little big, so I may get it taken in.
7) Poplin dress with striped hem: This dress was the one I was most excited for, but I knew it would probably be a bit short. I love it, but it’s slightly too short on me for my liking and they only had a size bigger than I normally wear and thus, it’s too big. It definitely needs to have a belt added at the defined waist but even so, it was still a bit too roomy. I ordered the next size down online and will see if I like the fit any better (despite the slightly too short on me hemline).
The black fit & flare dress is adorable in person, but was so ridiculously short on me it was the only one that I tried on that I didn’t bring home to try on for a second time.
Seeing as I have several weddings, showers & events over this next year I feel that I’ll get a lot of wear out of most of these items. Plus, many can be dressed down for work, too making them doubly versatile. All in all, I liked everything I bought but, of course, can’t keep everything.
Favorites: The items I will definitely hold onto are both pleated skirts, the peplum top, the floral top, floral dress, poplin dress with stripe (if the smaller size fits better) & handbag.
One Tweed Coat, Three Ways on the Modcloth Blog.
Oh my god, I need it. More than any other need. PLEASE STILL BE THERE NEXT WEEK, PLEASE.
Vintage items coming to our soon to be remodeled shop!
Photos by the amazingly talented Agnes Thor!
ootd, I’ve worn this dress a ridiculous number of times since I got it: collar love
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