Bright

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Dress: Anthea Crawford guipure lace

Coat: Vintage, Chinese silk

Wedges: Novo suede & rattan

Bag: Vera May patent & holographic

Cuff: Vintage, rose gold aluminium & semi-precious stones (from India)

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Avid readers of this blog may have noticed that I don't pay much attention to the so-called "fashion rule" that one should wear more muted shades - such as black, grey, burgundy - in the Winter months & lighter colours in the Summertime... Frankly, I'm not one for hard & fast rules about ANYTHING to begin with & moreover, I adore colour & couldn't possibly think of giving it up for more than a few days at a time, let alone 3 months of the year!

This pink lace, empire-line dress from Anthea Crawford & vintage Oriental silk coat combo - that I wore to accompany my dear friend Matilda to see one of our favourite television shows tape an episode "Down Under" (hush hush at the moment, but stay tuned to the blog to hear more in the coming months) - is as bright as you can get, really, unless you wear neon, that is... & although it may seem odd to wear these 2 particular items together, the entire look works for 3 main reasons:

#1 PRINT: The fact that the Oriental silk coat is covered in a small-scale floral pattern that includes a peony in a shade that matches the hue of the dress provides a level of cohesion. Despite the fact that lace is not technically a "pattern," the fact that it is florid denotes the existence of an over-arching botanical theme that also serves to bind the otherwise eclectic ensemble.

#2 TEXTURE: The fact that there is a distinct difference in texture for each layer (lace meets silk) means that each piece can stand in its "own right" as well as when mixed together. This makes the mismatching look "fashion-y" & intentional, rather than something thrown on at the last minute because the weather was cooler than imagined. 

#3 ACCESSORY CHOICE: The fact that the otherwise vibrant ensemble is "anchored" by a pair of black, suede & rattan wedges from Novo & a black patent Vera May handbag with holographic butterfly panel. The colours in the dress & coat are repeated in the scene on the panel - this time in the form of flowers & butterflies - proving that this combination is often repeated naturally & organically. Jewellery choice also plays a part here - the vintage, rose gold aluminium cuff is set with semi-precious stones in hues found in both the dress & coat. Check it out in detail below:

And because I think the dress is absolutely spectacular on its own - not least because of the stunning lace edging - scroll down for some pics of the look without the coat...

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