Style Story: The Paris Flea Market

The best flea markets are definitely in Paris truly nothing comes close. My friend who owns a vintage store did her annual Paris flea market shopping haul and this dress was part of it. We were both surprised when I grabbed it to try on especially because I’m not a big fan of allover prints or bright colors. The silhouette is a very simple fit and flair that is flattering on most especially those with a short waist, like me. The print and color combo – very Versace. What I love most is the flattering pattern layout and how the long black vertical stripes shape the body. I tried it on and realized it was a knit not a woven which made it even more interesting. It fit perfectly but I knew I needed to open up the neckline and shorten it. I asked my tailor to take what she cut from the length and finish it on all sides so I could use it as a scarf.

I’m thrilled with how it all turned out. I styled it very simply because of the bold colors and the all-over print. Rather than going with a black sandal, the easiest and most obvious choice, I pulled the most obscure orangey neutral tone in the print as my color choice for a strappy high sandal, Schutz. The neutral tone elongates my legs and conveys a casual “Je ne sais qua” that I really love. I went with a big straw bag, Bohemia Marrakech, for its easy carefree vibe. I used a few small pieces of jewelry that wouldn’t compete with the dress like these thin rose gold hoops play into the gipsy feel from the side tied scarf, a small vintage gold link watch, Omega, bangles, Cartier, and a simple single pendant necklace.

style-tip: make your garments your own. alter and style to work with your body and choose accessories that balance and enhance

Style Story: Interpretation

In regard to art, the Oxford Dictionary describes the word interpretation as a stylistic representation of creative work. As both a designer and a stylist, I could not agree more. It’s not about buying garments to wear as they are – that would be a uniform, completely void of interpretation. Our personal take on a creative work is meant to give it a new life and make it our own. One of my favorite designers is Dries Van Noten. The way he creates fashion is like a window into his soul. He designed a brilliant reversible paneled printed silk midi wrap skirt that so many retailers have reinterpreted.

Here’s my version – I’ve taken my print high waist pencil skirt, Samantha Sung, and layered a contrasting print scarf, Christian Dior, 3/4 of the way over. Rather than a side tie opening, which would make my curvy body look much too hippy, I pinned it in the back with a brooch. The skirt takes up a lot of my body so I went with a solid cropped sleeveless vintage blouse, McInery. The playful quirkiness of this look was what I wanted to emphasize so I brought in my anchor print fedora, Gisele Tune, chunky sandals, Birkenstock, and a big black handbag, Carla Mancini. My stylistic representation of Dries’ creative work looks and feels like me. I drew inspiration from his design and made it my own.

*style-tip: when considering a new purchase think about how it can be reinterpreted to look like you and if you can make it work with what you already have. You can’t come up with anything – Don’t Buy It!