BRITAIN'S FASHIONISTAS ARE WEARING... PYJAMAS

Posted by Bethan Holt, Fashion Junior at Large

Ben Whishaw as Sebastian Flyte in Brideshead Revisted

Here at FEAL, we don't usually say too much about menswear. But when John Lewis told us that their sales of 'dapper robes' were up by 91% in the men's department, our ears pricked up.I thought it was only girls who watched Downton Abbey, but John Lewis seem sure that the rise is a result of men wanting to emulate Lord Grantham's stately bedroom attire. Are the men of Great Britain going home and pretending to be turn-of-the century aristocrats? I certainly haven't seen any evidence of them wearing their new robes out and about, have you?

As Lord Grantham gets a bit too close to maid Jane, we get a good peek of his bedroom robe (image from itv/ mirror.co.uk)

Oscar Wilde posing in his smoking jacket (image from thisislondon.com)

I don't think Downton is where it all began though; I've been slightly obsessed with the 1981 series of Brideshead Revisited for years now and I studied Oscar Wilde at university. Recently, I've seen all these used as references for various microtrends such as the pyjama suit and the dandy slipper. Penelope Chilvers has even launched a bespoke service which lets you design your very own Dandy slipper.




It doesn't get more Dandy than Ralph Lauren's purple tasseled slippers

This pyjama/slipper combination feels luxurious and exotic- see the above still from the 2008 film version of Brideshead Revisited which is all about a louche and priviliged life where one really can recline in pyjamas all day long.  This is why I think there's more to this than wanting to be like Downton's main man. Although, as we're talking about John Lewis here, perhaps this is more of an older man buying into the Lord of the Manor lifestyle represented by Hugh Bonneville's Lord Grantham. Although he's loveable in his own way, he doesn't have that foppish air of extravagance and wealth which Oscar Wilde and Sebastian Flyte possess.

JW Anderson AW11 - Francesca Burns & Emma Elwick of British Vogue both have this pyjama suit by Jonathan Anderson, and have even been seen wearing them together

Louis Vuitton Resort 2012. You can buy this from November 21st. Top £700 and trousers £550

For us girls, pyjamas are a trend which is going to get hard to avoid. John Lewis say that we're already coming round to it, with sales of the 'luxurious nightwear' up by more than 200%. But it's the crossover to seeing pyjamas as daywear options which is really telling. J.W Anderson has already done some highly lustworthy day time paisley pyjamas for AW11. The Great Gatsby inspired Sofia Coppola and Marc Jacobs' collaboration for Louis Vuitton's Resort 2012. Once the SS12 shows came around, barely a show went by without some evidence of gentleman's silks and easy pyjama suits; Equipment's will be amazing (aforementioned on this blog). The High Street has already been offering mannish silky shirts and, in some cases, matching silky pyjama bottoms and palazzo pants. By next spring this will be a huge fashion thang, so you may as well be ahead of the curve and get into it now. So while all the boys are hiding inside, playing at being Dukes and Lords, it seems inevitable that the ladies will be out and about showing off their take on pyjamas as fashionable daywear.

Alexa Chung has included a pyjama suit in her new and rather good collection for American brand Madewell. Alexa's dandy silk Valentine pyjama is dotted with palm tree silhouettes; a New York Post writer was so enamoured of them,she wore them for a day out in Manhattan and wrote about it.

Chloe blouse, £600, Net-a-Porter.com

Alexa Chung for Madewell pyjama pants $200 

Derek Rose, purveyors of luxury pyjamas, have a few styles which could work well as daywear options...

Very Art Deco- the Leila Blue£109.99

Modern Paisley- the Nelson Silver £109.99

NOW FOR SS12

Stella McCartney's paisley pyjama for SS12

Close up of Stella McCartney paisley

Close up of Stella Mccartney foulard silk, the main motif of her collection

Paul Smith SS12

J. W Anderson's paisley suit for SS12



Photos: Fashion Editor at Large, catwalking.com

PARIS FASHION WEEK: GUIPURE, THE SEQUEL

Posted by Fashion Junior at Large

Last week, we brought you news of guipure, the chunky lace which seemed to be making a noteworthy number of catwalk appearences. Well now we are sure that there is some sort of secret guipure society which has infiltrated the minds of some of the world's key designers because its presence has become almost ubiquitous during the Paris shows. So I thought I'd compile you an update of the different ways guipure and the like have taken on starring roles over the past few days of fashion month.

Patchworked, delicate panels by Peter Copping at Nina Ricci

In spearmint as a bodice overlay at Chanel

Pier Paolo  Piccioli and Maria Grazia Chiuri went lace mad at Valentino

This is so chunky it borders on laser cut rather than straightforward lace. Valentino

Giambattista Valli went for blown up 60s floral patterns

At Louis Vuitton, a similar overblown flower on pretty, pretty parisienne dresses

More Vuitton

Louis Vuitton again. Marc Jacobs made his lace so chunky, it almost wasn't lace anymore.

Miuccia Prada continued what she began at Prada in the Miu Miu show. This time it was a little prettier. No bomber jacket to toughen up

Lace on lace on this Miu Miu skirt

 All images from catwalking.com. Miu Miu images from Vogue.fr

DO YOU BELIEVE?

Posted by Fashion Junior at Large

Twitter has been all a buzz today with the news that Marc Jacobs is to move to Dior, with Phoebe Philo taking up office at Louis Vuitton while continuing to design for Celine. We reported a few weeks ago that Marc may have been in talks to take over the Dior role but the addition of Philo's name is a new detail to mull over.

Some examples of the tweets fuelling the rumour mill:

'@Bryanboy: Imagine: Marc Jacobs at Christian Dior, Phoebe Philo at Louis Vuitton. Match made in heaven, yes? Can Marc do couture? That's the question.'

'@FashionFoieGras: Marc Jacobs for Dior and Phoebe Philo to fill his shoes at Louis Vuitton... That is today's prediction of the fashion musical chairs'

Phoebe Philo in The Gentlewoman (Image from www.rag-pony.com)

'@Vogue_London: Is Marc Jacobs really set to take over at Dior, and will Phoebe Philo be taking his place at @LouisVuitton_HQ? http://t.co/c1eLjmG'

'@JimShi809: #MarcJacobs said headed to #Dior, leaving #LouisVuitton open for Phoebe Philo (who'll also do Celine) & starting a major LVMH reshuffling.'

Where is Marc off too? Anywhere? (Image from fashionindie.com)

What are your thoughts, dear readers?

Would Phoebe Philo really take on the Louis Vuitton job when she has previously said that she only took on Celine because it meant she could remain and in London and juggle it with her two children? Would Marc tear himself away from all he has built up at Vuitton? What would Marc Jacobs' couture be like?

Can we really take these new rumours seriously? After all it's August and so everyone in Paris is en vacances. The FashEd's tip is that all will become clear in Septemeber once John Galliano has been sentenced. This is quite probably just another installment in this now long-running Dior job saga

Comment or tweet us @fashedatlarge.

FW11 TRENDING: THE FORTIES

Posted by Fashion Junior at Large

The Miu Miu advertising campaign has primed you, hopefully. Because today, we would like to focus your trend-observant eyes on the 1940s- a decade when war ravaged the world and women came into their own, making significant contributions to the war effort whilst going to great lengths to maintain all the glamour they could; painting tea on legs to look like stockings and scrupulously collecting ration coupons so they could buy a single item of clothing.

Stocking painting (image from www.25dollarvintage.blogspot.com)

Miu Miu was the greatest proponent of the 40s look for FW11

 It was not just at off-duty moments that women were mindful of keeping up appearances. The legendary land girls toiled the fields of Britain, taking over from men who were needed to fight. Despite their demanding occupations, this was nevertheless a time when a girl could not really get away with 'bed hair' or wearing her boyfriend's shirt and denim cut-offs. Grooming was not a choice.

They may have been tending their flock, but not before the headscarf was perfectly knotted and uniform belted up (Image from www.telegraph.co.uk)

And it was not all compromise. There is abundant evidence of megawatt film star glamour, even when the war was still close to home. Vera Lynn was the sweetheart of the British Armed Forces, bringing welcome comfort and eye candy to the serving soldiers who she entertained throughout the war.

Vera Lynn wearing classic forties voluminous top with embellishment- this wouldn't look the same without the pristine make-up and set hair (Image from www.dailymail.co.uk)

 Our ultimate icon for this era is Hedy Lamarr- film star and scientist extraordinaire. Not only did Lemarr star in many of the most successful films of the 1940s, such as Samson and Deliliah, but she is also widely remembered as helping to develop a frequency hopping communication system which is still used as a basis for modern wi-fi technology. So you see, Hedy is really the epitome of the 1940s spirit which this season is capturing; power, capability, independence with a double dose of glamour.

Divine Hedy

Star Quality

Dolce and Gabbana AW11- Take note of stars as a microtrend- not confined to the 40s but if it's good enough for Coco (Chanel was a fan) AND Hedy then... 

There are two ways to go with the 1940s look for AW11. Firstly, there is total commitment. Essentially this involves adopting not just the clothing but also the beauty routine. Full adoption means not leaving the house without a full face of make-up, including the most scarlett lips and blackest flicks of eyeliner, and painstakingly styled hair.

Richard Avedon's 1948 image of Elise Daniels in Paris, in a turban.

Badgley Mischka AW11 show was full of high-glamour 30s and 40s looks. Hair and make-up was high maintainance and true to the period, but ultimately this is the boring way to do it.

Miu Miu and Jonathan Saunders did it exactly the right way by achieving that finest of balances; we can tell that their looks are 1940s but the models do not look like they are at 1940s fancy dress party. Miu Miu referenced the victory waves of 1940s hair but by keeping it straight and leaving make-up to a bare minimum, this had 2011 written all over it. Jonathan Saunders did the same but his use of colour, mostly 1940s but with the occasional flash of bright or incongruous print made his pieces apt for the Land Girls of Now.

Miu Miu's take on the tea dress is a key AW11 piece.

The belted waist and utilitarian blazer are 1940s. Prints and fresh face give the AW11 update.

Louis Vuitton

 We think you would do well to invest in two key pieces for a 1940s look. The tea dress is a classic anyway which you may quite possibly already own and certainly if you don't, will be useful for seasons to come. A turban will see you through the 70s references of the coming months as well as being a gentle reference to 40s glamour. Oh, and add a brooch if you get bored! Blazers, belts, midi skirts, palazzo pants and stacked heels are also key elements.
WE RECOMMEND:

A tea dress from Warehouse £38

Turban: £12 from ASOS

Catwalk Images from www.catwalking.com

THE WEEK IN FASHION 13TH JUNE-17TH JUNE

Posted by Fashion Junior at Large
Additional research by Bethan Holt

Here's our weekly round up of the goings on in fash-land over the past five days. While most of the fashion press have been obsessing over the resort collections (more on those to come!) these were the news stories that caught our eye this week.We kick off, fittingly, with a quote from the High Priestess herself...

1. Famously anti-tech Anna Wintour gave the perfect five word acceptance speech for Vogue's People's Voice Award at the Webbys: "Sometimes geeks can be chic." Got it in five, Anna - and come on, like we didn't know that already!


2. The fashion hackers have struck again, and it's Beyonce (in kinky Vuitton) vs. Christina  Aguilera (in, well, not a lot) on the leaked covers of this month's W magazine

 3. Alexandra Shulman stepped into the ring for the racism in fashion debate, following the recent racism related lawsuits involving Naomi Campbell and Cadbury and Rihanna and Gucci. In response to Liz Jones' claim that the industry is 'inherently racist', Shulman pointed out: "There have always been black players on the scene — at the moment look at the stylist Edward Enninful, make-up artist Pat McGrath and [models] Jourdan Dunn, Liya Kebede and Joan Smalls, who are at the top of the tree."The Vogue Editor also hinted that she has two black cover stars lined up for future issues - Michelle O, perhaps?

4. It has been a week for campaign releases, as Tom Ford poses with Lara Stone in his new make up shots
...

 

Lara and Tom try to out 'good face' each other in the Tom Ford makeup campaign

5. ...while Angelina Jolie poses in Cambodia (birthplace of her son, Maddox) for Vuitton 's core values campaign

6. Jess Cartner-Morley declares this the summer of intentional bad taste fashion, all thanks to a Prada banana

Prada SS11, and the banana skirt that started it all...

7. Aggy is back in the business! Everyone's favourite leggy blonde Agyness Deyn has re-signed with her old agency, Select Model Management, and is hoping to stage a comeback. Shouldn't be too tricky when you look like this...

Aggy shot by Tim Walker for the May issue of Vogue. Beautiful!

8. What  has Stefano Pilati been up to while his mate Kate was on her hen weekend on the Isle of Wight? Designing costumes for a new Harold Pinter production, of course! With Kristen Scott Thomas taking the lead in The Betrayal, this will be one dramatic fashion statement.

9. You thought the V&A Vivienne Westwood exhibition had covered it all? Well, now her iconic shoe designs have an exhibition all of their own

 The Gillie shoe, most notorious for bring Naomi down to earth with a bump!

10. Mulberry have had a very, very good year, reporting a 69% increase in revenue.Those cute woodland creatures from their last show are obviously hiding some savvy business sense..

 Mulberry Resort 2012. They don't just do handbags, y'know. It's all about the doggy RTW.

11. A very dapper Jonathan Saunders deservedly picked up Designer of the Year at the Scottish Fashion Awards - even though the win took him by surprise, having just been "texting Chris Kane saying 'Sam Cam's wearing your dress, you're definitely going to win it!'"

 Designer of the Year Jonathan Saunders picks up his SFA in a trendy teal tie.

11. Following the news that K-Mid's wedding dress is going to go on show at Buckingham Palace, across the pond, the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame have included Gaga's infamous Meat Dress in their 'Women who Rock' exhibit. Thankfully, the meat has been preserved so that the now well-past-it's-sell-by-date flesh dress won't pong out the exhibition! Tasty.

 

12. Stella Tennant presented the Devonshire Cup at Royal Ascot (she's related to the historic English family). On Ladies Day she was sporting a brilliant trilby avec taxidermy birds, designed, of course, by Stephen Jones. Only Stella and Stephen could make dead birds look this good! 

Stella Tennant and Stephen Jones during the design process for Ascot's chic-est headgear. Photographed by Robert Fairer

13. And finally, over the past five days we have continued to be baffled and bewildered by Bip Ling's blog posts and Tweets. A choice example from @BipLing:

"YUPP having a great holidayyyyyyyy SHUVS AND FOREST ARE GREAT FUN YAR YAR YARRR LOVE ITTTT :-) BOOM BOOOM xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx"

What?! Does anyone speak Bip and can help us out?!

And that, fashion fans, is the week that was...

Images: Catwalking, Vogue UK, Style.com, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, US Vogue.