Remember that flippy little skirt you bought for Dhs200 from a street market last year and haven’t taken it out of the bag since? Dig it out. ‘Tis the season for donning your most impractical and feminine frocks in the most delicate of fabrics and adding them to your spring wardrobe.
Maybe it’s because of the global recession, or maybe we just can’t bear to be parted with our festive-season sparkles but, either way, we’re glad we get to rework our peachy-palette party wear.
From Dior’s barely-there chiffon pieces to Nina Ricci’s Titania-inspired layered gowns, and Diane Von Furstenberg’s sweeping sequined dresses, the spring/summer catwalks were awash with floaty chiffons in sheer, peachy palettes and delicate sequins and beadwork. Finally, we get to wear some sparkle beyond January without looking like a cruise ship entertainer!
Bangkok is a treasure trove of girlie pieces. When BKK street style isn’t structured and androgynous, it tends to be of the flippy-skirted, rosy-cheeked, doll-inspired cute-type. The city’s streets and malls spoilo us girlie-girls with flowing dresses in the most lightweight of fabrics, rail after rail of peachy, creamy pieces and enough crystal-studded tops to ensure we have a crippling monthly dry-cleaning bill.
To get the girlie look, opt for textural pieces in high-quality lace (cheap lace nearly always looks like a doily from your granny’s dining table), chiffon layers, intricate beading or shiny silks. Forget form-fitting styles, and instead create sex appeal through the femininity of the fabrics; the gentle cling of silk, the sheer, lightweight quality of your layers and the playful suggestion of what lies beneath. Unstructured styles work best, but if you simply can’t pull together and outfit without some sort of a silhouette, make like Dior and use a discreet belt to gently cinch in the waist and create curves.
Despite its subtle sexiness, girlie styles needn’t mean high hems, slashed necklines and garish colors. In fact; the beauty of this trend is its innocent quality. So, keep clear of thigh high skirts and, instead, opt for pastel-toned knee, shin or floor-length styles that sweep over your curves; girlie, not womanly is key.
While this may seem to be exclusively evening wear, the wear-ability of beadwork and sensuous satins for day shouldn’t be underestimated – particularly in a city where dressing for a trip to the mall requires night before pre-planning if you’re going to fit in with BKK’s fashion pack. Over-dressing tends not to be too much of a consideration.
Make the girlie trend work for you by keeping accessories minimal and hair slicked back in an up-do to avoid overkill. Pare the look down further by taking a leaf from Philosophy’s catwalk style, and pairing your pretty frocks with a powdery toned, slouchy boyfriend blazer; it toughens the look, adds attitude and gives some gentle structure.
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Bangkok Fabulous: Where Gaby Doman explores fashion and beauty in the Big Mango.
If it’s hot, it’s here. And it’s hot in here.
