In winter, we New Yorkers wear black, black, and more black. Of course, when summer comes, we panic, because black seems too heavy all of a sudden, but god forbid we should wear color. There's white, of course, but it gets dirty really quickly and ends up being rather high-maintenance. Enter nude, which was all over the spring runways. It's a neutral that's light enough for warm weather but much more forgiving in terms of care and flattering one's skin tone. I am focusing on tops, because they're daring without having the "Oh my god, is she naked?" effect that wearing an entire nude dress might have.
$$$
I like this Thakoon slouchy pullover because of its peachy hue and blousy, peasant-top fit. The asymmetrical yoke gives it a nice shape, too.
This Stella McCartney cardigan is totally a "wear now" piece. While it looks kind of buttoned up, the positioning of the buttons allows you to show a little skin, or a peek of a lace-trimmed camisole, for example.
On the other end of the spectrum in terms of sexiness is this sequined tank, also by Stella McCartney: It's sheer, and it's sparkly, and it's totally sexy. Obviously, you'll want to layer this over another tank top, but it will still achieve a total effect of nakedness. (In a sophisticated way, of course--this is Stella we're talking about.)
$$
Similar to the Thakoon top above, this Peter Jensen Blouse has some volume to make it more interesting; since the sleeves are so exaggerated in shape, it helps that they're completely sheer, so that you can see your actual arm underneath all that fabric.
If wearing all nude fabric seems a bit intimidating to you, you can cheat a little with this Adam top. The metal discs add some embellishment, but since they're all similar in tone, it doesn't distract from the neutral color.
La Garconne showed this ruffled Vanessa Bruno top in an email, and that was enough to make me click through. That seemed to have worked for a bunch of people, because, in spite of its $462 price tag, it almost sold out instantly (there's still a size 42 left). I love the cascading ruffle--it's feminine without being too girly, and it's placed perfectly so it doesn't add any bulk. Lovely tops like this are the reason Vanessa Bruno has such a devoted following.
$
This Haute Hippie Tee has the loose, relaxed look of a lot of the other tops featured thus far, but it's cotton, which makes it a lot more casual than, say, silk chiffon. But the loose fit is key, so it's obvious that you aren't, you know, naked.
This cardigan from Forever 21 is great for layering over other tops, if you don't want to go for a totally bare look, but it has sheer chiffon insets that convey the idea in a more subtle way.
The thing I love about Forever 21 is amidst all the totally cheap polyester crap, every once in awhile you'll find something gorgeous. Take, for example, this lace-trim top. It's silk, with a pretty bow at the neck and delicate black lace. It looks very French and much more expensive than its $32 price tag.
No comments
Post a Comment