Picture perfect weather this weekend. All I wanted to do was to be outside in the garden and play with the family all day.
I wanted to share with you a new exhibition at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (VMFA) called, Yves Saint Laurent: The Perfection of Style, in the Altria Group Gallery, and New Market Gallery.
The exhibition is only open from May 6, 2017 to August 27, 2017.
Do not wait to see it if you are in the Richmond, Virginia area. You don’t want to miss this rare opportunity to learn about one of the most iconic designers of the mid-to-late twentieth century.
Born in Algeria in 1936, Yves Mathieu Saint Laurent came to Paris as a teenager and began his career designing fashion pieces. Saint Laurent at age 18 won the International Wool Secretariat fashion design competition in 1954. He was a genius and as a very young man, he became the lead designer for Christian Dior in the late 1950s. He was very shy, but was very aware of his talent. Saint Laurent is credited as the innovator of the pantsuit for women, the transformation of the trapeze dress; among countless other designs.
The exhibition “includes accessories, photographs, drawings, films, and video from the Fondation’s vast archive. (It) traces the trajectory of Saint Laurent’s style as it developed over the course of his career. Beginning in 1953 with the “Paper Doll Couture House” that he created as a teenager, which is being shown for the first time in the United States in this exhibition. Ensembles early in the exhibition focus on his formative years at the House of Dior, including an example of a short evening dress from his successful “Trapeze” collection, which marked his debut as a fashion designer when it was shown in Paris in 1958.”
Take a look at the Paper doll images in the gallery below.
Various examples of paper dolls, assembled by Yves Saint Laurent, circa 1950. Dolls cut from magazines and glued onto cardboard; garments made of paper cutouts, ink, watercolor, and gouache. Foundation Pierre Bergé -Yves Saint Laurent, Paris.
1971/PE 0247 Yves St. Laurent Collection Board
“Drawn from the archives of the Fondation Pierre Bergé—Yves Saint Laurent and other private collections, this breathtaking exhibition offers an intimate and comprehensive look at the lifetime achievement of Yves Saint Laurent, one of history’s most radical and influential fashion designers. Featuring 100 examples of haute couture and ready-to-wear garments-some never shown publicly before—this exhibition reveals Saint Laurent’s artistic genius, as well as his working process, and the sources of his design inspiration.
The iconic trapeze dress from the Trapeze collection when Saint Laurent was designing for the house of Christian Dior.
The Trapeze design has been an inspiration to many designers through the years because it flatters a woman’s body, and gives a relaxed fit. Saint Laurent took Dior’s design and radically updated it with a fresh look.
Another favorite is the dress below, which shows women speaking out how they feel and being liberated and making sure that that the ring stays on that finger forever.
Yves Saint Laurent (French, 1936-2008). Fall-Winter 1970 haute couture collection. Multicolored silk velvet coat with appliqué letters forming the words, “Love me forever” on front and “or never on back; various shapes in multicolored silk. Fondation Pierre Berge -Yves Saint Laurent, Paris.
The First Pantsuit
The First Pantsuit, Yves Saint Laurent (French 1936- 2008), worn by Ulla. Fall-Winter 1966 haute couture collection. Foundation Pierre Berge -Yves Saint Laurent, Paris, Photo: Gerard Pataa.
I had to show the menswear inspired suit I mention earlier, which can be worn everyday for work or play. The bow in Ulla’s (the model) hair, and the bow in the white collared shirt gives a feminine touch.
Yves Saint Laurent: The Perfection of Style exhibition allows the visitor to get into the world of one of fashion’s most iconic designers for the first time.
Remember the exhibit closes August 27, 2017, enjoy and be inspired.
Here is a quick look at some of the garments from the exhibition.
* I would like to say “Thank You” to the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts for providing me with the images and background information on the Yves Saint Laurent: The Perfection of Style exhibition.
Just like sarees, blouses also come in several different designs, colors and styles. It makes an important part of the entire outfit. Earlier women had to select different styles of blouses to match with the style of their saree (traditional or western).
With the introduction of versatile blouses, one need not worry about the design of the saree as these blouses look best on whichever saree design you choose to wear. From traditional, western, to Indo-western and lace designs, the market is full of plenty of eye-catching collection to suit your needs. Get to know about these amazing varieties to enhance your beauty manifold.
Traditional blouses
Photo courtesy of www.fashionbuzzer.com
Traditional blouses generally come with different shape of neck styles. It can be in typical U-shape or V-shape design or in other fashionable designs. There are several saree stores that provide you an extensive range of blouses in stunning styles, fabrics and designs to choose from.
Similarly, you will get an exemplary selection of blouse sleeve designs. From full sleeve to half sleeve or sleeveless with or without work, their extensive collection will provide you one that you have been looking for!!
Western Touch You will find a western form of blouses that are designed for women to wear western dresses such as trousers, skirts etc. to complement its look. Such types of blouses are greatly seen in trend among college girls.
These beautiful blouses are just appropriate for a get together with friends or a girls’ night out party. Western blouses are designed to give utmost comfort and suit the lifestyle of the wearer. They accentuate the style of the wearer and complement their lifestyle.
Indo western blouses
Photo courtesy of www.fashionbuzzer.com
If you are looking for a blouse that gives you a combined touch of Indian and western design then shirt style blouses would be the ideal one for you. As the trend in blouses keeps on changing from time to time, shirt style blouse is a recent introduction that has become very popular among women. This type of blouse gives your saree a completely modern look.
It can be seen as a fusion between Indian and western style blouse. This style adds an interesting element to the overall look of your outfit and imparts a chic appearance to the wearer. The best part of this design is that you need not worry to get your right shade or the shape that matches the color of your saree or lehenga. It looks best on all shades and designs of the outfit that you plan to wear.
Lace Blouses
Photo courtesy of www.fashionbuzzer.com
Lace blouses are again an interesting way to give a feminine and charming touch to your blouse. Depending on the choice of the wearer, lace can be introduced at the back or on the sleeves or both the areas.
A dull looking blouse or a poorly stitched blouse would diminish the entire look of a saree. So, you need to choose the right blouse for a saree that you are planning to wear.
It’s holiday weekend and I am feeling a cool and relaxing vibe. What better way to chill than wearing a cotton polyester blend set with my new backpack. Bob Mackie who has designed for Diana Ross, Whitney Houston, Carol Burnett, Tina Turner, Cher, Barbara Streisand, Barbie, and PINK! to name a few. And he is also designing for me and you. For the past twenty seven years, he has had his own line of everyday wear on QVC.
Bob Mackie is an icon of the fashion world.
Here Mackie is at the CFDA with Diana Ross.
In contrast to everyday life here I am wearing Mackie’s Floral Embroidered Knit top and crop pant set. I usually don’t like crop pants because I am like straight length pants to elongate me to make me look taller. On my right shoulder is the embroidered geraniums. The flowers look like they were plucked out of a garden and entwined in this top.
Pant inseam: missy/plus inseam 19″
Pant content: 95% cotton/5% spandex
Pant care: machine wash, line dry
Bob Mackie set
I don’t always like wearing sets together all the time, so i switch them up with other pieces from my closet. In these pictures below, I paired the top with a linen and rayon drawstring wide-leg pants. Both outfits are perfect for the summer heat. They offer an effortless but sophisticated style.
Bob Mackie
Close up of Top
Bob Mackiee close up of top
Easy and so fine kind of dressing with a designer touch. The colors are bold and bright but not over the top. Say it loud and proud with lots of color.
FTC Disclaimer:
This is not a sponsored post. I purchased all clothing with my own money.
In the past, designer clothes were all the rage. Having items of clothing with the name of your favourite designer on the label was something to aspire to. These items are usually incredibly expensive, though. And, don’t offer much more than added luxury to the table. In a lot of cases, these clothes aren’t even higher quality than their cheaper alternatives. So, arguably, there was never any point in buying them. Today, this is truer than ever. And, to help you out, this post will be going through exactly how and why this change has begun.
The world of manufacturing has changed. With countries offering incredibly cheap manufacturing costs, companies are able to make their clothing for nearly nothing. In the past, companies would sell their clothing to other business, who would sell it for them. But, now, it’s becoming a lot more common for companies to sell their clothing themselves. Without the additional business, less money has to be made on the product for everyone to make a profit. So, the clothing can be cheaper. Companies like H&M and Topman have pioneered this sort of business. And, it’s resulted in some great benefits.
When you go into a store like this, you are guaranteed the same level, of quality across the board. Along with this, their sizing will be very in line. So, if you buy one thing and it fits; something else in the same size should fit, too. Of course, you don’t get a big brand name on the goods. But, at the moment, it’s becoming more popular for brand names to be hidden, anyway. A lot of people prefer to have their clothing do the talking, instead of a label. And, this can now be achieved without having to get the second best option. You can find these sorts of stores in most cities and towns. There are loads of examples. And, some even sell other brands items, too. This gives you a great chance to compare the quality between the two.
Of course, these stores are already cheaper than most. But, this doesn’t mean that you have to pay full price for any of their goods. Instead, you can still make some great savings with them. To start, it helps to be aware of the sales that the store will be running in the near future. This will give you a chance to see exactly which items will be cheapest at any given time. If you’re looking for something; go when it’s on sale. Along with this, you can also look for other discounts. There are loads of sites online with ways to get your own New Look or H&M promo code. These codes are usually designed to save you a good amount of money. And, not a lot of people know how common they are.
Saving money on your clothing and still being able to enjoy it is a great gift. Loads of cheap clothing stores are based on the idea of selling low-quality items, which don’t cost much to make. Unfortunately, with these, you will usually end up having to spend the same amount as you would at a normal store. This is because they will degrade very quickly, forcing you to buy more.
It never really stayed cold for a long period of time. When spring officially arrived, it didn’t seem like a significant change in the weather pattern. This climate changes has affected the entire country, where places normally experience warm weather are cold and vice versa.
When it comes to style, I can say my winter spring wardrobe changed from day to day. I have to be ready and prepared for a cold snap or a sudden heat wave.
It’s Spring and the temperatures right now are averaging 50s to 60s and an occasional 75 here and there.
What I like to wear to work, to church, or out for the evening is a leather jacket.
HSN is one of my favorite sites for finding awesome clearance and jaw dropping deals.
I found an Iman Leather Motto Zip Jacket with a detachable faux fur collar attachment. The regular retail price on HSN.com was approximately $219.00. I bought it for only $29.99.
Yes, $29.99!
The leather is soft and quite comfortable. The sleeves have knit insets for extra comfort. Many times leather jackets can be constraining in the sleeves and not flexible when they are only leather. This jacket fits the body like a glove. It can be worn with jeans, a skirt or with a dress; as you see below. I paired the jacket it with a red, black, white and gray floral printed dress that I had bought from Chadwicks several years back. The leather jacket gave the dress a fresh and updated look; and made it work for the winter/spring season.
Iman LeatherJacket
The jacket also looks great unzipped for a more casual modern vibe. For this look, I did not wear the detachable faux-fur collar. However, it if had been a colder day or if I wanted to make it look more upscale, the collar would have worked well.
Iman Jacket Unzipped
This Iman jacket will work well in my wardrobe for a long time. I will be able to wear it so many different ways, from a casual look to a more dressed-up look. Also, the gray color works as a neutral and coordinates with many other pieces in my closet.
This winter season has been all over the place and mostly mild. I am still believing we will get snow even though it’s going to be in the 60s and 70s the rest of the week until last Thursday.
I decided to wear my military style jacket because it is unique and has personality all its own. The military style jacket is not a trend but a classic. I finally was able to find a white ruffled blouse to give my style a feminine feel. I wore my Anne Klein black and white striped pants; but any color of pants would be fabulous. This look is totally kicking back at a London concert listen to my Wham records or getting in front of a microphone singing Little Red Corvette. My hat came from a Chinese Beauty supply store and cost almost nothing; but I get so many compliments on it.
Military style jacket — not a trend a complete classic
I purchased this military jacket about five years ago and it still looks as good the day it came in the mail. The pink Dooney and Bourke bag added color and the was a great deal.
Jewelry
My cross and necklace were gifts.
Fashion is about being unique and having your own style. Your beauty and confidence cannot be put in a box of trends and items that you have to purchase because a celebrity wore it first. Dare to not compare yourself with anyone. You are in your own league, so run your race.
Learn More About JT Bubbling with Elegance and Grace is a place for life long learners. The Bubbling With Elegance And Grace team was created 14 years ago. A passion for fashion sparked a lifestyle blog for our Elegant Community to enjoy. We are thankful and in gratitude to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for those who have been with us from the beginning and those who have just started riding with us on this lovely journey.
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