Excess is Ok

One of About your Dress’ failsafe outfits in these uncertain weather conditions is a long tee, leggings, cardigan and ankle (not Ugg) boots. And one of my favourite brands for eye catching but wearable prints is UK based Excess is OK. Their prints are mainly black, white and grey, but still have very striking designs with images including an oil spill, the night sky and people kissing.

Here are a few of About your Dress’ favourites:

Giant Vintage

Last summer, the only place I bought my sunglasses from was Giant Vintage, with most pairs costing less than £15 and a one off delivery charge no matter how many pairs are in that order, it was worth getting them from America. The range is huge, with over 100 styles in the most popular categories and new items coming in nearly every day. Not to mention that the majority are vintage, and the few that aren’t are clearly shown.

Now that I have decided I need a new pair of glasses, ones that I don’t mind wearing in public, I have turned to Giant Vintage again. With over 100 pairs of clear lens glasses currently in stock there are plenty to choose from that you will not find anywhere else, and of course they are almost all vintage.

Here are a few of About your Dress’ favourites:

Best Behavior

In 2004 Danish duo Marie Ørberg and Malene Brøchner established a women’s design & fashion concept Best Behavior, with the ultimate goal of setting new standards in design for women. Their simple cocktail of basic colours, unusual cuts, cool details and good fit is a winning combination, creating clothes that are highly wearable and versatile, whilst still being extremely fashionable.

For Best Behavior, their Spring/Summer 2010 is all about sexy silhouettes. Their previous collections were well known for their oversized designs, however they have challenged themselves this season to include more tight looks, by launching White Label along side their well known Blue Label. Where the Blue Label designs have the casual, wear everyday characteristics of Best Behavior, White Label designs are hand-picked favourites that represents their experimental side, where the designs can play with new ideas. Both sides of the collection are as gorgeous as each other, there is just something to suit no matter the occasion.

Here are a few of About your Dress’ favourites:

Just FM

For a while now About your Dress has been a fan of American brand Just FM. However, I have never been able to find out much about them, except for their fabulous clothes on Pixie Market. Just FM take your average wardrobe staples, like a tunic dress, leather jacket and harem pants, and add their own unique twist to make them your statement pieces.

Here are a few of About your Dress’ favourites:

Stolen Girlfriends Club

 

For a while now, About your Dress has been a huge fan of New Zealand based brand, Stolen Girlfriends Club, formed in 2005 by ex professional surfers Marc Moore and Luke Harwood. With the brand being based on the innovative ideas under the inspirations of fashion, art, design and music, the creativeness is easily noticeable. However, their clothes will make you stand out for all the right reasons, with a strong focus on fabrics, functionality and comfort.

In recent collections Stolen Girlfriends Club has begun to move away from their grunge image, to something much more sophisticated. Bold colours and an all round more polished look make it feel much more modern; however they have not lost their signature quirkiness which made them so popular with their niche market in the start. Stolen Girlfriends Club started making ripples as soon as they were formed, however About your Dress feels that they will be making waves this year.

Here are a few of About your Dress’ favourites:

 

Matalan SS10

If you, like About your Dress, have been lusting over THAT Luella dress since it strutted down the catwalk last year, knowing that you would never have it because of the price tag, you were wrong (kind of). You will just need to pop down your local high street, as none other than Matalan have ripped it straight off the catwalk, to put into their stores in March. The Lemon Rose Heart Dress will cost just £25, though a word of warning, I don’t think it will stay around for long once it hits those shelves, so get in there early!

Ostwald Helgason

Susanne Ostwald and Ingvar Helgason, born in Germany and Iceland respectively, met whilst working in a London design studio, and founded the label Ostwald Helgason in 2006. It did not take long for their designs to get noticed, firstly they received two highly sought after design grants from the German government, and were then invited to show their collection at Berlin Fashion Week in 2008.

Their inspiration of “art, nature and technology and love for traditional men’s tailoring and ethnic textile design” is evident in their clothing as tailoring and draping are blended to achieve a soft yet structured architecture, which has become their signature. Ostwald Helgason also exhibits their passion for gorgeous prints and exuberant colours in their stunning collections that include daywear, nightwear, eveningwear and accessories.

Here are a few of About your Dress’ favourites:

Black Pearl

Black Pearl opened in 2005 and is owned and run by designer Fiona Deffenbaugh. She began making jewellery in 2002 while studying at London College of Fashion, selling it at both Portobello and Spitalfields markets before opening the Black Pearl shop off Carnaby Street.

Inspired by a love of 1940s and 1950s glamour, old tattoos, charms and trinkets Fiona creates a vast range of jewellery, focusing largely on simple chains and gorgeous pendants. As well as Black Pearl’s single pendants, About your Dress loves the clustered designs, featuring many pendants grouped on one chain.

Here are a few of About your Dress’ favourites:

Joux Joux le Shoe

In 2009, two London based designers Lucy Arnott and Alison Jones fused their education in Fine Art and Textile Design to create Joux Joux le Shoe. They started the label on the things they love, “an amalgamation of film, art and music”, and favour vivid colours that they use, like daubs of paint with innovative fabrics they have discovered around the globe.

Lucy and Alison took a shoe design course at Central St Martins, and then worked on their first collection by travelling to Italy, spending extensive time working with their production team to learn the art of making shoes with the world’s best. As a result Joux Joux’s shoes and boots are high quality, attention grabbing and not like any you will see on the high street.

Here are a few of About your Dress’ favourites:

Ruby Rocks

3 years ago Ruby Rocks started with a fresh approach to women’s street wear, making their designs tight and voluptuous whilst fun and feminine providing interesting wardrobe staples, instead of plain jersey designs. Ruby Rocks is fruity and floral in the summer months; key items in the collection are hand batiked with quirky graphics as well as vintage inspired tropical prints. However, in the winter they focus on chunky hand knits and embellished accessories keep you warm and looking fabulous.

Although you may at first glance think that Ruby Rocks dresses are only for special occasions, they are also perfect day dresses when worn with a pair of opaque tights and ankle boots or flats. About your Dress also loves the shape and drape jump suits in their current collection, which again are versatile enough to wear day or night.

Here are a few of About your Dress’ favourites: