Roland Mouret makes the kind of bombshell dresses that screen sirens wore in the 40's, except with a lot more sexy and a lot less shoulder pad. You've seen them on celebrities as diverse as Nicole Kidman and Kiera Knightley. Say what you will about either, I don't think they're getting confused for each other any time soon. Which means that Mr. Mouret appeals to both types of woman--the sophisticate who loves classic lines, and the younger girl who likes something a bit vampy. He makes each silhouette new by adding modern and unusual touches, like a zipper or an asymmetrical neckline. I am in serious heavy like with the Gaite dress, which shows off a stunning fishtail hem and slight keyhole back, complete with zippered waist:
And the front view:
I love that his dresses are so ladylike and prim and then suddenly subversive. He often adds origami-style folds that take his dresses to another level. The Moon dress is an excellent example:
White too staid for you? Bergdorf's has it in red:
All of these dresses look like they were made for Hitchcock blondes, those mysterious and often icy cool babes epitomized by Grace Kelly, Kim Novak and Eva Marie Saint. Couldn't you just see one of them entering a room in one of these figure hugging frocks and stopping our hero in his tracks?
The Pigalle is another example of taking that 40's silhouette and spinning it on its head. It's got that nipped in waist, and a peplum detail that would be perfectly at home on any suit of that time, and yet the sleeves and the zippered back keep it fresh and new:
Not wanting to look costumey in something so chic, I'd probably eschew the requisite 40's platform for something more modern. But if I did want to go all 40's? I could do a lot worse than the Kate shoe by Remix:
I am kind of seriously lusting after that shoe, not gonna lie. Until next time, remember this: you get only one life (that you know of), so you might as well dress up.
xo
the AL
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