A simple dress + a striking piece of jewelry.
It’s a simple formula and it never fails. Remember that.
Bear in mind that a “striking piece of jewelry” need not be expensive or serious.
At right is an example.
I found this over-sized, knit brooch on The RealReal while searching for something else entirely and realized I’d struck gold.
Have you ever seen anything more wonderful than this multicolor pinwheel of joy?
It goes with everything, but today I have paired it with a correct and only slightly subversive Jil Sander dress made of scuba fabric.
Note: The dress is a wonderful peacock blue/teal color. It does not match any shade in the brooch, which combines acidic, muddy, and true colors. Ah, sweet mystery of life.
Does this dress look familiar? It should. I have it in navy blue wool and have shown it to you several times: here, here, and here.
Scroll back up and then scroll down to take note of the dress’s ingenious seaming across and down the bodice and through the waist, which ends in an inverted pleat. I think it’s easier to see this construction in these photos of the blue wool version.
When you’re done looking at the dress, come closer to see the brooch.
I believe — from what I’ve seen on The RealReal — that Sonia Rykiel created a whole series of knit brooches: a few styles and many colors. Over the course of the last six months, I’ve bought several — this one and another that I kept for myself and others that I bought for my nieces and the daughters of friends. All four girls are in their teens and I thought that these brooches would be just the thing for fashion-conscious, independent-thinking young women.
No one would not want!
Regardless of what I think, you, ultimately, are the jury.
Come as close as you need to while you ponder these questions.
Is the brooch pulling you in?
Do you find yourself powerless to disagree with me?
Fortunately, that is a visual-emotional effect. The brooch is not actually exerting any gravitational, psychological or moral force upon you; nor can it pull you through your computer and into my life. Your free will is unimpaired.
Dress: Jil Sander; Brooch: Sonia Rykiel from The RealReal; Shoes: Cole Haan; Bag: Coach Rider Bag
Livet brooch! Makes a stunning outfit! I will try tog knit something similar.
This explains why all the other colorful SR brooches on the RealReal were sold when I went to go look for them after seeing you wear the first pin a few months ago! Love the combo with this dress!
Fun! And I really love the dress, too. I think you’ve trained me to notice the details that make something that looks simple complex.
Whenever The Directrice wears an item that I can’t quite make up my mind about, I say, “Well, dear, that is quite something.” I think that pin is Quite Something. I can’t help imagining it spinning fast, like a propeller, and enabling The Directrice to flap her arms and fly to work.
For some reason this brooch makes me think “Suffragette” and knowing you’re sharing it with other forward thinking young women makes me very happy. Thank you!
Oh, Directrice. To me it looks like a bouquet of tops of sports socks. But I love the dress!
If one were to construct this charming pin by using the tops of socks what a clever and interesting effort to recycle.