Can you believe that I am still rolling out pando acquos? That would be Pandemic Acquisitions. Some of the more confounding purchases have taken longer to bring into the light.
This grey flannel Marni piece — bustier? cummerbund? belt? — appeared at some point on The RealReal and I said, You were meant for me!
When it arrived, it was a little too snag, requiring Fatima’s fine hands. Once it fit, I did start to wonder what exactly I had obtained.
Have you seen Lilo & Stitch? If so, you know that a case of mistaken identity can bring joy and contentment. After a few bumps in the road.
So many things to love: grey flannel, a beautifully folded design that enables the peplum to hold its flared shape, contrast trim. But what is it? It’s a little small to be a true bustier — see how low it sits on my torso? Maybe it’s just a waist garment. Is that . . . a belt? A cummerbund? But there are clearly cups in the design. Belts don’t have cups.
It kind of looks like a doll’s dress.
Let’s call it a peplum-belt for now.
I was going to wear the peplum-belt with cropped trousers, but realized (when I looked in a mirror) that a person wearing a doll’s dress and short pants looks like a person who has accidentally shrunk her clothes while traveling and has nothing else to wear. The little top — I mean peplum-belt — needs some garments of longer proportions to balance things out. Hence this large white blouse and grey wool jersey trousers.
This white blouse came from a COS end-of-season sale in 2022. It’s capacious, requiring some capture, but has wonderful details: clever hem, dramatic cuffs.
Come closer to see the necklace that breaks up all the white space. The outfit needed a necklace, right? It could probably support a clutch of necklaces.
Finishing things off, a pair of assertive slingbacks. I won’t be wearing these shoes until March, but thought they were perfect for this vaguely steampunk (Miss Scarlet?) ensemble.
These shoes are nearly identical to a much more expensive pair of shoes that I had been admiring (coveting, really) for awhile. I have mixed feelings about knock-offs, but the quality of these is very nice. I will continue to wrestle with the morality of corporate intrigues, but I figure that the corporations involved in this triangle have the ability to protect their own interests.
Is it inspired by a Japanese obi?
Love the COS blouse and the shoes. The cummerbund/belt/obi/peplum is simply amazing and I am so glad you’ve gotten it out of the house and around DC.
As always, I love your writing.
I laughed out loud at your observation that the “doll’s dress” with cropped pants might make the outfit look like a girl who has accidentally shrunk her clothes while traveling.
So, I am intrigued with this peplum-belt. ANY CHANCE it could be used- without a blouse (or anything) as evening wear- with a pair of black slacks? A fairly racy bustier?
Or am I misjudging the size?
Hello Carolyn! Alas, I could only wear it without a blouse if I also were wearing grey flannel pasties — which, if not illegal (misdemeanor), would be in poor taste? And in violation of even the most permissive office dress code? Tant pis — because a grey flannel bustier would be Very Effective at a fancy event.
perhaps with a fancy bralette?
Where are the shoes from? I love them.
Steve Madden! The ones I coveted were Ganni.
I think this garment is akin to the apron, which makes it AWESOME!
I thought the item in question was attached to the white blouse – the white edging looks like a beautiful seam / joint between the parts. Very nice!