Pattern placement makes or breaks

This post will challenge you to identify the best version of a printed garment for your colouring & body shape based on how a print is placed on that garment. 

When you buy high street, usually the print pattern is placed differently within a style & within a size.

Why? Because doing it this way they use less fabric instead of waiting for the pattern to repeat on the fabric roll before cutting more units.

Expensive garments can afford to use more fabric to place the pattern in a desired spot for each size within the style and even between sizes.

Pattern placement will affect where the eye goes when you are wearing the loot. That means it will affect whether you look taller, shorter, thinner, fatter etc. 

Does the eye go to your face? your waist? your arms? your hips? your legs? north- south? east-west? diagonally? where else?

What do you want to highlight? What do you want to hide? Does the pattern work with you on this or against you?

The colours near your face should be the best colours for your complexion. This one is not negotiable. Ever.

SIA has photographed 11 of these tops with a view to having you assess which is the best for you and which is the worst.

You don't have to like the top or its pattern to do this. 

If you want, do it imagining the print in your best colour, then in your worst colour. Also consider the background colour.  You also need to consider the pattern & its placement waist down. 

Don't worry about sleeve lengths, neckline widths, hem lengths or whether it's lop sided on the hanger. Just focus on the pattern placement of the front.  

The best way to handle this is to compare the first two. The winner is then compared to the next one on the list. The winner here is compared to the next one. And so on, until an ultimate winner is found. Then do the same to find your worst pattern.

The beauty of this is that there is no copping out. Because every print placement is unique, you cant say that they are the same. There has to be a winner & a loser.

This is really important stuff - if you want to be well dressed, it's in the 101 category. 

Meghan Markle in Karen Gee

It's no secret that in the past SIA has given fails to most of Meghan Markle's outfits. 

It's always the fit that goes wrong - she doesn't seem to have any alterations to her clothes, unlike Kate, Mary or Melania. 

The latest Karen Gee white dress is no exception. 

There are two big picture things wrong with the Karen Gee dress. And I haven't even started on the midi flatters no one. 

1st - a rectangle body shape will never find her best look in a straight up & down sheath. Even if it had a belt, the answer is the same. A rectangle body will look like a rectangle in a straight up & down sheath.

2nd - the fit is very poor.
It is rippling & bubbling all over at the slightest move she makes. That and/or she is wearing bad foundation garments. 

Personally I think that it is too big for her, but that's just a theory. 

In the past when her clothes haven't fitted her well, in a dark colour it's hard to notice. But in light shades like white - everything stands out. 

This is a big fail for SIA. 

It looks marginally better with the trenchcoat because the skinniness is hidden but when you have to cover up the figure, it's not the best pass in the world either. 

The back split

On another note, the dress is $1,800 being made with the Karen Gee Premium fabric. Fair enough. But the back split is edge to edge. These splits are quite easy to split. A better split would be the overlapping one. 

So what could have been better?

A dress that has interest at the top & the bottom, creating a waist. The interest can be with colour, print, a dark contrast, pattern, zips, buttons etc. A boatneck or a fit & flare style could have also detracted from her rectangle style. If she wanted a sheath, then a Roland Mouret style with curves & flounce would have been a big improvement. 

SIA cannot comprehend who dresses this woman. 

Tents flatter no one.

Let's assume your goal is to look taller & slimmer. 
I am not suggesting that's a good goal or a bad goal.
It's just a goal. 

Secondly, this post outlines some general rules. There are exceptions. However if you think you are the exception, you may not be. Exceptions are rare. 

If your closet is full of these types of clothes & you want to lose weight, then get out there & change your shopping strategy. 

Assuming that taller & slimmer is your goal, all these pieces are not your friend. 

SIA calls it fattening fashion. 

It was randomly selected at a Sydney TK Maxx. All except the orange is made in Italy & either silk or linen. In theory lovely pieces but maybe not lovely on the body which wants to look slimmer.  

1. Stripes

The myth: Only thin women can wear horizontal stripes. 

The reality: When you are carrying extra weight, you may not need to avoid horizontal stripes in the area of extra weight. Just make sure they are narrow in width & not highly contrasting. 

If you are carrying extra weight all over, then don't highly contrast the horizontal stripe area with the rest of your body. 

2. Peasant tops

The myth: Peasant tops look good on women carrying extra weight.  

The reality: Yes it may be pretty, but all it does is hide what's underneath. Like a tent. Tent looks are never flattering. 

Notice the curved lines, the gathers around the waist/bust area & the general fullness? Tent. Tent. Tent. No. No. No. 

Your best bet is fabrics with body which skim not cling your form. 

3. Loose flowy dresses 

The myth: Not sure what the myth is here.
The reality: The best way for a loose flowy dress to be flattering is to fit at the bust & to flare out below it. Like an A line. 

Loose & straight up & down is never flattering if you are carrying extra weight. 

4. Big flowers on a loose flowy dress.

The myth: Big women should wear big prints.
The reality: Not if the overall look is a tent. 

This dress has raglan sleeves (which are easier to fit & cheaper to make, but make you look more rounded) & a high neckline (not great for a big bust). It also has an up & down cut. An A line which starts under the bust would be mush better. 

You can still engage your passion for florals with a more structured garment which skims not clings. No tents please.  

We want cheap but we don't want to look cheap.

Importance of this post: Very

Sydney's Double Bay has always had at least three designer recycled stores, for at least the last 30 years.

Very crowded, loot often not just a few years old, but dated (even though they all claim to only accept loot younger than 2 years) & overpriced (but able to price that way due to pre internet & the isolation Aust had when it came to getting good loot).

A few years ago, a new player emerged - Appartamento 57.
This place looks like a boutique. No pre love here. They dont just list high end brands & hope they arrive. Their base brands are Balmain, Gucci, Prada, Lanvin, Chanel, Dolce, Wang, Stella, Dries, Bottega & the like. To fill some gaps, they have J Brand or Rag & Bone, Vince, Moschino etc. 

Here's the kicker. Or two of them.

1. The prices are reasonable for the quality. Very reasonable. 

2. The loot looks new. It took me some very close looks to find signs of wear on many leather items and clothes & I notice every detail. 

They also have some artwork & housey things - all exquisite. 

Now this isn't a plug but feel free to look at their Insta page. 

SIA saw a sterling bracelet (hinge & screw closure) for $225. It was exactly the kind of thing my wrists love. Unbranded but heavy, solid, etched, good size. 

Here is the strange bit. I was in there wondering whether I should spend $225 on this thing.

WAKE UP CALL SIA. 
THE ANSWER IS YES. 

Quality is remembered long after price is forgotten & this thing was so stupidly cheap anyway. 

Plus when you wear something out of the shop, it's a real give away that it was the right decision to allow it to follow you home. 

But here is the good bit. 

A few days ago, I landed in a suburban David Jones in the clothing clearance area. I walked out with a scarf, a few blouses (Wite), a tee (Ping Pong) and a couple of (duplicate) shirts in the DJs home brand. 

I look at this photo & cringe. Seriously. What was I thinking even if Ms 925 hadn't come into my life. 

Buying hauls is fun, eh? Unless you do it in a refund for change of mind umbrella, it can be more painful than fun once the high has worn off. 

1. All this loot was "nice" but I bought it because it was cheap. When you are price driven, purchases rarely turn out to be your best because you compromise on quality because it's cheap. 

2. I would have never considered buying any of it at full price.  That's the other test - don't waste your money on anything you wouldnt have been prepared to buy at full price. 

3. Plus I already have much nicer versions of each of these things. So if you already have substitutable items which you would love more, then leave it at the shop. 

4. Basically, if you buy just "nice" you end up with a pretty ordinary closet. Anything you buy needs to look fabulous. Nice doesn't cut it. Don't get me started on "it'll do". 

I hear alot of you are scared to apply this standard to your purchases because you are afraid you will never find anything amazing. Keep looking. It will find you & you'll know instantly. Kind of like the romance stuff. 

So I took everything back, tipped the bags on the counter & asked for refunds. $260. The whole time I was looking at my bracelet smiling. 

BECAUSE WE WANT CHEAP BUT WE DON'T WANT TO LOOK CHEAP. 

Minaudieres - you get what you pay for

This is a story of three different qualities of an evening fish clutch and which one to buy. 

A few days ago, SIA spotted the following Olga Berg minaudiere at TK Maxx for $80. The original was $500.

Hhmmm. 

So the research commenced to decide whether it was worth acquiring. 

The bag is a copy of the Judith Leiber koi fish minaudeure which has been done in many colours and has a retail of approx US$6K. 

Note that Leiber has done a number of fish styles & I believe a number of koi fish. The discussion in this post is only about one of those koi fish. This one. Sometimes it is called the Dora style. 

If you are curious, here is another Leiber koi worn by Blake Lively. It is the Ginrin Kohaku koi fish.

Attending The Age of Adeline premiere in April 2015

In Monique Lhuillier and Lorraine Schwartz jewels,
an overall vintage Hollywood style to which
the Leiber clutch gave a quirky contrast.

The shapes between the Dora Leiber & the Berg are not the same especially toward the middle & back of the fish. But as the high street would say, they are similar. 

The Leiber is completely encased in crystals unlike the Berg version which has "holes" in the casing, which are partly covered in "crystals". 

Leiber bags always use Swarovski crystals. Always. However for some reason, none of the retailers nor the actual web site mention this. They simply call the beads "Australian crystal". Must have something to do with legal restrictions. 

Leiber has an astounding sparkle to its crystals. The Berg stones are sparkly and the photo above does them no justice, but they are chalk & cheese with the Leiber stones. 

Leiber is made in Italy. Berg is made in China. 

Leiber is a brass base. Berg is probably a base metal. It is quite heavy, so I doubt that it is plastic. 

Leiber has a nappa leather lining, usually black, gold or silver. Berg has a felt fabric inner, in black. 

Leiber has a gold tone push button clasp.
Berg opens by flicking the dorsal fins - you can see a break in fin which is the opening. 

Both have removeable shoulder straps. 

The crystals on both Leiber and Berg are hand glued. 

Leiber has smaller outer measurements but Berg's internal measurements are not much larger than Leiber's internals. It's the Berg back fins which make up alot of it's outer measurements without providing storage room. 

Then I did some more research. You have to really love it when your job allows you to call online shopping research.

I found a version of the koi which is coming out of China & is being used by alot of high street brands. In terms of quality, it seems to sit in between Leiber & the Berg, obviously closer to the Berg than the Leiber.  Here it is. We'll call it the middle child.

And here is another colourway. In fact, there are a gazillion colourways of this one. 

This version seems to vary in price from US$100 to around US$400 give or take, the latter being the Natasha Couture price. 

It has more fins than Berg, hence more detailed crystal work. 

It opens via the dorsal fins like Berg.

The inner is generally polyeurethane.

It is not completely covered in crystals but like the Berg, has "holes" in the casing, which are partly covered in "crystals".

I've noticed alot of middle children state they are made with Czech crystals, but I am sure the quality of the bling varies.  One of the possibly dodgy sites calls the crystals "diamonds", not "diamond like", but "diamonds" with no inverted commas.

Aliexpress calls the crystals "crystal diamond". Yup. 

The main indicator of this middle child is that each fish scale has three rows of crystals. In contrast, each scale on the Berg has two rows of crystals. If you flip between the photos & look at this specifically, you will see that it is a serious contributor to the apparent quality differences. 

Based on photos from the more reputable sellers, the middle child looks like a better quality than the Berg but I have not seen it in real life. 

Summary 

Do I buy Olga Berg?
Not yet. 
For the price, it's a decent high street version, although if I could see the middle child, I think I'd feel more comfortable with its quality. 

FYI, Leiber minaudieres generally start at US$6K. 
It's definitely a case of you get what you pay for. 

Judith with her bags

Roxy J buys a hot pink Birkin at auction

Instructions:

1. Everything in this post is from SIA's perspective
2. Considerable effort has been made to list the facts
3. There will also be opinions, which are SIA's alone.
4. We would love to hear from you if you agree with the views expressed. 
5. We would love to hear from you if you disagree with the facts or the views expressed. 
6. Logical, articulate and well thought out the comments are preferred to vague opinions, swearing & personal insults. 

Here we go:

Fact: SIA went to a Shapiro luxury goods auction on Tuesday night. 

Fact: Roxy Jacenko arrived while everyone was being seated. She claimed four seats. Her seat was in front of me, two seats to the left. 

Fact: For the hour & a half she was there, I spent more time looking at her than looking at the screen of loot. Because of her loot obsession, I find her fascinating. 

Fact: She had a small frame; unassuming. 

Fact: She was perfectly groomed & coiffured as per usual.
She was wearing diamonds & gold on her wrists. I do not recall checking out her ears. She was wearing leggings as pants in a shades of blue, grey/black pattern. They had a slight sheen to them. The fabric looked like it was of very good quality. I think she was wearing a short sleeve tee & a navy sleeveless puffa jacket. I have seen the puffa a few times previously in out & about photos. I dont recall her shoes. But she was carrying a tiny orange Birkin, about 15 cm in width. Cute & tiny. 

Fact: All you have to do is google & you will see many photos of her run about outfit being leggings as pants, and a puffa or a sweatshirt.  

Opinion: Why does a woman decked out all the way in terms of grooming, hair & accessories wear leggings as pants? Not just occasionally, but often. It just doesnt make any sense at face value. 

Leggings as pants? 

Even if you have a lovely figure (she does), it's just an ugly combination.

Unless she is getting paid to wear the leggings. That's a hypothesis. 

Let's talk hair. 

Fact: I noticed that she has these soft waves all over her head. They are also visible in the above photo. Each wave falls in exactly the same way. Perfect. As I would expect. Until I realised that each perfect wave is actually a hair extension clip. Her hair under each wave is the same shade at the extension - good job hairdresser. But go under another layer & her hair is black/brown/dark. So as soon as hair parts, as she moves around, you see the dark head.  

Opinion: Not ideal. 

Let's talk the nose. After all, it was in my line of sight quite a bit. 

Fact: At the auction, I had completely forgotten she has her nose changed. It was due to a breathing issue. In the process, she made a cosmetic adjustment, as you do. 

Opinion: I looked at her nose & thought "nature does not give out noses like that". It's not that it's gorgeous per se, but it was just too thin & straight to be nature's gift. 

What did she bid on?

Roxy left soon after the Hermes bag part of the auction. 

LOT 124 followed her home. It was a hot pink epsom Birkin with palladium hardware.
Hammer price $9,700
Sale price $11,640

I think all the auction house's photos have been touched up - like Roxy! 

The corner on the right looks like it has wear. I did not examine this at the viewing.  

Fact: When Roxy posted her Instagram photo, she didnt disclose her new Birkin was via auction. 

Fact: She also bid on LOT 128A. This was a black shiny crocodile Kelly. It opened at $12K, she went to $19.5K but it sold to someone else for $20K hammer (sale price $24K).

This lovely is about 20 years old. 

Who was she with?

Fact: Soon after Roxy arrived, two girls joined her. They looked around mid 20s. Both were dressed all in black, had long dark hair & dark skin. They were not Roxy slim. They were both more animated than Roxy. 

Opinion: They didn't seem to be "Roxy clones" as per photo below. 

Roxy clones

Opinion: The girls seem more animated than Roxy. She seemed very quiet & unassuming. Not an alpha female at all. 

Fact: Just as the Hermes bag auction commenced, a man joined the girls - late 40s, heavy set. The girls made room & he sat next to Roxy. 

SIA hopes that this has helped all Roxy lovers have a terrific day. 

Handbag corners are evil

Apart from the aesthetics, the first thing SIA looks for in a bag is the absence of corners. 

A corner wears the fastest when it rubs against your body because it is a sharp area. In contrast, rounded areas don't wear as fast. 

Wear the bag every day and the corners will discolour, thin in their leather and soon after, form a hole. The same applies to bags made of synthetic.  

evil

evil

evil - this is already starting to discolour

evil

evil

evil

better

better

better

better

better

better

better

better

better

better

better

better 

Finally, if a bag (below) is experiencing this much wear, ask yourself, is it me or is it possibly sub standard materials?

Piping is no where near as easy to wear as corners. If the rest of the bag is in terrific condition, this type of wear to the corner piping is a real let down. It's caused from friction with your body. Grab your proof & purchase & go back to the seller. 

In conclusion, there are things to look for in a bag which will cause it to wear better or not so well. Make sure you take these things into consideration based on your priorities.