WIB/WIW: Fantasy/reality

I put on this fantasy outfit and left the house without bothering to change out of it because I liked it so much. The whole thing feels like a fantasy rendition of my ideal closet - unique statement pieces teamed with no-nonsense well made essentials. Please forgive my disheveled appearance. It was a windy day and I couldn't get my hair to lie flat.

The jacket is my ultimate fantasy piece. It's silk velvet by Ann Demeulemeester, bought by Mr Edge for my birthday (it had a zero in it and it was a few years ago now - go figure :P) I don't wear it as much as I'd like, mostly because this is Holland and I'm afraid of getting rained on, but I've found myself reaching for it a fair bit this spring.

The necklace is a new acquisition, from a small atelier in Amsterdam's red light district. I'd been walking past the window and admiring the jewellery for ages, and finally went in with the objective of buying my mother a birthday present. The designer, it turns out, is wonderful lady named Josephine Colsen. She is a veteran of Yves Saint Laurent's atelier in Paris, now retired. We ended up talking for over an hour. She had some stories to tell.

I left with two pieces, one for me, and one for Mum. I found it hard to choose one for myself, so in the end I let Josephine choose for me. She picked out this piece made of found chandelier crystal, which she thought suited me best. I think she was right.

Underneath, a navy shirt from Uniqlo +J (best women's shirts ever on sale again, so I bought two) and a favourite pair of navy pants from Acne, now ancient.

In reality, the combination of trophy jacket, dress shirt and statement necklace felt a bit too dressy, so later on I swapped out the shirt for a blue/grey draped tunic and the shoes for a pair of white Birkenstocks. Still complex but less dressy. Unfortunately I didn't get a chance to photograph it. Fail. 

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16 Comments

  • Jaime replied 9 years ago

    Love every piece and the whole is greater than the parts. The necklace is indeed perfect for you,

    love the shoes of course, the pants are the perfect fit and support piece and the jacket is a masterpiece! 

  • donnat replied 9 years ago

    Wow! Too cool for school. Looks great. I understand the too dressy part. You'll have to wear this to your next event.

  • Angie replied 9 years ago

    I LOVE this Fantasy outfit. It looks Killer "Rio" to me. You should just go ahead and wear it. The footwear and tapered hems of the trousers  keep the look very practical. 

  • merwoman replied 9 years ago

    Stunning!! and echoing Angie - wear it! Love your story about the designer - nice memory to have everytime you reach for the necklace.

  • Greyscale replied 9 years ago

    Love it so much.

    (It makes me wonder why I own so few black cotton buttoned shirts. Mine are all silk. But it should be a wardrobe staple for me.)

  • Style Fan replied 9 years ago

    What an amazing outfit with stories behind the pieces.  Love it.  You look so cool and I agree with Angie.  Go ahead and wear it.

  • Suz replied 9 years ago

    I AM IN LOVE WITH IT ALL!!!! 

    GAH!!!! 

    Seriously gorgeous pieces. The jacket is just superb - cut, pattern, everything. I am sure it is even better in real life due to the texture. Wow. 

    And the necklace!! You are turning me into a jewellery lover. Fabulous. 

    (What did you find for your mother?) 

    This outfit suits you so perfectly. 

  • replied 9 years ago

    That jacket is TDF! Gorgeous. The whole outfit is fab. I love the idea of artisan jewellery pieces too, as they look so unusual. Your necklace is a stunner.

  • approprio replied 9 years ago

    wow, thanks ladies! and to think I almost didn't post it :)

    I guess I'm a bit nervous about this for the reasons Gaylene just posted in Una's thread about what happens when our clothes come to define us. What does this look say about me? I'm still pondering the implications. But I always think of Nic Cage as Sailor Ripley in Wild at Heart when I wear this jacket. He had something similar going on. 

    Sailor: Did I ever tell ya that this here jacket represents a symbol of my individuality, and my belief in personal freedom?
    Lula: About fifty thousand times.

    Angie, merwoman, Style Fan: ok, you convinced me. It'll get repeated, weather permitting.

    Greyscale: yay for dark cotton shirts! This is the first time I've done it in a while and I'm surprised how much I'm liking it.

    Shevia, donnat, Suz, thanks! Yes, this is indeed the trophy of my trophy pieces, and I should wear it more often. 

    And Suz, here's what I got for my mum. I hope she likes it.
    http://www.colseninteriorprodu.....sieraad2=6

    ETA: DianeG thanks and yeah, this is what happens when fantasy bleeds into real life. The world needs more Sailor Ripley jackets and Inner Sophia Loren in my opinion. :)

  • catgirl replied 9 years ago

    Why is this a fantasy? It's totally wearable - not that it isn't fantasy-fantastic. I've been assuming fantasy = outrageous and not wearable IRL (like a suit of armor or a sword and hooded cloak) but I need to shift my paradigm!

  • Firecracker (Sharan) replied 9 years ago

    You look stunning in this outfit, and it looks totally wearable for a day out and about, doing whatever! Not too many statements, just right. I do see how it is dressier than what you might wear most days (with the necklace and silk blouse), but it really doesn't look over the top.
    Very cool story about the necklace, and it's just beautiful for you. Great choice.

  • Firecracker (Sharan) replied 9 years ago

    The necklace for your mother is really neat, too. I went to Josephine's site and picked the Melancholy necklace as the one I would buy for myself.

  • Deborah replied 9 years ago

    I adore both renditions. I have a black and white floral jacket and you made me want to wear it just like this but it's just not as cool as the Anne D jacket :(  The cut and shape of the jacket is just beautiful.  I always look forward to your outfits:)

  • DonnaF replied 9 years ago

    Wow!!!  I would really love to see your outfit IRL because there's only so much a 2D photo can convey.  I always love opening your pics because you have such a strong and unique sense of style and what suits you.  I also live vicariously because I'm a shorty with smallish features so I could never hope to pull off a number of things you wear with such panache.

  • freeda replied 9 years ago

    Love the story about your necklace. Can't buy memories like that at Forever 21.

  • Caro in Oz replied 9 years ago

    I love the outfit with the jacket - that cut is fantastic on you :) 

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