I finally had the opportunity to check out the resort 2016 collections during the past week. Resortwear is one of the most commercial seasons for retail so it came at no surprise that several well known designers held on to the hippie movement. My personal inspiration for this look came from desginer Stacy Bendet’s work for alice + olivia. Bendet reportedly envisioned this season’s alice + olivia customer as a “bohemian intellectual” and “world traveller”. This meant taking some fashions risks when it came to proportions and certain key styles such as the culotte pant.
Culottes were everywhere last season (and this season). A translation from Renaissance-era menswear, a modern day culotte is described as any garment that hangs like a skirt but is worn as pants. They were adapted for womenswear so that bold ladies like yourself could straddle horses while riding instead of having to sit side saddle in their skirts. They are a visual contradiction: voluminous and cropped, a combination I personally found to be unflattering. Unable to find an actual pair of culottes in Missouri (not surprising) I opted for a pair of floral print palazzo pants in a size larger than normal so that I could wear them high-waisted and mimic the classic culotte flare.
alice + olivia also featured simple long sleeve crop tops. In an attempt to compliment the flowing proportions of my bottom half, I chose a top in a full size larger than normal to give myself more masculine proportions and to take the ensemble’s boho theme to the next level. This is a perfect example of how you can make sizing work for you – it doesn’t always have to be the other way around! Who cares what the label says as long as your look fabulous?
I started off accessorizing with a funky pair of platforms, which elongated my legs and served as the perfect hippie-esque accessory. However, I couldn’t picture myself actually rocking this RAD look anywhere around town, so I opted for a pair of white sandals and cinched my waist with a leather belt to give myself a more flattering shape. As a finishing touch I grabbed a nude clutch.
Get My Look: 1. Crop top. 2. Culottes. 3. Belt. 4. Clutch. 5. Sandals.
