TiC Surf: Ruffles
I think I may have briefly mentioned (ok, a few times…) that I’m absolutely crazy over ruffles. Not the pink, ra-ra skirt kind, mind you, but as an embellishment that can add an essential feminine touch to any ensemble. I especially love the fact that it can take up so many forms; with different effects achieved depending how it's sewn.
I have always felt that the best interpretation by any designer can be seen in the Lanvin SS 08 collection. Utterly gorgeous and classy, Alber Elbaz’s designs were literally oozing ruffles in every direction - on collars, sleeves, busts and the hemlines.
While I’m more than a trifle pleased that I share this neverending obsession for ruffles with this internationally acclaimed designer, I definitely cannot afford his clothes. Bearing that (constant) thought in mind, I embarked on a Great Ruffle Search on the WWW so that, by the end of this post, I hope that more ownership of ruffles will occur amongst TiC readers!
Let us begin the hunt.
First stop is to be Topshop, because I have a hunch that it will be one of the places that throws up the most Lanvin-esque ruffles. And I was right! Asymmetry, unique placing of ruffles, Topshop’s got it all.
Denim Frill Dress
Contrast Frill Dress
And some that were not-so-Alber but still utterly gorgeous… (Yum Multiple Tiered Ruffles…)
Lace Ruffle Dress
I’m guessing they got bored and also tried it out on accessories…
Lace Frill Shopper Bag
MIA ballet pump with frill
River Island also (surprisingly) turned out to be a productive stop. First of all, I was definitely very impressed by the ingenious idea of a ruffle scarf, which allows you to ADD RUFFLES to any plain jane old mold outfit you own! It’s also tie-dyed, which (for me anyway) only adds allure.
By contrast, the rest of the wares they were hawking were relatively uninspired compared to Topshop, but there were a few unique items or two:
This lace bustier might be questionable to some tastes, but I’m loving it to layer over a plain white tee and under an oversized blazer.
The many, many, many tiers here definitely deserve a mention. The slight use of tulle at the bottom adds the extra oomph the dress needs without overpowering the ruffles.
The champion of local online stores, Lacquer and Lace, as always, reads my mind with these beauties...
Constance Top
Another lovely ruffle item I’d love to own popped up at Wearever U Like. I just love their detail views that are so thoughtfully provided for the customer.
Some cute ruffled items can also be found at Shopping Princess…
Party Ruffle Toga Dress
Flutter Sleeve Top
And at Eye Candy…
The Swirl girls have got kinda ruffly on us as well…
The Rachel Dress
Finally, let’s end this post with a few images of how different individuals wear ruffles. Be inspired!
Honourable Mention:
All the dresses she are wearing are Lanvin, enough said.
Image sources: lookbook.nu, lacquerandlace.blogspot.com, style.com, topshop.com, riverisland.com, thefashionspot.com. All product items from respective sites unless otherwise referenced.
