I don’t think I exaggerate when I say these may be the most beautiful shirt dresses I’ve seen. Fifties style full-skirted, flowy and crinkle-creased, with beautifully crafted sleeves and collars, in delicate shades of beige, nude and grey. In Tomas Maier’s hands, a shirt dress is summer dressing at its best.
And to further evoke the elegance of the ’50s, there is the short-sleeved trench accessorized with elbow-long leather gloves, oversized sunglasses, classic tote and wedges. The pantsuit is also present, in the slightest shade of peach, because every woman should own one for summer too. My last choice is the pleated dress that beautifully delineates the shape of the body, without constraining it, and which is so brilliant in its simplicity. You see, this entire collection proves that the impeccable artistry and the luxurious fabrics are the only details that matter. This is in fact Mr. Maier’s design philosophy. I love this refusal of embellishment; just a pair of earrings occasionally, a chignon and a bright lip are enough, especially in summer.
photos: Vogue.com. Bottega Veneta Spring 2008 collection
Love these dresses! xo
I have always felt that shirt dresses like these look better on tall women. If I were taller I would want the grey one … I think I could work that colour ; – )
Love the suit and the bag in the first photo – definitely a collection worth revisiting.
as soon as i saw the first two pictures i thought what a lovely modern twist on the 1950’s “house dress.” these look far more comfortable to actually wear around the house and obviously stunning enough to wear out to a special occasion. i also love the pleated one.
I want each dress you have on the pics in your post! : )
Truly beautiful–the drape is just breathtaking!
xo Mary Jo
Like LatteLisa, I’ve always felt that shirt dresses were more suited to tall, very slim women and avoided them at all costs. I think the main reason for this is most designs lack a defined waistline – they really are just a long shirt. Bottega Veneta’s collection, however, would suit so many women – short and tall.
And Mr. Mayer is so right, Ada, without high quality fabrics, you can have the best tailoring in the world, it is just not enough. I like a lot the dresses in this collection, the belts and of course the long gloves!
I love that pant suit… when I was working fulltime the pantsuit was a staple for me and this one would easily have been adopted in my wardrobe (well maybe not exactly this brand or price!):)… x
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