Obsessions by Gessica: June 2014

Are we creatures of habit, fearful of showing the world our true selves? Or do we dance as though no-one is watching?

If I was wearing this skirt, I'd be dancing and sleeping in it.

I see very few women wearing the maxi skirt. My belief is a 'fear' of standing out too much if they wear this long, flowing, statement piece. For many it looks too formal, or the opposite, bohemian.
As you may be very well aware, I try and steer women away from wearing what fashion dictates and instead help them to shine with what works on them. The maxi skirt is one of those trends that comes and goes. For me it has always been 'in'. I think I still have a skirt from 20 years ago.
Well as it turns out, the long skirt is having a come back which you will see in coming months.
The maxi skirt suits many body shapes purely because 'it' in itself is not just of one cut. It is either flared, straight and narrow, pleated, high waisted, asymmetrical etc. In other words it is not limited to only tall, thin women. If you wear it well, it can look sensational. Trust me.

I say, get out of your jeans and into a maxi for some fun, femininity, sexiness and originality.

Below are my suggestions on wearing the maxi skirt all year round. This feminine skirt can be worn during the day or evening, casual or formal, summer or winter. At work may be a little tricky, but it depends on the type of work.

Divine forest green chiffon skirt worn with either a patterned cardigan or gorgeous silk blouse can transform it from day into night. Colour your world with shoes and accessories.

Stand out in a bright skirt worn with stripe jacket or feminine camisole. Wonderful spring/summer look.

Love a bright maxi skirt with wrap tops. Wear them with boots for the colder months or nice little flats in the spring/summer. Just so versatile.

Speaking of Green

The tulle flared maxi skirt worn with a silk camisole and flats or a stand out jacket and high bold coloured shoes is great look for those daring enough.

Pattern and lace skirts are fun and feminine. Don't be afraid to mix various patterns together, as you can see above with the edgy combination of paisley skirt and stripe blouse. Experiment to see what suits you. The lace skirt is soft and stylish worn with a silk wrap top. To give a casual feel, a denim jacket fits the part. Again add a jolt of colour in there with the accessories.

Lace skirt, patterned jacket, bright accessories. The 21st century Boho woman.

Continuing on the subject of lace and pattern skirts. Worn with fur(or faux fur) vests, this is super stylish. Combined with sexy boots, vintage handbags and earrings.....yum. Again as you will see above on the right, the multi patterned mix of the skirt, vest and shoes can all work well together if you get the 'pattern mix' right. Don't be afraid.

Winter Chic

The neutral effect. It's not always about bright colour. I love wearing a long white or beige skirt with a soft blouse in the summer. In the winter wear it with a wrap cardigan or belted coat. Can't go wrong here.

Lusting after this polka dot lace skirt. I'd wear it with a belted wrap cardigan in the winter or with a silk lace camisole in the summer. Like the first image, wearing this skirt would make me want to dance, eat and sleep in it.

I hope you enjoyed this latest post on How to wear a maxi skirt all year round.

All garments in my styling pages were sourced from Polyvore, Net-a-Porter, Farfetch, etsy, asos and pinterest. Browse these websites to find your perfect maxi, blouse, jacket, shoes and accessories.

Like all of my fashion posts, I could have gone on for ever with various ways to wear garments, in this instance the maxi skirt. I find it hard to stop. The maxi skirt is certainly a piece that is versatile enough to have many different looks. I do highly recommend experimenting to see what works on you. And more importantly be a little darling. My belief is, you only have to do it 'once' to break the fear factor.

Should you require, I would be delighted to help you with putting maxi skirt outfits together, or any look for that matter. I can be booked for a personal styling and image consultation either in person or on line.

For all enquiries please email me on stylebygessica@gmail.com

And of course I would love to hear your feedback.

With Love

Gessica

"With the awareness that I was prone to live in my own head much of the time, and inclined to severe self-criticism, I began to have doubts whether I could create images on film that reflected the images in my mind's eye." Melvin Sokolsky

The 1963 Bubble series shot in Paris over ten days, and created for the Harper's Bazaar Spring collection by New York photographer Melvin Sokolsky, is still to this day one of the more innovative photography experiments ever.
Although Melvin never had formal training in photography, using his father's box camera at the age of ten gave him a head start in producing exquisite work.

His Inspiration of the bubble series came from a re-occuring dream where he saw himself floating in a bubble across exotic landscapes.

At the same time he was fascinated with the intricate design and shape of the faberge egg: hence the bubble was formulated, made of plexi glass and aircraft aluminium.

The challenge however was to position a telescopic crane at each location from which the bubble would be suspended.

The model Simone d'Aillencourt would hop into the bubble that was suspended a few feet off the ground. After being locked in safely with an air vent for her to breathe, the bubble was raised into position.

In his own words, "there were times when this choreographeed dance turned into a Laurel and Hardy comedy. The morning we shot on the Seine, the bubble was lowered overzealously into the water, flooding it up to Simone's ankles, and in turn ruining an important pair of designer shoes."