Monday 10 November 2014

B - Black & White

Hey Guys,

Welcome to the second of my Inspiration from the Alphabet posts, we are onto B and I have chosen Black & White.



I have long been a fan Black & White clothing as it looks simple but effortlessly well put together. Monochrome style, whether it be full of pattern or block colours, makes for a timeless look that has been loved for a long time, really beginning with the first 'Little Black Dress' by Coco Chanel.

This dress changed how the world saw black clothing, it was no longer only for mourning. The dress was published in a 1926 edition of Vogue and it was stated that it would become 'a sort of uniform for all women of taste'.

Monochrome had a revival in the 60s, taking over the fashion industry. It was minimalist and very 'mod', perfect for the bold look that the 60s craved. It was in the 60s that Twiggy arose as one of the first international supermodels and Audrey Hepburn filmed Breakfast at Tiffany's in the black Givenchy dress.

Nowadays monochrome is still in and for SS14 was fully revived. I dug out my Vogue SS14 guide and found this double spread on monochrome clothing. It outlines the versatility of the monochrome style, with subtitles such as 'Intelligent Design' and 'Pattern Play'.
The SS14 catwalks were certainly full of black & white, from tailoring to tassels, it was time to brave wearing black in the summer (something I have been known to do anyway).

*click pictures to enlarge*

Kirsten Dunst's printed Dress by Rodarte (featured in the above Vogue article) proves monchrome can be fun by adding a sheer mid-section and asymmetric gridded frills. It is a geometric and stripe patterned quirky design, which she pulls off amazingly well, ruffles certainly don't suit everyone! 


Taylor Swift works this simple monochrome two-piece by J.Mendel beautifully, pairing it with red lips for an elegant red-carpet worthy look. This two-piece uses cut-outs on the shoulders, and a slash up the side of the skirt to enhance what would otherwise be a rather dull outfit. (pictures from Glamour's website)

Monochrome is a style that transcends time, as Karl Lagerfeld once said...
'Black and white always looks modern, whatever that word means'

Love Holly x

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