outarium

I share runway styles that I like, outfits and makeup I choose to wear and fashion designs that I draw. All to illustrate the fashion ideas I am after and where they come from. I carefully go over hundreds of designers, their most recent, previous and old collections, looking for fresh forms and having particular cravings on my mind. From, let's say, a thousand styles somehow only about five or less aren't another obvious interpretations of what's been a trend over past 2 to 5 years. Only those few styles seem to be made with a fresh thought. And that thought is about people who would use such forms in real everyday life. Only those few styles wouldn't identify personality, but need to be identified by a person. This is my criteria of good fashion and I am sure I am not alone. Often you can find the desired design nowhere else but inside your head. And that's why I sometimes make sketches. What I look for doesn't have to be super extraordinary - can be very simple and common at first glance. One broken rule or a bright association, a slightly more complex mixture or surprising simplicity, amusing fabric or less usual proportion, smart utility feature or a drop of kitsch - small things like these can make it just right.

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BEST SO FAR I am not sure what is going on, but nothing from the recent collections inspires me. Maybe I need a vocation. Preferably a beach one. Just want to dress like this - swimming suit and maybe even fleece 1/4-zip sweatshirt bigger size for a windy evening... A type of outfit which doesn’t have any fashion thought behind it, or any thought at all. Thomas Maier - pre-fall 18

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KEEP OUT

This is how I personally call this style. Strict, proud and reserved. I showed a similar outfit of mine a number of posts ago. Now in the spring/summer 18 collection of The Row I’ve found an outfit that perfectly represents this style which I like so much.

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GOOD DRESS

I am not into fancy dresses, though I can appreciate really good ones.

Top Shop Unique fw17/18 Derek Lam ss18

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‘NIGHT’ DRESS

Seems like they are going to be popular next summer. Despite of that I like them - they are mostly cotton, loose, comfortable and mysterious - all these features speak to me.

Zadig & Voltaire ss18 Philosophy di Lorenzo Serafini ss18 Jil Sander ss18 Chloe fw17/18

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FLORAL

And not just any floral, but sort of ‘table cloth/duvet’ floral. Especially in combination with ‘night dress’ form. (See more of 'night dress’ styles in the next post)

Giambattista Valli SS18 Andrew Gn SS18 Alessandra Rich SS18 Chloe FW18

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No. 6

The brand pleasantly surprised me by introducing one of the SS18 collections I like the most so far. Skirt suits I was talking about recently, ‘correctly’ shaped dresses I also mentioned in the previous posts, colored leather (check out the COAT posts), amusing footwear - things that I like right now and in general.

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COATS, THE GREAT AND TERRIFIC - PART 2

This is the second purely coat post. I really have chosen out of hundreds the ones that are worth checking out. And once again I should say: If you haven’t identified your OWN style yet, it might be a lot easier to identify your favorite piece of clothing first. So it can become a center point to build your wardrobe around. I know for sure mine is coats. These are fun:

Coach 1941 - SS18 Diesel Black Gold - FW17 Acne Studios - SS18 Givenchy - SS18 Stella McCartney - SS18 Miu Miu - SS18 Bottega Veneta - SS18 Gucci - SS18

Check out ‘COATS, THE GREAT AND TERRIFIC - PART 1’ in previous posts.

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Very good one

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SKIRT SUIT

This style I really enjoy. Check out my old post with an amazing black skirt suit of mine.

Simonetta Ravizza ss Bottega Vineta ss Sara Battaglia ss

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LONG CARDIGAN VS V-NECK LONG SWEATER

Long cardigans. So soon and so suddenly have come back in style. I am glad as it’s always been my thing, only I’ve been wearing them so often that I need some more rest. When the v-neck baggy sweaters are right on time, I switched to them last year, combined them with printed or patterned t-shirts. Before that for a long time I’ve been accepting only round neck sweaters.

Marc Jacobs ss Tommy Hilfiger fw Coach 1941 ss Marco De Vincenzo ss

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PLEASE NO MORE! This is a future trend of the 2018 and I already don't want to touch anything see-through lacy black! It's not that I don't like it, I would say I'm quite into it, but it's just me being really fed up, seeing every second designer having at least one piece. Seems like it's made with a 'I must catch the hype' thought rather than creative. At the same time designers who had a sincere craving for such style or it's been their signature style for years are shadowed with this trend and seen in the same pile with the imitators. That's why I hate hype. Philosophy Di Lorenzo Serafini Red Valentino Elisabetta Franchi Marchesa Notte Top Shop

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AMUSING PULLOVER

I like fun sweaters with geometric patterns or some kind of unusual design. These are:

Coach 1941, SS18 Orla Kiely, SS18 Emporio Armani, SS18

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MY OUTWEAR - PART 1

Leather and suede coats and jackets straight from the 70’s. As you all know 70’s are back in style now (just as every other decade of the 20th century in some way). And not just hippy 70’s that were trendy some time ago, but the smart and casual too. Apart from flares, it’s the sharp collars, not as sharp as on the 3d photo (typical 70’s) though, but might get very close.

In general I’d say go crazy with outwear, forget about minimalistic black and gray woolen coats and down jackets, look for several textures, or a more complex design, or at least for a colour “with character (see the previous post).

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COATS, THE GREAT AND TERRIFIC - PART 1

If you haven’t identified your own style yet, it might be a lot easier to identify your favorite piece of clothing first. So it can become a center point to build your wardrobe around. I know for sure mine is coats. Passion, obsession or weakness - call it anyway you like, but when I see a great coat or jacket I feel, well.. motivated! These coats are extreme in their superiority:

1-8 - Coach 1941 SS18, FW17/18, Pre-F17 9 - Zoë Jordan SS18 10 - Paul & Joe SS18

In the next post I’m inviting you to observe my own collection of coats and jackets.

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DRESS TYPES THAT COMPLIMENT WOMAN’S FIGURE

You would say “yeah, right, only when the figure is perfect itself”. Actually if the size is right, with suitable length, color and shoes it’s likely to complement most of the figures. So here is few dresses that are simple, mostly classic and won’t ever be a mistake:

Christian Siriano S/S18 Zadig & Voltaire S/S18 Sies Marjan S/S18 Blumarine F/W17/18 I Am Studio F/W17/18 Zac Posen S/S18 ZAC Zac Posen S/S18

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-MAXI? MORE? -YES.

I’ll try to make it the final post about maxi dresses. Just found few more that I like and couldn’t keep it to myself. I am just too happy they are finally in style. I remember myself looking everywhere for a similar dress (photo 1,2,3) and finding just one slightly similar on sale in that section of unpopular stuff no one buys. Anyway, these are:

Oblique Creations (Fall/Winter 2017/18) Adam Lippes (Spring/Summer 2018) Area (Spring/Summer 2018) Mara Hoffman (Spring/Summer 2018)

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DRESS OVER TOP

Pinafore, fit-and-flare, straight, vest type, buttons up, maxi/mini just NOT SLIP.

Over a blouse, shirt, t-shirt, turtle neck or anything else.

I always was a fan of multi layering in a classical (not ninja) way. It reminds me of childhood. The concept is very neat and traditional, even formal. So when you experiment with it it becomes very cosy and casual together with being stylish and smart.

The passion for the mini style on the first collage came back to me last fall, for the maxi on the 2nd collage - in spring. Such things never go out of style, but you can’t be always in the mood for them. Right now I am. More for the maxi one.

I should say I am in love with absolute maxi straight jeans skirts. I still cannot forget one Diesel light blue I tried but couldn’t buy 10 years ago! Couldn’t find anything similar as good since (memories..). I guess I should set a goal to find the one I would like the same. This post isn’t about skirts, but my ‘maxi passion’ works on the dresses shown here too. You could see them in the previous posts with my Best Fall Fashion Chart.

By the way you can see classic puffed sleeve blouses I was talking about several posts ago. I thank designers for not making them dropped shoulder.