Louis Dell'Olio

Tomorrow, we leave on our trip to our piece of PARADISE in the Caribbean……and we can hardly wait to put our toes in that clear, warm aqua blue water! Jac has taken a boat load of Feather Jerseys, and one of her favorite pieces is the FEATHER JERSEY HOODED Tunic, A. It’s floaty and cool and so much more fun and LIGHT WEIGHT than a zip front hoodie!! I have limited her to one color, but maybe two. Don’t say poor Jac she has enough different outfits for every day and  NIGHT we are there…..and then some. She’s planning on wearing it with her white cotton leggings, and gold sandals….she ordered two pairs of leggings  in white from QVC before they sold out………the reviews on this piece have been terrific and the colors are so summer time and fresh. I know many of you have now become Feather Jersey lovers and many pieces are starting to disappear in sizes and colors…………..if you haven’t tried it….I suggest you do before they are gone.

During this past trip to QVC, I saw so many of the models, running around back stage, were wearing maxi skirts and sandals or flip flops and they looked great. For me, what makes a “Summer” maxi skirt successful is the fact that it is light weight and has wonderful liquid movement. I am happy to say my MAXI in the Feather Jersey, A , fills the bill. You can see in the photos above how the skirt falls and drapes, and yet lays smoothly over the hips……this skirt is half lined……has a full elastic waist and comes in a petite length too……… When Sept, Oct, Nov, Dec comes along it’s going to look great with boots and some of my new SILK/CASHMERE sweaters……………….by the way………….the name should be decided soon. The lawyers are checking to see what names have already been registered…..or not…………………..

Every season TRENDS develop. Some “speak loudly” and are very obvious……like the maxi or asymmetric hem lines………….others are more quiet. It takes an astute editor with a keen eye to notice that a certain style, color, ethnic influence etc. has appeared on enough runways to legitimately call it a “TREND”………………The BATTLE JACKET or WIND BREAKER is such a trend……………….it appeared on PRADA, ARMANI, CALVIN KLEIN, DOLCE and GABANNA, PROENZA SCHOULER, ANDREW WANG and RALPH LAUREN’S runways……to name a few……….quietly, but it was there………………My contribution to this trend is the FAUX SHANTUNG JACKET, A234416, featured above. I have successfully used Faux Shantung before, but this is a new quality. It has less shine, and a little more surface interest……..it  is also a little softer to the touch with out loosing the characteristics  of shantung. It is made in 100% POLYESTER, and it is absolutely BEAUTIFUL!………and machine washable too!!……unlike real silk shantung…….. This jacket has all of the details you have come to expect with a LINEA product. It has a zip front to give the wind breaker effect. It has  FOUR PATCH POCKETS and FLAPS with DOUBLE SNAP closures. There is a yoke front and back. The neckline is slightly SCOOPED, and the sleeve is 3/4 length. The sleeve has a band with two SNAPS FOR ADJUSTABILITY. At the side seam hem there is an ELASTIC GORE for greater ease, but frankly….I LIKE THE JACKET WORN OPEN. What bridges this jacket from being totally UTILITARIAN…..is…………the TINY RUFFLE that trims the neckline and sleeve hem……. a touch of FEMININITY . The top stitching gives the jacket a  “sportive look”. The jacket is approx. 23 1/2 inches long……a true WIND BREAKER length. There is no lining in the jacket, but the back of the fabric has a SATIN FINISH, very different from the surface……which makes the jacket slide over the body with ease……and is super comfortable. The color above is…………HEMP……..but………..it does not match the hemp Feather Jersey…..not that we didn’t try…..the mill just couldn’t do it. These taupey/beiges can be very tricky to match from one fabric to another….even if they are both polyester. The hardware on the HEMP jacket…..the zipper and the snaps………are all gunmetal……so the SMOKE FEATHER JERSEY pieces look FANTASTIC with the Hemp jacket.  The SMOKE tank above is A233962. Take out your SILVER or GUNMETAL jewelry and WATCH and the look is complete!  A GUNMETAL sandal would be the perfect finish. You will be able to wear this jacket NOW….through the summer and right through fall. For many of you this will be a year round jacket…………………………………..The FAUX SHANTUNG SKIRT, A234433,  is a simple affair………………..it has a side zipper, a back vent and is approx. 24 inches long. It does have elastic in the waist band, but since this fabric hasn’t any STRETCH……the waist band does not have a great deal of stretch and extra fabric. This was done  to avoid a lot of shirring of the fabric which can cause puffiness……..so be aware of the measurements………The sizing for both pieces is SML………………..These are transition pieces, and I really appreciate clothes that TRANSITION well from one season to the other……….. I know you do too…………..scroll down for more pics………………………………………………………………………………………….enjoy…………….much Love…………………………..Louis

The FAUX SHANTUNG JACKET above, A234416, and skirt, A234433, is photographed in…………………OLIVE………………and yes, it DOES MATCH the OLIVE FEATHER JERSEY. I have the jacket featured above with the FJ OLIVE DOLMAN sleeve T, A233959 and the FJ MAXI SKIRT A233970. I also have it with the SHANTUNG Skirt, but you can also use the FJ short pencil skirt as well…… for a two piece dress look with the T-shirt. The metal trims on the Olive jacket are ANTIQUE BRASS…………….do not be afraid to mix other colors with the olive. You can wear the jacket over all HEMP, or a NECTAR, ORCHID, AQUA or FLAMINGO tank or T-skirt……They are all very TROPICAL color combinations……………………REMEMBER….. these are transition pieces that you can wear immediately………right into late fall………………..enjoy…………………much Love……………………………….Louis

The June PAISLEY SKIRT, is A234435. This is a HIGH/LOW skirt, meaning it is longer in the back and shorter in the front.  The front measures approx. 23 inches, while the back measures approx 27 inches. There is also a 1 inch fully elastic waist band, so the length of the skirt can be adjusted according to where you place the waist band. The skirt is LINED in the same GEORGETTE as the IKAT print skirt. The skirt is light as air! The fabric of the skirt is becoming a customer favorite…..my FAUX CREPE DE CHINE……….which I also used for the Ikat print pieces, and more recently for the LOTUS TANK AND CARDIGAN. The fit is easy with enough room to pull over the hips, but it still keeps a slim silhouette. The bottom of the skirt is accented with a single flounce approx. 5 1/2 inches wide………..it gives the skirt a wonderful gentle movement…..CHA CHA….. anyone?………………The color combination is one of my PERSONAL FAVORITES……………….VIOLET/RED………..I love it with lots of WHITE…….WHITE T-SHIRTS, BLOUSES and SHIRTS, the WHITE JEAN JACKET, the WHITE PONTE JACKET, the WHITE PEPLUM DENIM jacket from last summer……… just to name a few……….. and then pile on the RED ACCESSORIES………………..you MUST have fabulous red sandals….well at least a red pedicure!………………..scroll down for more colors…………………………………………………………..enjoy…………………..much Love…………………..Louis