Author: Louis Dell'Olio

Jac and I would like to express our condolences to those who perished at the Boston Marathon. Jac was visiting her sister and only a few blocks away, heading home, when she heard the sirens of the ambulances heading to the sight of the blast. Our prayers are with the families of the deceased and those who were hurt by this senseless crime.

The April Gauze Shrug, is A233181. To say that it is LIGHT AS AIR, is an understatement. This is a sweater knit made in a very fine acrylic/nylon boucle……..it has a cobweb effect, and veils the skin…… It just covers the shoulders and the arms……… It is basically a tube of knit with one seam that is left open in the center for you to put your arms in. It is a wonderful piece to own, because it works over everything, for every season, day or night. It is probably the coolest cover-up you could own, and yet for those who want to cover their arms…..there is only a hint of see through. For those, with a larger chest who may think you couldn’t wear something like this…..I say…..if you can wear a raglan sleeve garment…..you can wear this…….. Wear it over tanks, over dresses, over any sleeveless garment you may need a cover-up for………………………………………..The colors are…………………..BLACK…………………WHITE…………………..I would suggest folding it neatly, and putting it in a ZIP LOCK BAG………….put it in your tote and you’re ready to go! If it’s hot and humid and a cover-up is far from necessary….. but then….. you go into a frigid store or restaurant …….for lunch with the girls……reach into you tote and pull it out. I think this is one garment your husbands will give the “nod” to…..it is quite sexy ………without trying to be. This is a great accessory piece, and I think you will be amazed at just how handy and useful it is………scroll down for some additional pictures……………enjoy…………much Love…………….Louis

Above are additional pictures of the April Gauze Shrug, A233181. In the picture to the upper right you can see it folded and placed in a zip lock bag for storage in you tote……Of course when you are storing it at home ……I don’t recommend keeping it in the bag. In the photo to the upper right you can see it worn as a scarf. From the back photos…..you can see how wide the “tube” actually is before it is stitched together for the sleeve portion of the garment. Once again, this is the perfect travel piece and perfect for any and all occasions………….WEIGHTLESS……………….AIRY…………SEXY……………PRACTICAL……..&………..FUN…….what more can you ask from a simple little coverup………….enjoy…………….much Love…………………..Louis

The April Gauze Dress, A233185, is all about “The Lightness of Being”. It is GOSSAMER, FLOATY, WEIGHTLESS, which makes it the perfect summer dress. The fabric is the exact same fabric as the uneven hem shirt, A233187, that many of you have and many of you have wait listed. The slightly crushed surface gives the dress a RELAXED CASUAL ATTITUDE, and certainly can be worn from the beach to a dinner out. This is the perfect take away dress……easy care and easy to pack. What do you wear to a beach wedding? I think this can answer that question. The colors are the same as the shirt……………………WHITE………….TURQUOISE…….BLACK…………….The dress is fully lined in a Trico knit and stops inches above the bottom hem to give that light airy look…..however, it will still cover your knee. The dress has very interesting seaming and the patch pockets are left sheer, again to give the dress lightness. It measures approx. 44 inches to the center front, at the shortest point. Notice in the photo in the lower left….the black dress is paired with a new GAUZE KNIT SHRUG……the perfect compliment to this dress and many others……sneak peek to come. The dress has a back zipper, but has a relaxed fit, for a shaped dress. The idea is for it to glide over rather than hug the body………..again, the perfect summer dress………………..enjoy……..much Love……………..Louis

As the saying goes…..”April Showers bring May Flowers”. Today, I am bringing you a truly glorious FLORAL DRESS, A233184, that will be part of my April 18, 11PM show. The fabric is exactly the same as your Boho skirts …….CRINKLE GEORGETTE with the light tricot knit lining. The print is from my archives and comes from one of the premiere PRINT DESIGNERS and HOUSES in EUROPE. It is a spectacular print. I am well aware it isn’t for everyone and there will certainly be critics, but that is fine…..not every garment or print should be for everyone. Let me put it this way….the further you go out on the limb….the fewer people will join you there………but that is what the “fun of fashion” is all about. If we didn’t climb out onto the limb once in a while, we would all look the same. The PEASANT STYLE dress above has an elastic neckline, so it can be worn off the shoulder if you choose. The hem of the sleeve also has a very narrow elastic, which will enable you to push the 3/4 length sleeve up. There is an INVISIBLE elastic at the raised waist seam……almost empire, but not quite. This will make it a breeze to get on and off without the need of a zipper. The dress measures approx. 43 inches long for an XS. The “skirt” of the dress has four tiers and the bottom three tiers start with a tiny ruffle …..which is in keeping with the femininity of the floral print. It is definitely a TWIRL or DANCE dress………..perfect for a summer wedding or garden charity event. The light as air dress, floats and moves with every breeze. I’m not usually one for hats, but  this dress, a big straw picture hat …..at the Kentucky Derby…..would look great!!……Churchill Downs anyone? ……..The color of the dress shown above is …….VIOLET………it is a combination of violet, lavender and purples on a background of RASPBERRY RED……………………….For those of you who will join me out on the limb…..I know you will enjoy the view!!………….scroll down for additional colors……………………………………….much Love…………..Louis

The second color combination in my “FLOWER GARDEN’ is………………………..YELLOW…………….The flowers are a beautiful mix of yellows, golds and ochres…..all on a bed of deep FOREST GREEN. The coloration of this print brings to mind GIANT RUSSIAN SUNFLOWERS………….You can see just how delicate each petal is designed and printed with the stamens in the center…………………you can only find this sense of detail in a EUROPEAN print…………A beautiful earring……perhaps a bracelet or my GOLD PANTHER LINK watch is all you need……a COPPER or BRONZE strippy sandal and you are ready…………Remember, the style number is A233184………….scroll down for additional colors……………enjoy……………….much Love………………..Louis