Monday, June 16, 2008

Peplum: The New Shape

Miu Miu Spring 2008

PEPLUM: A short overskirt or ruffle attached at the waistline of a jacket, blouse, or dress (www.thefreedictionary.com)

While the thought of an extra layer of fabric extending from one's waist may sound unflattering, on second glance, peplum can actually work like a belt: it emphasizes the small of the waist while exaggerating the width of the thighs, creating a pleasing silhouette for the pear-shaped among us. Miu Miu's odd but whimsical sumo wrestler-meets-ballerina example was gorgeous but intimidating off the runway (not many of us can boast having Cameron Diaz's lean legs), but with longer lengths, I became reconciled to its practical application.

1. Roland Mouret Pre-Fall 2008: It's hard not to love peplum when Roland Mouret does so in such a feminine, curve-enhancing way.
a. A subtle version of peplum on a stunning white dress:


b. And a more daring example on a suit:


2. Bottega Veneta Fall 2008: Tomas Maier's flirty peplum resembles origami, rather than an umbrella:


3. Douglas Hannant Resort 2009: Hannant creates such a ladylike shape from this wavy peplum. I'm in love!

2 comments:

WendyB said...

I remember a black peplum jacket I wore all the time in 1990.

Miss Cavendish said...

I'm mad for peplum. Did you see Heidi Klum wearing that white suit/black shoe ensemble in the (gasp) Post?