-white cotton dress by designer Molly Goddard on page 108 of British ELLE-
I learned of Molly Goddard (one of my favorite designers) because Alexa Chung (one of my style icons) interviewed her for the Future of Fashion series by British Vogue. It was pretty instant once I saw Goddard’s designs that I knew I LOVED her. I mean the frockness of the frills, the oversized silhouettes, these were all just parts of my own style just exaggerated.
There’s nothing boring about Molly Goddard designs and that’s what I really love about them. I'd say my fascination for Goddard is similar to mine of Lazy Oaf (think slight 80’s inspired punk pieces) or the obscure thrift store finds which sit in my closet. Goddard is unique, and to a fault of having such individual and breakthrough designs, her clothes demand to be worn by someone who is looking for layers of ruffles or patterns to spice up their Tuesday afternoons.
I thought that instead of just oo-ing and ahh-ing at the design alone I’d share them on the ol’ blog. Because god knows my Tuesdays have been boring and I could use a little bit of Ruffle to get me through.
White cotton dress
First off is the PIECE that actually gave me the idea to write this post.
Picture this, ok? Ok! I’m starting. So, I’m sitting in this alcove within this bookshop. It’s kind of dark and it’s the only day in almost all of the summer where the sun has left the sky. I was loving it (think black dress, ballet flats, big coat- which is really only spring appropriate) and I’m reading the newest British Elle (which I'd recommend thoroughly, FYI). The cover star, Queen Dua Lipa, has an incredible spread in which she is dressed in a stunning white cotton dress by Goddard. In the alcove, I almost spilled my drink and I opened the magazine and gasped because I know my Goddard! I was in love instantly.
Dua Lipa jumps playfully as the layers of casual (yet so structurally sophisticated) frill leaps into the air along with her. I imagine one could wear it ideally to a jumping photoshoot like Dua Lipa, OR to a concert in which you want your dresses large silhouette to provide a fashionable barrier against the other concert goers. It’s possible that this dress could be great to end a relationship in. I’d say the line “I like my frills better than you…” might be great (but just a thought).
Laika Yellow Coat
Recently I’ve become obsessed with yellow.
I mean O.B.S.E.S.S.E.D to the point where I’ve been eating my eggs sunny side up, and just eating eggs more in general, and wishing that it would rain because I have a yellow raincoat that is begging to be used. I could surely say that my yellow fascination has greatly contributed to the next pick.
The Laika Coat in yellow is marvelous and wonderful, and weird. The bright yellow color makes an obvious connection to the traditional yellow raincoat (worn by celebs and even the Morton Salt Girl). The bodice is where tradition hits the wall and the coat seems to step out as an individual of its own. The fabric itself looks soft (and unfortunately not rainproof) and the straight sleeves and mid-length skirt are disrupted in the middle as a tight ribbed middle hold tightly to the model. It’s as if the bottom and top have a mind completely separate to that of the middle of the dress. The unique bodice is so confusingly stylish it’s as if I can’t look away!
Sally Sequined Dress
The Sally sequined dress is “grandma chic” at its absolute best.
The grandma chic trend is something I can’t quite finalize my opinions on. In a positive tone, I would say that the large, like extremely large, free-flowing bodices of grandma chic pieces are comfortable. They are also feminine in a way that is unassuming and is almost undermining the loose (almost un-feminine) silhouette of the piece YET grandma chic can still be SO flattering. In a negative tone I would say that when I see near six-foot fashion models wearing it they’re lanky (and cool styled) frames are much different than mine. So, can I pull off “grandma chic”?
The sally sequined dress is the perfect mid-ground for grandma chic for me. It’s as if your grandma would wear it during the day to her “movers n shakers” luncheon and then at night as she rips up the roller rinks wooden floors with her leisure village lover. The high neckline makes the design seem conservative but the silver sequined bodice makes you IMMEDIATELY think otherwise.
If I was to wear this I'd throw on blockish heels, a messy bun, and a red lip that’s glamorous enough to match the silver sequins.
Marion Top Ivory
This pick is the most subdued. It’s a somewhat peplum/flowy/peasant style top that is always a good choice. When I think of tops like this I think of either The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants or of a celebrity on holiday.
This design could be dressed up so easily. I would say add some structured trousers (maybe in a bold color… like red… let’s go with red), a bold black ankle boot or block black heel with the trousers, and maybe a deep nude lip. It could be dressed down So easily. I'd say oversized jean shorts, Converse sneakers, and a slicked-back ponytail.
It’s easy with the Marion top!
Ahhh there we go... boring is far away now! In all seriousness Goddard is a designer who really inspires me. I have gone back and forth for a few months on posting this as I know that Goddard designs are very expensive. I also can't show you a picture of me wearing one as I can't afford to buy one. Despite this I thought that sharing picks from a designer that is a major inspiration to me would still be an interesting post and one I wanted to do for myself.
If getting a Goddard design in a dream to you as well I would recommend checking websites like Shopstyle.com, Net-A-Porter.com, in addition to Goddard own site. I have seen deals floating around on there and plan full heartedly to buy one at some point.
So... did you love them... oh, you hated them.... oh! oh! you were saying love?
Let me know below