Lily Inspiration: Tone-On-Tone

Here in the shop we spend so much time discussing cut, form, the pros and cons of various necklines on different body types, etc., I find it is easy to loose sight of one of the most important things: colour! Colour is such a key element in fashion and how we dress; the very same item in red, as opposed to blue, will have a completely different look and feel to it!

Lately I have really been into "tone-on-tone" looks and colour blocking (yes, those are my grey legs and feet!). Bright juxtaposition can be very fun--and Glenda is a master of the very difficult art of layering bright colours and divergent shapes--but these days I find myself drawn to the quieter sophistication of more nuanced contrasts. Some random examples (and please excuse my crummy cellphone photography!):

This is a special order Hama Hama that arrived in the shop a couple days ago. It's a little hard to pick out the colours in this picture, but it has a really fantastic melange of dark and light grey inks over a black background. Plus, there are skulls. Lots of skulls. (No-brainer, I know!)

This is a close-up of the beautiful white-on-white floral fabric that backs an anatomical heart duvet cover in the shop at the moment. It's such a gorgeous, subtle contrast...

Ah, the remnants of a manicure with a polish almost exactly the same colour as my skin. Subtle and sophisticated a week ago? Yes! Looking a little chipped and white trash at the moment? Definitely! But you get the idea...

Not to get too "Lauren Hutton" on everyone, but I just love the effect of the lavender printing on this purple cotton obi.

And last, but not least, is this super cute kid pulled off The Sartorialist. All the brown and tan tone-on-tone, with a little pale pink thrown in for yet more subtle contrast? Awesome. Why didn't anybody tell me to dress like this when I was twelve?!!? Come to think of it, why didn't anybody tell me to dress like this when I was twenty?? Hhmmm......

Lily Spotlight: Cardigans

Surprising no one, I'm sure, for today's Spotlight I thought I'd focus on one of my very favourite things in the whole wide world: cardigans! As anyone who's met me more than twice can attest, I personally wear this versatile sweater style constantly and can often be heard telling folks in the shop that just about anything can be nicely paired with one (I can hear Glenda laughing now, in fact...). But it's true! Cardigans are that rare combination of comfortable, attractive, and flexible, making them an indispensable part of every woman's wordrobe.

Named after James Brudenell, 7th Earl of Cardigan (apparently in an attempt by merchants to make a quick buck off his fleeting post-Crimean War hero status in 1855), cardigans were originally worn as a warm, casual alternative to waistcoats. Mysteriously, one is never supposed to do up the bottom button on them--I have always been under the impression that this was because the Earl was a fairly rotund man and it was considered poor form to do up your own bottom button when he could not. He looks pretty slim in all the images I could find of him, however, so this information may be of questionable veracity.

My internet trawling also dug up the fact that our Earl had the dubious honour of leading the charge of the Light Brigade and, according to Wikipedia, "typified the popular stereotype of the snobbish, arrogant, bone-headed and incompetent aristocrat of the period." Wow. At least his sweater is well-considered (and guaranteed never to impel you straight into the Imperial Russian Army)!

In the shop right now are unisex American Apparel cardigans covered with our lovely silk screens (available in grown-up and toddler sizes!), as well as the last few Emmerdale Cardigans (so named after The Cardigan's debut album)!

Vancouver Update: New Stuff!

Hello Vancouver Lily-ites! Just a quick rundown of some of the awesome new stuff we have in the shop (all items are available for sale on-line as well):

The Shuriken Tunic ($76) in a beautiful, rich aubergene merino wool.

Cute new tote--the Olaf ($48). A super simple denim bag with great prints.

Gorgeous new tunic in a deep, textured brown cotton. The Toddy Tunic ($92) will be great for layering over skinny jeans, tights, long-sleeved shirts, or with a cardigan. Shown here with one of our cotton obi sashes.

Portobella Skirt ($114) in an amazing camouflage cotton twill; With leaves instead of regular camo patterning, it definitely reads as less "armed conflict" and more "pretty!" The olive green inverted box pleat comes screened with the handsome Red Deer print.

Vancouver Update: Hama Hama Cousins

We are so lucky in the Smoking Lily shops to come across a wide variety of people. Our customers are awesome! We have loads of lovely regulars and are constantly meeting interesting new customers.

These two gals are cousins, well second cousins I think, their Mom's are cousins. Irène (on the left) is from Switzerland, she was visiting her cousin Astrid in Vancouver. They came into the Main Street shop a couple of weeks ago.

They were so much fun. We kept feeding the change rooms with garments as they giggled, told stories, encouraged and assisted each other. They looked so cute in their Hama Hama Dresses as they accessorized with Obis that I asked to snap a few shots on my phone. When they left the shop, with their piles of new Lily garments, we all had big smiles on our faces. Thanks ladies, you were sweet!