Saturday Shopping – Spring Jacquard

I’ve always been a huge fan of jacquard fabrics. Not only am I a fan of the intricate, woven patterns, but those heavy, stiff properties add plenty of structure to a garment and mean they often come in my all time favourite style – a huge, voluminous skirt or prom dress! It of course often helps that many jacquard fabrics will have some metallic thread running through, adding a bit of that glitz and glamour that never fails to turn my head. Jacquard has just always symbolised luxury to me and you can bet if there was just one item in a whole store made of it, I’d make a beeline for it even if I wasn’t keen on the shape.

Many see the fabric as a little outdated – probably because it’s historically been used to upholster the furniture of the wealthy! So I’ve normally been told it’s akin to ‘Grandma’s curtains’ when lusting after a particular brocade dress, but it looks like my luck might be changing. Finally it looks as though my peers have gotten on board with the idea, because it seems to be everywhere right now! I first noticed it when I wrote this post about H&M’s gorgeous midi skirts, and now the trend is spreading like wildfire. There is a major difference though – normally, because of the dark, jewel tones and metallic sheen it normally favours, it’s most often seen during the Winter months, especially at Christmas when the party frocks come out to play. If you asked me to draw a picture of a jacquard dress, I would probably come up with something similar to one of these beauties I featured last year from Oasis’ Warner Textiles collaboration. This Spring though, jacquard has seen the light and gone all bright and breezy! Instead of sumptuous golds, purples and teals, we’re seeing pastel pinks and blues with a pearly finish, and pretty floral designs. Guess what – I love it, like you didn’t already know, and here are some examples of why…:

Top Row: Blossomy Romance Dress, Chicwish, £50.81 – Blue Dress, Dorothy Perkins, £45 – Dora Dress, Boohoo, £30 – Blue Skirt, Dorothy Perkins, £32

Second Row: Glossy Rose Skirt, Chicwish, £36.87 – Margot Heels, Topshop, £32 – Cream Skirt, River Island, £30 – Wrap Skirt, H&M, £34.99 

Third Row: Maybelle Twinset, Lindy Bop, £55 – Floral Dress, Miss Selfridge, £37 – Clutch, New Look, £17.50 – Jacket, River Island, £60

Bottom Row: Mini Skirt, River Island, £32 – Green Dress, Oasis, £68 – One Shoulder Dress, Topshop, £75 – Yellow Dress, Dorothy Perkins, £40

I’d rip Grandma’s curtains right off the pole and make a dress out of them myself if they were this pretty! But then I’m not scared of dressing like soft furnishings, as you well know…!

How about you? Are you willing to rock Granny Chic like me??

Love,