Dynasty Dressing

Lola Dita used to have a huge cabinet filled with Fine China. She was very proud of her collection of "vajillas," and I was always interested in the colors and patterns that filled the cabinet. 

Among those patterns was the classic blue and white china pattern which dates back to the Ming Dynasty. I was already fascinated with it as a child, and it was a fascination that was further fueled by my almost 4 years of living in HKG and SHG.

There's something about the rich blue and white pattern - it's almost like there's a story embedded in the intricate designs for each pattern.

When Roberto Cavalli came out with a Ming gown, I was in awe. The translation of the pattern from a vase to a piece of garment was truly spectacular. It was after seeing this gown that I began looking out for interesting fabrics with the Ming motif.

Recently, I found one. It was a beautifully intricate blue and white china pattern with touches of purple. It was artfully done and beautifully executed.

That pattern was from a line of clothes from Apartment 8. They had it in a dress (which I bought for Ate Lissa), and recently, they came out with the same pattern on pants! Needless to say, these pants automatically became part of my "must-buy" list.

As previously mentioned in earlier musings on patterned pants, the key here is finding the right top to go with the pants. Since the pattern of the pants were already very busy, it was important to find something that would act as a counterpoint. That way, the look will be balanced out.

For Ate Bullet, I found an oversized, boyfriend shirt from Zara. The boxy silhouette plays well against the slim cut of the pants. Plus, the color of the shirt echoes the Ming print.

For Ate Lissa, I went with a slimmer shirt which skims rather than hugs the figure. It was an organic cotton shirt from Zara which had a nice, slub texture that is the opposite of the fine quality of the print.

I sure hope this trend of Ming dynasty prints will pick-up and show up in more fast fashion brands soon. Paraphrasing Tom Jones' classic ditty: "You got to wear Dynasty to have an attitude."