Dots perfect

When Joanne - the Plains & Prints Ali Mall manager - told me about the Plains & Prints x Vania Romoff x Mark Bumgarner collab, my excitement went through the roof.

After all, Vania and Mark are accomplished designers who both embrace the "simple but elegant" aesthetic, so putting their heads together for one collab has all the makings of a home run.

When the collection dropped, my excitement dropped notches lower. Overall, a lot of the pieces looked more like party wear rather than every day wear. Even the 2 dresses - the pieces that I had very high hopes for - were just okay.

But there were 3 pieces that stood out and immediately went to my "must buy" list. And yes, I was able to buy them.

First is this skirt and sleeveless top made in a polka dot fabric that's SO Vania Romoff. 

Among the pieces, these 2 are the ones that look like they came straight out of Vania's core line. The simplicity of the cut, the full skirt, the minimalist aesthetic - they all came together beautifully. And if you think that's the end of it, check out the back of the top:

Now THAT is a chic detail.

The nice thing about the skirt is that it can also be paired with the other pieces from the collection. So, along with these 2 pieces, ended up buying their black & white polka dot top with puffed sleeves and an empire waist.

And as you can see, the top pairs perfectly with the skirt.

Now, that's simple, elegant and versatile fashion!

Romoff if you still want to!

One test whether clothes are classic and timeless is if it's been years since they were released and they still look fresh as the time they were launched.

Both Plains & Prints and Vania Romoff are known for these kinds of clothes - timeless, classic, and fashionable.

It's been 3 years since the 2 had a collaboration, and I was fortunate to get pieces from that in 2017. And some when they had their Purple Sale at the start of the year.

Now, more than 3 years after the launch, I found some pieces from the same collection on the Plains & Prints online store. These were pieces that I missed buying out that year, and made sure that I won't miss out this time. Fashion FOMO, anyone?

These are the pieces:

It's the beautiful Lucia blouse and Sedonna pants!

Looking at them now, it seems like it was just designed and released a few months ago. It's still very much on-trend - both in the print and the design.

With this purchase, it looks like I'll be watching out for the other pieces from this collection again.

Ruffle prize

Needless to say, i’ve been visiting Plains and Prints quite often because of their Purple Sale. And as expected, it does not disappoint.

One combo that I got that was on sale is actually from the Vania Romoff x Plains & Prints collaboration from 2017. I guess it took them more than 2 years to deem the collection to be sold at 50% off.

Of course, I couldn’t resist getting my hands on some pieces. Particularly this combo:

It’s a whole lotta ruffles, but tastefully done.

The top is a navy blue ruffled top which is sleeveless, so it keeps it from looking too heavy or belabored.

The bottom I chose for it is a ruffled culottes. It’s made of light denim fabric and is roomy, which gives it that relaxed feel.

What’s cool is that the ruffles run all the way to the back!

With this ensemble, it looks like you’ve won the ruffle prize!

This Romoff isn't a one-off

Last year, September 2016 in particular, I wrote about the mini-collaboration that Plains & Prints had with Vania Romoff. It was part of a 5-designer capsule collection, and her pieces were the best made both in design and execution.

Secretly, I was wishing that her collaboration with the brand would have a part 2. Knowing Vania Romoff's work and aesthetic, it's a natural fit with Plains & Prints.

Well, this is one of those cases where wishes come true. Last week, they announced the Plains & Prints x Vania Romoff collaboration. And today, it was their preview sale!

As expected, her pieces were feminine, classic with touches of well-though-of design. I like her play of colors and prints - in this particular case, florals that were inspired by local blooms.

While everything looked so covet-worthy, I edited myself and got 2 of the most standout pieces from the bunch. A rust colored dress with ruffles, and a wrap dress with dainty floral prints.

The line will officially launch on July 15. And who knows, I might just get a few more pieces then.

Romoff Rocks!

Just a few days back, Plains & Prints announced a new designer collaboration. This time, it wasn't with one, not two, but five designers.

It was a combination of old collaborators (Eala, Laurel and Ortiz) with two new female designers added to the mix. (Disini and Romoff.)

Of course, I was interested to see what these designers came up with. Particularly, I wanted to see the dresses created by Rajo Laurel since his first 2 collaborations for Plains & Prints resulted in very nice pieces.

Yesterday, they had a preview sale of the collection and decided to drop by. The collection had a total of 10 dresses, and after poring through the racks, two dresses impressed me the most.

(The dresses came in this nice pink box. That didn't sound right.)

The designer of these 2 dresses? Vania Romoff!

Among the lot, her dresses were the most chic and unique. For starters, the designs were exquisite. True to her aesthetic, the dresses were truly graceful.

What I liked most about her collection is that she really embraced prints. Apart from being impeccably designed and constructed, her clothes came in printed fabrics. One was this beautiful botanical print, while the other was delicately embossed on to the jacquard-ish fabric.

Among the 5 designers, Vania Romoff delivered the best dresses. Romoff wins!

(Incidentally, this is the 3rd Vania Romoff collaboration that's in my sister's closet. She has clothes from Vania's collaboration with Crossings and Ensembles.)

A (lace) pattern forming

In the continuing saga of lace...

Most people think that lace is all about random floral patterns. But there are rare occasions where lace has this more systematic and rhythmic pattern that give it a different feel. Instead of being too frilly and girly, it becomes more architectural and art deco.

Just like this pattern. It's bereft of flowers or frill, so it's not the conventional lace.

This very unique lace fabric is from a dress that was part of Vania Romoff's capsule collection for The Ramp.

Everything about this dress is perfection. The fabric is unique, the silhouette is classic, and there's even a touch of yellow velvet to keep the look from looking flat.

It's a combination that can make non-lace believers embrace the lace trend.