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Tuesday 11 March 2014

The story behind the Jil Sander pink skirt...


I don't know if you remember the Spring/Summer 2011 Jil Sander show, for me it will go down in fashion history as one of the most beautiful collections ever. The models strutted down the catwalk in colour block maxi skirts worn with plain t-shirts and matte pink lips. It was a season full of colour and I remember being in total awe of this look. 


I hadn't planned on buying anything from the collection, I always think of Jil Sander as being out of my reach so it was a total surprise when I realised that (with a few sacrifices) I could actually afford it. It was February afternoon of 2011 and I was in Browns for a work appointment, they had it in orange, green with a peplum and pink... I tried it on and felt like a movie star. It is cut to perfection with these perfect little pleats in the waist and that spilt. A moment later I was walking out of the shop with my neatly folded and tissues-up skirt in a bag.


Sometimes I buy things that I just like to look at, and for a long time I did wonder when on earth was I going to wear it, it's not like I can strut down  Oxford Street in my full length skirt for most part of the year.  Then I got pregnant and the skirt didn't really get a chance. 

The summer after Greta was born (and after a year of maternity in jeans and t-shirts) I remember looking at my wardrobe and falling in love with it all over again. Finally I could wear all my beautiful clothes again! So I had a fashion epiphany, I had it shortned by a trusty tailor and packed for my summer holiday to be worn casually with flats and t-shirts.


I wore it with a crisp white t-shirt and a statement necklace for a friends birthday party by the beach, and then for a candle lit dinner with my friends on holiday in Amalfi. You could only reach the restaurant by boat and my friend Julie Adams took this photo on our way over at dusk. It then ended up being used for a feature on the J.Crew blog because I styled it with their fabulous J.Crew  Vintage cotton V-neck tee (£29.50), and my summer-best-buy metallic Boden pointy sling backs (luckily being repeated this season Boden pointed slingbacks £55).


After the summer I didn't get a chance to wear it again, but when packing for the Paris shows I thought to myself: why not. After all, it's the perfect fashion week look. I asked you on Instagram which outfit I should wear (Chanel or Jil?) and that was it. 


It's funny what attracts street style photographers attention, and when I arrived at the Tulleries I got asked for quite a few pics, the thing is you never know where they end up, so it was lovely that so many of you emailed and tweeted to let me know that you had spotted it. It was featured on WhoWhatWear.com, Refinery29 (on how to dress like a French girl!), Vogue.com,The Times G2 and more recently on Fashion Foie Gras with the loveliest words. So after being buried in my wardrobe for almost three years, the Jil Sander skirt got to live the mundane life it deserved!

8 comments:

Unknown said...

The perfect fashion fairytale, love it! xo Hanneke


Check out my personal style blog www.hannekeverstegen.com

Unknown said...

This is still one of my favourite ever collections – this skirt was the piece I always coveted! You wear it well. :)

Unknown said...

Love the entire look, just gorgeous! What really appeals to me about this story though is that you bought something that you loved and kept it throughout the years and then found, shall we say, a more 'practical' way to wear a really special item until finally…it got to have its day in the fashion limelight. For me though this is what real style is all about, much as I love new things and seeing what's coming in a new season, being truly stylish is about rocking amazing items that work for you, not matter what season you bought them in! xx

Unknown said...

wonderful!!! can I have the address of that trusty tailor? I might need her, thanks

Samantha said...

After you posted this photo, I've scoured the internet to find one on ebay or any resale websites. The cut of this skirt is amazing. I just might have to make my own or find a great tailor to help recreate this wonderful skirt!

Unknown said...

I love these types of posts, snippets into your everyday life, thank you for sharing.

Winnie said...

You look amazing in this skirt! Ever since seeing your post, I've been looking at designer resale sites to see if I can find the skirt! If you ever decide to sell it, I'll be happy to snap it right up!! :D

Winnie said...

The skirt looks beyond amazing on you! Ever since reading your post, I've also been looking at designer resale sites to see where I can find the skirt! If you ever decide to sell it, I'll be happy to snap it up!! :D

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