Friday Frocks - Long and Hot and Sixy

The sixth week of Friday frocks and we have a bumper crop.  Firstly, here come the boys:

pic removed by request (sept 2012)


Your eyes don't deceive you, and this isn't a distorted picture - this jacket really does feature the kind of pattern you see if you get too close to your TV screen.  I love it! I bet it attracts attention all day long.  On a design level, see how the pattern gets smaller as the jacket tapers in? That's pretty neat.

One of my colleagues, next - and isn't this shirt gorgeous? The print has quite a vintage feel, and it isn't too much for work because the tailoring is neat and close-fitting.  It helps too, that Hugo is quite a trim guy: that pattern over a much larger frame would look a little like soft furnishings, and what man wants to look like a sofa?

Lastly, for the gents @mikedixon honoured us with a new T shirt.  Cant say I'm much of one for slogans or jokes on clothes, but I do like the retro-americana styling with the contrast neck and yoked sleeves. And the moody look - you have to love a moody look.  He's a musician, you know, ladies...

Say hello to trashy. Trashy is a very, very close friend of mine and I truly love her, but this is the first time she's braved Friday Frocks.  What kept you, beautiful? Here she looks sophisticated and cool in a floaty-but-tailored black dress. I love the deep V neckline, it makes the dress sophisticatedly sexy - and it's enhanced by a simple silver necklace of exactly the right length.  Those Audrey Hepburn-style sunglasses? Divine.  The darkness and size balances out the dress against her fair colouring.
 

Rebecca lives in Ireland, and I guess it must've been a bit cooler there last Friday, because she's chosen to team up this simple black sundress (simple, but gorgeously flattering and boobtastic) with jeans and a cardie.  The dark denim works with the black dress - and of course jeans are practical for a busy mum - while the soft rose cardigan adds a flattering flash of colour and enhances her auburn hair.  Accessorising with a three year old in full Spiderman regalia? I love it. And if even toddlers can get on board with Friday frocks, what excuse have the rest of us got?

Speaking of small people, I know that lots of you loved Poppy, @BeBelongy's baby daughter last week.  Well here's mum! This is a lovely sundress, but styled up to look very swelegant.  Belting a dress can be a great way to show off your shape and add a certain something - and here that tan leather belt has been echoed by some lovely heeled sandals.  Then the chunky necklace gives the top of the outfit balance against that full skirt.
 

I need to apologise to a couple of lovely ladies for missing them out last week. I expect I occasionally will forget what photos I've been sent - please, please remind me if I do.  Charlotte looks so sophisticated here - this tailored dress is given a look of softness by the draped neckline, and the ballet pumps are the perfect retro-friendly option for people on their feet all day.

Less practical footwear from Megan, but I love the contrast of these twenties-style cutout 'tap shoes' against the black tights.  The eau de nil shade of the vintage-look dress (tiny pleats are such a lovely fashion detail at the moment) is picked up in the ribbons tying her shoes.  I adore this look - so cute.

Back to this week and another colourful frock from the woman in black: @Girl_In_A_Box... I may faint! This is a simple linen shift dress, but the idiosyncratic black jewellery, retro eyemakeup and 'up do' make the overall look unmistakably glam.

Maeve is rocking an actual skirt this week - which she tells me is a novelty for her. I don't know why, because she wears it well.  Immaculately colour co-ordinated as always, the little cardigan makes the outfit fun and is wonderful against Maeve's reddish hair colour.

Another turquoise cardie - this time from Trudi who is looking positively girly. Those silver pendants are just the most flattering length, and because of where they sit they break up the blackness of the top - tying it in to the patterned skirt.  I really love those ultra-pared-back sandals too.  Glitzy and practical.

I love the shape of Amanda's dress, here. The neckline is so flattering and respectably sexy, and the empire-line cut and A-line skirt give an impression of height and long-leggedness.  It looks really cool and airy, too.

Now, this is @_idioteque's Friday frock look - but it raises the question... is a Friday night outfit a Friday frock? Well, technically, no... probably not.  BUT - I'm happy to feature them anyway. Grey is Hugely fashionable at the moment, but it can look washed out and dull.  This outfit pulls the grey into sharp focus by teaming it with black throughout - on different scales.  I'd love to see more of those shoes - the contrast platform sole not only works with the contrast pattern on the skirt, but is eyecatching enough to be a focal point for the outfit.

@Girl_In_A_Box again, this time with first time Friday frocker @LittleModChick - ready to paint the town red. @LittleModChick pulls off the difficult horizontal stripes of the current nautical trend - but in such a showstopping top, wisely doesn't go too short with her skirt. Conversely, @Girl_In_A_Box covers up her cleavage in favour of showing off her fabulous pins in a pair of daringly short shorts.

@BeBelongy looks tanned and sultry here in this flattering maxi dress for her Friday night. Once again she shows her eye for accessorising with those two simple wooden bangles  - natural materials enhancing the kind of glam-hippy look.

A headless Bonita next - she sent me this Friday evening frock last week, actually - but it fits in with the Party Frock theme. I know regular readers will recognise the fabric as being the same as my peacock dress from the summer party a few weeks back  - but this style, also from Collectif last year, is shorter and more flirty.  To avoid too much exposure, Bon is wearing a beautifully matched vest top underneath - always an option to make you feel more secure.

Lastly me, in a pair of dotty frocks. In my Friday frock I've inadvertently managed to channel the eighties - it's a bit Strawberry Switchblade, and that's no bad thing.  On the Saturday night, at my Mother-in-Law's birthday party, I rocked my new frock from Collectif, and very pleased I am with it, too

So there you go - week six: a bumper crop.  But keep sending them in - regulars and newbies; young and old; male and female. And keep spreading the word!