Author: Louis Dell'Olio

A special weekend ……”Sneak Peek”. This Sneak Peek, #7,  is actually THREE new pieces: the KIMONO JACKET, A222265, the elongated TANK,  A222271 and the PULL-ON PANT, A222267. The fabric for all three pieces is my FAUX DE CHINE. Kimonos, worn casually as jackets over jeans, have become a strong “street” trend…..meaning many young women are buying thrift shop kimonos, when they can find them, and wearing them with camis, shirts, sweaters…..basically whatever they want…… then pairing them with jeans…….the look is very throw away and nonchalant, but has a certain chic. I have created an emb. kimono for you. This is a true kimono in the sense that the details: the band front, the shape and sleeve are taken from an authentic kimono. The emb. is all mine. The jacket is unlined so it is light as a feather and is approx. 28 inches long for a size XS. It has stitched through pockets so they always lay flat and stay in place. Take a close look at the photos to see the beautiful execution of the emb. The colors are BLACK with ECRU emb, CORAL with BLACK emb and SAND with BLACK emb. The workmanship is truly superb. The pull-on pant, unlined, is the perfect match to the kimono as a coordinate, but also is a great separate pant to be worn with many Linea pieces or other things you already own. The pant has an approx 32 inch inseam, a full elastic waist and has inseam pockets. This pant looks great with strippy flat  and high heel sandals, wedges, tea cup heels and slides. The colors are BLACK and SAND. A great silk pant is always useful…..even if it is faux…… The elongated tank is approx. 26 inches long for a size XS. The neckline and armhole are finished with self fabric piping and there are side slits for ease……another piece that can be used as a coordinate to the kimono or as a great separate piece. There are many ways to put these pieces together. Personally, I like mixing the colors. As you can see in the photos I have the tank and pant matching with a contrast jacket…… or the kimono and tank matching with the contrast bottom, [coral photo]…….. the black skirt is my 26 inch acrylic/wool knit skirt. It is MUCH MORE INTERESTING to have a contrast piece than to have all three pieces matching. The kimono can be used for any occasion or no occasion at all. For a more dressed up occasion wear the three pieces or pair the kimono with a dress, or pencil skirt. In one photo you can see the A219796, black faux silk shirt worn belted over a pencil skirt. Right now you can wear it with a turtleneck…..no need to wait for warm weather.For the “STREET LOOK” wear the white “KATE” shirt under the black kimono with distressed jeans…..in this case “holes” are acceptable. One look I particularly love [not photoed] is the sand tank worn with a black belt, with the tank worn on top of the black pant…..then slip the black and sand lace emb. cardigan over it……the different layers look edgy and very modern. It also works with the black tank and pant with one of the pastel lace emb cardigans. The KIMONO is a terrific “accessory” piece to spice up all of your essentials. The tank and pant will become some of your favorite pieces as the weather starts to heat up……………………Love, Louis

MIDWEEKSNEAKPEEK….say that 5 times in a row….FAST. My mid week Sneak Peek is style # A222274, and is an engineered stripe sweater. The yarn is 65%rayon/35%nylon. It is the same yarn, knit and weight as my A00025 sweater, with the stripes across the upper part of the body and down the sleeves. Most women have found this yarn and weight to be extremely COOL and COMFORTABLE to wear. This sweater has a jewel neckline, a 3/4 length sleeve and is approx. 25 inches long for an XS. I would recommend ordering you normal size. There is no need to size up or down, but it’s always a good idea to check the “click here” measurements. Why do I call this stripe engineered?…… because it is designed to flatter the body. It is NOT designed to emphasize body flaws. It is an all over stripe, but the stripes across the mid section of the torso are NARROWER and TONAL…..the end result gives the effect of a solid body with stripes on the upper half of the body….but doing it this way is more interesting….more “designer”. A small but important detail…..I could have made the stripes of the sleeves go to the top, but instead I added the Hot Pink and Green caps. This makes the shoulders look broader and the waist and hips look narrower….which is always a good thing…….smoke and mirrors. There are two color combinations. The first is NAVY and has the body stripes in dark navy and a dark blue. The upper body stripes are Kelly green, White, Red and Navy. The second is BLACK and the body stripes are Black and Dark Gray. The upper body stripes are Hot Pink, light Sand, Peony Pink and black. This is a fun layering piece and works under many of the Linea jackets you may already own or are thinking about purchasing. Some of the jackets that work well with these sweaters are, A221792, the Pea jacket in Green, Ivory and Cobalt, A221805, the Peony Pink, Ivory or Chino double breasted cotton jacket, the A221808, the Ivory, Navy or Red blazer with the signature gold buttons, A22543, the new denim blazer in all colors, A222274, the Black, Ivory or Pink blazers with the signature pearl buttons. That is just a few, but there are many many more from past collections that would look great with either of these sweaters…..like….the solid trench jacket with the tie belt and the white contrast touches…….I’m sure you could come up with lots of ways to spike your wardrobe with a sweater like this…………………..enjoy, Love Louis

Hi Everyone….Again, “Sneak Peek” # 5 is more of a reminder than a sneak peek because many of you already own this top, or have been thinking about it for a whole year, waiting for the reorder to arrive. Well, it’s here and avail. to be ordered. I hope you don’t mind me bombarding you with so many sneak peeks, but I’m trying to get as many posted before we leave for London.

A213615 , is my Hydrangea print V-neck top in PINK, BUTTER and NAVY. It is printed on my poly/span jersey, and there are many of you who can attest that the fabric is cool and comfortable through out the spring and summer months. Last year when I first presented this print, some felt it was too large….and for some it may have been, but I can tell you this year many many designers here and in Europe have shown tons of HUGE FLORAL PRINTS  on all kinds of clothes. So, if you wore them last year you were ahead of the game……this year they are more popular than ever. There is also a matching floral skirt, A213268 and floral blazer, A213219, that can be worn altogether or separately…..which you can mix with solids…..but I say….GO FOR THE TOTAL LOOK if you can carry it off….it’s dynamite! In the photo I have concentrated on the top with solid white bottoms but there are many other options from my green chambray Capri pants A215189,  to my new Indigo jeans with my new White denim peplum jacket……my navy peasant skirt and my chambray boho. Wear it to the office, out to lunch or just hanging out with friends. It’s a terrific travel piece…it takes absolutely no room and washes easily…….Ladies, Spring is right around the corner…..it’s time to BLOOM!…….Love, Louis

Sneak Peek #4 is my Monday morning treat! This is the year of the MAXI dress, or better, the YEAR OF THE DRESS, and I have a few coming this season. There will be dresses in all lengths, shapes, solids and prints…..from a faux shantung SAFARI DRESS, gorgeous…… a georgette short CAFTAN dress, easy and breezy……..a maxi cotton/span jersey, A-Line, tank dress [also a matching shrug will be avail in the WK], and a wonderful poly/span, [same fabric as all of my t-shirts], ethnic border print maxi.

The above dress in the photos is my first dress offering of the season and will be on my March 31st show, Sat. morning with Leah Williams. The style number is A222262. First the fabric…..it is 95% poly and 5% span………Okay, I can hear some of you MOANING now. If I have said it once….I have said it 1000 times, this is not the polyester of the 60s and leisure suits!!!! Polyester has come a long long way. When I first saw this fabric I thought it was a VERY FINE blend of linen and rayon. It is super LIGHT WEIGHT and has a very slight variegation to the knit which led me to believe there was linen in it. It is truly a brand new beautiful fabric and very unique………you will not be HOT in this dress! The print is my homage to “The Descendants”……..it certainly has an Hawaiian flare to it…….certainly ethnic. Each coloration starts with a very light natural background…….almost tea dipped and then quickly washed in cold water ….leaving behind a trace of color. The colors are NATURAL/BLACK,  NATURAL/ORCHID and NATURAL/CHARTREUSE…….they are all wonderful. The dress has an elastic at the neckline so it can be worn many different ways…..of the shoulder, off one shoulder or on the shoulders creating a , not too low, scoop neckline…..appropriate for summer weather. There is a seam under the bust….it is lower than an empire seam, but it is definitely above the waist which gives the skirt a LONGER LEANER look. Above the seam there is a little shirring to give a better fit for the bust. Below the seam [as you can see in the chartreuse picture to the extreme left], there is a section of flat pleats which gives the skirt VOLUME with out bulk! ……LADIES there are POCKETS!!!!!in the seams. I love this fabric because it has a wonderful DRAPE and FLOW and I am sure you will agree with me on that……this IS a matter of trust. As you can see from the photos I had a fun time with accessories. DO NOT BE AFRAID OF COLOR!!!! That is what makes you YOU and gives you your individual style. The dress is fabulous just worn loosely, but it also looks great belted, again giving YOU your own style. This is the perfect travel dress….roll it, pack it and go….wash and wear. It is perfect for any occasion…or no occasion at all. Get ready to own pure comfort………………………………………..much Love, Louis

An extra weekend bonus …….Sneak Peek #3″. Actually, a sneak peek infers something you haven’t seen, but this sneak peek is more of a reminder. The A213621, PEBBLE CREPE TUNIC, is probably one of my most universally accepted pieces. It sold out last year and the returns were extremely low…..which makes for a very successful item. I think there are many reasons for the success of this top. It is deceivingly simple……it’s only when you get it home can you appreciate all the work that has gone into this little top…….the separate bands that frame it and accentuate the shape also help it to drape properly. The patch pockets with the inserted bison detail, and the shape, proportion and fit all add up to the perfect little tunic. The fact that you can change the look of it with every wearing, depending on how you accessorize it makes it a very versatile garment. Many of you own it and many of you have already received the new colors……AQUAMARINE and NAVY…..the returning colors are COFFEE BEAN and BLACK. There are countless ways to wear this piece and there are new and old pebble crepe pieces you can mix and match with this top. Last seasons pebble crepe long pull-on pant, A215175, works with this top beautifully and is still avail in limited sizes and colors. The A221804, long straight pebble crepe skirt in black, sand and terracotta is the perfect proportion for this shorter top. The A223661, two tiered pebble crepe long skirt is coming in April and is one of my favorite pieces with this top and many others. Skirts with fullness are a major trend, but must have controlled fullness to be successful……I believe I have achieved that with this skirt…..it’s something new. It is pictured above in the Aquamarine with the matching top and also in Black, sneak peek #1, with the white denim jacket. For all of you that own it and swear by the comfort of the fabric, I need not say another word…….for those of you who are being introduced to this top and fabric for the first time……I suggest you read the reviews that so many Linea Ladies have given……..their testimonial says it all………enjoy, Louis