Author: Louis Dell'Olio

I told you earlier in the season that I was doing two “MILANO STITCH SWEATERS”, and here is the second one, A265550……Some of you may recognize this sweater as something similar to a popular sweater from the past……you would be correct…..Every so often I look through my archives in search of something that I feel is as relevant, as important now as it was when I first introduced it….Something that new Linea customers, who didn’t have the chance to purchase it the first time it was offered, might want to add to their new Linea wardrobes…This sweater jacket met all of the criteria…………It is similar, but not exactly the same to another I have offered before. The COTTON/ACRYLIC yarn is the same, and if you may own the previous one, you know just how well this yarn has stood up to time. It has a zip front [one way], RIBBED COLLAR and RIBBED POCKET BANDS, the pockets are functional…. all as before….. but this time the sweater has a 3/4 length sleeve with a RIBBED START. This gives the jacket some what of a retro feel….so popular today…….The length of the XS sweater is approx 23 inches……The shape is definitely boxier than the newest Milano stitch sweater, but exactly as the vintage one…..and similar to ottoman sweaters from the past……………The color above is YELLOW. If you own anything in SUNSHINE YELLOW as the SHORT SLEEVE MOCK NECK WK above, A251584 , which also comes in IVORY, RED and NAVY……..or the SUNSHINE YELLOW LACE SHELL. A252346…shown above….they all MATCH PERFECTLY. I think the lace shell and the Yellow sweater jacket would make for an ideal outfit for any spring/summer special occasion…..Switch it out with the mock neck or a tank…..pair it with jeans, and you have a wonderful casual outfit…..still pulled together….still sophisticated……Add the GOLD FISH, J278128 and the BOLD GOLD HOOP, J288005, for a little fun…..and you are off…………………………………………………………………………enjoy……………………..much Love…………………..Louis

……………………..DARK DEEP NAVY and GLEAMING WHITE with ICE COLD SILVER…..is a winning combination! Classic….yes, but for me, NEVER boring………..Under the NAVY SWEATER/JACKET, A265550, is the perfect WHITE “T”, A255118. It is in the poly/span that I always use for my printed tops…..What makes this T so special is that the front is DOUBLE FABRIC [in the white only], so there is absolutely NO SEE THROUGH. Really, when was the last time you saw any white T shirt made with a doubled front so you didn’t have to worry about your bra showing through. Many white Ts are so transparent you either have to layer it, or only wear it  with a jacket or cardigan over it for modesty?! That’s why I call it the PERFECT WHITE “T” SHIRT…..On the bottom…my WHITE Linea Leisure pull-on pant. If you haven’t gotten yours yet because you think it’s too early for white….you’re almost TOO LATE! Get them immediately before they are gone for the season…..there aren’t any more coming in!…………..To complete the outfit…my SILVER BEADS in the Linea finish. Ladies…..this may be the last time these beads are avail. in the Linea finishes of Silver,Gold, Gunmetal and Chocolate. This was a special finish developed for me at AK and i had it reproduced for my QVC line. The factory where these were made doesn’t want to make them again….it’s the same story as my Roma Ponte [my Linea Ladies who know this fabric know what the story is…the factory refused to make it again because it was to difficult to knit]. This necklace in all the colors and the set of matching stud earring is going to go the same way the Roma Ponte went. I am saying this because these pieces are unique, and will soon be gone forever. I  will be showing them in all the colors over and over again….season after season. I felt I had to share this information with you. I wanted to make new styles in these finishes, but so far we have not found a factory who will do it, and the factory that made these bead necklaces and stud earrings was one of the best factories……What can I say….I was thrilled when I was first able to bring these to you…thinking of all the different styles I wanted to do in the new Linea finish, but the end came much quicker than I expected…….so if they appeal to you, I wouldn’t let them slip through your fingers….they are chic, sophisticated, timeless….yet still modern with an edge! …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..enjoy…………..much Love………………………………Louis

……………….GREAT WHITE sweaters and jackets are not easy to find…….this SWEATER/JACKET has it all!……You can be sure, with the Milano stitch, there is NO see through. The zipper is SILVER….This white cotton/acrylic sweater will work with ANY of your WK WHITE sweaters……..The V-neck tank, A253408, the short sleeve V-neck, A233942, the sleeveless mock neck, A233947, all work with this cardigan. Don’t forget the “TWOFER”, A255153, in WHITE also works, and that’s the WK  tank and the WK short sleeve V-neck…At $59 it’s a terrific buy for two classic WK sweaters…..something for everyone……….To finish it off the SILVER FISH, J288023 and the BOLD HOOP, J288005…..The SWIRL earring  and the DEMI HOOP are also avail in SILVER and just back in stock……….Whether you wear it casually with jeans or leggings such as the A252344, which were reordered this past spring, but are now on clearance…..a terrific cotton/span legging….. the new Linea Leisure pant, A262070 for Reg. and A262072 P, in white, navy or black [selling out quickly]…..or more dressed up with trousers  such as the NAVY or BLACK PINSTRIPE, A259098 Reg/A259099 P……How much do I love the pinstripe pants with with sweater jacket…..really natty!…..or the navy WK pencil skirt, A253422, with sneakers or killer heels….this is a sweater/jacket that will work for you season after season….year after year………a collectors piece….. an ESSENTIAL……a must have…………………………………………………………………….

………………………………………………………………………..enjoy…………………much Love……………………Louis

The first MAXI DRESS of the season is the one in the photos above…..Yes, the fabric is definitely reminiscent of Missoni, as a matter of fact I was walking on Madison Ave. recently and passed the Missoni store, and they had a dress very similar to this in the window. I’m sure it was quadruple the price. The ICONIC  knitted zig zag pattern fabric is 100% polyester with a matte finish. I honestly thought it was cotton, and it feels like cotton. The dress is numerically sized and will be avail in two lengths………….A265563 is the reg. length and A265567 is the petite length. The dress has an easy shape…it is not overly fitted, but it follows the line of the body. It has a back zipper. The bottom of the dress is not tapered, but there is still a slit to ensure easy walking.. The tank neckline and armhole are piped in stretch knit, and the dress is lined to the knee with the same knit [it’s the knit we use for the boho skirt]………….The color above will be called Brown/Cream/ Black. I wouldn’t have called it brown since it is an exact match to the TOBACCO BOLERO, A232520, shown above…..which is the perfect arm covering for this dress……..The “Cream” is a true cream color….deeper than an off white or ivory. The overall look with the Tobacco and the Black is softer than it may appear in the photos……….For those of you who like to step out of the box and experiment, I thought I would show you a sneak peak of the Zebra/Tiger Stripe printed cardigan…..but that’s not coming until July for pre-fall so we have time. However, I wanted to take this opportunity to show you how well mixing patterns can work . Even though the Zig Zag and the Zebra patterns are very different, they have a commonality……..COLOR……which makes them “work” together. I have seen many combinations of patterns in magazines, and on the recent runways that IMHO look just plain awful! A great example of this is the newest Mui Mui Fall show. Prada received great reviews for this, but IMHO it was a joke and “hurt my eyes'”…..Take a look on Style.com……. I call it the “Dressing in the DARK philosophy”, and it shows very clearly that not everything goes together. There has to be harmony in the chaos………………………………………………………………………………enjoy……………..much Love……………………………..Louis

………………………………….The BLUE/WHITE/BLACK is the second color that will be avail in the maxi dress…..The Blue is very similar to LAPIS BLUE, which I have done before. Again, I have chosen the WK BOLERO/SHRUG, A232520, as the arm covering. I like the elongated line it gives to the dress. It doesn’t cover too much of the dress therefore it doesn’t cut you in half. Shrugs are not meant to cover the bust….they are meant to cover the arms only…………..Again, for those of you who enjoy mixing and creating the unexpected……I have photographed the BLACK and WHITE ZEBRA cardigan over the dress…..I know it’s not everyone’s cup of tea, and it isn’t meant for everyone…..just for those who get this kind of mix…..IMHO it does work, and has a very modern edgy look. Please take special notice of all the angles I photographed the dress….front SIDE and BACK…..the pattern MATCHES……with a bold stripe like this….the pattern must match or it can be maddening………Also, notice the close up of the knitted fabric, and just how intricate the knitted pattern is…………………….I know you have many many Linea things, past and present, that  you can wear over this new maxi dress……from the GAUZE SHRUG & GAUZE AND BOUCLE CARDIGANS, the OPEN FRONT KIMONO CARDIGAN, the DRAPED FRONT CARDIGAN, the  CLASSIC WK CARDIGAN and the SHORT SLEEVE WK CARDIGAN to …..the LINEA LEISURE CARDIGAN and HOODIE….to the PONTE and CREPE JACKETS……..Mixing the old with the new is what a sportswear wardrobe is all about…..collecting piece by piece….and then putting it all together………………………enjoy……………….much Love……………………Louis