February Sneak Peek # 5, A232343, is the CHIFFON CLIPPED DOT BOW BLOUSE. This ladies, is a beautiful blouse. If you purchased the pheasant feather print blouse, A227579, this is very similar. The blouse is approx. 27 inches long. It has a front and back yoke doubled with the self fabric…….where two pleats hang from each side. The back has four pleats to give a beautiful feminine drape. There are side slits so it looks great worn out, but it can just as easily be worn tucked in. The graceful sleeves end with a 1 7/8 inch, one button cuff. The beautiful, soft self tie bow is approx. 2 inches wide. There are tiny buttons down the front. The blouse fabric is 100% polyester, but you will swear it’s SILK! For those of you who don’t know exactly what a CLIPPED DOT fabric is……I will explain. These are not printed or flocked appliqued dots. The dots are woven into the fabric, and there are fine threads , which are loose between each dot, connecting dot to dot. In the old days, when the fabric was taken off the machine, women would sit and hand clip around each and every dot, leaving what is called an eye lash effect. You can imagine the time and cost producing those fabrics. Today, this clipping is done by machine, which makes it affordable, but still pricey. The original fabrics were mostly made in Switzerland…….in cotton. Later, designers wanted them made in silk and the manufacturing technique spread to France and Italy. The dots themselves, in this fabric, have a slight satiny effect, which you can see when you enlarge the picture. The colors for this blouse are……………………..BLACK…………………..BLUSH………………..IVORY………………….When you tie the bow of the Ivory blouse, look at the close up of the ivory bow above, you will notice it has a very very pale pink tinge……….sort of like a camellia or a white orchid. Needless to say these blouses look marvelous under the new suit, or any jacket you may already own. Yves St. Laurent has been showing this style of blouse for years, and the new designer for St Laurent has brought them back in a BIG way…….showing them under suits, very similar to the new one I am offering to you. This blouse completes that whole Bianca Jagger, Lauren Hutton look. I love them dressed up, but I also love them with JEANS, as you can see in the photo on the right….. towards the center. Wear a terrific belt, my demi hoops or chain hoops, and that’s all you need…………………….You will NEED to wear a CAMI under this blouse as it is sheer. I recommend a nude tank or camisole. Spanx has some nice ones if you don’t own one already. In the photos above, the black blouse has nothing under it and you can see the gold of the mannequin through the blouse. Of course, it is very exaggerated by the camera flash! The Blush and Ivory blouses have a nude tank under them and you can’t see anything, nor does it change the color of the blouse. You also have the option of wearing a black tank under the black . but I do prefer NUDE…………. NUDE…..what is a good nude color……..after many years of trial and error……and research……..I have come to the conclusion that the best nude color to wear under or line garments, for most women, is the color of an ordinary BROWN PAPER BAG! It’s not too pink….too light or too dark. It seems to work perfectly on most skin colors. For the daring amongst you, and I am sure there are a few, a beautiful black lace bra would look great under the black blouse…….jacket optional! This very delicate looking blouse is machine washable, so it is easy care, packs to nothing so it’s great for travel. I think every WOMAN NEEDS to have a beautiful, feminine blouse in their wardrobes………and if it’s as affordable as this one……why not???????…………..Enjoy…………much Love……………….Louis
Louis —
These blouses are absoluteloy gorgeous!
Thanks for providing the fabric education; clipped dot seems like dotted Swiss on steriods. Just beautiful. Are the white pearls (on the white blouse) yours? That’d be great if you’ll be bringing those to us.
Thanks again!!
The ivory pearls aren’t Linea…..yet!
Does this mean that they’ll be Linea … soon? I hope so, I hope so! I wear the grey all the time. Missed out on the pink and would LOVE to see those come back. In fact, I’ve been shopping around for pink and white pearls like yours … so far, no luck. Should I keep waitin’ and hopin’?
Honestly enjay…..I haven’t seen one sample yet for next fall…..they re all in work, but with Chinese New Year it delays everything…..so I can make promises. We did put new pearl colors in and Ivory is always avail to do. It just depends how many colors the buyer has the budget for. I’ve planned some pretty spectacular things……I hope they don’t come in over priced …..QVC isn’t Bloomies, Nordstroms, or Saks.
I would love those ivory pearls to become Linea pearls. They’re stunning and made for this gorgeous blouse!
I am In Love!!! This is Beautiful! All three for me! Louis, would the blush blouse go with the tarragon tweed jacket? Seems to me it might, hope, hope!
Oh my goodness! This gorgeous new spring/summer collection is killing me softly! SIGH! I’m all over the two blazers, and the pleated skirt, and the WK tops, and this gorgeous blouse!!! Hope QVC puts the listings up a titch early! I hate feeling like a piece of chum just tossed to the sharks 🙂 [Talking about the buying frenzy during the show – not the lovely Linea Ladies :)] But if need be – I’m in the water for all of this gorgeous collection. I LOVE what you did with the ivory – that blushing camelia look! Again SIGH! Can’t wait for the shows Louis 🙂
Louis,
This blouse is so very pretty and sophisticated…reminds me of a blouse I saw on a French woman at dinner in Paris. Thank you! We were in a cafe and she had it on with jeans and a tweed jacket with pearls!
Dear Victoria…..that sounds perfect to me. That’s exactly why the French women are considered well dressed. They put things together in an imaginative way……an off handed chic……that’s why I always say…..”play with your clothes….have fun”. I remember, for one of my shows for Anne Klein, I brought in three models who’s taste I respected, Jac being one of them…..[some look like they dressed in the dark…..thank God for good genes]. I had racks of clothes for the show, but no looks were done. I told them to make believe it was their closet. I showed them all of the shoes and accessories for the collection and told them to put the clothes together the way THEY would wear them!We had a ball, and let me say….they put combinations together in a way I would never have…….lesson learned……play with your clothes, and leap out of the BOX!!!
Re French women and their fashion sense: It lasts until their dying day, I believe. Forgive me, Louis, for I think I wrote this once before to you, but it is still one of my prominent memories. My Aunt Yvonne, who was French and came to the U.S., where she met my great-uncle Bill and married him, was fashionable until the end. I’ll never forget when I visited her in a retirement residence when she was every bit of 94. I’ll never forget that her skin was still a gorgeous porcelain and that she decorated herself with dangle earrings, a very French-looking scarf around her neck and a leather belt around her well-maintained waistline. Now I ask you, how many 94-year-olds wear a belt that is an accessory? The memory of her like that, at that ripe age, is indelible. She was lovely until the end. Perhaps we all can try for something like that image — wearing your lovely fashions.
Actually Goldie….my mother was just like that and she was 96. She hardly ever wore pants. She was either in a Louis Dell’Olio or St. John black pencil skirt and a silk blouse, jacket or slim cardigan. Never went out without earrings and preferred a cameo which she had for as long as I remember, and or pearls. Even at 96, she had great legs and she new it …….and every so often would remind who ever was listening…..she made me laugh…………moral of the story…..you’re NEVER to old to look good.
Amen, Louis! I love that your beloved mother was a fashionista. The apple did not fall far from the tree. You both have/(had) an exquisite sense of style. As we age, we tend to get down on ourselves because we don’t have the same appearance as we had in our heyday. We should always remember, though, how we admire older folks who try to put their best foot forward, and how we honestly believe they look handsome or beautiful. I’m not talking about being a Gloria Swanson lookalike, I’m talking about embracing your present state and dressing tastefully and with a certain dignity. (Of course we will allow body suits, etc.) You give us that opportunity, and we keep buying because we don’t know when this ice cream truck is going to stop selling us goodies. 🙂
I can imagine this look and love it, Victoria1. Thank you, Louis, for bringing this divine blouse to us. My heavens, I want all three, but will start with blush.
Gorgeous blouse Louis; a must have in all colors. What is that sand/charcoal textured fabric under the photos? It’s a knock out!
Dear designista…..it is so funny how we see things. At first I had absolutely no idea what you were talking about????? When I took a good look, I didn’t know, at first, what it was either!!?? Oh yes…….it’s a close up of the black dot blouse and what you are seeing as sand/charcoal is actually the gold of the mannequin showing through the weave of the fabric! It is magnified many many times, and you can see at the edges of the photo….the dots. The funny thing is I do have a faux line with a sort of hop sack weave, coming in May, that does “look” like that.
How funny! I look forward to the hop sack weave.
I’m in London right now, and that pink is everywhere (especially in pant suits which is maybe a bit much, but still lovely). All three for me, but really excited about the black one.
Gorgeous!! I can just see rae smith sketching at her design house in the movie ‘Backstreet’ wearing this with a pencil skirt and long pearls just as you have styled it for us!!
A true classic!
rae
Yes……very rae smith
Hi Rae! Your reference to “Backstreet” made my day! I am a new Linea customer and Backstreet is definitely one of my top three favorite movies. That fashion show finale, when John Gavin’s wife says she’ll take the bridal gown and have it sent to Rae Smith “she’ll never wear it!!” gets me every time!! I agree with your assessment. I personally never feel more like a “woman” than when I have on a blouse, pencil skirt and a few strands of pearls!! Thanks for the reference!! Enjoy the upcoming Linea shows!!