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The Brunette Babe’s Reasons to Love Velvet

Kim Kruse of the Brunette Babe
Kim Kruse of the Brunette Babe in our Velvet Crochet Trim Midi Dress

One of our favorite bloggers, Kim Kruse of the Brunette Babe tries on our Velvet Crochet Trim Midi Dress. Find out why this fabric is such a favorite during the fall/winter season.

Reasons to Love Wearing Velvet

Happy Saturday lovelies! I couldn’t be more happier of this fall, cool weather in the North East. Now that the weather is getting cooler, it is the perfect time to whip out all of your favorite velvet pieces. Therefore, here are some reasons to love wearing velvet.

Check out more of what Kim Kruse is up to at her blog, The Brunette Babe.

Memorial Day Weekend Sale

Now is the time to stock up on our new arrivals for the summer! You’ll get BIG savings when you shop our Memorial Day Weekend Sale. The more you buy, the more you save.

Save 15% on any order using the code MEMDAY15
Save 20% on your total order over $50 using the code MEMDAY20
Save 30% on your total order over $100 using the code MEMDAY30

This sale ends Monday at 11:59 PM EST, so don’t miss out!

Floral Fabrics: An Obsession with Beautiful Blooms

Floral Fabrics: Petals to the Metal
It seems like floral fabrics have been around forever. Your mother and your mother’s mother and probably her mother all rocked this look. How did it get so popular? We’ll take a look at this trend from budding to full bloom and see how it has changed through history.

Budding Floral Fabrics

People have been decorating with flowers for many centuries. But, when did we start decorating our garments with illustrations of these blooms? We can trace the origin of floral designs on fabric back to 12th century China. Fabrics embroidered with flowers and scenes of nature became very popular and quickly spread to other Asian and Middle-Eastern countries. Before long, Japan had caught onto the trend and started incorporating intricate floral embroidery into kimonos.

In China, fabric designs heavily used the peony and the lotus flower. In Chinese culture, the peony is significant as the “king of the flowers”. You can often find it on floral fabrics paired with the phoenix, the “king of the birds”. The lotus flower represents purity and is an important symbol in Buddhism.

Chintz from India

In India, carved wooden blocks were used to create floral the floral print design we know as Chintz. This is a floral design on calico, which was first used at the beginning of the 17th century in India. It quickly became popular in Europe when Portuguese and Dutch traders brought this floral fabric to their home.

In India, you could find mainly find chintz in home decor. But, the Europeans used chintz mostly for fashion. These days, you can still find chintz on western or prairie-style shirts.

Floral Fabrics Spreading through Europe

Once floral fabrics reached Europe, they spread through the countries like wildflowers. In the middle ages and 16th century, floral lace was all the rage. The fanciful and intricate designs were a staple of fashion in Europe during the Renaissance period.

However, as popular as the floral fabric was, it remained difficult to reproduce in Europe. British manufacturers were unable to replicate the process used to create chintz and it was subsequently banned from import to the country.

Bloom of the Industrial Revolution

In 1759, chintz fabric made its return to Europe with the coming of the Industrial Revolution. The laborious process to create these materials would no longer be a factor in production. The beautiful and intricate patterns could be created by machines. Now that the floral fabrics are cheaper and easier to make, they could easily spread to households around the world.

Modern Day Floral Fabrics

Today, floral fabrics are just as popular as they ever were. You’ve probably rocked a floral fabric whether it’s an embroidery, a lace detail or a floral print. It’s a classic statement of beauty and femininity and it’s here to stay.

Find your favorite florals

Fashion for Work and Play – The Solid Swing Dress

Pretty Dress
Sure, your dress is killing it, but you’re just going to Target.

Our Solid Swing Dress can be worn for many different occasions. This dress will be the Swiss Army Knife of your wardrobe and we’ll show you how.

We like to keep up on our social media at Lazy Caturday and we often see people seeking out comfortable and affordable dresses for all occasions. This is not an unreasonable request as you would like to get as much use out of your clothes as possible. Sure, we all have that really fabulous dress hanging in our closet waiting for the right occasion, but if you put it in your regular rotation, you might feel over-dressed for day-to-day occasions like work or shopping. What you really need is a dress that’s a multi-tasker. You need something you could easily wear to work, going to an event, or just hanging out with friends.

Below, we have examples of ways you can wear one of our Solid Swing Dresses for work, going to an event, or just hanging out with friends.

  1. The Work Look

    Pair your Solid Swing Dress with a blazer, a skinny belt, a statement necklace, dark tights and flats for a professional look. Impress the folks at work with a unique wooden wrist watch.

  2. Going to an Event

    Create a more dramatic look with knee-length boots and patterned tights. Pair a choker necklace with a matching bracelet and you have a bold, yet sleek look.

  3. The Hanging out with Friends Look

    You can create a more casual look with a blanket scarf, grey leggings, brown booties and a bangle bracelet.

The Solid Swing Dress

It’s easy to find a number of possibilities with the Solid Swing Dress. It’s so universal, you can rock this frock in most any situation. In addition to being the Swiss Army Knife of your wardrobe, it’s comfortable and has pockets!