The quiet simple clothing and effortless styling from the French company American Vintage is so refreshing. The Fall/Winter 2010 collection is full of comfy knits made of cotton, lambs wool & cashmere in dreamy hues inspired by autumn landscapes and the powder-tones of Parisian winter skies. I want to slip into one of their pieces with a soothing cup of tea to unwind after a hard day’s work. Makes you look forward to layers for Fall and stormy skies, don’t you think?
I love the casual cool of a woman in a comfy man’s shirt—even better if it’s being worn to bed. Enter the nightshirt, or chemise, a unisex staple that has undoubtedly stood the test of time. Though in truth, its early beginnings were less than sophisticated: Before the rise of underwear, towards the end of the Victorian era, men tucked extra-long undershirts into their pants to double as skivvies while women wore theirs under dresses. Eventually these lazy (and dirty!) folk slept in their chemises too.
While the nightshirt was ultimately dethroned by the two-piece pyjama set for men—bless those guys who still sport it—I’m loving its continued legacy for the ladies.
Jean Seberg, the darling of French new wave cinema, gave the look new life in Godard’s 1960 masterpiece Breathless. And these recent finds are a sumptuous cross-pollination between a more robust men’s linen nightshirt and something decidedly feminine and blousy. My longing for one is leaving me a little breathless indeed…
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