As Seen In The Times | “Power dressing now is all about volume”
 

In The Times, Fashion Director Anna Murphy writes about her latest style discovery, which happens to have been made during a personal styling appointment in one of our very own stores.
 

“Off-body” dressing is a little term that speaks to a big trend, one that heroes voluminous silhouettes and generous swathes of fabric. Anna was introduced to the term by Zoe Zipper, our Head of Retail who also hosts personal styling appointments.   

“I had booked in for one of Me+Em’s personal styling appointments with some friends, a complimentary service…that you can arrange via the brand’s website. I cannot recommend this highly enough for being both incredibly fun and incredibly helpful, great for nudging you towards things you might not have thought of previously.”

“For decades the norm has been for a woman to surface her curves to some degree, or, at the very least, to echo them. For reasons that probably don’t bear interrogation, that has been particularly the case in the workplace, especially those that are male-dominated. That’s why choosing to swamp your lines…feels refreshingly countercultural, which in turn reads as contemporary.

How To Wear The “Off-Body” Trend


Sharing her wisdom, Anna reveals how she makes the trend work in her everyday wardrobe: “...the way to make off-body work, for me at least, is always to balance all that volume with a nipped-in waist.”


A nipped-in waist comes courtesy of the Cotton Super Wide-Leg Trouser, which she says “I cannot go out in…without several women — of all ages, but universally cool — coming up and asking me where I got them from.”

 

“If off-body trews feel de trop you can embrace volume by way of a dramatic sleeve, keeping your lower half sleek courtesy of either slimline trousers or a pencil skirt.”

For a dramatic sleeve, Anna spotlights the Balloon Sleeve Cotton Shirt but look also to layering tops like the Statement Sleeve Layering Top and Picot Edge Pouf Sleeve Layering Top, which both feature sleek jersey bodies to sit comfortably under sleeveless knits and shift dresses. 

Speaking of, this season’s dresses can also achieve the look, with swathes of fabric that offer plenty of movement (particularly appealing when the weather is still hot and sticky) and belts that can be detached for entirely fluid, relaxed silhouettes. Look to midi dresses like the  Sporty Pleated Midi Dress or short swing dresses. 

Personal Styling Appointments


Personal styling appointments are available in all of our stores (excluding concessions). If you would like to book in for an appointment, either on your own or with a group of friends, simply fill in our online form.

Read the full article here