Sketch Pad: 12/08

Did you ever get a vision of exactly the right cardigan to finish off your posh work outfit or the perfect boot to take you through an entire day out with the girls and into a night out? Now, did you actually try searching for these essential, elusive wardrobe additions?
Honestly, these items are usually out there, somewhere, but they are never in the proper size or price range or color or fabric to fit your vision.
There’s your answer, guys, for why women walk into a store under the guise of “not looking for anything” and proceed to spend hour upon hour flipping through clothes racks. We’re searching for the intangible perfection of that designer shoe or handbag from the “My Imagination” collection.

My collection includes a variety of ‘essentials’ that seem the epitome of ‘practical’ according to my vision. Top of the list is the rise of the square-toed shoe. Nine West comes close here. Something with a deep, toe-cleavage cut and a blunt, squared front. And none of that stripper platform business, thank you!

I have recently been longing for some long dresses and skirts. Not just of the evening wear variety- consider the maxi dress (above, Kate Moss). I think a bright color or pattern on a long skirt would be wonderfully comfortable, yet still sophisticated enough when paired with a fitted turtleneck t-shirt, nude-toned cardigan or architectural jacket. Now, this may be a delayed product of attending too many weddings last summer, but I think a little romance is a nice contrast to the recent menswear office wear obsession.

Another item missing from the store shelves is patterns. Stripes are always a spring/summer nautical theme, polka dots and hounds tooth are retro references and then you can always find ‘reinvented’ florals in fall and spring. Mixing it up with ethnic-inspired patterns to be worn together would nicely stretch the bounds of what “matches” and what “goes” with what. Especially since Spring 2009 is promising an influx of nudes and flesh tones to make pattern mixing easy.
*Where to shop: Target’s latest GO International designer, Thakoon, has a blinding variety of prints in his collection and encourages mixing and matching. BeBe also has a hot house mix of prints in their spring collection (link).
Your turn, what are you waiting to see on the shelves of your favorite store? Better yet, pass on the tip if you have seen any of these items in the shops.