Thursday, January 30, 2014

La Mia Boutique 02/2014

After a few months of collaborating with Silvia on LMB reviews, I'm back on my own! Silvia and I had a lot of fun writing these posts together, but they took A LOT of time, so finally I decided to go back to my usual way.
In the meantime, we postponed the review for the January issue more and more, until it didn't make a lot of sense to write it anymore; it wasn't a great issue anyway, so it's not a big loss, but you can see the technical drawings here

So, from now on, you'll see less patterns featured in these posts, only a selection of those about which I have something to say. I hope that's ok :)

Despite the frowning, duck-faced model (seriously, what the F is up with her?), the issue begins with a stunning coat. The huge collar reminds me of something from the 50's and the shape is spectacular. Unsurprisingly, this is a design by Chiara Boni.

The styling here makes me want to cry, but what a cute dress! Two big bows like these might be a lot to pull off for many people, but the rest of the dress is so simple that I think they work.

Again a design by Chiara Boni, this very elegant, very interesting bolero paired with a pretty boring bustier dress by Laura Mancini. This bolero reminds me a bit of the Victoria Blazer by By hand London, a pattern I've actually never thought could work on my body shape.

Definitely not a dress for everyone and for every day, but nonetheless quite stunning and definitely attention-seeking. The pattern pieces for the sleeves are HUMONGOUS, and in fact you need as much fabric for them as for the rest of the dress.

Next is a photoshoot inspired by tartan with a styling so tragic I'm not even gonna try and comment on it.
This coat pattern is extremely cute, and there's also a variation with patch pockets and without the fur pieces which I like even better. It reminds me a bit of the Anise coat by Colette patterns.

I don't remember why I included this fugliness, but here it is. Both designs feel incredibly outdated, especially those pants with an elastic waist. I can't... And to think they're a creation by acclaimed designer Aspesi...

More cute outerwear! This is definitely an advanced pattern, though. I love the big collar and princess seams at the back.

Cute outfit, no? The jacket is very Chanel-chic and the skirt would actually be great for a pregnant woman, since it has a very wide waistband made of knit material.

And finally: lingerie! I guess the previous patterns were popular. I haven't caught the lingerie bug just yet, but I really love the second set, especially the lines on the bra (although it doesn't look like it provides quite enough support for me).

Aaand... that's it! Here is the rest of the patterns of this issue (full size here):

I'm really looking forward to next month's issue, which is going to include designs by Makola (who made the May 2013 issue the best ever)!

Avete comprato questo numero di LMB? Che ne pensate?

11 comments:

  1. wow, these are awesome. i love the dress with the bow sleeves as well as the crazy huge sleeves. And the bra designs, esp the second one, are so cute!

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  2. Ooh I have a red Valentino dress pinned that looks just like the bow shouldered number

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  3. Are you sure that these are real and not reissued from the late 80's early 90's? Because i can not believe that these are real.

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  4. NEED that coat pattern! (Minus the tartan.)

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  5. La Mia Boutique uses designs from real designers; my guess is, sometimes they use REALLY old designs (they're probably cheaper?). They could at least try and modernize them with some decent styling, but IMHO they do a tragic job on that front.

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  6. For me, only the white coat passes the test. To me, all the rest look like bad garments from the 1980's or 1990's, especially with the horrendous styling!

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  7. Ooh, there's some cute stuff in there! I'm seriously getting addicted to outerwear, but I need to stop before I have 30 coats stuffed in my wardrobe!

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  8. This issue looks great; I've just ordered a copy. I'd never have picked it up based on the cover. Thanks for the review!

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  9. How are THE sizes? I have à waist of 80, can I buy the issue oe better not?

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  10. Here's the size table. Your waist size corresponds to size 48, although I'd go with either bust or hips measurements depending on the garment. Keep in mind that LMB patterns do not come in every size.

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  11. I love your reviews, they are hilarious. Please never stop being hash.

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