This year really shook me y’all. I don’t intend on apologizing but we all know I wasn’t very present online. It’s been a struggle… But I am still a fashion creature and I must keep fashioning, so here is a list of the designers that kept my wardrobe happy this year. By the way, I know the term femme-enfant (woman-child literally) might sound relatively problematic. Please consider that it is just a name for what I think my aesthetic has always been, a little bit of childhood nostalgia mixed with my adult tastes and inspirations.

Hannah Isolde

Hannah Isolde Marina Dress in Vanilla, size Small with smaller waist

Hannah Isolde is a Montreal based business I have discovered a couple of years ago when they contacted me to work as a model for them. We ended up never doing it but when they released their SS22 collection they caught my attention again, and I knew I had to give them a chance as a customer. Their Marina dress really stole my heart and it didn’t take long for me to buy a couple more pieces from them after acquiring Marina.
It is a beautiful well thought out brand, with a defined aesthetic and joyful spirit. Many of their garments do not seem very full-bust friendly but I fit in their size Small and usually ask for minor adjustments at the waist. Overall super happy that this brand exists!

L’ecole des femmes

L’école des femmes Silk sailor top (size M)

L’ecole des femmes really appeals to my French spirit. This brand is a Parisian girl fantasy and I love the sassiness, and ultimate femme-enfant vibes. It’s screams “I am a grown woman and I’ll do whatever the F I want, but also I am a romantic baby who likes Russian literature and you should know that”.

I struggled a bit over the years to find reliable information about their quality and sizing, but now I have about 4 dresses from them, a skirt, a coat, a silk jumpsuit and 3 tops so I have a good idea of what it is. I must say, I only buy during the sales, and I don’t recommend the vegan leather stuff. But the dresses I have bought were good quality, and the tops as well. I think the finishes aren’t up to luxury standards but the silhouettes and designs are lovely.

It is more of a fashion statement brand I would say than an actually luxury brand, if that makes sense. I buy a size Medium in the tops and a 4/6 in the dresses. I must say that if they have an open neckline they usually are generous in the bust area, but if it is very closed, usually they run small around the chest.

Eliza Faulkner

Eliza Faulkner Grace dress in Small

Eliza Faulkner is a Canadian brand I discovered a few years ago but didn’t think I could afford or even fit in for a while. Indeed, their use of linen and their silhouettes made me think it was best suited for a different bodyshape. In a nutshell, I didn’t see lots of space for the breasts and their low waist lines didn’t seem to be great for my figure. However, since they incorporated Seezle as a payment option, I took the plunge and got one of their Summer dresses, which has been one of my most worn dresses ever, and probably my favorite dress to wear on any day really. After that purchase, I decided to give them a chance and bought a couple of oversized shirts and sailor tops and I just adore everything I have from this brand. It is definitely not cheap but I allow myself a couple of pieces a year during the sales.

Hearts & Found

Hearts & Found Kelly dress in Small

This Vietnam based brand is for everyone who craves well-tailored, vintage inspired clothes. Most of their styles have this sweet cottage-core, or vintage pin-up vibe to them and I adore it. I own only one dress for them, though I recently ordered another one and I shall review them this year. I wore the first dress extensively during the past couple of summers and it is a dress I wish I could wear everywhere at any time. It is simple and flattering, well made and comfortable. I feel like a cute Marilyn Monroe on summer vacations whenever I wear it. I adore this dress. Know that they offer custom options for fabric, size, and styles. It is really an amazing brand.

She and Reveries

She and reveries silk cardigan and silk skirt in Small

This is a brand I discovered years ago but only tried this year as it was closing. Quinne Myers, the designer gifted me quite a few samples and though the brand isn’t on the market anymore, I know I will feature these pieces for years to come in my work. Beautiful printed silk, lovely cardigans, pretty summer dresses. Everything is so adorable. I am sorry for not featuring it on this blog this summer, I actually wore the pieces very often, but I wasn’t in a great mental space for blogging. Anyway, I can’t wait to see what other little treasures Quinne creates! She is now a tattoo artist, for those who might be interested!

Gowns by Roberta

Roberta Rose Gardenia dress in Small

Gown by Roberta is a small Slovakia based business. It is definitely a luxury brand with a price point that isn’t easily afforded by most people. I have discovered the brand via The Lingerie addict when she featured one of their pants in an editorial photoshoot. Back then it was entirely out of the question to spend this amount on pants or a dress, but this year I came across one of their designs that really felt like it was meant to be in my wardrobe. The designer offered payments in instalment so I decided to go for it.

In the end, this year, I bought two of their dresses this way and they are both truly adorable designs. I should review them so you can know the pros and cons in case you want to invest in pieces at this price point. Anyway, I always get great compliments whenever I wear them, they really are my cup of tea. I am not sure I can justify spending this much on dresses in the future but I am happy with the ones I got. I shall wear them for years to come.

Overall, this year, I did not buy much lingerie, I mostly invested in outerwear and I also bought way less fashion in general. That being said, I did buy much more expensive garments, and art/furnitures. Is it a symptom of becoming a grown up? Y’all tell me.
All I can say is that I have been widely uninspired by the mainstream fashion scene. I didn’t like any trend that wasn’t already a traditional seasonal trend. I imagine that the pandemic have pushed brands to play it safe and I can see why, but as a result I have felt under stimulated by the new releases this past 12 months.

How did you feel about fashion this year? Did you change your habits? Did your tastes change?

Love always,
Yours truly,
Wen