Embellishments on clothes

Dolce and Gabbana’s spring / summer 2012 collection had more to offer than just pasta and capsicum rings. The colourful gemstone beading defines the silhouette of the body more than the fabric or the cut of the outfit. Dolce and Gabbana have used this detail to their advantage by highlighting other chief trends of the season, being the high-waist skirt, crop top or ‘60s style dresses. Intricate artisanship is seen in majority of the collection via beading and metallic embellishments.

Marios Schwab and Sass and Bide both use embellishments and sequinned detailing to hide all evidence of the sheer trend. Using nude beads, Sass and Bide camouflages the breasts and belly button, while Schwab opts for a metallic finish. If you’re still hovering over sheer pieces with wonderment and aren’t the type to show a flash of skin, this option is your saviour in disguise, literally. Look for pieces that will subtly hide the private bits and still bring out the most from both spring trends. Also look for pieces where sheer fabrics are overlaid with lace, cross-stitch or cable knits.
Another way to approach the embellishments trend is by including it in a statement piece. Say with an embellished jacket, as seen on the Isabel Marant runway, or even tapered summer shorts. It’ll be a loud piece, especially if you pick mirrored or sequinned embellishments, but this lets you keep the rest of the outfit a low-key affair.

Embellishments are also used to simply accent certain aspects of the outfit – the collar, lapels, cufflinks or the waist. The colourful ornamentation in Tony Burch’s collection gives it the glam approval, even though it’s not completely taking over the original design. This version is as subtle as you can go with the embellished trend for this summer.