Photo: Courtesy of Carleen.
Carleen's spring '14 lookbook just dropped in our inboxes this morning. Heavily influenced by Patti Smith's
Just Kids — though there aren't any sheer shirts and vintage kimonos in the collection — the line boasts plenty of military jackets and talisman trinkets to make that connection clear. And, one of our favorite plays on the Smith-and-Mapplethorpe vibe? Wearing a plain, white shirtdress in a mixed-up, costume-ish way.
Unbuttoned from the waist down, a shirtdress becomes a top with a train. We saw this styling trick once before, during Rachel Comey's spring '14 show, and both times, the plain, white, knee-length shirtdress gave an otherwise straightforward outfit a dramatic spin. We kind of love it but also understand how the look can be a bit fussy — would we have to keep one hand in our pockets all day long? Either way, we think it's a tip that Patti Smith could get behind, suspenders or not.