The last time I wore Natural History, to host book club, one of the attendees said, "You could wear that to a nightclub or an office meeting." Let's be clear: a sedate nightclub, a rowdy office meeting. But still.
I picked it up last summer at Another Man's Treasure, along with Raspberry Ripple and a couple of other winners that you'll see here soon/eventually (watch this space!). It was one of my proudest shopping days ever, including that sample sale where I got four J. Crew cashmere sweaters for $60 each, but not including the day I got my wedding dress for... a sum to be disclosed later (don't stop watching this space!).
My favorite thing about Natural History — versatility aside — is the way whoever made it really paid attention to the orientation of the fabric. The friezelike panel running down the left side isn't a strip that someone sewed on later; it's the edge of the fabric, and you can see the main floral design overlapping in places.
This motif reoccurs on the sleeves, though here it is a case of a little strip of fabric being sewn on later (and that's okay — the logistics for creating the sleeves otherwise just seem overwhelming). Note the slight bell sleeves here, which always give me a little thrill.
Sewn on or integrated into the print, these design elements remind me of those borders you sometimes find on Pucci dresses. (On a side note: can anyone tell me if that link is for real? Because if you can get Pucci for 90% off, I think that is where I will be spending all my money from here until the end of time.)
The weird gray and brown blooms hang out against a backdrop of negative space — much as I admire maximalist designs, I think this room to breathe is what makes Natural History look so grown up.
The one downfall of Natural History is that all that negative space is kind of transparent. It's a definite pantyhose situation. Even a slip would just look a little weird.
Maybe that is the key to Natural History's special kind of versatility: you can't just throw this piece on in a fit of laziness or apathy. You have to plan ahead, deal with a little bit of discomfort for the sake of a coherent outfit.
A small price to pay.
All photos by Claire Loeb!
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