The pieces are being sold to benefit the Rosa Spier House, home for retired musicians, artists and academics.  The house gives them a safe, secure place to live out their retirement while still providing support for their creative endeavors.

Some of the spectacular pieces available include:

*  DISCO BALL TOP – Small mirror squares are assembled as a top. Realisation Time:
45 hours.

* ELASTIC JACKET – A plaiting of elastic bands creates a jacket. Realisation Time: 29 hours

* WEDDING DRESS – A gown made with three vintage wedding dresses. Realisation Time: 37 hours
* WIGS JACKET – Brown wigs used to create a fur jacket. Realisation Time: 51 hours
* VINTAGE HAND PAINTED OIL CANVASES AS A DRESS – Three vintage painted oil canvases of varying subjects and periods, softened and coated in plastic form a dress. Realisation Time: 35 hours
* RECORD DRESS – A crepe de chine dress decorated with 33 and 45 rpm records. Realisation Time: 33 hours
* TINSEL AS FUR – Tinsel used as fur to create a coat or a jacket. Realisation Time: 31 hours

How often do you come across a jacket that takes 51 hours to make – and that’s 51 hours of hand sewing, no machine work involved!

images: Yoox

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One of a Kind Maison Martin Margiela

Try to ignore the undertheorized beauty job on this model and focus on the clothes. The silhouette on this jacket is perfect. With the pointy, wide shoulders and nipped in little waist, this baby is totally flattering. And cotton. Thick, delicious, double-knit cotton. Available for $90 from Jalvo.

Photo Credit: Jalvo

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Orion Blazer by Jalvo

Duh. Of course they’re okay! Especially when they’re not only adorable, but also feminine and refined. I’m totally nuts for this little number, even though it isn’t the most practical option for winter. Luckily, I live in the sub-tropics, so it isn’t exactly impractical, either. Anyways the high neck and delicate pin tucks bring soft structure to an otherwise amorphous option. I’d rock it with a tulip skirt and gloves. Why not? Available for $60 from Etcetera Peru.

Photo Credit: Etcetera Peru

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Madame Bovary Jacket by Etcetera Peru

Image: Torrid

1. Pin it! If your cropped plus jacket is too boxy, fold a back seam or gather a small pleat along the back of your coat, and then affix it with a decorative pin.
2. Fold it. If you have a plus coat with 3/4 sleeves, consider wearing a long-sleeved, button-down shirt beneath and then folding up the sleeves right over the tops of the coat sleeves.
3. Layer it. Try your cropped coat over a long tunic for a play on silhouettes. If you wear a shorter top and a cropped jacket, you might feel a draft in the cold, or your torso could look too short.
4. Aim for a cool contrast. Sometimes, when you wear black-on-black or navy-on-navy, you confuse the eye. If you try a jewel-tone top underneath a cropped coat, you can emphasize your curves and still bring color into your ensemble.

Cropped Jacket Dos: There are plenty of different cropped jacket styles from which to choose, like the super short “chubby” style, but if you need something lightly longer, you can choose a coat that shows just a peek of your layers beneath. Cropped jackets are your chance to make patterns work for you, so look for new seasonal brights, including stripes, swirls, flowers, and paisley in rainbow palettes. Not all jackets need to be boring and neutral, and cropped coats use less fabric, meaning that you can go brighter than ever. When it gets colder, buy a pair of gorgeous long, leather gloves to keep your exposed forearms toasty. Top it off with a beret!

Cropped Jacket Don’ts: Cropped coats can be dangerous if you are an apple shape. You’ll find that if you have muffin tendencies around the waistline, many cropped coats won’t flatter your shape. Look for trapeze coats instead that hit right at the hip as a compromise, or choose a classic cropped jacket, wearing it over an empire-waisted blouse or similar cute blouse style. Wearing dark layers underneath will also help streamline things.

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How to Rock a Cropped Plus Coat

The high fashion world is your playground, if you want it to be. The romantic in you, who also likes some ruffles to cover up her extra bits, won’t be able to resist the Colette Jacket & Bell Tolls Top by Nanette Lepore. The top portion of the outfit is the perfect example of how designer looks can work for moms, even the jacket alone with a belt and tee or tank underneath and jeans would work for a stylish but flattering look. The asymmetrical detail at the back adds that extra pizzazz wardrobe weary moms are looking for. The blouse, on the other hand, can be worn alone with pretty much anything on the bottom (jeans, skirts, slacks) but is breathtaking worn with the jacket.

Image: Neiman Marcus

Though the look is matched with black skinny pants on the Neiman Marcus website, the average mom just isn’t comfortable wearing anything that skin-tight to school fundraisers or play groups (or at all.) Do what you need to do to make it work for you. If jeans are your staple, throw on your favourite pair, but make sure they are a perfect fit on you. I could see this paired with a pencil skirt or even black knickers and heels. I can even imagine trouser jeans and a white tee with the jacket.

Though I am not a fan of the leopard print belt, it complements the subtle colours in the jacket and animal print is very in. I’d probably swap it for something simpler. After all, the look has to fit in to my day-to-day mom lifestyle. I’m not looking for outrageous, just fun, a little daring, and fashionable. I might suggest doing a leopard shoe though; imagine an animal print tucked under your perfectly fitted jeans. It’s like a little wink and nod from an über-fashionable mom at the PTA meeting.

Nanette Lepore is a favourite of so many fashion lovers. Beautifully designed and adaptable for women of any age, with gorgeous patterns, fabrics, cuts, and colours, her line is found at neimanmarcus.com. However (I say this with just a hint of a twinkle in my eye), beware of that website, because you can get caught up for hours drooling over the luxurious fashion eye candy.

More Mom Style Fashions:

• Etsy Style
• Go Anywhere Classy Casual
• 5 Old Navy Essentials

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Mom Style: Nanette Lepore

Image: Spiegel

I’d get the top, too, but it’s only available up to XL. What a pain, since the jacket’s up to 24W. No matter. . . you can grab great bow-neck tops at Evans London, any day of the year, or Newport News. Boo to the unfortunate, non-plus friendly pairing for sure.

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I Can’t See It, but I Like It

Image: Saks Fifth Avenue

Isn’t this jacket just perfect for women looking for a clean, lean black coat for career and life in general? I’m really liking this one, even though the price is steep, because it looks like one of those coats you can wear for a decade, on and off, without even realizing that you have had it so long. It almost looks wipe-clean, too, although it does say dry-clean only, but I think it would only require minimal upkeep regardless.

It’s on sale at Saks, from $895 to $357.90. What do you think? Do you love it as much as I do?

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Amazing Plus Fall Jacket, Size 16W

The short, open style is small enough to allow the details of a dress to show through, but substantial enough to provide a bit of warmth. I think it would look amazing with a brightly colored wisp of a dress, black stockings and pumps. You could even wear it now to the kind of events where the a/c is on high, which seems to be most of them. Available for $1,965 from Net-A-Porter.

Photo Credit: Net-A-Porter

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Velvet Petal Jacket by Stella McCartney

It’s also Monday.

And it seems like the unseasonably warm weather I’ve been enjoying has come to an end.  In fact, it’s pouring rain and is down to the single-didgets… brrrrrr!

So what’s my accessory pick for the day?

Jackets – stylish, feminine and useful jackets!

I love the detailling on this “Swing” raincoat by Manoush (I’m not sure how practical the 3/4 length sleeves would be on a day like today, where the rain is falling sideways though…)

image: Yoox

Get the look of silk, but the ease of care of polyester with London Fog’s red faux-silk trench coat:

image: Nordstrom

This belted trench coat by Gallery is also available in plus-sizes – as well as several lovely colors

image: Nordstrom

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Fall jackets for blustery days

It has the same jeweled belt and is a luxurious 100% silk – just in a trendy green animal print, rather than paisley.  Rowr!

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JK Rowling in a silk Dior jacket