A new vintage fashion staple with Emmy Design’s señorita top

Recently I had the pleasure of being contacted by Emmy Design, a small Swedish retro clothing company, to work with them on a review of something from their Spring/Summer 2015 collection. They make truly beautiful and quality items that fit in wonderfully into a vintage wardrobe, and I’m thrilled to have had the opportunity to collaborate with them!

I love that Emmy Design’s focus is on quality wardrobe pieces with a retro aesthetic, rather than fly-by-night trends, and for women of all ages! Their items run the gamut from light summery dresses and shorts, to knits and wools in winter. Perusing their site, you’ll notice there’s a decided spotlight on wardrobe staples, which can be the most difficult items to fill in for your closet, in my experience! Especially when you’re like me and always wooed by a great print. And they have that too, but to me part of what makes them great is their large variety of classic wardrobe pieces, things that are easy to mix and match together or with your favorite standbys.

Selecting an item? It was not easy! After some hemming and hawing, I decided to choose their Señorita Knit Top in a lovely brick red color. Even that decision was difficult, as they also have it in navy, green, pale blue and turquoise… every single one of which would easily slip right into my wardrobe, as I’m sure you can imagine! But I’m really lacking in the red department even though it’s my favorite color, and while I generally go for more stop sign red, the color was calling to me.

Once I paired it with a vintage embroidered skirt (from a Swedish estate, coincidentally) and a pair of resin earrings I made, I could see why. It was the perfect matchup! Instant wardrobe staple.

And let’s not forget my shoes. I picked up these amazing probably-70s-does-40s carved wooden peep toe sandals this winter. They’re definitely what my best friend from college calls “sitting shoes”, a point driven home by trying to stand around in them in the grass. But I think we can all agree it was worth it since they’re pretty phenomenal, especially with this outfit!

Now let’s talk about this top. I don’t generally go for warm weather knit tops, I think in part because I live somewhere where summers are often hot and humid, so the last thing I generally want to wear on my body is a knit item, even a very thin machine knit. Of course, this summer has been kind of an odd mix of cool, hot and humid alternately, so it’s no wonder I didn’t shy away from it. And I’m so glad I didn’t! The details on this top are so special, from the ruffled edges to the subtle lace pattern across the yoke and sleeves.

The top really is beautifully made, and is a very fine blend of mercerized cotton and modal, so it’s actually quite lightweight and drapey. There’s enough body to carry off the puffed sleeves and small ruffles around the sleeve and neckline (both of which are elasticized), but without standing at attention, know what I mean? It gives the garment a lovely flow without feeling too fussy. Perfect for a summer evening at the park, where Mel took these photos.

I always struggle to find or make perfect staples for my wardrobe, and I’m thrilled that this Señorita Knit Top will be a classic for me that I can see wearing for years to come. And that’s one of the goals of Emmy Designs that I really admire; they want their pieces to be things you can turn to year after year. I’m sure this is actually one of the things I enjoy about vintage style… you kind of get to operate outside of the world of fashion trends. I won’t look at this top next year and think, “Well, this is out of fashion! What can I replace it with now?” I’ll look at it and be glad to own a quality piece that will stand the test of time in the little vintage fashion world I create for myself. 🙂

If you’re into a vintage aesthetic as much as I am, I’d highly recommend you check out Emmy Design. And their Spring/Summer collection is drool-worthy. Things like a ruffled Itsy Bitsy Teeny Tweeny bikini (which is adorable and actually quite modest!), Peggy Sue cigarette pants (you know I’m on board with those!), and classic high-waisted Voyager Shorts. Lots of items I’m currently coveting!

And while I’m daydreaming over summer things and still will be for a good while yet, I’m also really excited to see what Emmy Design cooks up for fall and winter!

outfit details

Señorita Knit Top: courtesy of Emmy Design Sweden
1950s skirt: Hijinx Vintage
earrings: made by me
Bakelite bangles: misc.
vintage scarf: misc.
vintage platform sandals: Antique & Resale in Chicago