Le Sac, La Mess, Et Les Miserables

In that piece there I talked about a chap who basically invented what is now known as Le Sac or the sack dress.  That chap’s name was Cristobal Balenciaga a Spanish couturier who is credited with the shift dress and bubble skirts amongst other things.  Which is a bit harsh considering he was a significant influence on 40s, 50s and 60s couture and was known as a perfectionist with exacting standards.

What is interesting though is how his and many other couture designers had and continue to have an enormous influence on our daily wear.

Still I digress…. I hadn’t really given a great deal of thought to Le Sac, except when reading about it initially I thought how dreadfully unflattering the moniker was.  Shift dress as it became known, for obvious reasons I suggest, is a much more flattering term. 

However just recently I had the misfortune to be on the receiving end of about 50lbs of chipboard, well in fact my poor shins were and whilst I won’t bore you with the details of how it transpired or the bloody mess that resulted but let’s just say my poor shins have seen better days!

When one is bandaged up to the eyeballs in hot weather, attire and what to wear each day takes on new purpose, anyone who has ever endured a long recovery from surgery or illness will know that feeling of “if life wasn’t miserable enough already, why do I have to wear a sack as well!?!”

Well chaps I completely empathize and it brings me back to Le Sac, because oddly enough I own two.  Just the other day a friend popped over for lunch and exclaimed “oh you’re wearing le sac, how great”.  Initially I was a tad offended, but in fact she was absolutely correct and my two linen shift dresses slightly tapered at the hem are ideal to wear when you’re feeling very sorry for yourself, it’s jolly  hot outside and you look like a nicely turned out dressage horse!

So old Cristobal Balenciaga, fab chap that he was has probably saved the day for countless damsels in distress and not just of the sartorial kind either!!

Look gorgeous, Feel Fabulous - Sophie

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