Here is a review of the peplum fashion looks for the spring
summer season of 2012. This article describes in detail
the peplum styles in dresses, skirts and tops in current women's fashion.
Fashion Looks - One of the strongest fashion trends
popping up on the department store rails is that of the peplum.
Peplums - Formally Structured to Frilly Swinging Peplums.
The perky peplum of old has competition from more innovative
peplums with origami folds, bell-shapes, frilly Fortuny
pleats, box pleats, asymmetric
peplums, or half peplums. Watch those peplums take hold in 2012.
Left - Monsoon Lemon Lauren Dress £100/€155 -
Due April.
Monsoon Stockist Number: 08448110068.
Right - Mint Green Aquamarine Pleated Frilly Peplum Dress.
Monsoon £100/€155 - Due April.
Monsoon Stockist Number: 08448110068.
Many fashion designers re-introduced peplums into their
ranges, but in 2012 the peplum has a different look. It comes in
many variations so for this season call it a modern peplum since fashion designers have given it a more architectural shape.
The modern peplum has greater volume, structure and padding
to keep that architectural shape alive. It echoes much of the
volume led fashions of the past decade.
»
Structured Peplums
Left - Tangerine Coral Red Box Pleat Peplum Jacket - Various
Items At TKMaxx SS12.
Right - LE PETITE ROBE DI CHIARA BONI Peplum Dress £324 - farfetch.com.
Phoebe Philo designer at Celine showed a big
peplum belt that was a detachable accessory. Peter Pilotto, Osman, Thakoon, House of Dior, Dries van Noten, Jason Wu, Acne
and high street store Zara all have peplum elements in their
collections. Peplums were added not just to tops and jackets, but
also to skirts and as waist highlighting to dresses.
Peplum Tops
The peplum was popular both before and after the
Second World War. Then it was revived again in the 1980s. The
80s peplum enhanced the silhouette to create a sharpened
waistline to compete with fitted shoulder padded jackets and
slinky silky pencil skirt dresses.
Peplum tops vary from limp or crisp frills that are simply
gathered on, flutes that ripple gently over the hips in
undulating folds; or pleats from fine accordion to deep
structured box pleat peplums. Peplum fabric can be sparse or
fulsome.
Left - Savida - Curved Peplum Red Top Showing
A Hint Of Peplum Cut With The Structured Top- Dunnes Stores Spring
2012 £24/€28.
Right - Marks & Spencer Red Peplum Skirt
Showing Very Full Peplum Add-on.
The peplum effect can be achieved by
introducing godets into princess seams of a jacket. To my mind
the best peplum is the type that is cut on a circle or cut on
the true bias grain of fabric. The latter will fall in the most
graceful curving waves that highlight the body rather than bump
it up or sticks out awkwardly. But the main factor to remember
is that the fit and the cut of the peplum has to be good and
balance for your figure type is key to pulling of peplum
fashions.
The perfect peplum flatters the boyish girl or the curvy
woman. The peplum is especially kind to a thick waist whilst
flowing over a soft abdomen. The peplum tailors in a feminine way
re-sculpting the body imperfect into the body beautiful. Make no
mistake about the peplum - it can reshape you into an hour glass
silhouette even if you haven't got a single curve and have a
straight down boyish figure.
Peplum Tops
These are simple peplum tops, much less structured than some of
the peplums shown on the dresses above.
Left - Internacionale Sleeveless - White
Belted Frilly Peplum Top - £12.99 Spring 12 Clothing Stockist
Number: 0141 552 2020.
Centre - Monsoon SS12 - Saira Stripe Gathered Peplum Vest Top -
£26/€40. Monsoon Stockist Number: 08448110068.
Right - Mint Velvet SS12 Retro Sherbet Pastel Peach Blocked Silk
Pleated Peplum Shell Top - £59/€79. Stockist Number: 0845 456
2200.
Foulard satin prints make use of the borders associated with
silk scarf prints and they are incorporated into the garment
design and cutting. This low cost blouse from Tesco also
incorporates a soft gathered peplum.
Left - Top £14, Skirt £10 by F&F Womenswear Spring Summer 2012 -
Tesco.com.
Right - Pretty Candy Coloured Pastel Colour Blocking - M&Co
Peplum Frill Top £29, Belted Capri Trousers £26.
A peplum draws attention to your body. It's the original body-con
from more sedate times and what better time to reintroduce it in
a time of new fashion modesty.
The peplum has been in and out of fashion history for centuries
in one way or another. Today's peplum styles are not unlike some
seen on my 1948 pattern drafting page. You can download the
free sketched
layout patterns for
these peplum styles from these two
fashion designs and see
more
styles from 1948.
My View On The Fashion For Peplums
I'll be frank, I wore one as a wonderful navy and white spot
crisply tailored blouse in the seventies, again in the late 80s
and early 90s when I
had several suits with curvy fitted peplum jackets. Even my slim
skirted wedding dress had a bit of a peplum on the upper bodice.
Those of us with
proportionately slimmer hips than upper body welcome the
womanly curves and balance a peplum can give to a straight down
lower half. Some say peplums enlarge the hips, but this isn't
always a bad thing if the peplum suits your body type. If you
try some styles and think "oh no a peplum doesn't suit me" then steer well
away, but not before trying a fair selection of different peplum garments before
writing off the peplum fashion fad. Different fabrics drape
differently so test out lots of peplum styles before saying no
to the peplum.
I'm for the peplum. A peplum can be dramatic and
sculptural or soft and flouncy. You know that old rule - invest
in a trend at the start of it not at the end. It's a fact that
the SS2012 peplum falls into
that category, because come fall 2012 the peplum is likely to be
even more visible. Fashion designers showed it again for autumn.
Remember that gypsy skirt that would not fade away, well watch
out for the peplum this year.
Right -
Colour Blocking With A Green Lace Peplum Top & Red Skirt.
Left - More Colour - Giambattiista Valli Purple Peplum Frill Top
£584 farfetch.com.
Women love the way a peplum makes them look and feel flirty,
pretty, curvy but girly.
Personally I prefer peplums more when set from the waist and
which are no longer than 20cm deep. I also prefer them when they
are part of
either a fitted princess or darted top or jacket. I am not a fan
of peplum dresses, but maybe they will suit you. for
me the best
figure flattering effect is gained from wearing
a peplum jacket or blouse with trousers or a slim-line pencil
skirt. This creates the best balance for me.
So I know my peplum
look, but do you know yours! If the peplum is new to you get
trying on peplum outfits now across the range available and get
to know the shapes that suit you way before fall when the peplum
becomes more mainstream. In this celebrity age the most
important ahead of the pack approval has come from none other
than the newest royal of the decade The Duchess of Cambridge.
Copyright of images courtesy of Prshots.com, Swarovski,
Marks & Spencer, Warehouse, New Look, ASOS, M&Co, Miss Selfridge, Monsoon, Mint Velvet, Dorothy Perkins, farfetch.com, Dunnes, TKMaxx,
Tesco, Internacionale.
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Right -
Colour Blocking With A Green Lace Peplum Top & Red Skirt.
