Introducing Jane & Marilyn ~ Grown Up Glamour for Real Women…

The trouble with 'Mother of the Bride' outfits is, well, let's face it, they are a teeeeeny tiny little bit……..boring? 

Please don't shoot me, but be honest my friends, those brands marketing more formal Mother of the Bride outfits, or 'MOB' as I shall affectionately refer to her from here on, have tended not to be, how do I put it, not all too exciting? Samey samey box jacket and pencil skirt combo posed in the magazines with a model grasping on to an uninspiring clutch bag?  Well where's the originality and styling in that?  I must be sent a handful of emails each month asking me to direct Brides to stylish 'MOB' outfits online.  Most of the time I suggest forgetting flicking through the magazines for MOB outfits and to 'think high-street' instead, recommending somewhere like Monsoon, or House of Fraser. But lately, I've been recommending something new. And they go by the name of Jane and Marilyn.

Jane and Marilyn are a new fashion label that was launched back in February this year.  Designed to provide 'Grown up glamour for real women', the first Jane and Marilyn collection features 10 dress designs in a variety of colours; from essential black to jewel brights and flattering neutrals.

And absolutely no dull 'MOB" outfits in sight…

Love My Dress Wedding Blog – Photography Copyright (c) 2011, Julia Boggio, for Jane and Marilyn

"Our brand references Jane Russell and Marilyn Monroe and the glamorous clothes of that era – but as luck would have it, we really are called Jane & Marilyn too!

Our designs are all about looking fabulous first and foremost rather than high fashion for its own sake. It’s great to be on trend, but not at the cost of what suits you. In any case, the classic 50s style is really beyond fashion, it never goes out of style and that’s simply because women love it so much…

It’s a polished, groomed look that references the glamorous style of the 1950s; the designs accentuate the waist, glide over the hips and embrace curves. Skirts are either full circle or pencil with fishtails and godets at the back which give you a sexy swing when you walk.

We are designing for real, grown up women, not girls."

Jane and Marilyn used non professional models in its fashion shoot with Julia Boggio, to emphasise its commitment to real women – the sort of women that would be buying the dresses…

Jane and Marilyn dresses are of exceptional high quality. I would not endorse a product with such words, had I not seen, touched and tried on one of these dresses for myself. I was lucky enough to have been sent a sample to examine and really was very impressed with the whole package – talking of which, the dresses come beautiful presented in a large black box, wrapped with ribbon.  Pealing back the layers of tissue to reveal a gorgeous Marilyn Monroe-esque number inside made it a little bit like opening a fabulous early Christmas present. I was only sad to have to send the dress back.

By the way, this is the dress I was sent.  Isn't it a beauty?

But who are Jane and Marilyn?  I got chatting to the duo recently and learned a but more about these best friends and experienced entrepreneurs…

"We launched our fashion label, Jane and Marilyn, in February this year.  In the past, we have found trying to find something flattering, sophisticated and appropriate for events a challenging process. So we created our collection in response to that need. Our research suggests that many women face these same challenges and it is these women who we hope will become Jane & Marilyn customers.

Our first collection comprises 10 dresses in a variety of colours from essential black to jewel brights and flattering neutrals. The Jane & Marilyn collection is designed to be both luxurious and practical, suitable for a variety of situations – work and play.

Our aim is to appeal to women who want to look feminine, but also grown up and sophisticated. Women that appreciate exclusivity and luxury coupled with practicality  – our dresses are perfect for event wear but  they are designed to be versatile, happy at work and parties too…"

 

All Jane and Marilyn dresses are made in the UK, from pure wool, silk or cotton most of which is also produced here. The dresses are also fully lined in pure silk. This is reflected in their price tags [£595.00 to £845.00} but then, if you want beautiful craftsmanship, and the very best quality fabrics, you have to expect to pay this kind of money.  We're not talking mass-produced high-street tat here.  We're talking old style Hollywood glamour with fabulous shape, cut and finish, beautiful cloth and sumptuous colours.  And I just LOVE the way the dresses echo the flattering, elegant style of the 1950’s, accentuating the waist, gliding over the hips and embracing curves.

You don't get that for £49.99 off the high street.

 

Signature elements include full circle skirts or pencil with double box pleats or godets at the back, tailoring and flattering, wider necklines.  With legs and arms cited by women as two of their top five ‘problem areas,’ many of the Jane & Marilyn dresses have flattering three quarter length sleeves and all are designed to fall below the knee – giving a chic silhouette to any shape.

“Personally, I’m not mad about my upper arms and we’ve also had so many occasions where we’ve been at outdoor ‘summer’ events, absolutely freezing,” comments Jane. “So we’ve made sure some of our dresses have little three quarter sleeves that you can wear flipped up or down to cover any misbehaving body parts and keep you warm.

Today’s woman is savvy, she knows a dress on a size zero model will look very different on a more womanly shape. Of course she wants to see images that are beautiful and aspirational, but she also wants something she can relate to.   The old style Hollywood polish and glamour is as flattering today as it was in the 1950’s and our collection aims to re-create this sophisticated, feminine look while meeting the demands of modern day life.”

For further information and to view the full Jane & Marilyn collection visit www.janeandmarilyn.co.uk.

You can also follow Jane and Marilyn on Twitter.

And print this off for your Mummy! 😉

Much love,

Annabel xXx

♥