Get ahead of all your peers by doing the Balmain Spring/Summer 2011 runway look already! You can also get so much more use out of these two items in terms of  ”wearability”, more than you can possibly imagine! Let’s face it, most of us will not be able to afford the Balmain price tag, and these options are both under $200 each! Why resist?! Lovely!

Items shown in post:

1. Cecilia De Beaucourt Bolero with Chain Fringe $188.00

2. Siwy Camillia shorts in Fascination $168.00

Credits:

Runway image from Style.com

The Siwy jeans that I spoke of in my last post arrived recently and it didn’t take long for me to start wearing them. The sizing and the fit is so reliable; I have gotten so used to their jeans that I don’t need to worry if it may or may not fit when it arrives.

I paired them with a lace bodysuit from Topshop and my favourite cropped jacket by Adam. However, I’d imagine it would be much colder where you are right now so I strongly suggest a leather bomber jacket to go with these sleek grey jeans.

From left to right:

Mackage Cataline Jacket in Connac

Mackage Leane Jacket in Gunmetal

For a cheaper alternative, try

Astars by Alpine Stars Worldwide Jacket

I have been raving so much about Siwy Denim for the past few posts that I just had to continue the trail with Michelle Siwy’s advice on the best way to treat your pair of Siwys. This is for those whose obsession with Siwy is just as unhealthy as mine and want to make your denim accustomed solely to yourself.

Michelle’s advice is pretty simple, “Its best not to wash them for six months. The salt from your skin will soften it and make them your own. If you need to refresh, spot treat and dry with dryer sheets. Then after, wash inside out, cool with a non-abrasive soap like lingerie detergent and hang in the sunshine to dry.”

It might sound a bit crazy not to wash your denim for six months but from personal experience, my hand washed pair of the Camilla shorts just do not look the same as the pair that I have allowed self-cleaning by drying under natural sunlight. I also found that the more often you wear them, the softer and more comfortable they get and not washing them maintains the intended look and keeps them looking more relaxed as well. Monitoring how the jeans mould into your very own is almost like art, something that no one can replicate. The process, you can say is actually rather beautiful. 

My Siwy’s have always been more than just clothing to me, perhaps like an extension of myself now. I live most of my weekends in them and they remind me of a more carefree, lazy and easy-going part of life. It just makes sense to also clean them as naturally as possible and to wear them so frequently till they start to soften into the contours of your own body. I hope Michelle Siwy’s advice was as useful for you as it has been for me.