Get the Look (For Less): DÔEN
As someone who is obsessed with clothes - particularly vintage clothes - and personal style, something I really love doing is taking a brand and breaking it down to it’s core aesthetics. At this point, I think most of us know nothing is new. So it stands to reason that, if a brand or designer has a strong point of view, it’s likely you can “get the look” for a whole lot less - and more sustainably, too. I love viewing vintage items through a modern lens, matching them to their current counterparts. Back when I worked for Free People, deconstructed vintage pieces were a common sight at sample sales. Vintage dresses and tops that had been carefully inspected by designers to get the idea of how they were made - and how they could be remade - for the FP “look”. That reimagining (or remaking) is nothing new, my own mother used to make patterns from pieces she particularly loved.
While my cold weather style always leans a bit more punk, my summer and fall style tends towards the romantic - breezy cotton pieces and floaty dresses - and DÔEN is a brand that I really love for all these things. Despite it being a bit out of my price range. But I know what to look for: ‘50s skirt sets, silk scarves, boots made to tromp through a meadow in, cotton voile tops, and basket bags that could be straight from Jane Birkin’s closet. Come fall, just add a fisherman sweater and a barn coat to the look. I did some digging on Etsy and found a collection of pieces to help you cop the DÔEN vibe, too: