Nighty Night

With the slight exception of Elle, this month so far the fashion magazines have been a complete wash-out in terms of inspiring images. Lucky, Marie Claire, Fashion and even Vogue have all been unbelievably slim pickings. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for Harper's Bazaar, which should be arriving any day now.

In the meantime, I've been looking at some of the photos from the past couple of months and found two that I haven't yet shared but which continue to impress. Both show loungewear, both are delicate and feminine, but one skews sexy and the other more cozy.



I'm loving cream and black as a color combination right now. So much more old-world than black and white, almost as though it has been faded by time but still with a crispness and a unisex appeal. The colors must be the only gender-neutral aspect of this negligee though. Everything else is so demurely sultry: the dress-like cut, the silk, ribbons and lace, the body-shaping underwire.

Still sexy, but more in a girl-next door vein, is this set:



Of course, it's made of cashmere, so it's soft as opposed to scratchy. I'm thrilled by the lavender color, which seems to have fallen from favor in recent seasons. I love the casually elegant shape of the top, which is loose but not shapeless, with flowing, on-trend sleeves. I'm also a big fan of the pointelle lace-inspired knit pattern on the panties.

It can be hard to justify investing in beautiful loungewear when there are so many gorgeous pieces of clothing that one can actually leave the house wearing. But then again, maybe true style is about what you wear (and do) even when no one's watching.

First image from Harper's Bazaar, October '07. Chemise by Guia La Bruna. Second image from Elle, October '07. Sleepwear by Huit.