Necessary Line

You know, I've never been much one for mall shopping. I just spent a little (read: a lot) too much of my life at one in seventh grade, and there's never been any allure there for me since. If anything, I hate having to deal with screaming children, packs of 12 year-old girls (heh. . .), and salespeople who obviously don't want to be there. Mall shopping=not fun. Likewise, mall clothing is often just plain unexciting. It's overwrought, watered-down interpretations of the things that the CEOs (not designers) already know will sell, because everyone already wears it. BORING.

One mall line that has caught my attention, though, is Necessary Objects. The clothes are unpretentious but fun, trendy but not trend whore-y. Also, they interpret the runway really well. Their things look wearable, not watered-down. How Chloe is the first pictured dress? I think it's lovely. And the second pictured dress is so very Sophia Kokosalaki--pretty, flowy, clearly Grecian, in a neutral, elegant color. But unlike Chloe and Sophia Kokosalaki, most Necessary Objects items are under $100.

Now, I know all your readers already know that I'm, like, obsessed with babydoll dresses, so Necessary Objects' profusion of them probably does have something to do with my affection, but it also shows their good taste. Also, not all of their designs are, um, "designer-inspired;" the dress at left is just a lovely litte party dress, probably one that would be styish at any point in design history. It reminds me of Anna Sui, but that's a "reminds me of," not an "is ripped off of."

And moving away from the theme of babydoll dresses, they do other things pretty well, too. I'm not nearly as into other shapes right now, so don't expect a whole editorial, but I will say that I really like what they've done with the jodhpur look--speaking as a rider, there are much worse things they could do with the equestrian trend. I think I'd actually wear those. They'd look nice with a casual tank and sandals.