Embroidery: this year's must have

Embroidery: This Year’s Must-Have Fashion Embellishment

The verdict is in. As seen on the big four fashion runways in New York, Tokyo, Paris and Milan – we can conclude one thing. Embroidery is one of the biggest style trends to wear this year! 

From simple-but-elegant embroidered shirts to intricately embellished shoes, our modern fashion gurus wowed the crowd with their frenzied inspiration. 

Today’s fashion is all about combining vintage and modern as well as flair and practicality, with creative expression soaring to new heights.

A Brief History

The art of embroidery has existed for centuries, with archaeological evidence dating as far back as the Late Stone Age. It seems that our Cro-Magnon ancestors had learned to embellish their fur hides with primitive beadwork. It’s quite amazing when you think about it. The very beginnings of fashion!

The modern art of needle and thread, however, can be traced back to the Ancient China. Clothing samples that have survived from the Warring States period, which is sometime between the 5th and 3rd century B.C., reveal the elegant and elaborate threadwork of the early Chinese.

The practice has since flourished throughout the ages and across the various continents. It has been used in medieval outfits/clothes and even tapestries. Traditional garments from various cultures all over the world feature different threadwork styles that have inspired generations of modern designers. Now, here we are once more, celebrating this ancient art in today’s fashion!

How to Wear It

So, how do you actually wear it? This almost sounds like a silly question, but before fashion and street style took up the art and transformed it into an everyday wardrobe component, threadwork designs were mostly used in elaborate, expensive gowns. Other than that, many women typically adopted it is a hobby, so that it appeared more under the arts and crafts category rather than in fashion. Thankfully, this has changed through the years and we can now totally enjoy both.

If you love doing DIY activities, have fun integrating this trend! Just take some of your old outfits, do your magic with needle and thread whether by hand or with your trusty sewing machine, and then rock those updated, street style-worthy pieces. What’s awesome about this is you have total freedom over what designs you want to use!

Not into craft? No problem! Sometimes the best places to find cheap, fashionable pieces are thrift stores and vintage shops. Since we’re talking embroidered clothing, which are as vintage and timeless as they can get, it’s quite likely you’ll come across fab finds in these shops. If they don’t fit well enough, go to a tailor for a quick alteration.

The final option is, of course, getting brand-new pieces off the rack. The good news is that you can find many styles in various price points that are sure to fit any budget.

We thought it was only fitting to get you inspired into achieving this year’s trendy must-have’s, so have complied a list of everything embroidery you need to have this season!

 

• Getting a couple of simple embroidered shirts is a quick and easy way to be trend-savvy this fall. You can go clean and fashionably understated by pairing with blue denims and classic boots or pumps.

• You can’t go wrong with classic embroidered tops. For timeless elegance, try a white blouse with embroidered florals in monochrome thread. Accessorize with a matching scarf headband and understated necklace or earrings. Simple and classic!

• For a vintage vibe, take some inspiration from this embroidered beige, long-sleeved blouse with just a hint of lace. The details are kept to the cuffs and down the front of the blouse, and the lace accent provide the classic finish. Dark-wash skinny denims ensure that the top remains the focus of the outfit. Completing the look is a pair of light-brown boots – the perfect color co-ord (also, check out the heel and the hint of fun print on those boots!)

• If embroidered shirts aren’t exactly your thing, what about a jacket? Try a cool denim jacket with embroidered designs or patches. The best thing about it? It’s so casual that you can have fun with the designs and practically do whatever you want with it. You don’t have to stick to the classic florals. You can choose words, animals, shapes or whatever design takes your fancy. In fact, you can DIY the heck out of a denim jacket and freely express yourself!

• While we’re on the subject of jackets, why not try an embroidered moto jacket? If you want sleek, sexy, and edgy, this is the look for you. Wear over a crop top and shorts on hot days, and switch to a trendy tee and skinny jeans when it gets colder.

• Want something still edgy but a bit more casual and feminine? Try a cropped black blazer with embroidered florals. The cropped length gives it a more casual feel, so you can freely wear it over a plain white tee (also cropped to show off those sexy abs!) and your favorite destroyed jeans.

• Here’s a coord that’s simple, classy, and so on-trend. We know the boyfriend jeans has made an absolute comeback, but what’s an awesome way to raise it on the fashion scale even further? That’s right, get it embroidered! To make it an all-around trendy outfit, incorporate the season’s favorites, like shades of pink and the quintessential cross-body bag.

• For a boho-chic look, pair an embroidered, short tunic dress with comfy boots and accessorize with a stylish hat and brown leather purse. Browns and neutrals are typical boho colors, but this black-and-red outfit adds an awesome touch of sleek to this style. Also, red is a total season trend, so the red embroidered florals are absolutely spot-on.

• Are you a shoe person? If you are, then you will fall in love with this year’s collection of embroidered shoes! Here’s something to inspire you for your next shoe shopping trip. Get some fab embroidered footwear that showcases the favorite colors of the season’s runways: red, pink, gold, and silver. Why not pay homage to the ancient masters of embroidery in a pair of red shoes embellished with intricate Chinese-inspired designs?

• For those casual and semi-casual occasions, a pair of comfy mules with embroidered designs can be you go-to footwear. Classy beadwork is perfect for a semi-casual affair.

• Don’t forget the accessories! An elegant, embroidered bag can instantly transform a simple outfit into a trendy ensemble. If you’re not into embroidered clothing, having a few embroidered accessory pieces is a great way to get with the trend.

Care Tips

After you’ve found your favorite embroidered fashion pieces, the next important thing is knowing how to take care of them so that they last. Here are a few quick tips to keep in mind when caring for embroidered clothing:

• As much as possible, choose to hand wash rather than machine wash. Threads may get destroyed or caught in other clothing parts when spinning in a washing machine.

• Air-drying is your best option, for similar reasons.

• If you must machine wash, turn the clothes inside out before washing to protect the embroidered threads.

• Follow the care instructions that come with the fabric or garment.

• When pressing the garments, iron on the back or place a pressing cloth over the embroidered area.

• When storing embroidered clothing, cover each garment in plastic separately to protect from dust or insects as well as to avoid threads and other embellishments getting caught in each other.