My Lanvin for H&M Dress

I know it's taken me ages to get this post up here, but trust me, it's not through lack of loving the dress, it's lack of time to write all I want to about it. In the meantime, the beauty has just been merrily hanging up in my bedroom and honestly makes me smile - and sometimes squeal a little bit - when I see it. You may call that sad, I call that Lanvin.

The Mother whooped when I tried it on post-shower on Christmas morning (I couldn't disrespect it and put it on straight over my jarmies as much as I wanted to), the Brother grunted and announced he wouldn't wear it himself. Best of all the Father said "It was worth it." I'm taking that to mean both the money and the stress meaning an all round success. The Grandparents had a full presentation and explanation at the importance of the dress, and the importance of Lanvin, aided by the presence of the hefty Lanvin book, and I think they bought what I was saying. Double success. Only one friend has seen it so far, she gasped, and I wasn't expecting that. Triple success.

See it's not like I need everyone else's acceptance for me to do something, I just wanted them to appreciate the beauty of it, not just pass it off as another dress I've bought. The Mother bought me the dustbag off the Internet, which arrived on NYE. I wasn't expecting it, as I didn't know she'd bought it. At that point I knew they'd got it.

I guess it's quite a lot to "get". Take the raw hems for example. I sensed a little bit of reluctance of the Grandparents as I tried to explain how it was a feature of all Lanvin garments and made them unique. There was the suggestion that they were left like that for you to decide on the length yourself, but then I pointed out the two lines of stitching above. But honestly, I'm not really bothered if people think its unfinished, it is. It's meant to be and that's what makes it Lanvin (and H&M but we'll say that quietly). I was so hoping it would have the raw edges and silly as it may sound, I would have been really disappointed if it didn't have them. I don't think it would have been true to the Lanvin brand and its subtle yet overwhelming French chic-ness.

Then there's the zip. Its not just any nylon zip. Oh I sound like I'm on a Marks and Spencer advert, but honestly if a zip could be stylish, this one is. Long, which always seems to look expensive, because there's enough fabric to hold it, ribbon sides, with a heavy aged metal zip. Even the pull is a shape I've never seen before. And yes in that picture the tag is still on, and no I don't plan on taking it off until I wear the dress - and yes it probably will go back on after! The tag itself is a work of art, thick ivory card, gold eyelet and glossy writing, all reminding you of the luxury which you have bought. The only downside is the white sticky label on the back (admittedly it is perfectly clean and stuck smack bang in the middle) featuring the familiar H&M text, a barcode and a huge great 36, which brings you back to earth, reminding you that really it is a H&M dress. Give them their due, there is no price on the tag - that would ruin the illusion completely. As would putting at picture on of said sticky label, so I'm not!

And that's only the detachable tag, the label in the back of the dress is just as fabulous in a chic, nondescript and slightly raw way. Its not a gold brocade firmly embroidered plaque, its a small piece of canvas, attached only with two black stitches, featuring the scrawl that has become synonymous with the collection. It's got that same attraction as the raw edges, that slight undone-ness, that makes Lanvin so French. A properly sewn in label would be far too British. It's almost as though you could snip those two stitches, remove the swing tag, and your dress isn't defined by a brand, only by it's design, which would without doubt give the game away.

The burning question then, if I'm so unbelievably happy with this dress, is when am I going to wear it? Someone said Christmas Day, someone said NYE, but I'd already decided back when I ordered it. It is being saved for my 18th in November for a very uncharacteristic, materialistic double whammy of Louboutins and Lanvin (H&M) dress, just seeing as I've never done it before. Hence the fact there's no pictures of me wearing le robe, you'll have to wait 'til November for that...