A Box Full of Springtime

I received a wonderful surprise in the mail last week:  A box full of Springtime, direct from the Netherlands!

I’m always happy to hear from my Dutch friends at Yoek.  And it’s especially nice when they send me an item for review.

I’ve sampled Yoek products before, including a wonderful military-style wool coat featured in last Fall’s little blog post The Total Package.  This Spring, I was asked to take a look at a bold, bright tunic.

The item arrived in a beautiful boutique box, neatly tied with a shiny black ribbon.  Inside, under the trademark hot-pink tissue, I discovered an array of brilliant color:  Patches of vivid pink, green, orange, aqua and yellow were united in print across a stretchy black canvas….

The top, a weighty poly-blend, was long with lots of playful details.  Both the neckline and sleeves were edged with miniature ruffles, while the flared bottom featured two rows of flounce.  A butterfly tie collar offered additional styling options.

The Ruffled Tunic Top as it appears in Yoek's Online Catalog

The Yoek catalog presented the thigh-length tunic with a cute pair of skinny black capris.  It was a perfect pairing.  But I thought I might try a different sort of styling to show the versatility of this garment.  So I took the top and went straight to my closet.

Of course I could have paired the colorful piece with my own capris ~ in pretty much any color I wanted, given the palette.  And denim would’ve be a natural go-with as well.  I could also have worn the piece as a simple mini-dress, but probably would not have felt comfortable with the mid-thigh measure (I am, after all, taller than the average girl).

No, I decided to try to turn the tunic into a full-on frock by adding length through layering.  And this is what I came up with using a basic camisole, a lightweight flowy black skirt and a great leather obi belt:

Though I tend to embrace more neutrals and quieter color mixes, I like this look.  It takes me back to the 80’s ~ you know, when girls just wanted to have fun?  ~ However, here, the black underpinnings temper the vibrant pattern; and the belt adds additional definition at the already nipped-in waist.  It works.

When I really consider this Yoek tunic, I think it would work even better poolside or at the beach.  It’s oh-so-Summertime-cheerful; and the quick-dry material makes it the perfect swimsuit cover!

I wonder what other sort of styling options you might suggest?  In fact, you may have noticed that I left the tag on this particular Yoek piece.  Why?  Because I’d like to see what you’ve got….

If you’re a size 16 (or 14W/16W, XL, 1X) who is interested in sharing your styling talents and willing to provide a photo, contact me.  I will send you this fabulous Yoek top (retail value $214) and feature a picture of you in it right here on little blog.

Not your size?  Nip over to YOEK and see what you can find….  In the meanwhile, here’s a sweet little sampling from Yoek’s lovely Summer line!

(top row) Pink Ruffled Singlet $126, Striped Breton Top $126 and Blue Frilled Coat $210 (bottom row) Labyrinth Print Maxi Dress $190, Stroke Print Skirt $252 and Linen Drawstring Trousers $172