V Neck Alpaca Dress by Lauren Manoogian
I fell in love with Lauren Manoogian clothing the first time I saw it online, but it took me a couple of birthdays and a few more drinks to buy some for myself. I bought this v-neck long dress, matching scarf, a light blue sweater and pants and a broach. They are so soft. The last time I wore the dress it was a cold night and we were having friends over for dinner. I needed to be warm and cozy so I put the dress on feeling so comfortable I could have been in sweats. Our friends came in and said, “Sorry I didn’t dress up!” I thought, “What? I’m practically in my pajamas!!” But Lauren Manoogian is so elegant, even though I feel like I’m wearing my pajamas, I’m dressing up.
When something is designed in New York and made in Peru, it isn’t local to the designer, but there are certain exceptions I’ve made when shopping for specific natural materials. Cashmere comes from the alpacas in Peru. The women have spent lifetimes perfecting the art of sheering, making yarn, and building sweaters, dresses, hats and scarfs. So, the industry goes to them, not so much because it’s cheaper, but because that’s where the fabric comes from. It’s like buying linen sheets made in Portugal or Belgium, that’s where the flax grows and the linen is created.
Photos courtesy of Lauren Manoogian
copyright 2023