Championing British craftsmanship, fabric-led design, and slow-fashion practices, cult formalwear brand Favourbrook continues to be London’s premier luxury destination for those unique dresses and coats that turn heads at events. With small-scale collections, an emphasis on the provenance of suppliers, and timeless made-to-last pieces – Favourbrook is where to look for spring-summer wedding dressing.
Discover a world of pure imagination at the brand’s Pall Mall womenswear boutique. Browse the technicolour spring-summer collection against sumptuous tropicana interiors, flicking your hand through gossamer-like organza coats and 100% silk liquid dresses. And, if in doubt, call on the advice of Favourbrook experts Theresa and Sukie for counsel on everything from demystifying dress codes to selecting materials for the season.
This collection heralds the start of spring; look to Favourbrook to embody everything from elegant, English-garden whimsy to the striking, tropical, and avant-garde. Whichever piece you choose, be it as a wedding guest or mother of the bride, you’ll find a sartorial sanctuary at Favourbrook.
Fabrics
Linen is the quintessential summer fabric, owing to its lightweight breathability and adeptness at taking on the pastel dyes of a spring-summer colour palette, creating soft Impressionist-style tones. It’s a material packed with superpowers: Favourbrook uses a unique crease-resistant linen (a boon for those of us who favour laissez-faire upkeep) that also has the rare bonus of developing an even softer drape over time. This happily chimes with the sense of investment to Favourbrook pieces, which become trusty weapons in your style arsenal. With a 100% linen long-line coat, for example, you have an appreciating ace in your back pocket. At Favourbrook, linen is also used with holistically strong eco-creds, thanks to both an ultra-low water intake and Favourbrook’s emphasis on the provenance of fabrics, sourcing from industry-best Irish linen weavers who have operated since 1880.
A silk dress is always a trusty tool in the wedding guest’s style playbook, and the very best are made from the richly woven Shantung variety. Naturally, Shantung is the default for Favourbrook dresses, effortlessly resplendent with its very subtle ‘slub’ texture that adds depth and character. As ever, Favourbrook calls on artisan suppliers, including a silk weaver based in Suffolk who has been operating for three centuries.
And then there is the crisp elegance of feather-like organza. The delicate sheen and beautiful draping make it an ethereal choice that hands the wearer all of the flowing grace of a ballerina. Favourbrook’s fine organza pieces use intricate weaving techniques to create a sophisticated, textural grid-like pattern, a subtle note of complexity and dimensionality that epitomises Favourbrook’s attention to detail. And, fortunately, organza accommodates air circulation, with the necessary breathability to keep you cool on even the hottest of spring-summer days.
Dress Codes
Starting with black tie, Favourbrook’s much-beloved long-line Carnaby coat is a hero piece. Contrary to popular understanding, a floor-length gown is not de rigueur for black tie, and this flattering, just-below-the-knee option – particularly when found in splendid 100% silk – can certainly satisfy the right amount of elevation. Look to the intricate floral embroidery of the Carnaby Coat Ivory Windsor Linen or the watercolour embellishment of the Carnaby Coat Oyster Heveningham Silk Satin and note the contrast piping and fabric-covered button detailing on both. You may want to integrate accessories to boost the formality here – Favourbrook’s Bletchley-level code-busters Theresa and Sukie can advise – but more on that later.
Facing a cocktail-chic dress code this spring-summer? Look to the graceful 100% silk scoop-neck Serena dress, cut from luxurious silk georgette. Embodying a classic, almost A-frame silhouette, this piece flatters with an elegant empire line and pleats below-the-knee that effortlessly accentuates the figure. A more contemporary interpretation of this feminine fluidity, Favourbrook’s Palazzo Pants Black Plain Georgette is an ideal alternative. With a simple design that fans out to a wide leg and, accordingly, moves beautifully, you can layer it with items from elsewhere in the collection – think a linen waistcoat or a long-line silk coat – or, if we’re disregarding the rule book, you can even borrow a jacket from Favourbrook’s menswear section, integrating a playful masculine edge to your look.
A guest mulling over the ‘smart casual’ dress code need look no further than a supremely à la mode waistcoat. Offering a uniquely angular and wholly wearable shape, waistcoats are most striking when worn as a standalone piece. Heading into spring, one particularly lovely example is Favourbrook’s Waistcoat Single Breasted Navy Berlin Linen, embroidered with a contrasting floral design, or, to graduate the formality slightly, one might opt for Waistcoat Single-Breasted Black Gold Bees Silk Jacquard, dotted with bees, complete with silk woven especially for Favourbrook. Each can be paired with either linen or silk cigarette trousers, the latter being a thoroughly modern expression of femininity, pioneered by Christian Dior in his ‘H-Line’ collection of 1954.
Styling
With regards to styling, one must first emphasise restraint. Favourbrook’s designs are an eye-catching silver bullet to sartorial intrigue, employing rich embroidery and sculptural integrity. Thinking of the aspirational ennui of sprezzatura – a sort of chic, effortless un-doneness – one need not necessarily assemble a vast matrix of jewels, brooches, and earrings.
Styling is, however, necessarily the integral manifestation of personality. Even the finest Westminster coat could be made all the more vibrant with the introduction of a contrasting colour (such as the fuschia silk-linen blend Cigarette trousers). If you have a brilliant, peacock-like Favourbrook design and would prefer the coat to remain the focal point, an understated complementary colour will work just fine. Tailored cigarette trousers may best abide, for example, when set against Marylebone Town Hall. Personal-shopping support systems Theresa and Sukie can be supremely helpful here, suggesting which spring-summer pieces might integrate well into your wider wardrobe or maintain individuality while meeting all of the beats of wedding etiquette.
The Perfect Fit
Of all the embarrassing things that could possibly happen at a formal event, watching someone walk into the venue in the outfit you’re wearing takes the proverbial biscuit. Sure, you’ll laugh it off, but so will everyone else. Luckily, Favourbrook runs small collections, with distinct designs, so it’s unlikely you’ll bump into anyone wearing your outfit. While the brand doesn’t offer a bespoke service, alterations are seamlessly accommodated at the Pall Mall store; all you need to do is book. It is worth noting that when looking at a straight fitted dress, Favourbrook advises purchasing a size corresponding to your largest measurement, be it bust, hips, etc. which will allow for their tailors to tweak a hemline or cinch in a waist.
Discover a world of sartorial style at favourbrook.com or visit their flagship store at 16-17 Pall Mall, London. Tel: 020 7491 2331; Instagram: @favourbrook
Credits: Magazine: @theweddingedition_ Video: @blindmicefilms Photography: @blindmicefilms Model: @motmodels
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