In Ureshii's early days, we worked mainly with soft, stretchy bamboo jersey. It's a casual-looking fabric, but sooo lovely to wear. In 2010, our shop was full of pretty blouses, every variation of pencil skirt, perfectly-snug shrugs, and a staple wrap dress. We had "business casual" nailed down. But what about more formal dresses? What does an Ureshii gal wear to a wedding?
So E set out to design a bombshell of a dress, one that was comfy enough to sleep in. And because we're all about made-to-measure, we also wanted it to be a) highly customizable and b) perfectly tailored to any size or shape. So the Mix & Match line was born.
A Mix & Match dress (or top!) starts with a basic halter bodice. First, you choose a neckline - sweetheart? faux wrap? simple scoop? If you're not a fan of halters, you can make it strappy (and very bra-friendly) instead. Or take it all the way to sleeveless, with full back coverage.
Mix & Match Dress: Roses bodice, halter back, with a pocketed pleated skirt in Olive
Mix & Match Dress: Frances bodice, strappy back, with a fully gathered skirt in Clay
Mix & Match Dress: Frances bodice, sleeveless, with a ruched skirt in Granite
Of course, you can also add any sleeve that you like. If the one you want isn't listed, just drop us a quick note to confirm pricing.
The Mix & Match bodice is designed to be comfortably snug - that's what allows for the excellent fit. The full double layer of fabric provides just the right amount of compression to keep everything perfectly in place with no fuss, and it does a good job of disguising bra lines. It's stretchy enough to pull on, no scratchy zippers required.
Mix & Match Top: Esther bodice, folded short sleeve, with a ruched bottom portion in Mint
Some of the bodice options have adjustable neckline depths, so you can make them as modest or as revealing as you like. The Tab in particular can be customized to show just the right amount of cleavage:
Mix & Match Dress: Tab bodice, strappy back, with a pocketed a-line skirt in Plum
Mix & Match Top: Tab bodice, folded short sleeve, with a flat bottom portion in North Shore
Mix & Match Dress: Tab bodice, fitted half sleeve, with a ruched skirt in red/black print
Each pattern piece in the Mix & Match bodice corresponds to a specific body measurement. This means we can tailor it to fit you well, no matter your curves or proportions. If you have a generous bust or a narrow shoulder, if you're tall or petite, we can make it work for you.
But be aware - this is very much a "body con" bodice. It shows off the true shape of your body. Some necklines emphasize the bust, while others de-emphasize. Please don't hesitate to ask us any questions during the ordering process! We're always happy to help.
From the waist down, you have several options for silhouette. Tops can have a smoothing double layer bottom portion (either flat or ruched), or a flowy single layer bottom (either a-line or full). The flowy option can be cut to create a fabulous maternity top:
Mix & Match Top: Tab bodice, Sweetheart sleeve, with a swing bottom portion in Cocoa
For dresses, you have your pick of skirt styles, all with customizable lengths from mini to maxi. Pockets can be added to any of the flowy options. And have we mentioned colour-blocking yet?
Mix & Match Top: Tab bodice, sleeveless, with a flat bottom portion in Plum
Mix & Match Dress: Tiki bodice, strappy back, with pocketed a-line skirt a red/navy print with Navy colour blocking
If prints are your thing, be sure to sign up for our newsletter - that's where we announce print pre-orders. Occasionally we have leftover prints in stock, and you'll find them listed in our Fabric Updates email.
Happy designing!
xoxo
A