Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Tie One On: The Pussycat Bow Blouse

Zara, $69.90

What's always in style but never (before now) a trend? What's been around forever but doesn't look old? The answer, my friend, is not blowing in the wind. It's the pussycat blow blouse, beloved of school marms, secretaries and fashionistas for decades.


This pussycat has been napping as nobody really wore one for years. It was romantic Hollywood fluff in the '30s and gave the power suit a feminine touch in the '70s. If you had one in your closet, you probably didn't have the heart to give it away. Now, rejoice, as the pussycat bow is having a moment.

Joan Crawford in the '30s
Iconic 1970s  Helmut Newton image

The bow-blouse trend is being seen at a wide range of retailers, from Neiman Marcus...

 
...to Banana Republic.

 
My favorites are at Zara, who offers a huge selection, at reliably reasonable prices. I scrolled so you don't have to.

Zara, all $39.90
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
Zara, all $49.90

How to wear it? So you don't look like a school marm or a secretary, wear a bow blouse with some irony—as part of a menswear look (ie casual work pants)...

Zara, $39.90

terrorizing the neighborhood in black leather...

Zara, $39.90

thrown on oh-so-casually over denim...

Zara, $39.90

Of course, you can always go full Hollywood pairing it with satin, brocade or velvet. You can even leave the bow untied. Just don't trip.

Zara, $25.99

2 comments:

  1. Ha, I just gave away two wonderful silk vintage pussy bow blouses - I saw that one of my coworkers was wearing one today! I like this look (hence me having 2 only a year ago), but the bow adds a lot of extra bulk to my already-well-padded chest area. Pass...for now!

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    1. As a former personal stylist I can't resist suggesting you might do a skinny bow, leaving it loosely tied or even untied. Or you can let discretion be the better part of valor, as you have!

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