After having lost all my useful opened tabs in my Internet browser and having to get them back, I found these two amazing blouses from Opening Ceremony on the Black Box Boutique online store and my heart had a tiny little stammer. I thought intensely and prayed to the gods of fashion "don't be expensive, don't be expensive". The price for one of these gorgeous little blouses featuring floral detail? $963. Even if that is in New Zealand dollars, for an Australian the price might come down to $900 if you're lucky. Nearly one grand for a single item of clothing that isn't too extravagant and special in it's design blew me away, that's in the bad way. I knew from the label the price would be in triple digits but to be over $500 for a single blouse is enough to make any body's heart ache and start tears in their eyes. 
Being made of 97% silk and 3% lycra for a little give I can understand the cost of materials being included but I have bought silk blouses before for a hundred something dollars and while Opening Ceremony are a great brand and I love nearly all of their clothes featured on their website, production is not going to cost one hundred dollars and the mark up is extreme.
Still, the design and clean cut lines of the blouse combined with the applique flowers reminiscent of Japanese kimonos with a Western twist are a rare touch and not something I've seen used in garment design. The three-dimensional flowers feature slightly ruches petals and a lovely texture about them as well as beaded detailing at the centre of each flower in the same colour as the petals. The cream coloured blouse is more suited towards the day, whereas the black one could easily be worn at night with the addition of some heels and a plain black skirt.
Still, the design and clean cut lines of the blouse combined with the applique flowers reminiscent of Japanese kimonos with a Western twist are a rare touch and not something I've seen used in garment design. The three-dimensional flowers feature slightly ruches petals and a lovely texture about them as well as beaded detailing at the centre of each flower in the same colour as the petals. The cream coloured blouse is more suited towards the day, whereas the black one could easily be worn at night with the addition of some heels and a plain black skirt.
The flower arrangement for each of the blouses is exactly identical, using the same sized flowers in the same places. You've got to admire their quality control I must say, these would be blouses made far away from smokey streets in a sweat camp but instead by aspiring fashion students who know the importance of minor details as well as the careful beading process at the centre of each flower.
I had originally stated that it would be worn with a black skirt, but you know what? That's just a little too boring, even if it does suit I like the patterned leggings they've chosen to showcase the blouse but a wild print would suit the black blouse and the cream blouse would look dreamy with a skirt in an Oriental Ming vase print. Alas, I can't afford any of these blouses and my wishful thinking will be firmly grounded until I find some suitable work and/or win the lottery.
