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Sunday 13 February 2022

I N S P I R E D B Y B A L M A I N | Tribute Review

Next in our Tribute season, back to a classic with Balmain! This brand has been pretty solid in the Plaza previously with some great pieces coming from the releases, can this be replicated with this seasons release? Lets get on in and check it out:
For me I think this is quite a stand out collection from the other Balmain releases we've had, I love the vibes to it completely and whilst all the styles aren't necessarily fitting to me, I really like the collection as a whole. Starting with accessories and apart from that there are no jewellery pieces, the store is full of shoes and bags to choose from. There are 4 pairs of shoes on offer, all boots and in a range of styles. For me this is a 50% success rate, I adore the Balmain Inspired Pearl Boots and Boots Black, they have such a cool style with the angled heel, it really makes them stand out in a crowd. I love a good pointed-toe boots and these pairs both have unique features that will make me want to reach for them in my wardrobe - the Pearl ones in particular I think will be perfect for me and my style preferences! Onto the bags of which there are 5 on offer, which is quite a lot for a collection this size - no complaints from me though, I've bought 4 of them and I'm still considering buying the final one, haha^ All the bags are unique from each other and bring a completely different style to the store, I really think there is something for everyone with these. The one I haven't bought yet is the Balmain Inspired Handbag Pearls and the only think I'm not so sure about is the larger size, I generally prefer a smaller bag but I love the shape and style of this piece, the loose boho style is very cool and I would love to give that a try. The other bags are much smaller pieces but are in a range of styles and colours, the first one I knew I had to have was the Balmain Inspired Blue Bag, I love the baby blue colour and the boxy style to it, the small size and thin strap are perfect too^ I can really see myself being able to style this a lot. The Balmain Inspired Pink Bag is super cute, I love how it's presented in the store, that definitely sold it to me a lot. The colour is super pretty, I think it will make for a great Spring bag and this shade of pink will be perfect with florals. I like the over-the-shoulder strap to it, and it also has a lot of detail, I love the gold and the fringing. Similarly with a lot of detail is the Balmain Inspired Handbag Black, this piece has so many good things going on about it! The gold detailing and the design around the top opening of the bag is fab and I adore the pearls, those are adorable and I'm always on the hunt for pearl-adorned pieces, I really can't wait to style this one. And finally the Balmain Inspired Red Bag which is a really nice clutch piece, it may be more simple in design elements than the other pieces but the simplicity is striking and I adore the handing straps. The red colour really makes it pop.
Onto the clothing, the floors seem to have a bit of a split, with more jazzed up glam pieces on the first floor and the more casual pieces on the second which I quite like. Most of the pieces aren't really my style and I probably wouldn't wear them, but that doesn't mean I can't appreciate or like them! The Balmain Inspired Embroidered Dress in pink and green and the red and gold Balmain Inspired Pearl Knit Dress definitely fall into that category, the designs are fabulous and I think they look great on the doll and with the accessories in the store, but I just can't see myself wearing them. Similarly the Balmain Inspired Pearls Jacket is one of the most beautiful pieces we've had in the Plaza recently, it's stunning, there's no other words to describe it! The muted blue and green colours, the golden and pearl details, and the fit on the doll - all fantastic. It's not cheap (37SD's) so it's quite a commitment. There are a couple of pieces I'm quite tempted to buy but haven't yet - those are the Balmain Inspired Sweater Man and the Balmain Inspired Leather Pant. The Sweater is in a lovely muted green colour with the fit on the female doll working nicely as an oversized sweater. The Pants I was actually quite convinced by the real-life version, I think they look really nice and the more I try them in the Plaza the more I think I might get them - they have a lovely high waist and slim leg design and I quite like the worn details on them. I've not seen anyone style either of these pieces yet, so would love to see someone giving them a go! But I did pick up one piece of clothing, the Balmain Inspired Skirt which is just the cutest thing - it doesn't seem to fit with the vibes of the rest of the store, it's quite bright and Spring-like, but that just makes the set stand out even more. It looks great on the doll and I love the colour and wrap-style - I'm so excited to style this piece, I think it will be a winner for Spring =D

T S L T O P T H R E E
Balmain Inspired Handbag Black | Balmain Inspired Skirt | Balmain Inspired Pearl Boots
It was tough to choose just three pieces to feature here, I could have picked a top six at least! Whilst bag stylings are yet to come from me, the skirt and the booties surprised me the most, I loved styling these and have absolutely no regrets about purchasing!

F E A T U R E S
First up for the features is Brevis who absolutely rocks the Balmain Inspired Pearls Jacket, I could never imagine that it would look this good, so creative and so great! If I could pull off a look like this, I'd be right to the Plaza to pick up this piece. The skirt layering is perfection, the gold base piece works well with the cream and golden components of the jacket while the blue fringed skirt on top highlights that colour in the jacket, it's just so great! The shoes add a nice amount of glitz with the detail on the strap and I love all of the jewellery used, the necklaces fill the neckline beautifully and the earrings are a great finishing touch =)
Next up is harpie styling up the matching Balmain Inspired Corset and Skirt and doing a good job in making me want to pick up the corset as well^ This look is ready for Spring, the set looks fabulous with this ruffled white blouse layered, so pretty and really extra perfect for Spring. Of course I also adore the accessories, these are totally my favourite white shoes and they're just right or the look. The jewellery is also beautiful, super simple yet so effective at the neckline of the corset and blouse. The bag though is my favourite addition, it's such an underrated piece that deserved more spotlight and it gets it here - so much love for it in this styling^ 
A brighter look next from HeraKowall who wears the Balmain Inspired Pearl Knit Dress in such a cool and wearable way, it almost makes me want to wear it myself. The layering added to the dress is great, I love the extra length added to the skirt, it looks so seamless. I also love the layered piece beneath that adds those awesome shoulder details, they look so fun and again super seamless. The red accessories are fabulous, they really pop and stand out well with the dress, really perfect choices there!
And the final feature comes from mrv93 who styles up the Balmain Inspired Leather Coat and Balmain Inspired Boots Black together - they look great! I'm especially loving these trousers in the look, the leather is great against the other pieces and the split hem is perfect to highlight the boot design, I need to find out where these are from for sure. The brown trim of the jacket stands out in a good way, it's something different and I think it catches the eye to make you come check out the look. I really also loved the cross-body bag the style of it slung looks great and I think it pairs really well with the jacket =)

S T Y L I N G S
Because I bought such a number of pieces I will do a separate posts styling the other three bags from the release that aren't included here. First up the Balmain Inspired Pearl Boots, I really loved styling these and was able to put this outfit together very quickly. I love the raw hem of these black jeans with the boots, the pairing works well for both pieces. The rest of the look is super simple but accessorised with added pearls in the earring and the bag - I wish the pearls on the bag were a little smaller, but I think it's a cute piece with the boots for sure! Next up are the Balmain Inspired Skirt and Balmain Inspired Blue Bag which I couldn't resist styling together. This skirt really has put me in the mini skirt mood, I'm ready for the Spring/Summer season so I can make good use of them! Anyway I kept this styling simple, but the skirt looks good with so many pieces. I opted for a transitional look between Winter and Spring with this furry coat, it looks pretty great with the pale blue and also the style of the bag, I think the two are very nice together. And lastly are the Balmain Inspired Boots Black which are so versatile that I struggled to decide on an outfit to share because everything was looking good with them - I'm so pleased with this styling though and followed through with the mini skirt inspiration. I really liked the matte vibe to this blazer against the shiny leather of the boots but the feather trim adds such a fun touch the outfit. I decided to add a little skirt beneath, this silver mini is fitting to the overall vibe between the blazer and the boots, and accessories were easy to choose after picking the clothing, I really love this =D

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