The Shape of Spring: It’s All About the Box

This season, the quiet simplicity of the rectangle is squarely a winner. After too many rounds of handkerchief hems, boxy tops, tunics and dresses look fresh and new. Uncomplicated, ageless, elegant — not to forget versatile — we truly love the way spring is shaping up. Here’s a smattering of recent arrivals: 

Fresh from Los Angeles we have Me & Arrow. The black cropped top features Dolman sleeves and a flattering scoop-neck. The second top is slightly longer and boxier, with cuffed half-sleeves. The natural linen color plays well with others!

Made of organic hemp and cotton, this Prairie Underground top is delicately striped, soft as a feather and beautifully breathable. 

Another terrific Prairie Underground piece, this time a dress. With pockets! Available in a navy and white pinstripe.

 

Me & Arrow again with a  super soft slate/cadet blue tunic. With, you guessed it, pockets! We at Momo truly do love utility. 

So how best to wear the square? Pop a cropped top over a slip dress (one of our favorite secrets, über comfortable and no showing/binding at the waist) or pair it with slim pants or jeans. The boxy dress makes a super backdrop for jewelry or a scarf, or if you desire more definition, add a belt. Done!

Beyond Summer

Ah, linen. Woven into its flaxen fibers is the memory of sun-washed days, cool breezes and life without a wrinkle. Come summer’s end, many of us say goodbye to our linen garments, folding them away until spring springs again.

But there’s so much more to this ancient fabric that makes it wearable year ’round. In milder climates, such as Seattle, fashionable sorts look to linen for casual ease, durability and to add elegant and interesting texture to our layers of clothing. With its smooth, silken quality, linen resists stains, and is easy to clean. Anti-static and quick to warm up, it’s also ideal for days when the weather turns cold and dry. Plus, production of linen is sustainable, making it popular in this eco-chic Pacific Northwest.

A recent convert to living in linen, Momo Mama Lei Ann is tireless in her pursuit of unique, beautifully-crafted examples. And her treasure hunting has paid off in Lithuanian designer Blue Naive’s handmade-to-order simple-yet-flattering shift styles, stitched up in sumptuous linen. We’re especially tickled with the ever-practical deep front pockets featured on both of these new arrivals.

Luxurious linen “Little Summer Dress” direct from Lithuania.

“Deep Summer” linen half-sleeved shift. 

Come down and try one of these sweet frocks on — we’re sure that you will adore them as we do. And, we’ll share tips on how to utilize layering to wear them into fall and beyond ... making sure it is a long and happy love affair.

A Continuing Love Affair

We at Momo have spoken often and at length about beautiful, durable, wearable and timeless linen. We love linen. We love linen year-round. We love linen housewares, linen clothing, linen accessories. One of Momo’s favorite sources is Fog Linen Work from Tokyo.

Disappointed by a lack of affordable everyday linens in Japan, designer Yumiko Sekine set out to find a quality manufacturer. Yumiko settled on producers in Lithuania, where her work is now made from some of the finest flax fibers in the world. Thus was born Fog Linen Work.

Momo has received quite an assortment of FLW goods, ranging from whimsical and decorative bunting, to practical aprons, table linens, bags and totes to elegant clothing.

Take a gander at a small sample of our latest shipment!

An adjustable neckline adds amazing versatility.

Detail of the adjustable neckline. 

Drawstring wide-leg pants paired with a sweet top. Comfortable and classic. 

Same summer dress, in turquoise. 

Perfect summer dress!

We love cross aprons! Simply slip over your head, no ties involved.
Perfect for chefs, artists and craftspeople.

Tea towels you’ll have forever.

Celebrate with linen bunting! 

Sprucing Up for Spring, Momo-Man Style

Spring has arrived and with it, spring and summer clothing. Hooray! The holiday season decimated our Momo Men clothing selection, so we are especially happy to be receiving more pieces by the day. So, for your perusal, a small taste of what you can currently find in store:

Rodd & Gunn Italian linen shirts are luxurious, durable and perfect for the seasons ahead. Based out of New Zealand, Rodd & Gunn focuses on natural fibers like linen, cotton, wool and leather. We have two colors of their linen button-up shirts: a classic royal blue and yellow plaid and a subtle dusty teal.

Italian linen in a royal blue and yellow plaid. 

Gorgeous soft linen weave. 

Dusty grey-green Italian linen by Rodd & Gunn.

The Wolf & Man vest is both stylish and utilitarian. We love the pockets on the back of this piece! Details like this are what elevate an article of clothing to a higher level. Wolf & Man is an independent menswear line based out of Los Angeles. Momo was fortunate to be visited recently by the two young men who started this company. Charming guys who truly believe in their fashion vision.

The Wolf & Man vest has a modern twist on a classic design.

Pockets on the back - brilliant!

Shown layered beneath the Wolf & Man vest is a terrific shirt by Report Collection, a contemporary sportswear company based out of Montreal. Again, details are what make a piece really special. Report Collection shirts always feature playful patterns tucked away on the lining of cuffs and plackets. 

Fun floral details make this Report shirt special.

Check back for updates on new arrivals! In the meantime, stay dry and enjoy the random bursts of sunshine. 

Love Fog Linen

The ‘shibui’ shades of Fog Linen scarves.

Linen. Woven from flax fibers, it’s is one of the oldest textiles in the world. Archaeologists have found cloth fragments dating back to 8000 BC. Dyed flax threads have even been found in a prehistoric cave and are estimated to be over 36,000 years old. Clearly linen is a fabric that is durable as well as beautiful.

And now, lovely Fog Linen Work is available here at Momo. Tokyo-based designer Yumiko Sekine searched the world over, looking for the perfect place to have her linen goods fabricated. Eventually she settled on Lithuania, where linen has been woven and produced since the Middle Ages.

Smooth and cool to the touch, amazingly breathable, low-maintenance (hooray for elegantly wrinkled fabric), linen clothing is perfect for summer. Fog Linen Work creates flowing, easy-to-wear garments that retain a feminine sensibility without being overly fussy. You’ll also find perfect-for-summer scarves it oh-so Japanese shades of pale grey, light blue and handsome charcoal, suitably unisex in color and length.

Without further ado, the clothing of FLW:

Gorgeous details.

Luxurious indigo tunic.

Jacket? Shirt dress? Your choice!