Once upon a time, women shopped in a department store or local boutiques. It was a time when the salesmen and women truly knew their customers, what they needed and were likely to buy. Before the 1990s, clothing was relatively expensive — people bought around 25 garments a year and spent close to 10% of their annual income. Wardrobes were carefully edited because they had to be. Garments had to be versatile and last for many years. Clothing reflected the true cost of production unlike most clothing today.
Today, we have more choices than ever when it comes to clothing. We buy more than 70 garments a year and spend less than ever relative to our total income. Numerous items at various fast-fashion retailers are cheaper than a latte. No one thinks about what they buy because they don't have to because clothing has become so cheap. Too cheap. American closets have quadrupled in size, yet we still have nothing to wear.
At Senza Tempo, we are going back to the future.
We carefully edit our collections to ensure every piece is both timeless and versatile. We spend hours researching designs and styles that have truly stood the test of time. Some styles are vintage updates, like our Lawson Day dress a less voluminous version of the trapeze dress first created by YSL in 1958 just with less volume. Or our original Jackie with its 60s inspired retro princess seams. We also create more modern versions of these styles, such as our Jackie II.
The Carmel was inspired by Christian Dior's New Look collection. He made the modern version of this fit and flare style popular with his debut and it's never been out of style since. Before we decide to produce an item, we also always think about how many ways the item could be worn:
- Can it go from day to night?
- Is it easy to combine with other items in your closet for different looks?
- Is the sleeve narrow enough to fit under a blazer, like our Brigitte, to help the garment better span the seasons and increase its versatility?
Our goal is to create elevated, wardrobe basics for women whose style and quality is anything, but basic.