Have you ever seen a dress like this, wherein it appears to have a matching bolero, but in fact it’s an illusion? If so, let me introduce you to the fauxlero.
Fauxlero is a fake bolero, in case you haven’t surmised. It may have free pieces that attach in back, or if may be completely sewn down, but either way, it looks like a cropped jacket but isn’t. You don’t see this much anymore, because clothing companies want cheap garments and don’t care much about design, but it’s a super clever — and cute — idea. Most of the ones I’ve seen are from the fifties and 60s, but there are some newer ones in the 80s, when the fifties revival happened.
I didn’t come up with the term. I first saw it on the Dress a Day blog, but it’s a great term for describing what’s going on here. The nice thing about a fauxlero is that it is so waist-friendly. It whittles the waist and also creates a waist where one may not exist. You also don’t have to worry about setting your jacket down somewhere and forgetting it. And there are so many ways to construct it. Use a matching or contrasting fabric, whichever works best. Isn’t it cute? Click on images to purchase.
The Vintage Fashion Librarian 