Think of the simple little suit, the kind that’s made up of swing skirt, sporty jacket, silk shirt, and you think of Emcar. Colours are fresh, always of the moment, fabrics the nicest to wear – flannels, smooth worsteds, good tweeds, crisp cottons. Each piece of each look is well cut, simply detailed. The total effect relaxed and happy, all together but naturally so. This is Emcar’s famous versatile coordinating idea – mix and match looks that you buy as a whole or collect piece by piece. Now they’ve added a new dimension to their collection – pretty and feminine special occasion dresses designed by their young new designer Kathy Welch. Her ides range from creamy lace dresses with matching trousers, to Liberty print part looks like the one here, from satin kimono jackets with bra top an baggy trousers to beautifully sleeved dresses – some smooth lined and silky with bouffant sleeves, others gathered and off the shoulder in Liberty prints, with puff sleeve and swirling deep hems.

Photographed by David Bailey.

Scanned by Miss Peelpants from Vogue, March 1973.