My dear fashionistas, and the gentlemen who have lately become fans of my fashion stories, welcome to another fashion story of Mrs. Mom on the Mr.M blog! Before I tell you about a very special Etro silk blouse, I want to say thank you. Over the past weeks, so many of you wrote to me. Your messages and emails arrived from across Europe, America and beyond. Most of you asked one simple, tender question: where is Mrs. Mom?
The honest answer is that unexpected health issues forced me to slow down for a while. So I listened, rested, and set my diary aside for longer than I had planned. Your kind words kept me company during those quiet days. Believe me, I read every one of them, and each message made me smile.
Today I am back with a story that waited patiently for my return. It starts on a sunny day in Belgrade with a print I adore. Then it travels to a watch with a dial cut from green stone and a playful Louis Vuitton trunk. Along the way, you will also meet petal-shaped Chloé sunglasses and crystal ballerinas from the Venice area. In other words, it is a little journey, and I would love for you to come along.
WHY AN ETRO SILK BLOUSE WAS THE PERFECT WAY TO MAKE A RETURN
After a long pause, the first outfit matters most. I did not want something loud just for the sake of noise. Instead, I wanted a piece that felt like a warm welcome, both for me and for you. My Etro silk blouse was the obvious answer the moment I opened my wardrobe.
Paisley has always made me feel at home. The motif traces back to Persia. Later, it found a second home in the Scottish town of Paisley, which gave it its English name. When I wear it, I feel connected to every woman who ever wrapped herself in a beautiful shawl.
There is also something generous about a print like this. It does half of the styling work for you. Because the colors are so rich, you can keep everything else simple and still look ready for an occasion.
Over the years, I have learned one lesson again and again. A great print is not a trend. It is a companion that returns season after season. Moreover, it always looks a little different, depending on who wears it and how. That is exactly why I chose this Etro silk blouse for my return.
ETRO: THE ITALIAN FASHION HOUSE THAT MADE TEXTILES ICONIC
To understand my Etro silk blouse, you need to know a little about the house behind it. Gerolamo Etro, known to everyone as Gimmo, founded Etro in Milan in 1968. At first, it was not a fashion label at all. It started as a textile company, and that origin still shapes everything Etro makes.
Gimmo shared his passion with his wife, Roberta, an antiques dealer. By the time the company began, the couple already owned some 300 antique shawls. Even today, that collection ranks among the largest private ones of its kind. Imagine a home filled with that much history, folded and stacked like treasure.
The famous paisley arrived in 1981. After a trip to India, Etro introduced the motif in its furnishing textiles. Soon it became the signature of the whole house. Since then, the swirling teardrop has appeared in countless colors and scales.
Etro still works from Via Spartaco in Milan, in a building renovated in 1977. Inside, a textile archive and a large library sit side by side. I love that detail, because it tells you that this house reads, studies and remembers.
THE ETRO SILK BLOUSE: A MODERN EXPRESSION OF TEXTILE HERITAGE
The house grew step by step. A home collection followed in 1985, and Etro also turned its Paisley Jacquard fabrics into leather goods. Then there is the Pegaso, the winged horse from Greek mythology and the emblem of the house. For me, it stands for freedom and imagination.
In 2014, the publisher Rizzoli released a monograph simply titled Etro. Later, in 2021, the investment firm L Catterton took a majority stake. A year after that, Marco De Vincenzo became the first creative director from outside the family. He led the collections until March 2026, when the house and the designer parted ways by mutual agreement.
Even the latest campaigns stay loyal to fabric. For Spring/Summer 2026, Etro worked with artist David Curtis-Ring on sets that gave new life to repurposed textiles from past seasons. I find that very elegant. A house that reuses its own beauty clearly respects it.
Through all these chapters, the love of textiles never left. You can feel it in every thread of my Etro silk blouse. You can also see it in the way the print moves when I walk.
THE ETRO SILK BLOUSE: A CLOSER LOOK AT EVERY DETAIL
Now, let me show you why I fell for this particular piece. The Etro silk blouse comes in pure silk chiffon, so light that it moves with every breath of wind. Etro makes it in Italy, and the quality shows in every seam.
The print plays on two levels. Across the body, large paisley feathers swirl in sky blue, teal, coral and soft lavender on an ivory ground. Along the cuffs, collar and ruffle edges, a second print appears. It is a border of cobalt blue with small cream flowers and fine stripes of pink and golden yellow.
Look closely at the ruffles, too. Each one has a narrow, wavy edge finished in pale blue thread. As a result, every frill catches the light like the edge of a petal. The collar stands up in a soft gathered ruffle, and a small keyhole opening sits just below it.
The sleeves bring the real drama. Tiered ruffles run from shoulder to wrist, and the volume gathers into neat banded cuffs. Since the fabric is sheer, I wear a simple white top underneath. It keeps the look elegant and lets the print float.
Harrods notes that Etro often favors a refined “more is more” approach. I agree completely. Still, this Etro silk blouse never feels heavy. The chiffon is so airy that all those ruffles look effortless rather than fussy.
THE ART OF PAIRING AN ETRO SILK BLOUSE WITH WHITE SILK TROUSERS
When a top speaks this clearly, the rest of the outfit should listen. That is why I paired my Etro silk blouse with white silk trousers, also from Etro. They have a wide, straight leg, a pressed front crease and a soft, fluid drape.
White does three things here. First, it gives the print room to breathe. Second, it adds length to the silhouette, since the eye travels in one clean line from waist to floor. Finally, it brings the outfit into autumn without any heaviness. White in October feels fresh and confident.
The trousers have a gentle sheen that echoes the silk above. Therefore, the two pieces look related, like sisters rather than strangers. Side pockets also make them practical. In one photo, my hand slips into a pocket, and that small gesture always relaxes a pose.
Here is a tip I love to share. If you adore a statement print, invest in one very good pair of light trousers in a matching fabric family. Silk goes with silk, linen with linen, and wool with wool. The harmony of texture matters more than most people think.
Length counts as well. These trousers just graze the top of the foot. That way, the sparkle of my shoes peeks out with every step, while the line stays long and graceful.
OUTFIT
Blouse: Etro
Bag: Louis Vuitton
Earrings: Vintage from personal collection
Sunglasses: Chloé
Trousers: Etro
Watch: Peacock Watches
Ballerinas: René Caovilla
WHAT MAKES PEACOCK WATCHES STAND OUT IN THE WORLD OF LUXURY WATCHMAKING?
Now we come to the piece that will interest my friends who love watches. Just below the cuff of my Etro silk blouse, I wear a Peacock watch. The brand comes from Dandong, in northeastern China. If you have never heard the name, you are not alone. However, its history goes back much further than most people expect.
Dandong was once called Andong. After the city opened as a treaty port in 1906, Swiss, German and Japanese merchants brought their watches and clocks there. By 1912, Andong already had about 50 watch shops, and some of them made their own timepieces.
In the 1950s, seven technicians at the Andong Metal Products Factory began studying watches in their free time. They had a magnifying glass, a modified screwdriver and a pair of tweezers. With those humble tools and great patience, they finished their first watch in 1957. They named it Qianjin, which means “forward.”
A year later, the Andong Watch Factory opened and began mass production. The company grew, merged with a factory in Shenyang, and launched new models through the 1960s and 1970s. In 1973, it introduced a watch that later took the name Kongque. In English, that word means Peacock.
PEACOCK WATCHES AND THE RISE OF CHINESE HAUTE HORLOGERIE
The Peacock name soon became famous across China. By 1979, the factory produced more than one million watches a year. Around 1980, demand outran supply, and Dandong earned the nickname “Geneva of the East.” In 1981, Peacock watches entered the Hong Kong market for the first time.
By the mid-1980s, the factory employed about 12,000 people and made more than 3.8 million watches a year. Numbers like these tell you that this brand does not rest on clever marketing. Instead, it rests on an industrial and artisanal story with deep roots.
Today, Peacock focuses on fine mechanical watches and, above all, on tourbillons. The brand presented its first watch with an in-house tourbillon movement in 2003, and a double tourbillon followed in 2013. Peacock says it is one of only two companies in the world able to make its particular type of double tourbillon.
Its Black Hole central tourbillon won gold at the Muse Design Awards in 2023 and an iF Design Award in 2024. Serious watch media now pay attention, too. A recent review on aBlogtoWatch presented Peacock as a leading name in the new wave of Chinese watchmaking.
I find this story deeply moving. It reminds me that excellence can begin with seven curious people and the simplest tools.
PEACOCK EXQUISITE PLUMAGE PRISM WATCH: A CLOSER LOOK AT ITS DESIGN
My model is the Peacock Exquisite Plumage Prism Watch in Malachite. The brand also calls the design the Plume Watch, and the name fits perfectly. The whole concept comes from the feathers of a peacock, a universal symbol of elegance, wealth and nobility.
Start with the case. Its outer frame curves around the round bezel like the eye on a peacock feather. On one side, a slim opening appears between the frame and the bezel. Thanks to that gap, the watch looks light and sculptural. The case measures 26.86 by 24.05 millimeters, a refined size for a slender wrist.
Then come the stones. In total, the watch carries 48 diamonds. Forty-four of them circle the bezel, and natural diamonds mark the hours at 3, 6 and 9 o’clock. One more diamond shines at 12 o’clock, like the crest on a peacock’s head. Meanwhile, the winding crown holds a small gemstone that glows berry red in the sun.
The hands deserve their own moment. They are openwork and shaped like delicate feathers, and they sweep across the dial with real grace.
A deep green crocodile leather strap completes the look. The case uses 316L stainless steel in a warm rose-gold tone, and an anti-reflective sapphire crystal protects the dial. Against the cobalt cuffs of my Etro silk blouse, that whole composition of green and rose gold looks almost luminous. My son Marko recently reviewed their Divine Craft tourbillon.
WHAT MAKES MALACHITE DIALS SO SPECIAL IN LUXURY WATCHES?
Peacock offers this design with four natural dials: mother-of-pearl, malachite, blue aventurine and tiger’s eye. All of them are lovely. Still, malachite spoke to me instantly, because its bands of green look like a peacock’s tail in motion. Beside the teal swirls of my Etro silk blouse, it felt like the natural choice.
Malachite is a copper carbonate mineral, and it is soft for a stone. It rates only 3.5 to 4 on the Mohs hardness scale. That makes it fragile and prone to cracking during cutting and polishing. Dial makers must slice it very thin and treat it with great care.
Peacock cuts each malachite dial by hand to just 0.4 millimeters, then polishes it to reveal its depth. Because nature draws the bands, no two dials look the same. In other words, the pattern on my wrist belongs to my watch alone.
Hardstone dials have also enjoyed a strong comeback. Rolex, Chopard, Van Cleef & Arpels and Piaget have all embraced stones like malachite and lapis in recent years. Seeing a Chinese house join that conversation with such confidence pleases me very much.
Inside beats the hand-wound caliber SL-7001. It runs at 28,800 vibrations per hour and offers about 40 hours of power reserve. Water resistance is 3 ATM, so this is a watch for daily elegance, not for swimming. Peacock lists it at $2,599, which feels fair for a hand-cut stone dial and 48 diamonds.
LOUIS VUITTON AND TAKASHI MURAKAMI: A CELEBRATION OF 33 COLORS
Every outfit needs a moment of play, and mine comes from Louis Vuitton. The house began as a trunk maker in Paris. In 1896, Georges Vuitton created the Monogram as a tribute to his father Louis, the founder. This year, in 2026, the Monogram celebrates its 130th anniversary.
Now jump to 2003. Marc Jacobs, then the artistic director of Louis Vuitton, invited Japanese artist Takashi Murakami to reinterpret the Monogram. The result was Monogram Multicolore, the first time anyone had reworked the house emblem so boldly. It used 33 colors on a white or black ground, and the original canvas needed the same number of silkscreens.
That collaboration defined an entire era. If you lived through the early 2000s, you surely remember those cheerful flowers on every glamorous arm.
On January 1, 2025, Louis Vuitton launched a re-edition of the collaboration. Modern digital printing made the 33 colors brighter and more precise than ever. For many of us who remember the first edition, its return felt like meeting an old friend.
What I love most is the optimism. Those multicolored flowers say that luxury can smile. Next to the paisley of my Etro silk blouse, the motif turns into a cheerful conversation between Milan, Paris and Tokyo.
LOUIS VUITTON SIDE TRUNK MM: A MODERN TAKE ON TRUNK HERITAGE
The bag itself is the LV x TM Side Trunk MM. Nicolas Ghesquière introduced the Side Trunk at the Cruise 2023 show, held at the Salk Institute in San Diego. He conceived it as a softer twist on the Petite Malle, which was his very first bag shape for the house.
This version comes in supple white cowhide with the Murakami Monogram. It keeps every trunk code: golden reinforced corners, the famous S-lock and leather bands that wrap around the body. A removable handle carries a row of golden studs. In addition, a slim adjustable strap lets me wear it across the body.
It measures 23.5 by 16 by 8.5 centimeters. That sounds small, yet it holds a smartphone, a wallet and keys. For a walk through the city, that is all I need. Louis Vuitton also notes that the leather comes from a tannery certified by the Leather Working Group.
In the photos, you will see it three ways: crossbody, in my hand and resting on a park bench. That versatility is the real luxury, because one bag can feel sporty in the morning and polished at dinner. Held against the ruffled cuffs of my Etro silk blouse, its gold hardware picks up the golden yellow strokes in the print.
CHLOÉ ROSIE SUNGLASSES: THE BEAUTY OF PETAL-INSPIRED DESIGN
Sunglasses frame the face, and these frame it with poetry. Gaby Aghion founded Chloé in Paris in 1952, and she helped pioneer the idea of luxury ready-to-wear. Ease and modern femininity have guided the house ever since.
My pair belongs to the Rosie family. Chloé gives Rosie thick, beveled lenses that form a light, flower-shaped silhouette. A careful artisanal process creates the shiny, scalloped edges, so the lenses catch the sun like cut crystal.
The metal details are equally charming. Small sunburst-shaped pieces hold the lenses, and an engraved filigree pattern decorates the slim gold temples. At the tips, tortoiseshell acetate ends with a teardrop-shaped opening. This little Chloé signature lets you attach eyewear jewelry, if you wish.
Inside the temple of my pair, you can read the reference CE157S and the color code 742. The numbers also reveal a 60-millimeter lens, an 18-millimeter bridge and 140-millimeter temples. The gradient lenses melt from rosy brown into soft pink, which flatters the skin beautifully in autumn light.
Why did I choose them for this outfit? Their scalloped outline echoes the ruffled edges of the Etro silk blouse. One shape repeats another, quietly, and the whole look feels intentional.
RENÉ CAOVILLA BALLERINAS: CRYSTAL EMBELLISHMENTS AND TIMELESS ELEGANCE
Shoes are where I allow myself a secret sparkle. My ballerinas come from René Caovilla, a house that traces its story to 1923. That year, Edoardo Caovilla opened a shoemaking workshop in Fiesso d’Artico, a town near Venice on the Riviera del Brenta.
His son René, born in 1938, studied design in London and Paris. In the 1950s, he took over the family business and brought a couture spirit to it. According to the house, Venice itself inspired him. Think of the mosaics of San Marco, the lace of Burano and the city’s crystal chandeliers.
In the 1960s, René created designs that still define the brand, including the famous Snake sandals. Italy honored him with the title of Cavaliere del Lavoro in 2001. Today his son Edoardo leads the company, and production remains in Fiesso d’Artico.
According to Net-a-Porter, it takes about 48 hours to handcraft a pair. When you hold one, you believe it. My pair is pink, though the style also exists in blush beige. The upper blends lambskin and nylon under a lattice of rhinestones, and a crystal bow sits on each toe. Inside, calf leather lines the shoe, and the sole is leather, too.
With white trousers, the effect feels magical. The violet and sapphire crystals pick up the lavender and cobalt tones of my Etro silk blouse. As a result, the outfit connects from collar to toe.
HOW TO BALANCE AN ETRO SILK BLOUSE WITH LOGOS AND SPARKLE
Some of you may wonder whether so many strong pieces can live together. A paisley print, a multicolored monogram, a malachite dial and crystal shoes sound like a lot. Yet the outfit works, and I want to explain why, because the principle helps with any wardrobe.
First, choose one hero. Here, the Etro silk blouse leads, and every other piece supports it. Second, repeat colors on purpose. The cobalt of the cuffs returns in the crystals on my shoes. The green of the malachite echoes the teal swirls in the print. Even the coral threads find a partner in my lipstick.
Third, give the eye a resting place. The white trousers and the white leather of the bag act like a gallery wall. They let the color hang without crowding.
Finally, mind the scale. The blouse has large paisley shapes, while the bag carries small, regular flowers. Different scales keep prints from fighting. Meanwhile, the watch and the sunglasses add shine in small doses, like punctuation at the end of a sentence.
Experience teaches you to trust these rules, but also to bend them. Fashion should never feel like homework. If an outfit makes you smile in the mirror, it is probably right.
HOW TO CARE FOR AN ETRO SILK BLOUSE AND A STONE DIAL WATCH
Beautiful things ask for a little attention, and I am happy to give it. With silk chiffon, I follow the label without exception. The care label of my Etro silk blouse asks for dry cleaning, so I never wash it at home. Between wears, a padded hanger and a shaded closet keep the ruffles fresh.
The Louis Vuitton bag has its own simple rules. The house advises keeping it away from water, direct sunlight, heat, cosmetics and perfume. It also recommends storing the bag in its felt pouch when you are not using it. A small habit helps here: put on your perfume first, and only then pick up your bag.
The watch needs the most respect. Sapphire crystal protects the dial, yet malachite remains a soft stone that can crack. For that reason, avoid hard knocks against tables and door frames. With 3 ATM water resistance, it should also stay far from swimming pools and showers.
Finally, remember that the caliber is hand-wound, with about 40 hours of reserve. A few gentle turns of the crown each morning keep it running happily. I actually enjoy that little ritual. It feels like saying good morning to my watch.
AN ETRO SILK BLOUSE TO TREASURE BEYOND THE SEASONS
Some pieces you wear. Others you remember. This Etro silk blouse belongs to the second group, because it marked my return to you after a difficult pause.
Every brand in this look carries a story of patience. Etro grew from a love of textiles and antique shawls. Peacock grew from seven craftsmen and a pair of tweezers. Louis Vuitton began with trunks, Chloé with a new idea of ready-to-wear, and René Caovilla with a small workshop near Venice. When you wear pieces with such roots, you wear a bit of history, too. Thank you again for your patience, your messages and your warmth. They gave me more strength than you know.
Now I would love to hear from you. Which piece speaks to you most: the paisley, the malachite, the monogram or the sparkle? Tell me in the comments, and let us continue this conversation on the next page of my diary.
Special note:
All photographs in today’s post have been carefully edited in accordance with the aesthetics and professional guidelines of fashion photography, as well as the expectations of the blog’s partners and readers. Some time ago, I underwent Deep Plane Face and Neck lifting procedures abroad. Unfortunately, the outcome did not meet standard medical expectations and resulted in certain aesthetic and health-related consequences. My experience and personal perspective regarding these procedures are described in more detail in a separate article, prepared in consultation with my legal advisors, which is available at the following LINK. The content shared reflects my personal experience and opinion only and is intended for informational purposes, without the intention to harm or defame any individual or institution.
Best regards,
Rose
This post is sponsored by Etro, Peacock Watches, René Caovilla, Chloé and Louis Vuitton brands. This post is my personal and honest review of their products.
