We’re heading into September – back to school, back to routine, back to sweaters and layers and more clothing decisions! Fashion sort of takes a break during the summer, because fashion requires clothes. Less clothes = less fashion. September is when trends come out to play, so I thought it would be a good time to talk about how to handle fashion trends.
It can be overwhelming trying to figure out what the trends are going to be. The fashion websites are each posting their Top Trends for Fall 2016, but they each have a different top ten, and runway shows are so removed from actual reality that you can’t tell how anything would look on you anyways. Most models are a good foot taller than I am and weigh less than I do, so I have to have a good idea filter. What do I mean by “idea filter”? It’s having an editing eye to see possibilities and break down a look into separate elements. If you see a look you like, examine it and try to figure out why you like it. Is it the color? Is it the fit? Is it an unexpected combination of elements? Don’t have an all-or-nothing approach when you look at other people or at magazines. Keep your brain switched on.
Trends are kind of like when you’re playing hide and seek and the kid who is it yells, “Here I come, ready or not!” They’re coming, so we might as well think about how to handle them. Here are a few trends that will be coming soon to a store near you:
- For textures, velvet is back in a big way. The danger with velvet is that it can look too much like a five-year-old’s Christmas dress. My advice is to use velvet sparingly, because it’s rich (like chocolate ganache). A velvet blazer or skirt would be more versatile, because you can adjust the tone more – a blazer could dress up a blouse and a pair of jeans, or go over a print dress. The “use sparingly” advice also applies to colorful faux fur, which is another big texture trend. I don’t like faux fur, so I’m going to avoid that particular trend bandwagon.
- For prints and patterns, keep your summer florals in your closet and layer them up for fall. I like fall florals – it’s a cheery look. I don’t like when everything in the store is gray and black. There are also going to be variations on classic plaids and tweed-mixtures. Also, have you noticed clothes getting sheerer? That is on purpose. They are trying to make the “sheer shirt with visible contrasting brassiere” a thing. In public, the bra should not be a visible member of the clothing cast. It should be in an invisible, supporting role. The bra is the stage manager – backstage, invisible, making everybody on stage look good, and definitely not hogging the spotlight during Hamlet’s soliloquies. (That metaphor got away from me.)
- Structurally, things are getting looser. Oversized everything. Skinny trousers have been out of style for a couple of runway seasons now, so we’re going to have adapt as they disappear from stores. Flare and wide leg trousers are coming back. Judging by the sheer volume of patchwork denim on the runways for the past few seasons, everything might be patchwork in a year. Anyway, the skinny leg’s days are numbered. I don’t like change. I didn’t like transitioning from my low waisted boot-cut jeans to my mid-rise skinny jeans and now I don’t want to transition from my skinny jeans. CHANGE IS HARD.
So that’s my trend report. Keep your eyes open and your brain engaged – you’ll be fine. There may have to be more tailoring in the coming years, but I’m 5′, 2″. Hemming is ALWAYS in my future. Don’t change yourself to fit the trend, make the trends suit you.
The Art of Getting Dressed 