Posts filed under 'Women'
Just when you thought that the style landscape for this season was complicated enough, here I am telling you what you’ll be seeing in stores Next year. How’s that for getting ahead of the fashion curve?
Here’s the scoop from a presentation from Promostyl, a leading fashion trend reporting company. Coming to stores near you, in Spring/Summer 06:
Bohemia
We’ll be seeing hippie-folk items: think of a 21st Century revision of the 1970s. You’ll see embellished items, tiered prairie skirts, and an explosion of prints on voluminous proportioned tops, skirts, and even pants. Think flowy airy tops, long voluminous skirts, and wide-legged (and even pleated!) pants. Men’s suiting will take a bohemian turn as it blends with folk-inspired silhouettes, in the season’s spirit of contradiction.
Look for cool violet colors matched with blended brights, reminiscent of the colors of a parrot. Be on the lookout for orange and yellow, in particular. Saturated pastel colors will continue to be stylish, as will the color white. So hold on to your white items from this year—they’ll work nicely with the clothes you’ll see in stores next year!
Eastern European Avant Garde
The trend is strict, graphic, and tailored. Picture industrial Berlin, with its dynamic graphic influences and focus on efficiency. It’s a tough underground look that’s simple and streamlined. Uniform-looking clothing will be seen, along with severe looking suits and shirtdresses. A standout item in my eyes: a tank top updated with a men’s tie. Look for graphic shapes and architectural lines, both in colorblocking and seaming.
Colors will be gray-based shades, but fuchsia and green, reminiscent of the 1980s, are standout colors.
Refined Nostalgia
This is a delicate, elegant trend that blends today’s tastes with those of the past, particularly the 1940s and 1950s. The feeling is ladylike chic with a slight country feel. Detailing on clothing will include sleeves puffed at the shoulder, lingerie touches, and the use of boudoir fabrics. Fabrics will be pintucked, smocked, and shirred. One interesting silhouette involved tops with open backs—these shirts fastened at the top near the neck. These tops can be worn alone or layered over another shirt.
Colors include scarlet, ochre, and watered down pastels.
Fantasy Refuge
The Fantasy Refuge style is a trend that revolves around emotion and the want for escape from reality. Youthful, naïve looks feature, though the glamour factor is turned up. Look for empire waists, stylized waistlines with belts, shrunken jackets in unexpected materials (e.g. terrycloth), and an emphasis on softness, volume, and transparency. A convergence between activewear and sportswear will also be seen: think of the Adidas/Stella McCartney collaboration.
The color palette for Fantasy Refuge combines strident, acid brights with innocent pastels. Think: cotton candy pink, rosy pink, red, lime, spring green, and sky blue. Neutrals combine with pastels, and the pink/grey combination I mentioned last week in Style Q&A will still be seen.
Now go impress your friends with your insider style knowledge!
April 5th, 2005
On the radar: a natural extension of the textured embellishment trend I discussed last week. Hardware trims such as zippers and metal snaps are turning up as utilitarian embellishments on clothes for both men and women. I love the contrast of the hard details on a soft piece of clothing, especially when done with a subtle hand.
I saw a couple of nice examples while trendscouting at Armani Exchange:
For Men: Zipper Placket on a Raglan Sleeve Knit Shirt.
$49.99 at A|X.
For Women: Snap detailing on a scoopneck tee.
$38.00 at A|X.
FYI–I’m taking a long weekend in LA for a mini-break and a fabric show (*sighs of happiness*). Expect a report on fabrics/colors for Spring/Summer 06 when I’m back on Tuesday!
April 1st, 2005
Ditch your Sevens and obligatory chiffon-y/glittery/flowy and/or drapey tops. It’s time for a new look for casual evenings Out on the Town.
Texture is the key to transforming this outfit from basic to sophisticated.
Basic Formula = Layered Knits + Full Skirt
Photo courtesy of Kenneth Cole.
Try layered tanks in interesting knit textures, such as the gauzy example above ($119) from Kenneth Cole. Add in a skirt in a basic shape (A-line, Full, Straight, etc) in a quirky print or interesting texture. The example below from Lux ($49, Urban Outfitters) features smocking, topstitching, and a visually interesting print.
Photo Courtesy of Urban Outfitters.
I encourage you to play around with this look. Do email with your variations!
Coming soon to a blog near you: Men’s Fashion, in the form of another edition of “Adapt this Look.†Stay tuned!
March 30th, 2005
Q: I’m a classic dresser with pretty conservative tastes, but I want to move my wardrobe into more colorful territory. Help please!
A: Considering the wide range of color options out in the marketplace right now, there’s no better time to start adding color to your wardrobe. I see three color combinations as both flattering and fashion-forward this season. What’s more, they’re relatively easy to wear without being overwhelming.
- Blue + Green: The nautical theme on the runways has manifested itself again—this time in color form. But don’t think of the high seas when choosing your ocean-inspired colors. Instead, imagine yourself on a beautiful tropical island, complete with crystal clear skies and a richly hued seascape. Try sky blue and sea green, as well as sky blue and lime green. Blue and green never looked so fresh.
“The Bottom Line†Silk Shirt ($79) and “That’s a Wrap†Silk Skirt ($99), both at Kenneth Cole.
- White + ???: While the green and white combo was tennis inspired for Summer 04, it’s still around this year in more sophisticated permutations. Though the sporty outfits were definitely cute, I’m glad green and white have moved beyond the tennis court. Judging from retail store displays, green and white is here to stay for Spring/Summer 05—look for the color combination in stripe and colorblocking forms. Also hot: turquoise and white, and light blue and white. My prediction: as much as I love green and white, sky blue and white will dominate over the next two seasons.
Theory: Striped Shirt ($165), White Tank $45, Flared Pants, $195.
Find them at Neiman Marcus.
- Pink + Grey: Pink has traditionally been paired with brown, a pretty color combination (especially when pairing a dusty rose pink with a chocolate brown) that got kind of tired by last autumn. The new It Pairing for pink? Move over brown, and make room for grey! I love a light heather grey with pretty much any pink hue, light or dark. FYI—My pile of pink tops from last summer pair especially well with the Sasha Shrunken Cable Cardigan from the “Stylish Sales†post. Try pairing that sweater with the camisole below for a fun spring look!
Eva Lace Trim Cami ($44) at Guess.And for even more daring color combinations, feel free to try:
- Orange + Yellow
- Green + Yellow
- Orange + Pink
Though I started this blog only last week, I already started to receive style questions by email. Thanks for being proactive—I applaud you! I plan to write a Style Q&A post each week—so feel free to email more questions to styleintelligence@gmail.com. Hope to hear from You!
March 29th, 2005
It’s raining in Northern California, which means….more time for Shopping!
Not to overload on A&F, my current guilty pleasure, but I spotted two great sweaters there…versatile and stylish, And on Sale! I’m a big fan of these two, having bought them over a month ago on covert trips to the mall post-work. I can honestly say that both made it to Wardrobe Foundation status, at least for this Spring!
The Sasha Shrunken Cable Cardigan is soft as can be, as it’s made of silk and angora. Its cropped length fits in perfectly with the silhouette of the season–think cropped blazers and voluminous pants and skirts a la my "It Items" post. The thin cable knit also gives an outfit wonderful texture. The only downside? Like any cute, fluffy animal, this sweater sheds. Not a lot, but just enough to be annoying.
Sasha Shrunken Cable Cardigan | Courtesy of
A&FAs for the Ramona Full-Zip Sweater, it’s a semi-chunky sweater that does double duty, as it is perfectly functional and fashionable on both cold and warm days. The chunkiness is of enough texture and enough weight to be fashionable, yet it does not go overboard into the "this makes you look wider than you are" realm.
Appreciated:
- The versatile collar: you can leave it standing, or you can roll it down for a more casual look,
- The two-way zipper: allows for the ultimate in adjustments, as you can zip up or down as much as you please, from both the top and the bottom,
- The tiny front pockets: just a nice touch, and it adds visual interest to what might otherwise be a nondescript sweater, and
- The contrast rib side panels: the larger rib allows for both textural interest and extra Stretch–which translates into a more accurate fit for you!
Ramona Full-Zip Sweater | Courtesy of
A&F March 27th, 2005
Seen while malling: a particularly interesting example (at least, for a mall-based chain store) illustrating the Textured Embellishment trend. I appreciate the abstractness of the tee, along with the unusual color combination: chocolate brown, teal, yellow brown, and off-white. The combination of the somewhat matte embroidery texture with the shiny metallic sequins drew me in. You can find the tee at Abercrombie & Fitch for $49.50.
If you appreciate this trend as much as I do, keep an eye out for items with embellishments like glass and resin beads, pearls, etched patterns, ribbons, frayed and fringed yarns, and fabric cutouts, in addition to embroidery and sequins. To temper this trend for the workplace, look for items using embellishment sparingly—such as around the neckline or shirt hem. Or keep the embellishments in the same color family as the garment for a subtly stylish look. For a fun evening or weekend look, however, feel free to go all out!
March 24th, 2005
Many fashion editors publish lists of It Items…just check Lucky, InStyle and the like. What makes this one different, and why is this one worth your time?
I like to recognize that while some fashion obsessions come and go, other trends have more longevity. I present to you my four picks of the season. These are carefully selected items that I believe will last you beyond the warm days of this Spring and Summer. Stuff that you can wear for the foreseeable future without people thinking/saying, “that’s So Last Season.†Clothes that you can incorporate into your wardrobe and bring out next year, and the year after, guilt free!
So without further ado, I present to you…
The Cropped Jacket: I love cropped jackets in blazer form, bomber form, and motorcycle jacket form. And that’s not just because I’m petite and the cropped jacket flatters my proportions. Cropped jackets are Versatile. And I adore versatility. The cropped jacket works nicely with a full skirt (see below), for a modern take on the Dior New Look. It also looks great with a thin-cut cropped pant. However, the difference in volume proportions also makes the pairing of a cropped jacket with baggy pants visually appealing. However, unless you’re shaped like a model, be careful to not take the proportion play too far.
What I like most about the cropped jacket, however, is its inherent affinity towards layering. You don’t have to pair the cropped jacket with a similarly proportioned top—it’s ok to have the shirt show from underneath this jacket. In fact, it’s more visually interesting. Think of this as a more sophisticated form of the tee shirt and tank top layering that Everybody and their Mother has been doing for the last year.
The White Tank: By itself, or layered, the white tank is a wardrobe staple that will be getting a lot more play this season. For a layered look that’s less Summer 04 and more Right Now, try layering tanks of different textures. I call this Layering, version 2.0. To get a more sophisticated look, for example, try pairing your plain jersey or baby rib tank from last summer with a new one that is more transparent and gauzy. Also remember that the cut of the tank is key—pick ones that flatter your neckline. Gently sloping scoopnecks are generally flattering, as are racerback tanks that show off your shoulderblades. Exaggerated racerback silhouettes are on my hotlist (coming soon to a sidebar near you!).
Narciso Rodriguez Spring 05* | Courtesy of Style.com
The Full Skirt: I just can’t get enough. Loved the full skirt last year, and still Love them now. They can camouflage heavy upper thighs, make your waist appear smaller (yay), and some will even skim over wide hips. My word of caution to you, however, lies in the length of the skirt. Have you ever noticed that some skirts make you look fabulous, and others make you look awkward—even if they’re of the same or a similar style and cut? Chances are, the difference lies in the skirt length.
Marc Jacobs Spring 05 | Courtesy of
Style.com
For most people, a skirt that ends at or right above the knee is of the most flattering length. Generally, if you can, avoid skirt lengths that hit mid calf—this tends to be more unflattering. To find Your Ideal Skirt Length, put on a long skirt that goes to your ankles. Standing in front of a full-length mirror, slowly raise the hemline of the skirt until you find the length that makes you think, “that looks great on me!†At that point, your legs will appear slimmer, and you’ll look and feel better proportioned. After this discovery, go out and hem your skirts of unflattering lengths to this Ideal Length. You’ll be glad you did it.
The Baggy Pant: The key here is to not go overboard. When I say baggy pants, I’m not talking about the pants a “cool†teenaged boy from the late 90s wore as he walked down the street with his pants sagging and boxers showing. Aigh. I’m talking about a more boyish, looser cut in a classic pant style. A nice wide legged pant is a clean interpretation of this trend, and one that is quite flattering—especially on women with a larger posterior. To mix things up a bit, you can even toss on some utility pockets. A rich, sophisticated cargo pant is not only Very of the Moment, but it also has wardrobe staple potential. But for the record, despite my affinity for baggy pants, I am not a fan of pleats. I feel that the traditional front pleats on pants are an unflattering way of allowing volume for movement in the pant. Let’s just leave it at that.
Balenciaga Spring 05 | Courtesy of
Style.com
*I’m a great fan of Narciso Rodriguez’s work. I was actually in New York during Fashion Week last September for the Spring shows. Tried to get into Rodriguez’s show, but alas, it was packed full, standing room only for even invited guests. At least I made it into the tents.
March 23rd, 2005
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