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 Slim or volumized, you’ll find the silhouettes of autumn that are right for you.
Just as fashion designers prepare to unveil their latest collections for spring, fall fashions are hitting the stores and beckoning you to take on their new silhouettes, textures and colors. With so many choices, sifting through the newest trends can be a daunting task. We make you job a little easier by sorting through hundreds of shows to find the best looks for fall that will keep your style fashion forward. Here are 10 of our favorites.
1. The Bold and the Beautiful
Take your favorite color of the rainbow and then add shock value to it. Red becomes scarlet, pink ramps up to fuchsia, purple goes by grape and blue changes to peacock. Designers favored these colors on every silhouette they showed.
2. A Lesson on Texture
Black never disappears from the fashion landscape; it just gets reinterpreted in new ways. This season, it’s in the form of texture on top of black. Calvin Klein showed sequins. Zac Posen added beading. DKNY made black shine. And Michael Kors elected to reflect on gloss.
3. Leave Them Panting
Dresses made their big splash last spring and still remain big for fall. But they have competition as the weather chills in the form of pants, and every shape of leg will find a pants shape to suit them. Designers such as Ellen Tracy and Bill Blass rendered wide-legged trousers in tweed, while Carolina Herrera and Proenza Schouler opted to ply their trade in flannel. Or go for a slouchy menswear-inspired look such as new versions from Michael Kors.
4. On the Fringe
Streamlined shapes, a big trend for fall, found new pairings with textures that gave clothing new complexity when viewed up close. Think full-on feathers such as those shown by Dsquared2 and Thakoon or plastic fringe such as Prada accompanied on coats.
5. Pump Up the Volume
Fuller skirts are nothing new in fashion. But this season, tulip skirts and swing dresses take on toned down silhouettes that only pouf in one area instead of all over. Brioni’s tulip skirts had a nipped in feel to them, while the shapely swing dresses of Vera Wang gave shapely volume.
6. Sculpture Garden
This season, all eyes will be on the waist. Cinched in waists at Burberry Prorsum, corsets from the likes of Derek Lam and elegantly sculpted dresses from Narciso Rodriguez will surely increase the number of Spanx sold nationwide.
7. Coated Statement
Fall lets you drop the drab black wool coat for something that will make you stand out. Go for animal prints such as cheetah from Anna Sui, novelty fur trims like Badgley Mischka showed or a new take on the trench coat like Jean Paul Gaultier designed. Look for details such as belts, hoods, rounded shoulders and huge collars.
8. Jersey Girl
Relaxed and sophisticated can still happen at the same time. Jersey collections such as those by Yigal Azroel and Doo.Ri gave hope to fashion lovers that they could be relaxed and look good at the same time.
9. The It Color
Just about every collection paid homage to gray, that shade in between black and white. Designers called their grays names such as anthracite, smoke, carbon, steel, asphalt, nickel and graphite. Whatever you want to call it, just be sure to pick up at least one piece in this It color for fall.
10. Slim Pickings
If you decide to shirk volume this fall, slender may be the look you prefer. Belted coats and tailored dresses from Marc Jacobs and Calvin Klein, respectively, slimmed volume down.
Manly StyleMen’s fashion makes new statements for fall.
Just like the women, men have a chance to stay in fashion by following the trends. Here’s a look at seven that will keep you in style for fall.
Going Downhill
While sweaters always have their place in fashion, this fall they give you an après look. Whether you don these pieces at the chalet after skiing or just at the office, you’re stock won’t be headed downhill. Look for sweaters from Missoni and John Bartlett to complete this look.
In the Pipeline
All the trimmings complete the suit and jackets this fall. Look for piping on suits from Alessandro Dell’Acqua or Thom Browne to keep you in the pipeline.
Love is a Battlefield
Protect yourself from the everyday wars at work with military-inspired wares this fall. Emporio Armani added breastplate details to sweaters while John Galliano took the hoodie to a new military level.
Waist Management
Women have been layering their looks for several seasons now to ward off the chill of winter and extend the life of summer pieces. Men get in on the act this fall with shirts and ties layered under long sweaters and coats such as Burberry Prorsum showed or sleek jackets under a leather coat like at Dior Homme.
A Cautionary Tale
This summer, yellow swept the store as the hot color for women. Now men get a chance to wear that color in their accessories. Michael Kors wrapped his models in bright yellow scarves, Etro decked out his models in cozy yellow sweaters and Duckie Brown went so far as to make hands stand out in yellow gloves.
Hip to be Square
For a different take on the typical solid-colored outfit, think in terms of Mondrian squares, only keep the colors neutral. Prada decked a coat out in various shades of gray blocks, Jil Sander broke up a sweater into geometrical squares and Louis Vuitton created a different take on the square with blacks, whites and grays.
Four Is Better Than Three
The four-button suit is no longer the sole domain of NBA players. Dolce & Gabbana, Comme des Garcons and Prada all played ball with this look. Just keep the bottom button undone, same as you would a three-button suit.
Susan Stapleton is LifeStyle Magazine’s fashion editor. She was formerly the editor in chief of Philadelphia Style and D.C. Style magazines. No one has commented on this article. J! Reactions • General Site LicenseCopyright © 2006 S. A. DeCaro |
