Tag Archives: trends

NYFW Trend Takeaway: Fashion Is Freedom

Though there are fewer hard and fast rules in fashion these days, every NY fashion week highlights some change in the way people are dressing now. Here are some trends we noticed not just on influencers, but on editors, buyers and generally chic people on the street during last week’s shows.  (more…)

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CFDA Takeaway: Red Carpet Trends

Even if you’re not attending anything as glamorous as the CFDA Awards this summer, chances are you’ll have to get dressed up for a wedding or charity event. Black tie attire is always tricky to navigate, but especially in hot weather, so take a few tips from these fashion pros.

 

The latests trends in red carpet attire, after the jump.  (more…)

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Trend Report: Long Skirts

You know the maxim: when the economy goes south, so do hemlines. But if long skirts sound dowdy and depressing to you, think again. The skirts on guests at New York Fashion Week came in florals, graphic patterns, pretty pastels or vivid colors in lightweight fabrics like silk and chiffon. Worn with heavy jackets or peeking out from under long coats, the new long skirts provide a flash of color and movement that hints at spring. (more…)

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Trend Report: Seeing Red


Red is a given around Valentine’s Day, but this year at NY Fashion Week the trend has been more pronounced. Vibrant, saturated cherry red is showing up everywhere, particularly in accessories. The color was also a major part of yesterday’s Diane von Furstenberg fall 2011 show, so don’t expect it to disappear come February 15th. (more…)

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May Day, Union Square

On a recent brilliantly sunny, low-humidity day, it was like California in Union Square. This slightly cool spring afternoon called for creative layering. Think silk scarves and jackets over shorts, dresses and tees: it should always be easy to shed a few layers and take in the sun.

Leopard Silk Scarf, Union SquareAn animal-print silk scarf is a fast and easy way to embellish a standard outfit of jeans, tee, and shrunken leather jacket.  Ballet flats with a black lace overlay pick up the pattern. (more…)

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Open Toe Shoes With Sheer Stockings on Cover of WWD

As sub-freezing temperatures severely restrict footwear choices, a new fashion frontier has been conquered: open toe shoes worn with sheer stockings, as seen on the cover of today’s WWD.

WWD-stockings

This look, once the domain of misguided bridesmaids, has resurfaced in more fashionable form to show off the many black patterned stockings now available – the ones pictured are by Givenchy. (more…)

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Sweatpants: Why?

Alexander Wang’s influence notwithstanding, I am mystified by the sweatpants trend. Perhaps because I was born in the pre-Lycra, pre-wicking-material era, I associate baggy gray sweatpants with the general humiliation of high school gym class. Imagine running down the main street in town in the most unflattering clothes imaginable. It’s great that athletic clothes are now designed by people like Stella McCartney, but not so long ago, shapeless sweatpants were the only option. And they were horrible.

sweatpants-top

Nevertheless, women are now decking themselves in gray sweatpants material without being forced to by school uniform codes. This “jog top,” above, actually sold out at indie retailer Pixie Market. Why? Just the word “jog” is still cringe-inducing, especially when it’s anywhere near the words “heather gray.” Yet sweatpants are now everywhere. More examples, after the jump. (more…)

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Fashion Week Redux: 10 Must-Haves

Now that the dust has settled on NY Fashion Week, what’s the takeaway? The good news: Classics are in, so anything you’re buying this season really should be a keeper. Think Burberry trenches, Chanel bags, black heels, menswear staples and red lipstick. Even on the indie side of the equation, where leather and studs rule the day, you’ll find things you’ll wear again and again.

fashion-week-trends-2009

Though this buying guide is set up in an ideal vs. steal format, Fashion Week made one thing clear: Quality counts. Many of the clothes on the guests and the runway were beautifully tailored, and though you can find knockoffs at Forever 21, there’s an obvious difference the two. Even if you can’t afford the real thing, the shows were a nice reminder of what “designer” really means. Not crazy logos or bling, but creativity, quality and craftsmanship.

10 must-haves for the fall 2009 season, after the jump. (more…)

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Ruched Skirts Are Not Flattering

balenciagaEver see a trend on the runway and think, It looks good now, but….? Balenciaga’s ruched skirts are that trend for fall 2009. Unless you’re plagued with “boyish hips,” like about 3 percent of the female population, 90 percent of models, and 100 percent of drag queens, this style will make what’s already there look much bigger. Nicholas Ghesquiere is a genius when it comes to most things Balenciaga, but it’s hard to imagine a woman designing this style, which seems designed to torture women.

Which is rather disappointing considering that the skirts look cute on the rack. The ruched style has already trickled down to Urban Outfitters. Alas, once you put it on, it’s obvious that it is only intended for the hipless.

What are male designers thinking when they concoct designs like this? Is it the result of an overexposure to models and pencil-thin editors? A fetishizing of traditional feminine traits? Or an intentional means of making the label inaccessible to women who are a dowdy size four and up? If the latter, that’s definitely bad business, since even Rachel Zoe attests that none of her celebrity clients are a size zero.

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The $28 Must-Have Shoes: Marc Jacobs Rain Boots

marc-jacobs-rain-bootsA friend of ours at Real Simple Magazine tells us that all the girls there are wearing black Marc by Marc rain boots with colored soles – even when there’s hardly a threat of rain. Needless to say, we were intrigued, particularly after we also saw this photo: (more…)

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The Latest It Bag? The Collectible Cotton Tote

siren-music-festival-1Status bags may no longer be about money, but they are still about caché. At the 2009 Siren Music Festival, must-have bags in the VIP area were plain old cotton totes. They may been acquired for free, but they denoted access: to a Marc Jacobs show (Sonic Youth tote, after the jump) or some early contact with the hot band Phoenix, whose new album imprinted on this bag, left, just came out.

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The Color Purple: Lilac for Resort 2010

A look from Dior Cruise 2010 from The Fashion Spot

A look from Dior Cruise 2010 from The Fashion Spot

If you think you’ve tired of the It color of fall 2008, purple, think again, because it’s back all over again in a different hue. Miuccia Prada’s inspiration for resort 2010 was Art Deco Miami Beach, and while designers are claiming inspiration from all over the globe for resort 2010, Miami Beach pastels are popping up in many major collections, like Dior Cruise 2010, left.

In particular, lilac has infiltrated its way into several resort lines. It’s a welcome respite from fall’s jewel-tone purple, and if you’re doing the ’80s thing right now, this was also a big color in the era of Valley Girl.

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