Every season, we women face a sartorial challenge. Many of us love fashion and see it as a fun, creative expression of self. Others among us just want to look our best. Whichever camp we fall in, we not only want to look good, we want to look stylish—and appropriate.
That can sometimes be a daunting task. To look current, it’s usually necessary to add a few new pieces to your wardrobe each season. But chances are, you want to get a few seasons’ wear from those items, and you don’t want to break the bank. It can also be a challenge to translate the latest trends into looks befitting a woman no longer in her 20s. (Jeggings? Oh, please!)
Many of us are just starting to shop for fall (in which case you may want to pick up something camel, and perhaps leopard). But the fashion industry already has its eye on spring. Having a sense of upcoming trends can be helpful, allowing you to buy summer pieces on sale now with the upcoming season in mind, and to perhaps pull out something from the back of the closet that’s suddenly right on-trend.
I recently attended several of the New York shows and can offer a preview of what’s in store for the spring fashion season.
White was the predominant theme at Fashion Week for Spring 2011: It was everywhere. I guess you could say that white is the new black. There were also several other sub-themes within the white credo, and in other aspects of the collections. Minimalism was a theme in many of the collections, particularly Calvin Klein, Narciso Rodriguez, and Reed Krakoff’s second showing. Another one was sheer—not only sheer white (which can be tricky to wear), but beautiful prints and florals. Many collections showed lovely dresses, long and short, with this theme. Lace was another popular motif, not only as trim but as an overall pattern. And for colors other than white, coral/orange seemed to be the most favored shade.
But for now, let’s focus on the overriding leitmotif of white. I was lucky enough to see the Michael Kors show, which was mobbed—with good reason. Kors is one of the few designers who spans the ages: many of his designs work for women from 20 to 70. And since he always seems to have his finger on the pulse of American culture, his collection tends to be a barometer of what’s to come. His style for spring is California-casual chic, with a looser, longer fit, and he embraced the white theme with gusto.
I wish I had seen the beautiful Oscar de la Renta show in person. He channelled a little Balenciaga (his mentor) for this luxurious collection. Note his use of the lace motif. And see those belts? Accessories are going to be huge for spring—belts, bags and shoes. And of course, he gravitated toward white. Now, very few of us can actually afford Oscar, but we can let his designs be a guide.
So when you’re thinking about your spring wardrobe this year, make sure you have something white in your closet. And if you can, plan to add a fresh belt and a pair of shoes. It should be simple (and fun) to capture the new ease of casual chic with a great neutral palette as your base.
(All photos by Marcio Madeira/firstVIEW. Use with permission.)
Thanks, Stacey, for translating this fashion-world spectacle into a framework we can actually put to work. And thanks, too, for showing us how to wear all white without necessarily looking like a dental hygienist…