FASHION FRIDAY: Edition 4

Fall/Winter 2010 Trends

I have devoted this Fashion Friday post to talk about the big trends that came out of the Fall/winter 2010 collections in both Paris and New York (last March). Sometimes I think when editors review fashion shows they become so technical and forget that you can interpret fashion in any way. So I have provided a list of what I found to be the key trends on the runway.  Remember, designers may  come up with their vision for the season, but it doesn’t mean you have to take it literally. I think what designers do best is steer us in the right direction and it’s up to us to take up styles we feel confident in.

Trends – Fabrics/Cuts/Styles

Fur – Okay one of the more obvious trends this fall is fur, each designer collection for Fall 2010 had some form of it. Fur has come back in a way that it fits well for both day and evening wear. Pairing a fur vest with a sexy mini, or a fur scarf with a blazer – watch out PETA here we come. Just kidding any fur I wear will be faux fur. Left to right - J Mendel, Dennis Basso, and Nina Ricci.

The 70s – This decade was all over the runway with high waist lines, sheer blouses, shiney fabrics, and of course sequins. I have highlighted a few key trends that I think we can all try that bring us back to this time.

70s - Sheer – I love sheer, it allows you to show parts of your body you may not necessarily be comfortable showing in any other light. What we’re seeing is deeper necklines in the front and back, cut outs on the thighs, abdominals, and lower backs. With sheer your seeing no-no areas being exposed in a more polished and classic way. In order - Balmain, Herve leger, and Stella McCartney.

70s - Sequin – The sun shines, stars sparkle, and the moon glitters – ladies it’s now our time to do the same! One consistent element across almost every designer was sequin/embellishment. Sequin can look extremely elegant or extremely tacky.  I have 3 tips when wearing sequin 1) Avoid over accessorizing, you will look like a Christmas tree. So put those chandelier earrings/statement necklaces away and find some sparkly studs. 2) The right shoes are key – if you’re wearing a sparkly dress, matte heels may not work with the look. Try a pair of patent leather shoes, or a pair of funky strappy ankle boots.  3) Be confident – you’re making the world a brighter place, so have the attitude to show for it. With a statement outfit you need to show confidence, because trust me lots of people will turn their heads! (Left to right - Monique Lluillier, Luca Luca, Isaac Mizrahi)



70s - Bold Shoulders – It is funny when padded shoulders first made a comeback in 2009, it brought me back to being 10 years old. I was a very curious preteen and very imaginative when it came to make belief games. I would actually pretend the upstairs of my house was the uptown of a city, and the downstairs level of my house was the downtown. I would set up my kitchen as a fancy restaurant in downtown and prepare Caesar salads with spaghetti for my cousins and I to enjoy in our fake metropolitan city (yes spaghetti is about as upscale as it got at 10). As part of these games I would scope my mom’s closet to find grown-up outfits. I am not going off tangent completely I know....but one time I remember finding a black and white blazer with heavy shoulder pads and gold monogram buttons going down the center. When I picked this out of the  closet to try on, I thought “what was the world thinking having shoulder pads?”. I did not understand why there was foam in the shoulder. Why would anyone want to look bulkier there? It made no sense to me and I swear to god I remember saying this will never come back in style. I should bite my tongue because shoulder pads are back. The funny thing is when I was younger I thought it was more masculine having shoulder pads, now I think it is so empowering and exudes a confident woman – I really do love it. In order - Atelier Gustavo, Balmain, and Giorgio Armani.

Deep V neckline – When I think of deep v necklines I specifically remember the 1999 Grammy awards when Jlo rocked that overexposed sheer green dress. Fall fashion has not gone that far (yet) but what I found across various collections was a sexy deep V neckline, just enough to continue to allure your admirers. Deep V with heavy shoulder pads how 1970s can we get? In order- Balmain, Jill Stuart, and Karl Lagerfeld.

Thigh High Boots – Is it just me or does everyone think of Vivian Ward when they think of thigh high boots? You’re probably thinking who the heck is Vivian Ward? Well she is the very popular character Julia Roberts played in Pretty Woman. Do you not remember those patent leather thigh high boots she wore on sunset blvd right before Edward Lewis (Richard Gere) whisked her away in his Lamborghini. I have watched that movie far too many times, I love it. Of course now thigh high boots don’t equal prostitutes on sunset. They can be worn with an oversized sweater, blazer, tights, mini dress (as Julia rocked), or with a pair of shorts. Endless possibilities for these boots… trust me if you walk into Toronto’s Yorkville, Chicago’s Magnificent Mile, LA’s Rodeo Drive, Miami’s Bal harbor shops, and New York’s fifth avenue with these boots on you will not be shamed like Julia was (aka my fave part when she goes back and makes them feel bad for not helping her and losing out on her sale). If thigh high boots are not within your budget, there is the thigh high leggings as shown below, a great opportunity to rock this look and not impact your bank balance. From left to right Alexander McQueen, Christian Dior, and Rebecca Taylor.

Single strap– We saw the single strap appear in spring 2010 and fall 2009 collections and it still is showing up across various design houses. I think a single strap allows someone to highlight a part of their body that no one talks about as being overly sexy (but definitely is). In order - Emanuel Ungaro, Nina Ricci, Badgley Mischka

Capes – For Halloween I dressed up as little red riding hood, who knew a part of that costume was hitting one of the newest trends in coats for fall/winter. They call it the cape. It feels like such a mystery putting on a cape, like you’re a princess escaping your royal duty.  Bring us back to today and you can disguise that beautiful party dress with a magnificent cape coat. In order - Giorgio Armani, Rebecca Taylor, Hussein Chalayan

Turtlenecks – I live in Canada so no matter the trend every winter I bust out with my turtle necks. Turtle necks are a staple part of my wardrobe in the winter, so when I saw it in many of my favourite designer collections for fall I was quite excited. In order - Versace, Jean Paul Gaultier, Badgley Mischka

Fall/Winter Colours

Camel – This colour was quite popular on the runway, and you can now find it all over top retail stores like Mango, Zara, and H&M this fall. Camel just feels like fall doesn’t it? When I think of fall I think of the leaves changing and this colour just blends in with the season so nicely. In order - Vivienne Westwood, Emanuel Ungaro, Chloe

Blue – Although blue was also a colour that stood out for fall, I personally have not seen it picked up across storefronts. In any case who doesn’t love a little blue in their closet. I think it is the most popular favourite colour, I remember in elementary school EVERYONE’S favourite colour was blue. In order - Calvin Klein, Donna Karan, Diane Von Furtzenburg

Grey – When I think of grey, I think of my university wardrobe. Grey sweatshirts and sweatpants! Well on the runway it was anything but cotton, there were beautiful grey outfits in jackets, dresses, and blazers in some of the most luxurious fabrics! In order - Balenciaga, Nina Ricci, Stella Mccartney

Deep Purple – So excited about this color. I have been told that purple eye makeup goes really well with brown eyes. Being a brunette I would think this applies to apparel as well! With camel also a big color this season it is a great contrast. I would rock a purple turtle neck and a camel blazer with skinny jeans. In order - Jill Stuart, Donna Karan, Stella Mccartney

Red – Like I mentioned in my last post, who doesn’t feel special when they wear red? I adore how the Givenchy collection used red as an accent color, from gloves to a scarf to the perfect red blazer. You can use red to draw attention to one key piece of your outfit, or make it all red – you decide! In order Givenchy, Stella Mccartney, Emanuel Ungaro



Pastels – I think it was ingenious to bring these colors into fall. Up north everyone gets a bit paler during the winter, and not all of us want to look like zombies with pale skin and dark attire. Why stop wearing pastels like beige, pink, white in the winter? I think this romantic colour palette goes perfectly for the winter, afterall isn’t December the most popular time for baby making? I am glad that it is no longer a faux pas.

Please note: All pictures above were taken from the official NYC Mercedes Benz Fashion week microsite (IMG), and Designer Central for Paris Fashion Week Collections images. I did not take these pictures but I did go through almost EVERY collection to find commonalities to determine the trends for this season.