Fall fashion preview: The good, the bad, the ugly (and the bizarre)
By Brittany Anas
Most of us haven’t even taken our summer clothes out of storage yet and the forward-thinking fashion industry is already giving us a preview of what’s to come in the fall. Runway photos from fashion weeks in style capitals London, Paris and Milan are akin to crystal balls that let us peer into the future so we know what cutting-edge styles we can expect in stores later this year.
On the light side are two-piece suits and jackets in soft, dusty pink palettes. On the dark side, are sinister, gothic-inspired dresses with Bride of Frankenstein detailing.
While we’re wearing our breezy summer dresses and strappy sandals in the coming months, we’ll rest assured that fast-fashion chains like Forever 21, ASOS, Urban Outfitters, Topshop, H&M and Rue21 are trend-spotting for us and stocking up on ready-to-wear apparel for autumn.
Here are the fall fashion trends that have piqued our interest:
What we’re loving:
Blue & black combinations. The colors once were considered clashing, but we like the vibrant blue hues paired with the more subdued, classic black — especially in the Antonio Berardi collection. We got an early sample of this trend last fall, and, from the looks of it, the color combo is coming back in bolder prints.
Sheer sleeves. They are billowy enough to give off a romantic look without making us appear to be on the set of a Pirates of the Caribbean re-make.
Nutty prints. Literally. We’ve spotted a couple variations of playful squirrel caricatures on fall apparel. Our favorite is the tan cardigan from designer Orla Kiely.
Deep V-necks. These ain’t your mother’s V-neck T-shirts. Slim V-necks are stretching all the way down near the naval on elegant evening dresses.
Head-to-toe patterns. For the more daring fashionista, pairing complementary prints on your peplum blouse and immaculately tailored cigarette pants is going to be a fashion trick you can try to pull off this fall. Designer Louise Gray shows us how it’s done, breaking up the patterns with some arm bracelets and yellow shoes.
What we’re loathing:
The grown-up goth look. We like the classic look of black and how key pieces — like a leather pencil skirt or black blouse — can instantaneously pull together a fall look that is polished. The gothic-inspired runway pieces we’re seeing are heavy, baggy and we suspect even goth matriarch Morticia Addams would turn up her nose at the trend.
Vinyl and latex. The cheap look reminds us of a one-size fits all costume that we wore in college. The plastic-like material is rearing itself on knee-length skirts.
What we’re laughing at:
The props. Fashion is art. But, sometimes we must question why a runway model for Claire Barrow is with a fish statuette tucked under her arm?
Mulberry also tickled our fancies when a dog in plaid strutted the catwalk.
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Photos courtesy of London Fashion Week.
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