FALL BACK
THIS SEASON’S RETRO STYLES ARE ALL JUST A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY REPEATING
Fashions of yore get a modern makeover for fall 2008. From updated versions of Victorian- and Gothic-era
garb to 1920s flapper frocks and a ’40s pant leg, the style of the season is a postmodern mélange of
recycled looks. Throw in some brightly colored jewel-toned pieces and you’ll be one sharp-dressed mom.
Recycled Regalia
While the summer turned out safari hunts with organic tones, this fall, designers have captured the
runways with everything from dramatic Gothic looks to delicate ladylike silhouettes. Flapper dresses by
Baby Phat and Monique Lhuillier were festooned in sequins and drop waists, embodying the same carefree attitude as the era, whereas John Galliano and Rodarte swathed their models in ripped netting and black leather. On the whole, Gothic and Victorian styles will likely yield more stares than admiration from your fashion peers. Save your wardrobe the embarrassment by strutting your stuff in a satiny A-line dress, accessorized with a skinny belt and worn with a delicate tweed coat with big buttons and a faux fur collar. Think: flapper-day feminist meets Jackie O.
Jewel of the Nile
Jewel-toned hues have successfully replaced last season’s sorely bright hues. This fall, designer favorites include fiery red topaz, burnt orange, deep ocean blue, emerald green, deep amethyst and white diamonds. For those who favor warmer tones, mellow metallics, satin browns and taupes are a step above the basic black and complement almost every skin tone. In evening wear, though, fall’s hues have taken a different route. Where sequins, glitter and satin once reigned holiday supreme, draped evening wear now holds court. Designers like Versace and Emanuel Ungaro dressed their models in pastel hues of blue, pink and purple, proudly declaring that these colors aren’t only for Easter.
Great Scot
If your wild side thrives in all seasons and you can’t cage your desire for leopard, let it out in small doses, like with a trendy oversized clutch. If you’re willing to put the big cat to sleep, try the latest pattern trend: plaid. For those of us nostalgic for our former ’90s-grunge-meets-
Braveheart look, it’s comforting to see designers resurface this memorable pattern in dresses, coats, vests and even ponchos. In either big squares or tiny geometric cubes, plaid has become the new favorite fashion pattern, showing up in nearly every collection. While red and black is still seen as a major standard, designers are experimenting with different color combinations, matching orange with green and blue with yellow.
Big Knit-Wits
Ultra-roomy wool coats with oversized lapels have replaced the traditional peacoat for this season’s winter staple. Fashioning a relaxed style that fits everyone’s curves, designers have sewn away from the classic shape and placed greater focus on your stems, elongating the leg while minimizing bulk. Choose a coat with a color that really pops, like Nicole Miller’s yellow Kimono Sleeve Coat or New York designers Three as Four’s shimmering silver hoodie.
Experiencing a warmer winter? Replace the cavernous haven of your oversized coat with the soft twists of an oversized knit sweater. Artistically hefty cable knits and cashmere and wool sweaters are best paired with a pencil skirt or skinny trouser. While oversized knit sweaters can be paired with a wide-leg trouser, make sure you don’t drown in the newly discovered ocean of loose-fitting clothes.
Charmed, I’m Sure
Pulling together a romantic look this fall is super simple with designers sewing accessories into their clothes via delicate folds and wistful knots. Designers like Proenza Schouler and Michael Kors are tying looks together with bold bows and cascades of ruffles, producing a romantic and innocent style. A long knotted bow at the neck or simple delicate ruffles create a great shape for women with a smaller bustline. For those with a more ample chest, a simple knot at the waistline accentuates an hourglass silhouette without being overly curvaceous. The bow has also been reinvented à la modern sculpture (as seen in Marc Jacobs’ shiny metal bows for your décolletage), giving a new twist on what was once considered old-fashioned.
Bottom Heavy
The polar opposite of the skinny jean is finally making its way back to the fashion forefront. Designers such as Oscar de la Renta and Alexander Wang paired their loose-fitting trousers in dramatic jewel tones with romantic fringe shirts and oversized knits. Wide-leg trousers are versatile, boasting a silhouette to match almost every body type, but just as you customize the length of a dress, so should you customize the length of your trousers. Petite ladies should look for a cuffed pair, while curvier girls should opt for pleats. Either way, the hottest match for this long-awaited comeback is patent leather boots with a pointed toe.
Belt Way
Women can now breathe easily as the corset belt slowly dissolves back into the fashion history of the Dark Ages. This season, the classic skinny belt returns, since the loose fit creates a softer and more elegant silhouette of the waist without drawing drastic attention to the hips. A simple leather belt in a mock-croc print easily adds sophistication to a casual number, and a satin belt with a mini bow brings an innocent romantic side to your career wear.
Handy-Dandy
Handbags of the season call for a nod to the masculine via their hardware. Designers like Marc Jacobs are strengthening up their lines with architectural metal accents, from oversized steel pyramid studs to abstract flower designs. Warm-neutral colors in metallic leather or chunky metal handles with key accents are this season’s delicious arm candy. A word to the fashion-wise: Don’t be blinded by overly flashy bags. Though they’re still technically in style, your handbag shouldn’t have to compete with your outfit for attention. Animal enthusiasts can also rejoice in achieving the same leathery look with the Canadian design company Matt & Nat. Their vegan lines of “leather” handbags have the same texture and weight of a leather bag, but without the guilt.
High Fashion
An acrophobic’s nightmare and a fashionista’s dream, shoes this season are dizzyingly high, as seen at the Doo.Ri, Betsey Johnson and Ruffian runway shows on models who traipsed (and teetered) about. Styles ranged from T-strap metallics in gold and silver to basic pumps with bow details to the more recent gladiator design, which is best worn with skinny trousers. For those who want to stay a little more grounded, closed-toe ankle booties like lace-up Oxfords or slip-on clogs with a heel match well with ribbed tights or funky multicolored socks.
—Isel Pizarro
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