As fashion month left New York and London, currently taking up residency in Milan and soon to be ending in Paris, it's easy to get lost in the visual cacophony. We've seen the good, the bad, the ugly, the forgotten and mostly the unaffordable. What sticks and finds its way to stores is what the editors, buyers and trend setters deem worthy. I'm none of those three, but I've been thinking...about New York, where this all began...
Paula's right on several counts. #1-Shirts are always good, showing up as the major stars on most bodies the world over (a joke). My favorite version is the shirt-dress (see favorite Helmut Lang below) for the simple fact that it's easy and you can do lots of stuff with it, like adding a jaunty scarf around your neck (see Otswald Helgason and Marc by Marc Jacobs, also below). "Ding Dong the statement necklace is dead, the statement necklace is dead, the statement necklace is dead!" (this is the #2 thing Paula is right about).
If a crisp white shirt bores you, you just might want to look to Paula's #3: The way those kids in England play with prints. With all that grey that strangles their souls, it's no surprise they find salvation in print, glorious, print! We should all be having that much fun. But back to New York.
There was loads of layering on the runway, particularly slipping a slip dress over pants. I made fun of this look as shown by Steven Alan, but something about the casualness of this attitude appeals to me. I think it was shown better at The Row or check out Theyskens Theory of layering. If you already own a skirt or slip dress, plus a pair of pants, you've got the goods to tackle the trend: Checkmark, checkmark and checkmark. Phew!
If you don't want to try layering, at least invest in one slip dress. Marc Jacobs made beauties for Louis Vuitton Fall 2013 that obviously had an impact on the current 2014 shows. The Marc Jacobs versions are in stores now, and from what I'm seeing, you'll wear it for several years, making it worth the investment. Or just buy a cheap version. Nothing is wrong with that either. Look for a lace number in your nearest dresser drawer or in the lingerie department.
Which leads me to a few more runway ideas: lace, sheer and peek-a-boo. (I was right about crop tops, but I'm not going there for the simple reason that I can't. Lets move on.)
And make sure to unearth your black light from your parent's basement because swipes of neon colors over the eye or across the mouth are everywhere. Just don't do both at the same time. Really, don't.
Lastly, licorice pastels for color, fringe for fun and flat shoes for your sanity are trends for Spring 2014. So take a closer look at what was being served during Fashion Week, because I was right about one other thing. NYFW is/was the amuse bouche to this month-long fashion feast. What stood out to me from the New York Spring 2014 collections were the little styling details (or bites) that make an overall look.
I'm holding out for Paris to serve up the big ideas and then I'll be done and ready for a good, long nap. Until then, tell me what you saw. I don't want to miss one bite, I mean bit.
Can you spot the trend or in some cases multiple trends in just one look? It's a cacophony of fun! There's lots more to see at style.com
originally posted at blankstareblink.com