Winter is a shimmering time of year so why not let your nails in on the fun. Metallic shades are all the rage this season in hues from silver to steel. The key is to use polish that contains fine glitter and stay away from the chunky glitter types. (OPI always makes a nice polish).
The rough and unfinished woolen fabric we know and love as “tweed” is cold weather friendly and looks great while keeping you warm. Tweed improves with age so go ahead and splurge on a jacket or vest. Your new item will keep you looking dashingly rustic.
Economy may be under stressful times, but this doesn’t mean your wardrobe should feel the same. This season is all about the three R’s: Recycle, Reduce, and Reuse. With many of the trend’s of the late 20′s and early 30′s back in action (ironic, perhaps?), it is time to chop off some pants into pedal-pushers and raid grandpa’s old time closeted looks, keep your eye out especially for those vintage shoes.
Many of the men’s runway collections were filled with greys, browns, and tans this season with subtle minglings of blue, green, and yellow hues. Pull on an old pair of jeans, a heavy knit sweater, add some suspenders (I am totally digging the suspenders) and you’re ready to go. Oh! and don’t forget the polishing power of a scarf. Keep color and print in mind.
FYI: Plaid is still going strong.
Gentlemen, may you never underestimate the worth of a quality pair of long johns. As the season reaches lower on the briskness barometer, the old fashioned undergarment will make you appear unaffected by mother nature’s cold shoulder. Although the man in the picture looks pretty spicy in his get-up, George Hamilton recommends a quilted silk fabric and includes the johns on his ten essentials list.
In a world where names mean everything, we must sit back and diagnose what exactly “everything” is. Precedent to the 90′s era a fashion label showcased a designer’s artistry and ingenuity. Coco Chanel, Yves Saint Laurent, and Oscar de la Renta were not only the name of their lines but the faces of them as well. Coco Chanel posed for her own perfume advertisements. Oscar de la Renta would, and still does, draw all of the sketches for his seasonal lines by hand.
As our sage couturiers near the age of retirement we find ourselves at a fork in the fashion world. More and more designers out of school are working together in studios under the name of a celebrity who appears to have credibility as a fashion icon and thus, my friends, a brand is born.
Brands seem, to me, almost counterfeit. I want to know who’s work lies behind the mask. A name is more substantive and the allure of a designer is irreplaceable.
Don’t be afraid to break out the ever popular biker staple this season. Leather has a rocking way of adding edge to any outfit. Instead of the typical jacket or glove try wearing leather tights or leggings instead. They are perfect under a long sweater or even a delicate dress.
FYI: Pair leather with softer fabrics for a more finished and subtle look.
White laced curtains marked the passing into a world of hobos, messengers, clutches, and pocketbooks. The tables were strewn with leathers and metallics while the cherry oak bar flowed fountain-esque with “bagista” martinis. The Bag Trends Arm Candy Party of 2008 had commenced, showcasing twelve designers and their lines for the Fall season.
Each designer’s table featured attractive styles and lovely silhouettes, but one stood apart from the rest: Passchal, a line which began in 2004 by Ken Kobrick and Angela Greene. Allured not because they “design with the environment in mind”, although that is (everyone say it with me) so totally hot for fall, but because of the ingenuity in accomplishing this mission statement. The couple from Richmond, Virginia handcrafted bags out of recycled tractor inner tubes. These tubes undergo a series of cleanings and are then mixed with vegetable dyed and chrome free leathers. Each bag is unique because “inner tubes are like fingerprints”. Another feature that caught my eye were the led lights designed for the interior of the bag. It’s a simple detail, but extremely significant. I will finally be able to find my keys!
Editor’s Picks from Passchal’s 2008 Collection:
Delicate feathers were floating all over the Fall 2008 runways. Wear them discreetly in your hair and on an accessary or wear them in a fuller frock, such as a skirt or minidress. The key is to keep it elegant. Natural tones work best.
Style Watch Magazine’s October issue quoted Kevan Hall, fashion designer, saying, “Feathers create volume. Avoid wearing them where you want to look slimmest.”
FYI: When wearing this feather forward trend, stay away from bright colors and say “no” to boas.
Soho-based designer Laura Poretzky founded Abaete in 2004 after attending the Rhode Island School of Design. Her runway collections pull inspiration from Brazil, France, and America. Abaete’s Fall/Winter 2008-2009 runway collection is sensual and feminine yet completely wearable.
Only a couple years after the inception of Abaete, Poretzky signed on with Payless to launch a line of affordable footwear. She wanted to “bring designs to women who are not able to afford [her] regular collection.” Laura Poretzky shoes are well-styled and well-made. Check out Abaete shoes currently available at Payless Shoesource.
Spring/Summer 2009 Collection
“I like the idea of a world that we could live and shape by ourselves, only by observing, each our own. My clothes have erupted form this world of mine.” -Rad Hourani
When you put Hourani’s Spring 2009 collection of isogenous garments against a completely white washed studio, you get a stunning performance of contrast between black and white. Rad Hourani is a photographer who began “imagining clothes the same way [he] created images.” His clothes are non-gender specific using a monochromatic black palette, including “pure blacks and intense blacks.” Hourani blends fabric in a way that is chic and wearable.
