Well September is here again and it’s that time of year when a new season of fashion comes and bites you up the bum. Even though days are still warm and many are still enjoying the last throws of summer (at least in the Western Hemisphere) high street stores are already proudly displaying the forthcoming season’s collections and you can’t get any more summery clothes for love nor money.
September is also the month when the fashion industry (always 2 steps ahead) showcases its designer runway shows for the next spring and summer season at Paris, Milan, New York and London Fashion Week. Everywhere you turn women’s glossy magazines are awash with features from fashion writers espousing the virtues of the latest fall trends (and I’m just as guilty), and the hottest winter coat becomes a lust-have item.
However, whilst many fashion trends might pass you by, this is one season, ladies, to sit up and take note! There is something to inspire even the most trend-phobic of women, (with the exception of this fall’s love affair with fur of the yeti variety!)
Fall 2010 — Clothes for Real Women
Fall Winter 2010 trends spell a new era of seasonless, more practical, less show-off clothes that "normal" women (and not runway models) can actually wear! This comes of the back of the economic recession where the penny has finally dropped with designers that what women want are timeless, stylish (but still fashionable) pieces that are not just one-season wonders.
Emphasis is on classic tailoring with statement coats, sensible midi-length dresses, and 50s-style circle skirts. Top trends are beautifully tailored trousers that give the cocktail dress a run for its money, webby knits and luxurious tactile textures of fur, velvet and lace. Camel is the new black — chic, stylish and ageless. Whatever you wear with it looks instantly more polished. This is grown-up fashion at its best!
Key Pieces for Fall Winter 2010
Gone are baggy hard-to-wear harem pants and in come leggy figure-flattering boot cuts that are tailored to slim the bum and waist. Crippling skyscraper stilettos have been replaced with demure, comfortable kitten heels and “it” bags have become modern-day heritage versions of timeless classics. The keyword is "understated", with no in-your-face logos, clunky hardware and overly-obvious fastenings.
Coat Trends for Fall Winter 2010
The greatest statement piece this fall/winter is the coat. This is by far the most coat-centric season in a long, long while. There’s plenty to choose from! Outerwear trends see hundreds of pea coats, capes, camel classics, military-style officer coats, practical parkas, teddy-bear fur and mannish styles made from soft leather.
The hottest look in outerwear is a restyled flying jacket, inspired by aviation heroines of yesteryear. The aviator jacket is this season’s answer to the timeless trenchcoat — wear it with everything, even over a lacy cocktail dress. In every weight and shape imaginable, the classic flying jacket has been reworked in butter-soft leather and lashings of shearling. Exaggerated collars and multiple buckles and straps give it a very modern-day feel.
The mood this season is minimalistic. Clean-cut chic which provides a move away from fantasy fashion towards desirable-yet-functional forever pieces that are refreshingly elegant. This is the first season in a long while where style and fashion are actually on the same page when it comes to offering outfits that real women can wear!
Gill Hart - Gill Hart is a fashion and image professional who specializes in women's fashion over 50.
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