Trend or Fad?
A current trend is wearing beige or nude pumps with dark dresses. The beige or nude pump has been worn in the last five years with colors in the same family of neutral tones.
Recently, Megan Markle wore a Navy dress paired with a nude pump. Yes, the nude pump will make the leg look longer in some cases. In other situations, the outfit will appear lost. The bohemian look of very loose clothing in various prints and patterns combined is a fad. It will move into a trend only in a modified way.
Another trend is that opposite patterns are being introduced in dresses, shirts, and blazers. This fad is an attention getter where the clothes become the statement. My number one motto is that the person wears the clothes, not the other way around. The clothes need to reflect you and complement the body, enhancing the positive impact you want to project.
The suit is back. It began last year with the blazer worn with skirts, dresses, and companion pants. In 2018, we see the suit surging. Fabrics and colors have become bolder. Shoulders for women look much more pronounced. For men the move is away from the soft shoulder.
The fashion industry is trying shake up and rouse interest in clothing by introducing a new way of using prints and patterns in clothing for men and women. Blouses, dresses, and menswear are being designed with several different prints on one item.
A recent MSNBC business program featured icons and their uniforms including Steve Jobs with his black turtleneck and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg with a gray tee shirt. I recall that when DreamWorks was formed, Steven Spielberg wore a bomber jacket, David Geffen sported a mock tee, and David Katzenberg of Disney favored the shirt and tie.
Recently, a well-known designer sold out a dress with a flower pattern on half of the dress and stripes on the other side. It was a shirt dress style designed to be worn in a business casual or party event setting. This major pattern style change shattered the mold of a small pattern with a stripe. This new trend has yet to make it to the next season. However, it fits with the current pattern explosion in dresses and men and women’s shirts. The one rule of the thumb is that the person should be wearing the clothing, not the clothing wearing the person.
Ruffles on blouses for women have been trending these last few years. This began with a simple ruffle at the hem of the sleeve around the wrist, eventually building to a three quarter sleeve. The most current rendition is layers of ruffles that end at the elbow of the sleeve. Unless the person wearing the blouse is very slender, this trend in blouses will add inches to the chest and in some cases, project a very costume-like look.
An essential piece for the complete wardrobe is a versatile black dress. Recently, a client called in a panic. She needed a black dress for a very serious occasion and has worked herself into a state of panic. We bought a black dress with a jacket about 15 years ago, but she never wore it. She took it out, tried it on (it still fit), and brought to the cleaners for their one-day service. She found her pearls, dark hose, and black shoes making her ready for the occasion the next day! She was relieved at rediscovering the perfect dress she already vetted rather than having to go through the stressful process of rush-buying a new dress.
A recent New York Time’s article covered the late Tom Wolfe, his choice of suits, and his white suit. The white suit, while not in fashion, set him apart from the crowd. This clothing reflected his internal and external style including his writings and larger than life personality. The clothing choices also distinguished Mr. Wolfe from a group of very successful writers.
It used to be a fashion faux pas to wear hose with open toes sandals and shoes. Now, the public, especially men, have worn hose with sandals for the last five years, especially in Europe. Last year, designers began showing models with sandals wearing open toe sandals with sheer nude hose.
