Catwalktrend FW2010: Pencil skirts

Since Christian Dior introduced the pencil skirt in the late 1940s the item has had several popular periods. A few years ago it’s popularity increased again. Victoria Beckham, who – at that time – seemed to be a pencil skirt-ambassador, might have started the trend then. And now the skirt is still hot.

For fall Italian fashion houses like Dolce & Gabbana, Moschino showed many pencil skirts. Domenico and Stefano made theirs less stiff. They looked more comfortable than the average pencil skirt and they’d probably be much more easy to walk in too. At Moschino the skirts ended above the knee.

We’re not quite sure if they’d count as pencil skirts, but we did spot some ruffled pencil-shaped versions. Both Moschino and Nina Ricci came up with those, one in black, one grey-shaded with flowers.

Other brands that made the pencil skirt work were Dior, Dsquared, Etro and Paul Smith. Some looked more comfortable than others, but overall the skirts appeared elegant and made the models look sexy and feminine.

Catwalktrend FW2010: the Olsen-look?

Oh what a waste it will be. Designer skirts and dresses sweeping all over dirty floors and streets. Yet if we believe the grand fashion houses floor-sweeping fashion is certainly going to be a trend.

Especially long skirts for daywear are ‘new’ in fashion. They have this kind of grungy feeling to it and, to be honest, not a lot of people can pull this off.

On the runway the long skirts were very diverse; transparent, sequined, layered and knitted. Quite often they were combined with the most unexpected tops.

D&G combined Norwegian printed knitted sweaters  with transparent floral printed skirts. Marc Jacobs matched his shiny skirts with heavy cable knitted jumpers and Michael Kors & Dries van Noten let their bottoms and tops clash as well.

Glamour meets grunge you could call this look and the Olsen Twins may just have set the trend.

You might have to buy a few extra skirts, cause the bottoms will wear out so soon. But hey, think about all the money you’ll save on shoes. ‘Cause since they won’t be visible you can just wear one of your old pairs.

Catwalktrend FW2010: perfectly pleated pants

Next to the super-feminine fifties skirts and dresses, this fall pleated pants are great statement pieces as well. Though they might appear manly at first sight, designers like Carolina Herrera and Chloe showed how they can be very elegant and sexy too.

There are two types of pleated pants. The ones that reach the waist and the ones that are worn low on the hips. Both look splendid when finished of by a small belt. And of course anything you’re wearing with those pants need to be tucked in, not worn over it.

Some designers combined the pants with masculine shirts (Chloe, Michael Kors, Jason Wu), others managed to make the outfit look feminine by adding color, prints, bows or ruffles (Bottega Veneta, DKNY, Emporio Armani)

And the best way to wear a pair of pleated pants? Put your hands in your pockets and work ’em!

Catwalktrend FW2010: hairy situation

For a lot of designers we hope it’s going to be a cold winter. How else would they get rid of their many enormous fur coats?

The fur coat we’ll see this winter is thicker than ever before. The models at the Chanel show looked like snowmen and at Michael Kors they resembled big hairy animals.

For Fendi Karl Lagerfeld came up with patchwork fur, at Chanel he opted for faux fur and stated: ‘You fake chic, but you can be chic in fake fur’. Viktor & Rolf’s first look was Kristen McMenamy wearing an gigantic fur coat (under which many layers of clothing were hidden).

Lanvin, Thakoon, Hermes, Bottega Veneta and D&G put a small belt around their big fur coats to give it a little more shape.

We saw real and faux fur in just about any imaginable color. PETA activists won’t be so delighted, but the fur looks really were show-stoppers.

Catwalktrend FW2010: Cape it!

For fall a cape is the ultimate fashion accessory. No, we’re not talking ‘bout the super heroes capes, we’re talking trendy capes in all kinds of styles.

Originating from medieval times the cape is the perfect fashion item to keep you warm and classy at the same time. On the runway any imaginable kind of cape was presented.

Fur (Celine, Chanel, Dsquared, Etro), woollen (Kenzo, Yves Saint Laurent, Antonio Marras, Missoni), water-resistant (Issey Miyake), silk (Yves Saint Laurent) and camel-colored (Carolina Herrera, Alexander Wang).

Even a lot of the coats resembled capes. They were worn, hanging over the model’s shoulders and some of them looked exactly like capes, yet had small arm wholes at the bottom.

The cape is regularly discussed as a substitute for the trench coat. And we actually think it’s the perfect alternative. By wearing a cape you are partly covered, so you can still show off the outfit you’re wearing underneath it. It’s great for wearing to a special party and you can even face the rain in it.

Catwalktrend FW2010: the camelcoat

It’s a classic fashion piece you might remember seeing your grandparent in, but it’s a new trend. The camel coat is one of the musthave items of this fall. It gives you a strong look and immediate esteem.

Fashion brands like Gucci, Chloe, MaxMara and Alexander Wang all showed the camelcoat in their fall collections. Most of the coats were long (over the knee) and had little shape. Yet Chloe and MaxMara proved you can make the coat a little more feminine by wearing a small belt over it, around the waist. Dark brown seemed to be a good match for camel, not only for the belt, brown boots, gloves and bags fit perfectly with the coat too.

One thing: while the coats are so big this trend will not look great on just anybody. You’d have to have a certain length to pull of a coat like the ones we saw at MaxMara. But if your the right type, you gotta work it!

Trend Report FW2010: military style

Uniforms in some way always are very appealing. So it’s no surprise the army trend is very popular in fashion. We already saw the army style last season and for winter 2010 many clothes still have an army influence.

The army details are mostly translated to army coats and jackets. Those are often long, camouflage-colored and have details like epaulettes and fringes on the shoulders.

The Max Mara show was full of those coats. They were floor-sweeping long and immediately gave the models a certain status. They looked confident, as if they could rule the world. Jean Paul Gaultier, Burberry and Balmain all had army coats in their collections too. Navy blue and army green being the two most chosen colors.

The long coats won’t be very handy when, for example, having to hop on a bike. Yet they look stylish and will keep you warm from head to toe. And…march!

Trend Report FW2010: Fabulous Fifties

Women with curves can be happy ‘cause coming fall is about the feminine silhouette. Breats, hips and butts don’t have to be hidden, but are celebrated! We see circle skirts, wasp-waists and accentuated breats.

Louis Vuitton and Prada definitely were the trend setters for this fifties vibe. Marc Jacobs showed a whole collection full of women-friendly designs. He even let some of the bigger models walk in his fashion show to point out that some extra curves can look just fine.

Miuccia Prada did the same thing. She mainly accentuated the breasts with her dresses. And she let models without a size zero, like our Dutchies Lara Stone and Doutzen Kroes, walk the show.

Apart from Vuitton and Prada designers like Paul Smith, Dries van Noten and Fendi showed some fifty-inspired outfits as well. Dolce & Gabbana did so too, yet they showed pencil skirts instead circle ones.

So this fall, you don’t have to worry about your fuller hips and big boobs. Celebrate them by putting on circle skirts, small waist belts and tight tops.

Ps. Wear a headband or a Brigit Bardot-esque ponytail to complete the look!

Trend Report FW2010: Less is More

Fashion brands Celine and Chloe already set the mood last season, and for fall the minimalistic trend they started, is again huge. The motto: less is more still applies and not only for Chloe and Celine.

Clean cuts, simple silhouettes, hardly any prints and as little accessories as possible: that’s how you would describe the minimalistic trend in a nutshell. And that’s what brands like Calvin Klein, Stella McCartney, MaxMara and Dries van Noten did in their collections. Even the Gucci collection looked more simple than ever.

It certainly makes us think twice while getting dressed. Do I really need that printed legging, that bright-colored tunic, that scarf, the belt, the hat and all the jewellery? Should I perhaps keep it more simple?

And that’s exactly what the minimalistic trend is all about. Buy one or two really beautiful, well tailored, more expensive (designer) pieces and let go of all the needless extras.

Uhh..we’ll think about it!

Catwalktrends FW2010: oh boy!

For fall men should keep an eye on their closets, cause their wardrobe is still not save. Putting on your man’s clothes for a masculine look is again going to be a big trend. Yet the boyfriend jeans is not so cool any more and is replaced by a pair of pleated pants, for good.

Many brands promoted the masculine look in their fall collections (Ann Demeulemeester, Dior, Ferragamo, Marc Jacobs, Kenzo and Michael Kors to name a few). Chloe stood out the most with not only wide pleated pants, but also big coats, in grey and in beige. Yet, as manly as these outfits looked, Chloe’s way of styling still made every outfit feel sexy. Also in other collections details such as thin belts, tucked up sleeves and low v-necks made the masculine looks appear feminine.

At Hermes all models appeared dressed up like man. They wore black leather suits, ties and hats and carried umbrellas. Yet it was the fit of the outfits that gave the looks a feminine twist.

Another label that took the menswear trend to another level was Sonia Rykiel. Gigantic woollen suits and coats were sent off on the runway. Dutch model Mirte Maas had to open the show in a grey woollen suit that seemed about ten sizes too big for her. But it was Sonia Rykiel’s version of the masculine trend and she sure had fun with it.

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