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2005 Fall Runways
Even though each season there is a
palette of colors that are "in", it seems like each designer
latches onto just a couple of those popular colors and builds
an entire collection around them. We're not sure why this
happens, but when you look at the photos from the runway
shows, you'll see it. Don't let that fool you - all the "in"
colors will be out there in abundance, and it's up to you to
mix and match them in various outfits.
First, the
links.
There are lots of websites you can
go to and see some of the designers' ideas of what they think
we should be wearing. Here are
some links to give you an eyeful:
Though no two designers have the
same garments, there are similarities. Some of the things
you'll see include:
- Voluminous garments with lots of
fabric - this is a fad that will not
last. These garments often make even the anorexic
models look heavy, so just imagine what they'll do to "real"
people.
- Skirts with
personality - instead of the pencil-skirt
you'd expect with a suit, these are tulip skirts, or have
flashes of pleating or are otherwise shaped and embellished
with interesting details. Be wary of
shaping. Though the designers seem to recognize
that women actually do have hips, they've gone too far in
some of their styling and made those hips enormous.
- Military-style jackets for both men and
women. These are highly tailored and look
sharp. They fall into the "classic"
category, and you can safely spend a little more to
get a good coat or jacket and wear it for years without
looking dated.
- Oversized jewelry accessories
- they call them "eye-catching", we call them really large.
Big, chunky necklaces that hang well down into the
blouse area, not high up on the neck. Big earrings.
Lots of bangly bracelets. Find these inexpensively, as they
will go out as quickly as they come in.
- Fur - on hats, on collars,
even just as a stand-alone huge necklace up around the
throat. If you don't like the idea of fur, the faux
varieties can be surprisingly nice.
- Suits for both men and women.
Casual Days are pretty much dead, thank goodness.
No more indecision about whether something is "good
enough" for the office. We're back into normal business wear
territory. Men's suits are dressed up with interesting
layering of different colors and textures. Women's suits
have no blouse under the "jacket" at all, but are more
modestly cut than in past renditions of this fashion. They
also have a thin belt outside the jacket at the waist, and
good structure to accentuate curves. See "skirts" above for
details on that part of the suit.
Wear what
looks good on YOU.
Fashions come and go every year,
like slow ocean tides. The best
advice for maintaining a stylish wardrobe is to buy what looks
good on you and your body. Something
might be fashionable, but if it makes you look awful, it makes
you look awful! Some colors are good on you, some are not.
Try on everything before buying, and remember
the rules about allocating your fashion budget with two-thirds
to classic pieces, one third to trendy colors and/or garment
designs.
Most of
all, don't take fashion too seriously. If you
hate it, wait six months and it will be gone. It may be
replaced by something you like even less - so invest in clothes that look good on you and make
you feel great wearing them. Your confidence
and smile will make every outfit you wear look outstanding.
And remember to go the distance on those classic pieces and
have them professionally cleaned regularly to maintain them
from season to season. We
think you look
marvelous!
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