Spring ’06 Fashion Flash Forward
Hello Fellow Fashion Aficionados!
Finally, spring has arrived and with it a whole new crop of wearable clothes for real women, with real jobs and real schedules to juggle. This season it’s not about color – unless you’re thinking white – but new silhouettes, especially when it comes to showing off the waistline or mixing it up with pants.
If you haven’t noticed, there are more pants styles out there than there are OPI nail colors. It’s all about proportion. Gone are the requisite bum-hugging jeans worn with the tank and the pointed toe sandal (and looking best on all those GIRLS out there 5’11” and 110 lbs), and in its place are a variety of silhouettes that will make even the most self-conscious of us feel hip enough to hit Bette’s on a Thursday night.
Your choices range from wide leg Hepburn trousers worn with a menswear shirt adorned with pretty tucking or ruffles and a sharp jacket; or cropped wide legs trousers worn with the equally cropped and cinched-at-the-waist jacket, or the long lean cigarette pant or jean (there may be a smoking ban, but this style is legal and smokin’). And you don’t have to be tall or particularly thin to pull this off, just wear them with something slightly billowy on top, (once again, a great jacket can pull this look together) to balance out proportions. Just remember that flats make this look more street worthy than streetwalker, but a heel can look great for evenings out.
Now it is also time to put away those flowers and pull out your scarves. Everyone is wearing scarves and in many new ways, whether as a halter, headscarf, belt or neckerchief, they are the new old trend. Scarves worn as halters note that bare is in for summer. Shoulders are shown everywhere. Whether it is a cutaway, tank, blouse or bustier, shoulders are on display. You can download the 5mb file by clicking here: http://www.strategicimagepartners.com/scarftying.pdf
And then there are shorts. Now, don’t hit the delete button. We’re serious that almost everybody can pull this off. You just have to know which shorts work for your figure and which shorts are appropriate for what occasion. Shorts at the knee or a little below (skirt length) can be worn with a short jacket as a suit. Remember to apply the same rules that you would a skirt if you’re wearing them in a professional setting. Wear them in work-appropriate fabrics and pair them with low or mid-heeled pumps, either pointed or the more updated (and comfortable) round toe, and a blouse, shell, or sweater set. When wearing casually on the weekends, shorts can be long or short in linen and cotton and worn with flats or wedges and a tank and a casual jacket. If you have good legs, you can get away with the shorter, slouchy versions, which look really great with a tucked-in blouse, the sleeves rolled up, and chunky heels.
Another key silhouette change is the waistline. Shirt
dresses and full skirts capitalize on this trend best,
especially when cinched with a belt in a medium or wide
width. Cropped jackets show off the waistline as well,
especially when worn with the new higher waist pant.
Although the big news isn’t color, there are colors that are making a strong showing this season. Head-to-toe white, as we mentioned earlier, as well as chocolate worn with white or with a pop of color. Neutrals – a trend that continues from last spring – are still big and very sophisticated. And believe it or not, the directional look is navy worn with black – a trend that should carry into fall. Natural accessories made with raffia and wood still look fresh, as well as really long necklaces, a couple at a time, but not too many. Bags are either luggage-sized or miniature and look new in straw with contrasting fabric or printed botanicals. Shoes are either vertiginous heels or fabulous flats and have been updated with a softer toe. And the wedge, both dressy and casual, looks great with longer skirts and cropped pants and offers a comfortable alternative to the heel. Metallic plays a key role again both in handbags and shoes. However, wear one piece at a time to avoid the Solid Gold Dancer look. And remember, our motto is, gold can be a neutral. It will look great with your tan this summer.
Top 10 Items on your Spring/Summer “Open to Buy”
1. An updated suit preferably with the new shorter jacket
2. Crisp, white blouse with a special detail like pleats or Swiss dot
3. A fabulous just-below-the knee trench to be worn with everything
4. A dress that can go from office to cocktails. There’s a silhouette this year for every figure.
5. Walking shorts for the weekend or to be worn with a jacket and heels for casual Fridays
6. Straight leg to-the-ankle pant or jean
7. Round-toed flats – looks good with everything
8. Wedges in a neutral color. Perhaps burnished gold with raffia?
9. Oversized, slouchy handbag in straw, printed botanical (a la Gucci) or white
10. And a great “fake” tan and a dazzling smile
We’re
showing spring and summer at Worth now through May 19.
See how Worth is tracking the trends by logging on
to http://www.worthny.com
And if you
haven’t already done so,
contact us to
book your private appointment.
Call Laura at 917-596-3176 or e-mail laura@strategicimagepartners.com
Call Saundra at 917-734-5298 or e-mail saundra@strategicimagepartners.com