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Fad or Fiction?
What are the latest fashion fads?
And are they here to stay...
The Fad: Bright Colours - Spring/Summer '07
The 80's are back bringing the neon brights and primaries. But, can everyone wear them? The Verdict: Yes, they can but keep within your colour palette choosing colours that match your undertone. Pick the acidic brights if you have blue/cool undertones and the warmer brights if you have yellow/warm undertone, otherwise the items can just take over, as did this pink bag for Sarah Jessica Parker, although the yellow ochre shoes look great (May 29th).
Read Sarah's bright Shoe picks for the season.
The Fad: Day Dresses & Waistlines - Summer & Autumn '06
Moving into Autumn '06, waistlines are moving higher and higher. The day dress is still a must-have item for your wardrobe; anyone and everyone can find a dress for them.
The Verdict: A great fad and about time us women could throw away the extremely low and unflattering jean and wear a comfortable dress without feeling middle-aged.
Read the full article
to find the style for you.
The Fad: Animal Prints & Textures - Autumn '06
From peacock to giraffe, prints are everywhere this season; in leggings, blouses, dresses and belts.
The Verdict: Some of the styles are a tad kitsch, and unless you are Jackie Collins you could easily look over done! Keep to accessories if you are someone that have never worn an animal print before and never thought you would.
Read the full article
Fad: Leggings and Footless Tights - Autumn '06
The 80's are back with the new layered look, short tunics and leggings. Thankfully, we are not expected to reveal our legs but can rely on the oh-so comfy legging to flatter our thighs. But are they really that flattering?
The Verdict: This could be fiction except that we have seen leggings make the rounds before, in the 80's. I don't think we will be seeing them this time next year though. Let's wait and see! Read the article to understand the styles available and how faddish leggings have become this season.
The Fad: Ankle Boot - Autumn '06
Ankle Boots are a trend for this fall and are already on the high street, being worn by the likes of Chloe Sevigny and Beyonce.
The Verdict: They can be worn with skirts or trousers, formal or informal and are flattering to the leg.
Read more...to find an Ankle Boot for you.
The Fad: Cropped Jacket - Spring '06
This season, with the 'Sailor' trend hitting the catwalk, the short or cropped jacket is a main fad. But does it work for everyone?
Can you wear a Cropped Jacket?
I have chosen four main cropped jacket styles to help you shop! Anthropologie has an extensive range this season.
Belted
In cotton or linen, this is quite a structured jacket. It is great for adding a waistline and for balancing the body. This is a natural and feminine style that looks good with a slight A-line skirt or culottes/bermudas.
Pick: If you have a straighter body shape or if you have a split geometric (squarer on the top half than the bottom) and if you are low-waisted
Avoid: If you are high-waisted. This will simply lengthen your lower half and take your body more out of balance. Especially if you have long legs.
Tip: Add a pattern to the lower half, particularly if you feel smaller on the top half and more bottom heavy.
Celebrity: Keira Knightly.
Balloon
What a great jacket! Flamboyant, bold and very feminine. It fits well with the 'Courtesan' look of this season, and you can imagine Catherine Zeta Jones wearing it in the film Zorro.
Pick: If you have a curvy body shape and full cleavage
Avoid: If you have an angular body shape or thin legs - you will look like a puff ball!
Tip: Wear with a classic pencil skirt
Celebrity: Jennifer Lopez.
Tapered
This is the most common shape of the short jacket – tapered and neat. This season luckily we have more options. This suits a gamine look and fits in well with the 'Sailor' trend this season.
Pick: If you are lean and more angular or suit a fun style
Avoid: If you have a curved body shape or larger bust. You could easily look like you have squeezed into it!
Tip: Wear a longer tee that falls lower than the jacket, to add a contrast of colour. If you are high- waisted it will extend and balance out your waistline, and also flatter if you have longer legs.
Celebrity: Kate Moss.
Princess
This soft linen fabric, with a princess line shape, is a wonderful complement to the delicate and feminine figure. Being slightly formal, it dresses up a denim jean and heel well.
Pick: If you are high-waisted and small framed; if you have long legs; if you have a small bustline
Avoid: If you have wider shoulders or are petite with a boxy figure
Tip: Opt for a darker colour lower half if you have long legs; this will give the illusion of a shorter leg.
Celebrity: Mischa Barton.
The Verdict
One benefit of having an item of clothing become a 'fad', is that the designers offer a range of options that make it more versatile to everyone. My Mum only said to be yesterday, 'Oh, I would love to be able to wear a cropped jacket'. So, we promptly went to the local JC Penny and found her a great linen cropped jacket with slight rouching around her waistline; and that was her mothers day present. She was tickled pink!
Read more of Sarah's Savannah Morning News columns
The Fad: COWBOY BOOT
The number one item for the Cowgirl is back in fashion and is in full swing in the shops in London. Everywhere you look there are cowboy boots and everyone is wearing them! They are now mostly available in spring pastels - corals, creams and turquoise. With kitten heels and with the classic sturdier cowboy heel. Boots have been key items in the wardrobe with the Ugg making headway the last few seasons, but now passé.The question to consider:
Can you wear a Cowboy Boot?
The boot is sturdy and therefore traditionally requires a sturdier body type to wear it by nature. By that I don't mean big or stocky, but someone with a mesomorph architectural (muscle tone). Someone who has a matriarchal aspect to their character, like the Earth Mother. So, LeAnne Rimes, Julia Roberts and Charlie Dimmock could all wear a cowboy boot well. The other option is the Boho or Prairie Image Type, who can wear a rugged boot such as the Frye boot. A more unstylised boot that you can imagine her wearing while riding horse back. She looks great wearing it with a longer skirt and bare legs. The kitten heels cowboy boots could easily be worn by the chic more fun Image Types, but then next season they will look outdated, and fad like.
The Verdict
The cowboy boot is always here to stay. A traditional style rather than the fashion styles will last you well past next season.For you to look good in it, ask yourself how suited you look on a horse!
The Fad: CROPPED TWEED TROUSER
Tweed is in full swing what with the
Woodland trend in style this season.
The cropped pant is a current trend and we will see it around for the next few years. But putting them together and wearing the Tweed Cropped Pant, like Gwyneth Paltrow has been seen doing, introduces a element of the Edwardian dandy - Twee, elegant and slightly comical.The questions to consider:
Can you wear Tweed?
Tweed itself is a classic fabric, more suited to the country manor than the city skyline. Tweed itself will never go out of style, it has been adorned by Katherine Hepburn, Grace Kelly and Coco Chanel.If you have a ‘natural’ element (you wear natural textures well) to your character and also a ‘classical’ (structure and elegant) element to your character, then yes. If Tweed suits you no matter what the fashion, then you will not look out of style next season still wearing it. (Note: Sometimes designers add another weave of flashy sparkly fabrics to make the look more versatile and modern. This will make it more adaptable for the season, but more likely to stand out as a fad and a has-been next season!)
Can you wear a cropped pant?
When summer time is around, most can wear a cropped trouser of some style. Beachwear can be quite versatile, using colour and cut to fine tune the look for you.But in winter time, it is a different matter. You can wear a cropped pant for fun if it's denim, or a heavier wool for a more dramatic Russian Cossack feel. The footwear also makes the difference – a flat shoe for a nifty feminine fun style and a heavy boot for a stronger sexier look. The Creative, Cossack, and Eco Girl Image Types can all do the textured look; and all the maiden types can do the fun side using their own accessories to complement. If you are a fully fledged grown up, however (the Aristocrate for example), then you may feel like you are bearing too much flesh.
Can you wear a cropped Tweed pant?
The matter completely changes when you add the more classic country Tweed into the equation!Your Image Type may be Wood Nymph, Country Classic, English Rose.
For bulkier tweeds, the Eco Girl or Cossack Image Types can also wear the Tweed cropped pant, but accessorize with a stronger boot to create a stronger look. Any natural types with more of an ethereal or highly feminine feel can look too severe in tweed.
The Verdict:
Tweed – yes it is always here to stay.Cropped trousers – are a current trend. Together – The English Rose Image Type probably comes out tops with being able to wear it again after the fad has long passed...
©2006 Sarah Whittaker [www.WardrobeShrink.com].
Don't know what to wear? Book a
consultation with Sarah
and learn to create your own style and identity through your Image Type.
Sarah Whittaker
has been featured in numerous newspapers and magazines worldwide, and writes
The Wardrobe Shrink Newsletter
full of the latest fashion trends, celebrity style and honest image advice.You have my permission to copy this article for your website or publication, so long as this entire byline remains intact. I'd appreciate a quick e-mail to let me know where you're using it. Thank you!
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