| Feminine, flirty, fresh and fun are the words I'd use to describe this coming spring. Wedge shoes are on many sites -- from trendy to classic clothing. I saw those all over the runway as well. In real life, a lot of people will be in too much pain in regular run-of-the-mill standard shoes built that way, especially depending on the arches of your feet. Many companies are jumping the platform bandwagon for spring, with their wedges and heels going 3-4.5 inches high, and higher. Think about what you need, here. Can you work an 8-5 job in a 4 inch platform? If the answer is yes, you've found your shoe. If a 2 inch heel feels like too much to you, it's time to head another direction, and that's flats, which are very hot for spring.Don't care for either? Go somewhere in the middle, at about half an inch to an inch and a half in height. These are classic, and readily available. I would invest in pumps, platform or not. They are classic. Go with black first, and build from there. Rounded toe and squared are the most classic. Avoid the pointed toe unless you're lucky and it loves your feet. I have read many complaints about the pointed toe no matter how many times the designers push it on us. Luckily, some companies are bringing us a pointed toe shoe with a wider toebox. Do not throw out your leather booties, especially if they tip over the ankle in a scrunch: I saw them on the runway for spring, worn with socks over bare legs. Invest a basic short boot, leather or suede, in a neutral color, and again, build out. I haven't seen granny boots in mainstream clothing in a while. However, this spring, they return in all shapes, such as granny platform tennis shoes. Off white and cream mixed with black will dominate the runways, but it's up to companies to decide whether or not to follow that trend. Bottom line: Not everyone looks good in off white button-downs. Enough said about that. If that color drains your face, keep away no matter how IN it is. Go for white. It's still trendy, classic, and readily available in many styles and price ranges. If you want a jean jacket, get one. If you want this to last through the summer, look for linen, most likely safari style. Ruffles on the jacket are fine, as well as cutwork, which I saw on many lightweight suede jackets. Some simple ways to dress up a classic jean jacket are done on the cheap: clearance brooches trim you put on yourself or invest embroidered jackets or jean style jackets made of other fabrics than denim.
Retro screen tees, the way we know them anyway, will cycle out soon. Sooner than you think. Leggings will be around this spring. Tunics will stay, but I'd be careful with the kangaroo pocket that's so hot now. It can make someone with extra padding in the stomach look larger. Items such as a button blazer, with pants and/or a skirt in a classic color, then a trendy solid or fanciful print skirt or pants, depending on your build, are good investments no matter what time of the year. If you want to have every fad possible, invest in BASICS, throw everything else in, mix and match like crazy, and then sell it all on EBAY later. Watch the layering trend, however. Anyone who feels they look fat..will indeed need to be careful of layering with thick fabrics such as thickly woven sweaters. Also, be careful not to buy too tight: Too tight can make you look bigger than you actually are. Stirrup pants are still on sites. I'm scared just seeing them again. You're more likely to see that in junior clothing which cycles faster and is actually AHEAD of the trends a lot of the time. Seems backwards, adults, but it's true. When the flare jean came out, juniors had been wearing flare jeans for about eight years before a major website picked them up as acceptable for work clothing. Even then, flare stuck around on classic sites about one season, and technically, flares are still in style. The bootcut is now synonymous with classic jean shapes such as midrise straight leg jeans. Just look at REAL cowboys and girls. Can you really toss bootcuts entirely? You can't on the ranch, and the world of design isn't going to let you either. So if you love them, you're completely in luck. Would I actually suggest investing in skinny pants? I just might, but you MUST balance them if you're top heavy with scrunch boots or platform shoes. If you're tall, and you want stretch skinny jeans, you really have a problem. Apparently designers think we all can wear 31-32 inch inseams. If you're a size 0, with hips, and you want 35 inch inseams and you want it cheap, it's even harder to search out the right items. Juniors have this covered though. And they tend to go to size 20 juniors which is a size 16-17 adults. But they have 37 inch inseams in some cases. As for the shape of this jean, or pant, if it's TAPERED, oh please watch out. Tapered jeans are not particularly flattering to almost anyone except one particular shape of person. I don't know who invented the tapered PLEATED YOKE jean but it needs to burn in eternity. Only the perfectly proportioned or people with thin hips and thicker calves can wear the skinny tapered jean well, or someone with thin LEGS that needs a pair of jeans that fits like a glove. Even then I just shudder at the thought. Personally, I look GREAT in straight leg jeans with big scrunch boots. But if I try on ballet flats, I look incredibly bottom heavy. Bottom heavy females, even top heavy females with thin calves: watch out for this trend. Stick with STRAIGHT legs, please. Invest in that, and dark denim shades. This GREY JEAN will probably stay around awhile as it's popular in Paris now.. maybe by the end of winter it'll be gone. Either way, it looks terrible on bottom heavy people unless they're wearing something lighter up top. Playing with proportion is GOOD and different proportions are trendy now, but you also can't change your shape completely to suit all the trends, so don't even try to. Investing in corduroy and denim miniskirts is fine, but for a classic look, I'd go with a knee length denim, twill, corduroy or velvet skirt. I'd also avoid the raw edge hem if you're going classic. Also, avoid any odd denim washes for skirts. All bottom heavy females should avoid pleated minis unless they have a FLAT FRONT, drop down, and the pleats start below the widest part of the hip. The bubble skirt is a 1950's influence and it's quite popular in Parisian sites. Pick one up if you want to feel retro. I found one in a new shade of chocolate brown and I was set. VERY FEW people can pull off a bubble miniskirt however. Let it go, unless you're really into it. It shouldn't take too long for that fad to pass. Sell it on Ebay. Your kids can play dress up in it. Do not throw out ponchos, for they too, are still in style. Fall previewers were telling us lace, crochet, victorian, military, brocade, and so on were IN IN IN and white and metallics were out. They were fooling you. Metallics and white are STILL IN, so don't throw out those pieces that will take you through every season. Narrow shouldered people are set for this trend, due to epaulettes. Small busts benefit from a double breasted style, and bigger busts are fine with a single breasted style. Wear a cropped style if you're petite, or stocky short, and if you're long waisted, to cut your body in half. (short over long). Bottom heavy, look for a military coat that covers the derriere and hips. One caveat: Short ladies should not wear structured jackets, so military type shirts, or intense shoulder pads are out. Global Fusion with Russian Influence is the New Bohemian Chic for fall. Go overboard or not. The bohemian trend will always be here, however not in this intensity. If you prefer bohemian flair, stock up. Be wary of: Detailing on everything from boots to hats. It's the trend that will not stand up over time in mainstream clothing. Special touches like that will be around always if you look for designer items. Invest in faux fur. It's classic to wear faux fur especially in a solid colors such as beige, black and chocolate brown, such as mink and fox. Those are good investments. The long all-faux fur coat is big, as well, but it's definitely not for the faint-of-heart, and it's a trend, not too much a classic these days. Exception: If you live in a very cold climate, this is pretty standard. It's faux, which makes it even better than ever. Sparkly something ALWAYS seems to be in. Beaded, rhinestones, paillettes, etc. Invest in velvet; even cheap old bargain velvet, in any color you choose, simply because it always comes back into fashion. Trust me, it's always out there, from wild to classic colors. This year find purples, blues, blue-greens, and chocolate browns and tans. The big color this year for that is plum purple. Platform shoes and sandals are making a comeback, especially in women's "menswearesque" clothing. Wedge shoes are ALL OVER the sites from hippie clothing to classic clothing. I'd invest in pumps, platform or not. They are classic. Go with black first, and build from there. Rounded toe and squared are the most classic. Avoid the pointed toe unless you're lucky and it loves your feet. Invest in a REALLY GOOD pair of day-to-night boots this fall. Go with black, brown, then fun colors and prints such as houndstooth and tweed. Start with leather or suede, or go cheap and go pleather. Good pleather actually holds up very well. Unless you love to wear three inch platforms, buy boots in classic shapes you love in whatever height of heel that suits you, whether they tie up or buckle over or just pull on. Scrunch boots are hot right now. Invest in BASIC short leather boots and basic knee high boots. Western boots are always in style, so western boots in a standard color aren't a problem. On western websites, lace up boots are your STANDARD wedding shoe so who knows? Equestrian boots all popping up all over. Go classic browns and blacks, or be daring and go rosy red. Invest in a HAT. Any kind. The ones at the top of the list are: Newsboy caps, fedoras, biker caps in leather, cowboy hats, berets, military caps, faux fur, etc. Not everyone looks good in off white. Enough said about that. If that color drains your face, keep away no matter how IN it is. Go for white. It's still trendy, classic, and readily available in many styles and price ranges. If you want a jean jacket, get one. I got a basic jean jacket in a light denim since I'm bottom heavy, about two summers ago and I recently bought a zipper jacket in dark denim from a French designer for cheap as cheap can be. I say if you want ruffles on the jacket, get ruffles, but I think a SIMPLE classic jean jacket is can be dressed up with CHEAP things like: clearance brooches, trim you put on yourself or jean jackets made of other fabrics than denim : They are hot for the fall. Retro screen tees will cycle out soon. Striped leggings will not be around for adults to begin with. Tunics will stay. Be careful with the kangaroo pocket that's so hot now. Items such as a button blazer, with pants and/or a skirt in a classic color is a good investment no matter what time of the year. If you want to have every fad possible, invest in BASICS, throw everything else in, mix and match like crazy, and then sell it all online later. Invest in tanks in any color you choose, with the neckline shape that flatters. The bootcut, and flare jean, are now synonymous with classic jean shapes such as midrise straight leg jeans. Tapered jeans are not particularly flattering to almost anyone except one particular shape of person. That body type is supposed to taper in slightly and flare back out. Stick with STRAIGHT legs, and dark denim shades for skinny jeans this season. Invest in a corduroy or denim miniskirt. For a classic look, especially if you're wearing it to an office job, go with a knee length denim, twill, corduroy or velvet, and avoid the raw edge hem. Anytime a "new'' rinse or "wash" comes out, be wary. The exceptions: Dark dark blue denim, and solid black denim. Very few people can pull off a bubble mini. If you can, stick with drapey fabrics, and away from stiff denim types. Stock up on ponchos with arms. Metallics stay. Invest in gold, silver or bronze in anything from fabrics containing sparkly threads, to that perfect shiny bag, shoe, sweater or skirt. |