Showing posts with label AW11 trends. Show all posts
Showing posts with label AW11 trends. Show all posts

Monday, November 21, 2011

AW11 TRENDS: BEING BORING (with boring fashion on the side)

Posted by Melanie Rickey, Fashion Editor at Large

I'm going to tell you something you might not like. You are fricking boring. Booorrring. You make me want to cry tears of sheer and utter head-banging against a table-top frustration. It's not just you, I'm boring too. Well, actually, it's not quite like that. But it has been firmly established that Being Boring is a powerful trend infecting music, TV and culture in general. The Guardian last Thursday summed it up succinctly, citing our love of Adele, Kirstie Allsop, baking and Downton Abbey as key signifiers of the movement christened The New Boring by the excoriatingly smart popjustice.com editor Peter Robinson. All together now "We coudda had it aaaa- aa alll, rollin in the deee eee eep." Even now, as I write this, me and the Fashion Junior are listening to "Don't Your Remember" with a tear threatening to trash our carefully applied eye makeup.
Nice, boring jumper from L'Agence on Net-a-Porter.com just what the doctor ordered!

Well, I'm here to do my bit for boring fashion. Hopefully you're already in your pyjamas? Sales of those have gone through the roof recently, and you'll find the trendiest online and real world stores are heaving with sensible cable knit jumpers, lace up shoes, dull mannish coats, pared-back shopper bags, satchels, polo necks and novelty reindeer and snowflake jumpers. Alexa Chung's successful collection for Madewell is the height of Being Boring, what with its Bin Man Coat, and cosy cardigans. 

So dull, even the bin men stopped wearing them. Alexa Chung loves her Bin Man Coat though. 

It sounds wrong on paper that we should aspire to -  nay even enjoy - boringness, but in fact we are all rather partial to it right now. I know I am. I draw the line at X-Factor and Coldplay's new album, but Frozen Planet is currently the highlight of my week, I can't listen enough to Arcade Fire's The Suburbs and my favourite new fashion item is a Isabel Marant Navajo inspired sweater. It certainly seems that we have an affection for boring things and find them amusing. How did this happen? Recession obviously. Dire straits cause us to contract into a smaller world of familiarity and safety. This directly correlates to our penchant for novelty Christmas jumpers.


The Pet Shop Boys brilliant ode to how not to be boring: "Being Boring." (1993)

When the Killing II hit BBC4 this weekend, all everyone could talk about in print and on Twitter was Sarah Lunds jumper. A fricking JUMPER. Boring! Yesterday aftertoon while Hugh Grant gave evidence to the Leveson Enquiry, inane and amusing Tweets about the #womanontheleft began trending on Twitter.

At the weekend a young codger named James Ward hosted the world's first Boring Conference in London. Here's how yesterdays The Sun newspaper reported on it. "IT was billed as a dreary look at life's dullest things — the world's only Boring Conference.  Speakers were lined up to talk on topics so mundane that delegates would be forced to poke themselves in the eyeballs with sharp objects just to stay awake.  After the cancellation of the "Interesting" conference last year due to lack of interest, Ward tweeted that there should be an alternative event called Boring.  The response from his Twitter followers was so huge he had to follow it through and stage an event. James said: "Last year we held a much smaller gathering but this is the first ever conference. I can't believe the number [400] attending.  Subjects included polite small talk, electric hand dryers and the first ten years of Which? magazine 1957-67. But once the conference started it all went horribly wrong — it failed to bore the audience rigid." Oh how I laughed. 


 Nostalgia with a hefty dose of boring: a Cambridge Satchel Co. satchel

Borring! From the New York Post's The Cut blog that boringly follows every outfit K-Mid wears



Protest against Being Boring here: Snow Bored by Ashish from TopShop

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

GET YOUR BROGUES ON

Posted by Fashion Junior at Large

We may be experiencing a temporary heatwave (putting our Paris wardrobe plans into COMPLETE disarray) but we all know that soon enough, temperatures will drop, winds will whip up and we will have to put away sandals and flippy dresses for another season.  

This prospect might leave you feeling a little dejected but, never fear, My-Wardrobe is here with a very exciting  boost in the form of Grenson's debut collection of womenswear brogues. The brogue has become a new winter staple but the love is peaking right now with sales and searches up by 68% compared to last year.Many of the savviest brogue wearers have been buying men's styles already so the Grenson line gives a slightly more feminine edge (an elevated heel and slimmer silhouette) alongside the old-school quality that Grenson is famed for. 
My favourites- the two tone Marthas £176
My-Wardobe's Merchandising Director Luisa De Paula says that ‘When it comes to the brogue, Grenson is one of the best go-to brands, so it’s fantastic to see the brand launch a womenswear collection.   The craftsmanship and quality leather used by Grenson ensure beautifully-made shoes, which will last for years.   With brogues firmly back on the agenda with the androgynous trend, we believe that the Grenson collection will be a key buy for our female shoppers.” 
Patent £176

Grenson's expansion into womens shoes is long overdue given the brand's 140 year history ( they began as Green and Sons). In 2004, Christian Purslow and Tim Little joined the company and have taken its heritage aesthetic into a new place with some highly desirable styles at super reasonable price points. We recommend a flash of bare ankle to keep a brogue sexy, or wear with skirts and tights when bare flesh becomes unthinkable.
Grey Suede £176









Tuesday, September 13, 2011

WHO ARE YOUR UNLIKELY STYLE ICONS?

Posted by Fashion Junior at Large

In this week's Grazia, the Fash Ed and I have had great fun choosing the unlikeliest of muses for our AW wardrobes. I am feeling a definite affinity with a Del Boy look with so wrong it's right polo neck and sheepskin combinations and a bit of bling as the cherry on the sartorial cake. Meanwhile, the Fash Ed is enamoured with the Fraggle Rock look- think super fun textures and bright, bright colours. They are such 'happy, jolly creatures' she says- I don't think they could be anything else given their cheering appearence!
Quentin Crisp- Gay Icon and general fabulous dresser

Del Boy and a darling 60s air hostess

Have fun with a nun... and a fraggle.

As space in Grazia is at such a premium, we couldn't fit in our sixth Unlikely Icon but we think she deserves your attention. So, meet the cowgirl.

Jane Fonda in stills from the fabulous 1965 movie Cat Ballou  


The real Lucy Ewing (aka actress Charlene Tilton)
Jason Wu's city-fied cowgirls for FW11 (from catwalking.com)

FEAL recommend....

7 for All Mankind at Donna Ida


River Island £75

Rokit- from a selection. Around £80

Topshop £16

True Religion shirt £206

Hat from Vanessa Bruno £288
Collar tips- a must have styling accessory this season- £10 from ASOS

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

FW11 TREND #3: HERITAGE

Posted by Fashion Junior at Large.

Next up on our menu of FW11 trend reports is Heritage- think blue-blood, aristocracy, crumbling stately homes and wholesome country pursuits. This trend encompasses a lady in two very different, but equally glamorous and elegant guises. In the first, she is hunting, riding and shooting thus requiring riding coats with practical elbow patches, a warm polo neck and some jodhpurs. When the horses are stabled and the guns stored, the skirts come out, but are still tweed-centric, and the addition of a decorative silk shirt  transforms the gutsy equestrian to Lady of the Manor. This is our muse.



Celine's riding inspired opening look for FW11(Image from catwalking.com)



Margaret Howell FW11

Two women who sum up this trend are Wallis Simpson and The Queen (we are very sorry Your Majesty, to mention your name in the same sentence as a woman's we can imagine you are not mad keen on but fashion needs must). The Queen is the ultimate country pursuits poster lady, always resplendant in custom made riding jacket and neatly knotted silk scarf. Even at 85, recent pictures show she is still able to pull off this look with aplomb.



A young Princess Elizabeth riding with her sister, Princess Margaret (Image from telegraph..co.uk)



Softened with a silk scarf. A lesson for Ronald Reagan from The Queen (Image from wikipedia)
 There is a great deal of buzz surrounding Wallis Simpson at the moment. Most notably, Madonna is preparing to release her biopic W.E which examines the life of the woman who remains somewhat of an enigma; there is still great intrigue surrounding her relationship with Edward VIII and the reason why he would choose this woman over the God, country and duty he had been brought up to believe in. Sartorially, Wallis represents our archetypal Lady of the Manor. A legendary hostess, Wallis always dressed exactly as the occasion demanded and her look was invariably accessorised with a cigarette.



Wallis with Edward. Her suit is ladylike AND tweedy (Image from englishtap.com)
Let's not forget that not so long ago, Madonna herself developed quite an obsession with all that is English and Aristocratic. She rode, she shot, she had the Gloucestershire acres and she wore the tweeds. The manifestations in her look and lifestyle may have now worn off, but her involvement in W.E indicates that something of this story had a great resonance for her. To celebrate the film, Vanity Fair's September Issue features a shoot with the actors playing Edward and Wallis, James D'Arcy and Andrea Riseborough respectively. Arianne Phillips has done a sterling job collaborating with the likes of Dior, Dunhill and Stephen Jones to create bespoke pieces for the shoot. Very handy too that they also provide perfect inspiration the Heritage look.



Lady of the Manor does evening in Dior and Cartier (Image from www.fashionista.com)




Andrea Riseborough wears a brilliant Dior twist on tweed  (Image from www.fashionista.com)



Dashing (Image from www.fashionista.com)
So those are the muses... How did the catwalks do it? Here are some of our favourites.



A careful concoction of tweed, elegance and modernity at YSL (Image from catwalking.com)




Gucci. Perfect for Afternoon Tea. The stole adds glamour and keeps you warm in blustery big houses! (Image from catwalking.com)




Tweed, deconstructed. Modern day Girl of the Manor at Erdem (Image from catwalking.com)



Mulberry make it modern with crinkly socks and long hair (catwalking.com)




Celine's Pre-Fall collection pre-empts this trend. The trench is a good transition alternative to full on tweed (Image from style.com)




Celine makes riding the tube as elegant as riding a stallion. (Image from style.com)

Now, do it yourself. As we have previously said, don't take these things too literally otherwise you may end up looking like a walking anachronism. That said, I have been fantasising about my own riding coat from Savile Row and some custom made riding boots. Equestrians and Ladies of the Manor alike are all well catered for. Here is our curation of what's available NOW.




Fedora £55 from Reiss




Skirt £170 D&G at Net-A-Porter




Shirt £270 See by Chloe at Net-a-Porter




Riding Pants £64 American Apparel




Elbow Patch blazer ASOS £65





Chelsea boots £62 Topshop




Pretty, pretty dress £175 Whistles





Tuesday, August 9, 2011

HELLO TO FASHION AW11! Trend 1: # BURGUNDY

Posted by Fashion Editor at Large

The London riots are terrible. I've done my bit today by spreading the word about @riotcleanup and am keeping a level head, not getting carried away in the hysteria like many people around on Twitter today. If my local area is affected I will be there with my rubber gloves and broom.  In the meantime, life goes on. Life should go on. So if you are joining the blog for a bit of light relief, you will find it!



As I mentioned before going on holiday, the blog is getting a revamp. We're migrating to our very own URL Fashioneditoratlarge.com soon, and breaking away from the blogger format.

One of the aspects I'm introducing is posts pinpointing the absolute fashion essentials on any given day, week, month or season. I'm talking about the item or items so on it that when you buy and wear them, they make you feel instantly up to date and amazing. If you're anything like me, this week you'll be looking at online boutiques "What's New" sections at the new Autumn/Winter 2011 pieces arriving, and feeling your pulse quicken.

As we run up to September I'll be revealing the overarching trends for the season in twice weekly blasts. (I was going to do it earlier in the summer, but decided it would be more useful now.) Today I'm making a soft start and writing about burgundy, the colour.

Shades of claret and burgundy are set to become THE colours of the new season; at least through September into October. The popularity of the colour began with Phoebe Philo at Celine a year ago, and it has taken this long to pollenate and touch down at fashion retail level. Buying something in this colour will make you feel fashionable. Its as simple as that. Here are the pieces that are guaranteed to make you feel new season, all brand new and available now, and you can link straight through to the stores too.

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