The Fall 2010 runways in Paris, Milan and New York were a mix of 1990s minimalism, 1950s Stepford Wife apparel, military nods and rock and roll flair. The skirt and dress silhouette that stood out on the runways was the 1950s, Stepford Wife full skirt. The full skirt is meeting the leg half-way between the knee and the ankle giving the skirt a more modest place in fashion for Fall 2010.
Louis Vuitton showed a fabulous, full skirt in a light tan leather topped off with a 1950s style short sleeve sweater in baby yellow. The colors were a nod to Spring 2010 giving the look a soft transfer from Spring into Fall. Prada and Dries Van Noten both showed quiet colors on full skirted dresses and ballet flats. Ralph Lauren gave the full skirt a 1990s minimalism color palette and a 1980s fabric twist. Lauren’s take on the Stepford Wife suit is black taffeta. This suit is calling for a red handbag! By the way, red handbags will be all the rage in Fall, but we can discuss this in another post.
Fashionistas in the San Francisco Bay Area may shy away from wearing the full skirt on an everyday basis. The formal look of the silhouette lends itself well to special events such as weddings, showers, charity lunches and daytime holiday parties. The full skirt is not practical for running errands, strolling at the mall or sitting behind a computer all day at work. The trend is definitely a breath of fresh air for fashionistas everywhere who are tired of the poor taste in skirts that many women have chosen to wear over the past few years.
Recession Tip: Interested in wearing the Stepford Wife silhouette this Fall? Look inside your closet. When the movie came out earlier in the decade there were full skirts on the market as well as full skirts with an asymmetrical hemline. You can pair your full skirt from a past season with a short sleeve sweater from this season or a wrap around sweater from one of the past two seasons. Tres chic! If you found a full skirt with an asymmetrical hemline, you can even out the hemline and re-hem it! If you do not have a sewing machine at home, your local tailor can do the job for you. Fabulous!
Whether you purchase a full skirt or dress, or you got lucky and found one in the back of your closet, this is definitely a trend to follow. Happy shopping and stay fabulous.
