Trends


Fall 2010 Fashion: Channeling the Stepford Skirt

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.


The Red Coat for Fall 2010

Minimalism of the 1990s is starting to hit the stores in the form of Pre-Fall and Fall collections. Fashionistas in the San Francisco Bay Area are seeing a resurgence of black trousers, black boots with stacked heels, turtle neck sweaters in black, white and red as well as coats in varying lengths. The quintessential outfit from the 1990s is back and Fashionistas across the bay are starting to snap up key pieces to start off their Fall 2010 collection. Some Fashionistas may already have parts of the minimalist look in the back of their closets just waiting for the revival. Although minimalism can be a bit dreary, it is welcome news for Fashionistas who have been affected by the recession. An all black outfit can be gathered from the back of the closet. The one key item every fashionista should invest in this Fall is the red coat.

The red coat or jacket will add a pop of color to any black outfit and add instant style to the minimalistic look of Fall 2010. A black and white outfit will also benefit from a red coat bringing instant flair to a Fashionistas complete look. Chanel showed red outerwear for Fall 2010 as well as a fabulous red tweed suit. The red tweed suit can be worn as a complete outfit or the jacket can be worn over a black outfit as well as with jeans for a more casual look. Ann Demeulemeester is featuring a fabulous red jacket in her Fall 2010 collection that has a slightly whimsical structure. This jacket would be a great investment piece for any wardrobe. It can be worn over a professional, all black outfit or paired with jeans for casual, weekend look. Ann Demeulemeester’s jacket will also look fabulous as a cover-up with a little black dress!

The more budget savvy Fashionistas in the bay area will find fabulous red coats and jackets at Banana Republic. The Banana Republic jackets and coats are high quality wool and will last for several seasons. The cuts are classic and easy to wear for any body type. Coats and jackets from Banana Republic are not the cheapest on the market, but they will not break the bank. Prices range from $150 to $500 depending on the size and cut of the piece.

Bay Area Fashionista Tip: Banana Republic has great sales. If you can wait until a coat or jacket has been in stores for roughly three months, there is a good chance you can snag it for 30% off. If you fall in love with a coat or jacket and cannot wait, do not feel guilty taking the plunge and purchasing a red coat or jacket at full price. This is an investment piece that will get plenty of wear during the Fall 2010 season as well as for years to come. Happy shopping and stay fabulous.

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Fabulous Summer Hats!

The San Francisco Bay Area is currently enjoying fabulous summer weather. As Fashionistas in the bay area head for the pool, a key wardrobe piece is needed to protect our skin from the sun; the summer hat! Sun hats are popping up on bay area Fashionistas across the bay from Marin to Walnut Creek to Pleasanton to San Jose. There are different styles of hats Fashionistas have taken a liking to, some straight off the runway while others in a more practical form.

The runways in Paris, Milan and New York showed mid-brimmed straw hats in natural colors as well as with large stripes. Hermes showed a fabulous natural straw and navy, wide striped hat while Chanel showed a slightly larger brimmed hat in a light shade of tan. Eugenia Kim for Target produced an affordable, dark white straw hat with a pretty blue and white scarf tied around the brim. The scarf can be tied in a bow on the top of the hat or drawn through two hidden holes and used to secure the hat underneath the chin. San Diego Hat Company has a classic and easy to fold hat with two brim sizes: medium and large. The San Diego Hat Company hats offer SPF protection of 65!

Bay Area Fashionistas favorite hats this season are the Hermes hat for special events and looking fabulous as well as the San Diego Hat Company hats which offers practically for beach trips and poolside with the kids. Which hats are you wearing? We would love to know  Happy shopping and stay fabulous.

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