Fall’s Minty Little Secret

In a sea of black, white, grey, browns and red accents there was one color on the Paris, Milan and New York runways that appeared, shall we say, out of place? Sea green was on the Fall 2010 runways in a blatant attempt to trump preconceived notions that sea green is a Spring color, not a Fall color! What is next, white after Labor Day? Oh wait, that’s been done. Mint green is back in fashion and it is the new up and coming trendy color for Fall that may carry us into resort and Spring 2011.

Mint green seems an unlikely color for Fall given the trends shown by haute couture designers on the runways. Mint green can be an alternative accent color to red for Fall’s Minimalism trend. Designers such as Balenciaga and Proenza Schouler showed mint green high heels, platforms, ankle boots and structured handbags. Chanel is showing a fabulous tweed, mint green suit for Fall in sharp contrast to the mostly black line beginning to fill store shelves. Louis Vuitton is using mint green on their full skirts as part of a subtle floral design and accented with a mint green handbag in decadent alligator. Fendi and Balenciaga blended mint green into neutral fabrics with shades of brown and military green.

Mint green is not a color that compliments everyone. We here at Bay Area Fashionista favor mint green in the form of a small, structured handbag or beautiful suede high heels paired with a neutral outfit. Mint green is a color normally found in resort and Spring lines. This is a good time to invest in a mint green piece as there is a good chance we will see this color coming in stronger next season. Happy shopping and stay fabulous.

Rock and Roll for Fall 2010

There was small hint of rock and roll hidden within the runways for Fall 2010. As models donning 1990s Minimalism and 1950s nostalgia strutted down the catwalk, one or two outfits per show hinted at a little bit of rock and roll for the club scene and nights out on the town. The bad girl hint was hidden among prim and proper full skirts, full skirted dresses and somber, black outfits with a small pop of red. For Fashionistas who are not interested in looking like a Stepford wife or funeral attendee, the rock and roll trend is a breath of fresh air.

The rock and roll look has been on trend for the past several seasons, but for Fall 2010 it no longer blends into the background of other, more prominent trends. The rock and roll trend stands apart from the majority of the looks coming off the runway and into reality. The trend rebels against the vintage, 1950s trend with torn fabric on dresses, heavy eye make-up and larger-than-life shoes.

The pants are tight, leather and black. In lieu of skirts, designers such as Giorgio Armani showed hot pants in glittering black. Versace dared to show a torn, black dress that did not leave much to the imagination. The reality version of the dress will be hitting stores under the Versus label for Fall. Less expensive stores such as Forever 21 and H & M are showing the rock and roll look in more somber colors, reflective of the overall color pallette from the Fall runways. Hot pants are already popping up on teenagers and college students throughout the Bay Area. The popular form of hot pants among students is denim. Unlike Daisy Dukes from yesteryear, the hems are sewn and all seams are in place.

Eye make-up was shown in two versions on the Fall runways. There were some designers who chose to show a natural eye, making onlookers wonder if any make-up was present on the models eyes at all. Other designers showed a heavy eye with light lipstick. The two make-up looks were not consistent with the stand-outs trends for Fall, giving Fashionistas a choice when it comes to eye design. The rock and roll eye has heavy black eyeliner, false eyelashes and brown eye shadow above and below the eye. The application method harkens back to the smoky, grey eyes from earlier in the decade.

Lastly, as the soles of shoes are coming back down to Earth, the rock and roll look continues the sky high trend of platform and high heels. Balenciaga and Christian Dior are giving Fashionistas chunky black platforms with metallic accents while Fendi shows the platform in more somber, neutral colors adding a little bit of rock and roll to the full skirt. . .hmmmm. . .trend fusion for Fall!

The rock and roll trend has been around, so this is the perfect opportunity for you to shop your closet! But please, let’s keep the hot pants stored, or better yet, sell those things on eBay. Hot pants is one trend that needs to stay on the runway and NOT hit reality. Happy shopping and stay fabulous.

The 1950s Handbag for Fall 2010: A Return to Grace Kelly

Fashionistas in the Bay Area who adore vintage are in for a treat this Fall season! The 1950s style handbag is back in fashion and designers have paired it with the full skirt, 1950s silhouette; referred to in modern times as the Stepford look. The 1950s era handbag is literally worn by hand or slung over a woman’s forearm. The handbag has a small, thick strap which cannot be worn over the shoulder. This vintage throwback style is smaller in size than the oversize handbags fashionistas became accustomed to earlier in the decade. In order to wear this trend, women will need to decide what really belongs in their handbag!

The 1950s handbag evokes memories of well-dressed women shopping at City of Paris, I Magnin, Livingstons’s, Ransonhoff’s, Joseph Magnin, The White House or lunching at Townsend’s or the St. Francis. Visions of women at Eplar’s Bakery or strolling down Maiden Lane while wearing a full skirt, proper handbag, hat and gloves brings many fashionistas, from all generations, begging for their own vintage 1950s handbag. Of course, women in San Francisco never wore white. Handbags graced the arms of well-dressed San Franciscans in black alligator, brown alligator or a neutral colored leather.

The 1950s style handbag is starting to dot the shelves of stores for Fall 2010. Prada has several styles in varying, two-tone neutrals. In sharp contrast to the color palette in the 1950s, Prada’s bags are white with tan, navy with red or all black. Hermes has the holy grail Kelly handbag available in any color worth sitting on a waiting list for several months. Chanel is showing the style with two chain straps in a nod to the variation of the handbag style earlier in the decade when the double handled handbag was all the rage. Can we say Lambertson-Truex Box Car? Louis Vuitton is showing the style in various fabrics as well as Epi leather. More affordable lines such as Coach, Longchamp, Banana Republic and Dooney and Burke have the style in stores as well.

Bay Area Fashionista Tip: Why buy the same handbag as all of your friends? This is one trend that screams “go vintage!” Now is the time to scour vintage stores in San Francsico and around the bay for the perfect 1950s style handbag. Once word gets out about this trend, the vintage finds will be scarce. You may also try to shop your closet, your Mother’s closet or your Grandmother’s closet. Chances are, the real thing is in there somewhere! Happy shopping and stay fabulous.