1990s

Chanel Fall 2010 RTW Collection

 in General Fashion / Handbags  tagged 1990s / chanel / fall 2010 / minimalism / paris fashion week / runway / vintage styles by

Chanel has long been considered the benchmark of fashion for haute couture and ready to wear. Designers and clothing companies around the globe are inspired by the collections that Chanel puts on the runway every season. It may be no surprise that the upcoming fall season will be a reflection of what Chanel showed on the runway. As we know, 90’s minimalism was all over the runways in Paris, Milan and New York. This theme has been reflected in the ready to wear collections hitting the stores for Fall 2010.

The Chanel ready-to-wear collection for Fall 2010 will give any fashionista in the bay area a sense of deja-vu. Chanel’s collection is a sharp nod to the minimalism of the 1990’s. Black was the dominant color for suits, jackets and dresses. Asides from black, there was a large amount of charcoal and grey with a splash of red thrown into the mix. Chanel’s shoe line is almost completely black with one small hint of white trim. The signature camellia garnishes the toe box of Chanel’s flats for Fall. The handbag collection is clearly classic with a full line of 2.55 handbags and classic flap’s in mini, small, medium and jumbo. The classic collection is arriving in black, white, plum and a darker red. The red is actually quite stunning. It has more of a blue undertone as opposed to the brighter reds we have seen in the past few seasons. The contemporary handbags are classic in theme with clean lines and basic colors such as black, white and grey. Chanel is showing varying sizes of totes and shoulder bags that are variations of the classic collection. Anyone interested in a Chanel bag that is considered contemporary cannot go wrong this season. The handbags in this collection will not go out of style. They are true investment pieces. There is also a good mix of lambskin, caviar leather and sparkling patent leather. The patent plum is to die for!

The wonderful part about this upcoming Fall’s collections will be the classic lines and colors that allow bay area fashionistas to buy key wardrobe pieces that will never go out of style. Every fashionista can use a classic black Chanel tweed suit paired with a fabulous red patent leather classic flap handbag. This is the ultimate go-to outfit for any event; especially when the event is short notice! Happy shopping and stay fabulous!!

90’s Minimalism is Back!

 in General Fashion / Trends  tagged 1990s / fall 2010 / historical fashion / minimalism / vintage styles by

The minimalist 1990’s were all over the Fall 2010 runways! After the decadent 1980’s where hair, earrings and shoulders were larger than life, there was a need for a break. In the 1990’s designers focused on subtle colors, softer patterns, clean lines and barely there jewelry. The Fall 2010 runways in Milan, Paris and New York looked strangely familiar. Models strutted down the runway in garments free of fuss. Hair was either neatly pulled back or smooth with waves dangling below the shoulder. Shoes showed cleaner lines with both flat soles and platforms. Handbags were boxy with less hardware than designers have shown in recent years. The one shock on the runway was the noticeable lack of jewelry!

In the 1990’s fashionistas in the bay area wore small hoops, tiny dangles and small post earrings. Necklaces were simple with a small pendant. The only jewelry that took on any life during the decade was the bracelet. There were beaded bracelets in the mid-1990’s and stacked gold bangles as we neared Y2K. The cuff made a few appearances throughout the decade as well as beaded mineral bracelets with healing powers.

There were a few glimpses of jewelry on the runway for Fall 2010. Marni showed a sixteen inch silver and gemstone chocker worn over a camel coat. Marni also previewed an intricate layered necklace look with mixture of gemstones in varying shapes and sizes worn with a simple deep-V frock. Oscar de la Renta put a large, red and bronze medieval necklace over white fur paired with a red leather and crocodile belt. Dolce & Gabbana had a model donning a simple gold heart on a thin eighteen inch chain worn with a simple black blazer and lace camisole.

Since the minimalism of the 90’s has returned for Fall 2010, fashionistas in the bay area have the perfect opportunity to stock up on classic items such as camel coats, black blazers and classic handbags with clean lines. This is also the perfect season to shop your closet! We know there is a little bit of the 90’s in there somewhere  So pull out your little black dress, black pumps and camel coat; because that is all you really need to get started for Fall. Happy shopping and stay fabulous.

Torn Denim Trend: Fabulous or Faux-Pas?

 in Bay Area Fashion / General Fashion / Trends  tagged 1980s / 1990s / denim / historical fashion / spring 2010 / vintage styles by

It is hard to believe that roughly twenty years ago torn denim  was a mainstay in San Francisco Bay Area fashion. Everyone had holes, rips and cuts in at least one spot of their jeans. From elementary age children through to adults torn jeans were the only casual pants of choice. If anyone dared to leave the house without so much as a string hanging from his/her jeans, that person was destined for embarrassment. Many fashionistas in the bay area would buy a great pair of Levi’s, Guess jeans or even Bongo jeans and take a large pair of scissors to the knees and the bottom of the derrière. To buy the jeans already torn was considered, well, unfashionable!

Fashionistas in the late 1980s and early 1990s began to get very creative with their torn jeans. Many people wanted to have the most severe rips possible, and in order to achieve this the pants no longer kept certain parts covered. In order to wear these severe cuts, many creative fashionistas went down to the fabric store and found interesting remnants that could be used to cover the holes of the jeans around the parts that needed covering; the derrière! Patches were sewn inside the jeans in order to ensure that all of the strings from the cuts could still be seen from the outside. Women opted for small florals and medium sized paisley’s while men preferred solid colors or handkerchiefs. As the early-nineties approached, jeans barely looked like pants anymore, and as a result, there was a backlash. Denim pants, once again, enjoyed the rest of the decade in one piece; free of cuts.

Denim has been whole ever since the torn trend ceased, but, Spring 2010 and Fall 2010 have challenged denim fabric once again. The runways for Spring 2010 showed cuts, rips and tears with hanging string around the knees on denim pants. Fall 2010 runways displayed a full-blown torn denim trend; a clear throwback to the late 1980s and early 1990s. This time around, it seems that torn denim is already on store bought jeans. Will we see a revival of hand-made cuts? Much like the tie-dye trend, the torn denim trend is one that can be done at home. All a fashionista on a budget needs is a pair of jeans and a pair of scissors. After the cuts have strategically been made, wash the jeans. Voilà! Denim that is right on trend.

Although torn denim is appearing all over the runways and has made it onto store shelves at The Gap, Diesel and major departments stores, does this mean it is catching on? Will the next decade be filled with ripped jeans? If you wore torn jeans as a teen, will you wear them again? The big question still remains; Are torn or ripped jeans fashion fabulous or fashion train wreck?