fall 2010

Kitten Heels for Fall 2010, The ‘IT’ Shoe

 in Bay Area Fashion / General Fashion / Shoes / Trends  tagged 1950s / fall 2010 / kitten heels / vintage styles / winter 2011 by

Kitten heels make a comeback for Fall 2010 as shoes fall back down to Earth after years of being sky high. The kitten heel was incredibly important roughly ten years ago as Fashionistas across the Bay Area shuffled between work and their cars. We were so busy starting companies and working for people who were starting companies, that a comfortable walking shoe was not required. Jimmy Choo and Manolo Blahnik were on the feet of every Fashionsta from Marin to San Francisco to Contra Costa to Alameda to San Mateo and Santa Clara. The kitten heel appeared on pointed toe, clog-like shoes embroidered with beads on silk that barely let Fashionistas shuffle from their desk at work, back to their car. The kitten heel was more wearable on slingbacks, which held on tight to the heel of the foot allowing Fashionistas the ability to actually walk!

Designers thought about women’s feet this time around and have designed amazing kitten heels for Fashionistas everywhere. The kitten heel is shown with a pointed toe as a full pump or slingback. Stella McCartney and Marc Jacobs dressed models in fabulous kitten heels with pointed toes and slingbacks on their Fall 2010 runways. Prada brought back the bow tie from 2003 and showed kitten heels in two tone leather; both as a pump and a slingback. Fashionista favorites such as Manolo Blahnik, Christian Louboutin and Jimmy Choo all have kitten heel designs of their own for store shelves this Fall.

This kitten heel slingback will look fabulous with Fall’s throwback to the 1950s  when paired with the perfect vintage handbag. Kitten heels also give you the opportunity to shop your closet. If you do not already own a pair of kitten heels from yesteryear, this is the perfect time to invest in a pair of feminine. kitten heels. Look for a neutral color that will be timeless such as a shade of brown or black. Cole Haan and Banana Republic also offer affordable kitten heel slingbacks with pointed toes. Happy shopping and stay fabulous.

 

Fall’s Minty Little Secret

 in Color Trends / General Fashion / Trends  tagged fall 2010 / green / mint / winter 2011 by

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

 in General Fashion / Trends  tagged fall 2010 / rocker chic / runway trends / winter 2011 by

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.