Fall Preview
Once upon a time, there was a mythical monster, the Trend Princess. Twice a year, she cast a spell on herself and morphed into a new form. Where once she’d been drawn with long, straight lines, after the spell worked its magic she became a collage of gentle curves. Where once she was pale as the dawn, now she was intense neon hues.
One could say that by reinventing her look, the princess was only trying to please the kings of fashion, the designers. In truth, the best designers see style changes as evolutionary. Oversized, slouchy trousers cut like men’s slacks don’t replace the narrow-legged cigarette pants of past seasons: They’re an alternative. Skirts that stop a hand span below the waist are an option, not meant to supplant long, slinky lengths.
The news in fall fashion can be reduced to pairs of meaningful monosyllables: big / small, he / she, hard / soft, rich / plain. Sure, those slouchy trousers are mannish, but the trim sweaters or embroidered camisoles they’re worn with couldn’t be sexier or more feminine. A leather pantsuit might seem tough, but not in a burnished gray or faded shade of plum. A suede coat over a cashmere dress speaks of luxury, but when the lines are kept simple the effect is disarmingly casual.
The ‘90s quest for nonchalance continues, via mismatched basics cleverly combined. Except that leather, once carefully mixed with tweed or velvet, doesn’t truck with other fabrics much anymore.
All that boss lady leather and the broader, stronger shoulder line that showed up on everything from sheer, beaded T-shirts at Gucci to shaped power suits at Chanel and Ralph Lauren made the Trend Princess think about resurrecting the image she had inhabited a dozen years ago. Big mistake.
The football player-sized shoulder pads women shoved into everything from sweatshirts to jackets in the ‘80s have not returned. Shoulder pads are smaller and more precisely cut this time around, and more judiciously used. They work in some structured jackets and coats, but Marc Jacobs’ cashmere tank tops and Donna Karan’s narrow dresses depend on the real shoulders women build up by working out.
Since “not getting it” is the unpardonable felony of the fashion kingdom, the Trend Princess was banished. She was last seen selling magazine subscriptions door to door in Las Vegas, her studded, stone-washed jeans sparkling in the sun.
