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A model wears a jacket and skinny pants from Egoist.
/ Courtesy of Egoist | By Cathy Rose A. Garcia
Staff Reporter
Autumn is just around the corner, and while everyone's looking forward to the cooler weather and rich fall foliage, for fashion lovers, the change in season means new collections and styles.
For early shoppers, stores are stocked with the hottest trends such as strong shouldered jackets, leopard print dresses, thigh-high boots, leather biker jackets, jewel toned sweaters and fur-trimmed accessories.
It may be hard to cherry pick through the trends, so here's a quick guide to what to wear in the chilly months ahead.
Rock'n'roll Chic
``I love rock'n'roll,'' sings rock icon Joan Jett, and it seems everyone in the fashion industry loves rock'n'roll style. This fall, designers seem especially enamored with the 80's rocker chick look.
Sequined mini-dresses, leather miniskirts, slinky hot pants, lace tights, and skinny pants have been spotted all over the runways at Gucci, Balmain and Miss Sixty. Mass market retailers such as Forever 21 have also hopped on the bandwagon, coming out with more affordable faux leather jackets and skirts.
Leather motorcycle jackets are essential for autumn. Unlike old biker jackets, this season's version has a more fitted shape. New details are studs, rivets and zippers that give it more of an edge. It can be paired with flirty tops and dresses or just black skinny jeans with booties.
 Strong Shoulders
The sight of jackets and tops with exaggerated shoulders might make anyone who lived through the '80s (remember shoulder pads?) cringe. Have no fear, because designers have updated the trend to look sophisticated ― not like rejects from the cast of ``Dynasty.''
Flip through fashion magazines and you'll find one the biggest trends is the strong shoulder silhouette. Structured jackets, dresses and tops with a little volume at the shoulders were spotted on the runways of Balmain and Stella McCartney. Balmain's tux jacket has just the right blend of femininity and masculinity, while McCartney's wool houndstooth version will keep chic girls warm.
Another key item for the androgynous look trend is the so-called boyfriend jacket. These oversized tops have a very masculine silhouette, and made with traditionally masculine fabrics houndstooth and tweeds in checks and pinstripes.
An easy way to hop on this trend is to raid your father or boyfriend's closet for an oversized blazer. To avoid looking too masculine, cinch the jacket with a slim belt. When worn the right way, these boyfriend jackets can be surprisingly flattering for most shapes, since the strong shoulder gives the illusion of a smaller waist.
As for men, they won't be relinquishing their suit jackets to the women. Men's styles for suits and jackets are sharp and slim for this season.
1940s Redux
There's still room for the ultra-feminine and pretty styles this season. The 1940s fashion provided a strong influence among many designers. There are ladylike 40's suits with a modern twist. Shoulders are still emphasized but in a softer way, as seen in Michael Kors and Yves Saint Laurent's collections.
 Into the Wild
Wild animal prints in leopard and zebra have been spotted on the runways of DSquared, Dolce and Gabbana, Valentino, Dries Van Noten and Blumarine. Small and big leopard prints were on figure-hugging dresses, leggings, minis and fur coats. It's always prudent to use one animal print item at a time and to pair it with something understated, so it doesn't look too costumey.
Animal activists will be working overtime this season when they see the resurgence of fur in fashion. Many fur coats and stoles are temptingly gorgeous, but there are more animal-friendly, but still fashionable, options out there.
Instead of buying hideously expensive animal fur, go for the funky faux fur stoles, hats or gloves that can come in various colors to help spice up your autumn wardrobe.
 Bright Color
Don't be quick to stash the neon-colored '80s-inspired pieces from spring and summer. Neon shades are still shining bright through autumn. Marc Jacobs created cheerful looking yellow cape jackets, coral suits and green knit dresses which will help chase away winter blues.
Neon colors can be tricky to wear, since some shades can be flattering on one person, while making another look horrible. Make sure the colors are suited for your skin tone, and try to avoid putting together items with clashing tones.
Updated Classics
Jeans are a staple for every season, but ``distressed'' jeans are ``in.'' Designer brands D&G and J Brand have come out with stylishly destroyed denim jeans, which go for hundreds of thousands of won. Skinny is still the favored silhouette. As for the denim washes, dark and black denim are always popular, but bleached denim is also gaining ground.
Some might get the urge to brandish a pair of scissors and hack away at your old pair of jeans, but try not to destroy them too much. It's not fashionable to wear denim that is way too tattered.
Preppy classics are always popular in any season. Korean brand ASK Enquired has even tapped Gossip Girl stars Leighton Meester and Ed Westwick, better known as their characters Blair and Chuck, as models for the fall ad campaign featuring chunky sweaters and plaid items.
Banana Republic has also reintroduced classics including the perfect white shirt, chinos and coats, which will stay in your wardrobe for many seasons to come.
 Bags
Much has been said about the so-called death of the ``it'' bag. But somehow, the pages of fashion magazines are still filled with a few lust-worthy handbags and clutches.
Louis Vuitton updated the classic Monogram Canvas by introducing the Eclipse collection, which features a canvas embroidered with sequins. The bags are prominently featured in Louis Vuitton's 2009 fall ad campaign featuring pop icon Madonna.
Bags with chain link straps are another hot trend. Chanel's 2.55 flap bags are always a classic in any season, but you can also go for Chloe's luxurious gold lame Elsie shoulder bag or Lanvin's velvet Happy Sac Partage bag.
For those looking for functional but stylish bags, Korean brand Louis Quatorze has introduced quilted tote bags in black and beige.
cathy@koreatimes.co.kr |
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