Get
Real! Making sense of Fall trends
dateline: 09.06.99
Editors, buyers and
celebrities may be flocking soon to the Spring 2000 shows to drool over The Next Big
Thing, but for most women, Fall ‘99
is just now getting under way.
There have been many false starts over the past year. Fads that burn out in a nanosecond (shrugs), must-haves that should be called please-don’ts (capris) and colors touted as being the new black (gray), when all reasonable people know there is no such thing.
| Fall roundup Click here for more views. |
For real women, worrying about Spring 2000 comes much later. Who wants to hear about what’s next, when it’s tough enough to keep up with what’s now?
For now there is newness and enough wearable trends to validate taking a serious look at Fall ’99. Fashion is diverse, but just shy of "anything goes," comes in a price point for even moderate budgets, and works surprisingly well for real women.
1. Clothes are adapting to us,
instead of the other way around.
For years, women have complained that designers don’t have a clue about real women or
what they want to wear.
Among the previous complaints:
- clothes that don’t fit or flatter
- discomfort for the sake of fashion
- seasonal clothes that only offer a small window of wearability
- limited sizes
Well, somebody’s been listening,
because Fall ’99 has great offerings in the fit, flatter and comfort sections and
it’s in one word – stretch. Companies from Banana Republic to Liz Claiborne have incorporated high-profile stretch in their lines.
These wovens and knits with stretch look crisp and modern and have a fit that is
body-conscious without being constricting. 
Seasonless dressing is another example of fashion starting to make sense. Sleeveless tops, ¾-length sleeves, sandals and color combinations like pastels, whites or brights are just as likely to show up in cool weather as warm.
Likewise, leather, suedes and pashmina shawls have been seen on the shiny set all summer. While it may not work for every climate, with layering and combining color with neutrals, the whole idea of a season-spanning wardrobe is beginning to take shape.
| Liz Claiborne Collection skyline
blue washable silk/cashmere boat neck sweater, $94, with marble grey wool/Lycra® spandex wrap skirt, $119. |
Size availability is another improvement. Slowly catalogs and e-tailers are losing limited size ranges and going with expansive offerings like 4-20 (J. Jill) or XS-3XL (Girlfriends LA) with many styles in petite, tall or plus sizes.
More styles come in more sizes, which means some manufacturers have started to notice we don’t all fit their preconceived notion of 4-14.
| What makeup to wear with Fall fashion? *Refined *Black eyeliner *Dark and shimmery |
Sometimes fashion adapts to us and actually becomes functional. The whole utility craze, taken in moderation, is proof. Drawstrings, body bags, pockets (especially the pockets) zippers, vests, hoods – these sporty gizmos are as practical as they are trendy.
2. Luxe fabrics, rich colors,
lush texture and flirty details.
Most women can't start from scratch each season and buy up everything new and wonderful.
But this season, it just takes a few of these fresh, powerful pieces to make a statement:
- Cashmere anything (a pashmina shawl can replace a coat in many climates)
- Animal prints and skins . These perennial Fall favorites look strong in everything from loafers to handbags to full-blown pony-print skirts. Leathers and suedes aren’t just for outerwear anymore, turning up in oversized shirts for layering, pants and skirts.
- Color is all over the spectrum with hot colors like red, orange and pink to subdued hues like camel, olive, gray (everything from silver to dove gray). But black remains the wardrobe building block for many women.
- Fringe and embroidery come as a relief to all of the incessant minimalism.
- Shoes are amazing this season, with lots of choices, from the mod look of boots to practical wedges to flirty mary janes.
- Texture and fabrication are important as tweeds, boucle and chunky knits add tactile interest to everything.
3. Diversity reigns in skirt lengths, pant styles and necklines.
Skirts are everywhere from knee-length, to mid-calf to above the knee, leaving lots of room for everyone to find a flattering length. Floor-sweeping lengths are mostly gone.
Pants can be low-slung and wide-legged, slim and boot cut or sleek and flat front.
Cowl necks, boatnecks, funnel necks, turtlenecks. Shells with these touches look newer under suits than blouses.
Best advice for Fall ’99? Wear what looks good on you. Buy what you can afford. Wear what you love. Be yourself. It is enough.
All photos and artwork used with permission of copyright holder.
