SEASON INDEX
Grasping the trends of the season is one thing, converting them to usable, transformative style shortcuts is another.
1 Jog on
Hopping back on the legging wagon might seem daunting for some, but this season’s iterations should quell fears. Thick and luxurious, the leg-lengthening power of the athletic versions seen at Versace and Mugler streamline and smooth all. STYLING TRICK: Swap out tailored pants for leggings under a blazer for work. On weekends wear under a dress for an original take on layering.
2 Heavy duty
If the purveyor of all things polished and polite launches a collection called HardWear, you can be sure something’s afoot in the world of jewellery. Tiffany & Co.’s latest collection captures the hard but pretty vibe pervading fashion at the moment. Industrial, gritty links that recall chains and heavy locks in gleaming 18-karat gold are an intriguing proposition of two opposing elements.
3 Re-boot
Cuissardes are old news. What’s new isi the idea of wearing them uninterrupted to disappear beneath hems. Never-ending boots equal never-ending legs.
4 Sheer joy
Brush up on deniers, or more accurately hone in on the lowest you can go – 15 or under should do it for new adopters. The conceal-reveal rule applies here: the clandestine draw of sheer tights is in thinly veiled glimpses of skin. WEAR WITH: A skirt short enough to be strictly after-eight.
5 in pieces
How far can you take deconstructed dressing? Even further than last season, apparently, as at Céline, where fractured skirts and dresses were made up of multiple pieces, and at Burberry’s recent see-now-buy-now collection, where sleeves of Fair Isle knits were lopped off and layered over shirting. HOW TO: Choose one conventional piece and layer over with a broken top piece.
6 The jolie laide dress
Exuding that elusive X-factor has always been a tough ask in fashion, until the jolie laide dress came along. Pin this on Demna Gvasalia, whose skew-whiff, deliberately “off” dresses in beautiful prints and fabrics for Balenciaga spawned this entirely new category of dress.
7 Onesided
A hem that flutters seemingly at random lengths expresses the looser feel of the season. Haphazard is the desired effect, so seize upon it with unstructured fabrics to keep a freeform feeling.