THE NEW SEXY
As fashion’s focus shifts upwards, Carol Singh finds the décolletage is having its day
For three seasons now, I have been a devotee of the midriff. I embarked early on the trend and, I have to say, many months into a dogged display of my Tracy Anderson ab workout, I was looking forward to a change. Miuccia Prada finally gave me that ‘aha!’ moment. Unbuttoned cardigans exposing a shoulder or two, glistening collarbones everywhere, her fall show was a tribute to the long forgotten allure of the décolletage. “Prada’s focus is on a more feminine, fuller, real woman, not just fantasy,” remarks Garance Doré, the illustrative fashion blogger. “But she counters that femininity with the edge of a heavy shoe, making it of-the-moment, not-too-perfect, and less intimidating.”
This fall, however, is a happy one, for the highlight hovers over the neck, shoulders, and chest. There are the no-strings-attached strapless dresses at Dior that Raf Simons seems to have made a modern mainstay for the house, and if you have broad, deltoid-defined shoulders, this could well be your trophy silhouette. The tube dress is the big winner this season and nearly every designer has a spin on it. And fear not if you aren’t shouldering the right fitness regimen at the moment, says Ania Arcaini, womenswear buyer for Luisaviaroma.com, one
of the world’s foremost online fashion retailers based in Italy. “Bare shoulders and necklines are a sexier alternative to showing parts of the body that do not necessarily have to be in shape,” she adds. Or simply take a leaf out of Peter Dundas’s collection for Emilio Pucci and just add on a sheer, full-sleeved body underneath or a nude shell, as seen at Lanvin. There is also the slim, cylindrical top version, armed with a soft peplum (or not), best worn with an equally slender pencil skirt or slacks, seen at Stella McCartney, Balenciaga, and Marni. But if you share my bravado, you might want to head straight for that remodelled boob tube that Francisco Costa showed at Calvin Klein, paired with high-waist, tailored trousers and a wide cincher: It brings with it a fresh agenda. Further still, the jumpsuit lives on with plunging necklines and shoulder-less silhouettes—its best examples were found at Pankaj & Nidhi and The Row. The only mistake you can make here is transparent bra straps, so steer clear of those, but that doesn’t indicate the burial of all lingerie because that just-out-of-bed look is top-notch. “It’s so chic to see bra straps peeking out unexpectedly,
a la Carrie Bradshaw’s fun, colourful ones in Sex and the City,” reveals Doré.
I, too, am quite taken by the appeal of a precariously tethered garment. It conjures up thoughts of undressing without much ado—the easiest yet strongest suggestion of sensuality. Be it the unfastened top buttons at Prada that made the cardigans peel off just a tad, Haider Ackerman’s louche toppers that drooped off one shoulder, or Gucci’s Sabrina necklines and Celine’s boat necks that looked like the drape of a shawl so just the collarbones peeked perkily.
However, this accidental exposure needs to be practiced with a certain measure of austerity—hemlines must drop below the knee and any spandex must be forsaken. “I believe there is a more feminine and sophisticated approach to the trend with a balance between bare legs and décolletage,” Arcaini declares. “Wearing longer skirts, belowthe-knee, with interesting décolletés like the ones at Valentino and McQueen is the look for all ages.” The Italian duo Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli’s collection for Valentino put present-day riffs on portrait necklines, but to go along with the scooped décolleté, they had long sleeves and longer hems. After all, even provocation has a preamble. Yet the eternal question remains—how much is too much? If this balance is proving to be a tricky one, take a cue from the icons of the ’40s and ’50s—Rita Hayworth, Grace Kelly, Marilyn Monroe, Sharmila Tagore, and Elizabeth Taylor—all of whom flaunted their fronts with caution. That said, be in no rush to strap on your push-up bras just yet—bear in mind that this was a time prior to the era of the Wonderbra. Isham Sardouk of Stylesight, a fashion forecasting and research portal, says, “This time, it is a much more demure, less provocative, softer kind of sexy. It is about being understated and subtle. It is about minimalism and pure lines.”
Earlier this year, I paired a pailletted tube top with a floating black collar, à la Mr Lagerfeld, because the look needed something, and I couldn’t find the right necklace. When I saw the combination turn up at the Giorgio Armani show, it only made me want to repeat it again. Other clever combinations worth flaunting are the chef-like scarves tied around the neck at Miu Miu, or the furry boas at Marni—they make fun, more casual additions. Verdict: Banish the necklace, make it modern. And if you must, the only jewels that should be jumbled are the ones on your wrists.
There’s more. You can apply the same rules to your ethnic wardrobe too. Straight after Tarun Tahiliani’s show—the designer is an avid advocator of the off-the-shoulder silhouette—I marched myself to his store and chanced upon a nude sari with a ruched blouse, which seemed like its straps had taken a nap and stooped off the shoulder onto the arm. And with the sari’s pallu going across one shoulder, it created utterly flattering lines. It is this piece which has shuffled my allegiance from the belly to the bosom. For now I am besotted. Now, the only conversion I need to make is from crunches to push-ups.
The highlight hovers over the neck and shoulders. And if you have defined shoulders, this could well be your trophy silhouette.