The coat that never goes out of style is in with a vengeance this fall, with Michael Kors, Hermès, Gucci and every other designer in the world coming out with his own twist on the class camel. Dust off your grandfather’s old Burberry, or spring for this season’s sleek, belted Chloé and pair it with anything, or (for the bold among us) wear it flasher-style, over nothing at all.
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In place of the usual go-to LBD, this season’s sexy staple is the BLD: the intricate, irresistible, unbelievably sexy and slightly see-through Black Lace Dress. Dolce & Gabbana, Valentino and Givenchy’s Riccardo Tisci have made stunners, best worn over slips, leotards or black lingerie, and with plenty of goth-style accessories over top. All together, they look like the wardrobe for the chicest Mob funeral ever.
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We have Mad Men’s Christina Hendricks and Louis Vuitton’s Marc Jacobs chiefly to thank for curves' return to both runways and editorial spreads this fall. Women of all shapes and sizes will be tea-party ready in offerings from Prada and Jacobs’ collections. And go ahead—have that extra petit four because big butts are the hot new accessory this year, and these pretty party dresses flatter every figure.
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Céline’s Phoebe Philo did to fashion editors last spring what Justin Bieber does to teenage girls every day—sending them into wild, covetous fits. Her deceptively simple, beautifully streamlined collection defined this season’s dominant minimalist trend. Call it the New Restraint. Call it the Old Austerity. Just be glad the '80s are finally out (again).
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The garish trends from the 1980s, which returned with a neon flash in the pan last year, have seemingly mercifully subsided this fall. Now, it’s all about the 1680s. Lead by the final collection from Alexander McQueen, who committed suicide on the eve of this spring’s New York Fashion Week, the prevalence of gorgeous, baroque formalwear—featuring heavy brocades, lavish materials and plenty of gold—provides a break in all the camel, gray, white and black lace.
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Between Christopher Bailey’s luxe shearling coats for Burberry and Karl Lagerfeld’s big plush Chanel onesies, perfect for your next “wild rumpus”, fur is huge for fall. Go faux if you prefer (or if you didn’t manage to snag the $3,600 Burberry Prorsum military-style fall jacket, already sold-out everywhere online). Or opt for just a fur accent—a la Theory’s $450 raccoon handbag or Céline’s surrealist fur-lined shoes. Either way, PETA will not be pleased.
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The cruel reign of the jegging may be ending this fall, with the triumphant return of civilized pants. Chloé, 3.1 Phillip Lim, Marc Jacobs, Elie Tahari, Band of Outsiders and plenty of others have rejected the stranglehold of spandex in favor of well-tailored, flattering trousers. High waists, straight legs, simple pleats down the front: Every character Diane Keaton has ever played would wear them all with pride.
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Now that many young women are out-earning their male peers, it’s time they dressed accordingly. A number of hot young designers, lead by downtown king Alexander Wang, have re-imagined the business suit for fall, allowing for glimpses of midriff, some downright intimidating silhouettes and all kinds of naughty uses of pinstripes. Between these new suits and an array of heavy leather coats cut in men’s styles— the best and manliest of which come from Bottega Veneta—the stronger sex may be girding their closets, offices and loins come fall.
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It’s not all work and no play for the fashionable lady this fall. Plenty of designers, including Christian Dior and Diane von Furstenberg, threw jaunty touches into their collections—a pompom hat here, a cartoonish trilby there, and lots of mix-and-match patterns, bright colors and girly accessories. Balenciaga’s Nicolas Ghesquière threw Plexiglas, wood, and blocks of color into his take on the traditional high-heeled loafer; even the Rodarte girls found a place for flowers on their runway. Fall fashion may be pretty serious and sedate overall, but there’s still room for the occasional flight of fancy.
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