Trend: Florals

Source: shopbop.com

Spring is synonymous with blooming, beautiful flowers...in your garden, and in your wardrobe. Pack on some flower power, and stay super trendy this season!

Colours of Spring

While we're currently waiting with bated breath to see if the weather will finally make up its mind, the stores are already flaunting their brand new offerings for Spring. We've seen what the runways have to offer for the season, and if you want to catch up on what happened on the catwalks, you can hop onto M's blog here.

On LWIS, though, for now, we're primarily interested in colour. Pantone's report for the trending colours of the season are in, and we've got the skinny for you.

Lady Hues

From L to R: Nanette Leopore, Ella Moss, ADAM by Adam Lippes and Tracy Reese

From L to R: Barbara Tfank, Pamella Roland, Cynthia Steffe, NAHM, Adrienne Vittadini and Rafael Cennamo

From warm tones such as tangerine, sunny yellow, and cabaret pink, to cool tones such as deep maritime and bright cockatoo blue to soft pastels, such as lilac, lavender and margerita green, to earthy neutrals such as starfish brown and driftwood grey, this year's palette has an eclectic range of tones and shades, and promises to be a year of bold statements.






Man tones

From L to R: Hyden Yoo, Tommy Hilfiger, and Bill Blass

Do not be fooled by the muted palette on the picture; it was just that sketches were unavailable for the rest of the shades. 
Menswear too, sees a lot of variety this season. They share the deep blue and fresh tangerine and sunny yellow with the women, but in place of the deep pink, the menfolk will be wearing a richer wine red. There are two fresh colours in the mid-range: grass green and ocean blue.  Amongst neutrals, khaki sees a revival, and then there's starfish brown and a deep brown-grey shade called tradewinds. 














Light or dark, bright or subdued, the colour charts this year allow for a lot of flexibility. What will you pick?

Fairytales Updated

Speaking of a contemporary spin on old favourites...

Stylebytes: Prints Charming

D&G, Milan Fashion Week 2011
Source: Flare.com

The first images coming out of Milan this week only reinforce some of the things we already learned from the previous Fashion Weeks earlier this season: prints rule, and the rule about not mixing prints has been well and truly broken. We saw the likes of Thakoon and Jonathan Saunders clashing prints all over the catwalk at the NYFW, and houses like Dolce & Gabbana gave us more of the same in Milan. But more of that later, when M brings you his detailed scoop on the show.
    While we're really digging this bold step, pulling off mixed prints is tricky business indeed, because it's so easy to get it wrong. It's best to experiment and see what works for you. That being said, mixed up, or worn solo or with solids, prints are in, and we're taking a look at our favourite ones for Fall 2011.

Mad Angles

Rodarte, NYFW 2011
Source: Style.com

We've already talked about being dotty about polka prints, but we thought this section would be incomplete without at least an honorable mention. Geometric prints abound, whether we're talking Mondrian squares in the uber-trendy mod dresses that are enjoying a retro revival, or a modern take in Rodarte's granny knits given a new twist, or even the Prohibition-chic pinstripes in men's suits. Stripes, curves, dots, squares, you name it, geometry is back in a big way. We're also seeing an emphasis on tribal influences in some of the designs, which goes well with the jewelry trends, but that is a topic for further discussion in a future issue of Stylebytes.
    Since wool is always a classic winter hit, if you've been wanting to try some of those knitted pieces, this would be the best time to try.

Gucci, Fall 2011
Source: fabulousafter40.com

Animal Instinct

Leopard printed booties and headbands, zebra skirts, even Dalmatian dots on flirty chiffon blouses, fashion's gone zoological in its inspirations. You'll find them especially on the long, flowing maxi dresses that are sticking around for a bit after enjoying immense popularity in summer.
    These prints are already a hit with celebs like the gorgeous Christina Hendricks and teen heartthrob Vanessa Hudgins, who were recently spotted at the Cirque du Soleil, both sporting leopard prints in cool greys, the Mad Men siren in a demure frock with the high neck and flared waist that's a hot Fall buy, and the Sucker Punch starlet showing some skin in a maxi dress with a plunging neckline.
    Leopard and cow prints might be timeless winners; however the biggest rage in animal prints and textures this season, is snakeskin. We're talking snakeskin shoes and bags of course, but also pants and jackets in bold, dynamic Fall colours all gone scaly, scary stylish. Pair one of these pants with a pastel shirt and jacket, and you've got a lock on casual smart.

Flowers of the Fall

Kenzo, Fall/Winter 2011
Source: fashioninquisitive.com

 The blossoms of spring and summer don't show any signs of withering this year. We're guessing the rising Asian influence has a lot to do with this. Whatever the reason, from printed trouses to billowing blouses, to quirky socks, there's a veritable garden waiting to jump into your wardrobe.
      Your summer florals need not be stowed away. Throw on a long cardigan in a neutral colour, and let the prints do the rest. For shorter dresses, there's always tights. Leather jackets over flirty floral dresses are definitely a hot look this year.
   Florals aren't even a woman's prerogative, as Kenzo's Fall collection proved. If the whole flowery suit ensemble seems a bit much, you can take advantage of this year's vogue for velvet jackets by teaming one with a subtler floral print: the paisley. If you're living in the Desh, man or woman, you have tons of options, from saris and kameezes to punjabis and kurtas. Or throw an embroidered Kashmiri shawl over a monochrome ensemble (you know what we're talking about), and you're ready to roll.

Rag and Bone, Fall 2011
Source: style.com

   
   Checking in


    Unless you've been living under a rock, you must have noticed the chequered prints in stores all over the world. H&M, in particular, has been pushing this look pretty hard, with a lot of success. In fact, it wouldn't be too much of a stretch to say that the check print is the ruling pattern for casual wear for both sexes.
     Checks go in three directions for the colder months. While the afternoons are still warm, you turn to gingham in soft pastels. Gingham works best for daytime wear, and the current trend for girly frocks is perhaps the best foil for the pattern. It's also a nice subtle print for men's linen shirts.
   As the wind starts to get nippy, you turn to plaid, which worked well for shirts through the warmer months, and have crept southwards to conquer trousers and slacks as well. The look is very preppy. Ditto for empire-waisted plaid tunics with billowy sleeves, when worn with tights and a scarf. For even colder weather, plaid makes for great sports coats, jackets, trenches and pea-coats.
   Tartan is another, slightly less popular alternative to plaid, and have been more successful as accents to otherwise neutral pieces.

With so many cool prints to choose from, here's wishing you a season filled with experimentation and variety.
 

Stylebytes: Texture Thrills

If the catwalks were anything to go by this year, Fall 2011 has been all over the place. In an attempt to divine some coherence in the trends, we've discovered that while seasonal staples spilled into one another, while hemlines rose and fell, and silhouettes first fit and then exaggerated, and often in the same friggin' show, one thing still holds true for this season, and that is texture.  Comfortably straddling Summer and Winter, Fall is one season that allows you to go all out with different fabrics and textiles to create effect. Let's take a look at some pretty textures that are en vogue right now.

Lanvin, Fall 2011
Source: nymag.com

Velvet

     Because it's such a high-maintenance fabric, velvet has taken more of a back seat in menswear for a long time. With the political swashbucklers in shows like Boardwalk Empire bringing back a wealth of texture into their men's clothing, showing that a little elbow grease can have a huge payoff, designers and style-hounds have been pretty prompt in jumping aboard and reviving the textile.

    Indeed, you could do a lot worse than incorporating a velvet jacket into your evening wear. Please note that velvet is strictly evening wear, for practical as well as stylistic reasons. Also, if you buy a whole suit, never wear the blazer and trousers together, unless you want your outfit to look like a costume.  Pair a velvet jacket with a cool printed shirt (this is one fabric you can wear busier prints with) simple, dark jeans or trousers, some stylish footwear, and you're ready to turn heads. Black is the colour of choice, but feel free to darker jewel tones and pull it off, with decreasing order of versatility from midnight blue, emerald green, chocolate, royal purple and then red. 

Source: alphasincorporated.blogspot.com

Leather

    Nothing adds excitement to a look faster than a leather jacket. Whether we're talking biker chic or military cool, leather is a staple. 

    Since everything James Dean is suddenly enjoying renewed interest, the easiest way for a guy to look badass is to combine a black leather jacket with a white wife-beater, classic jeans, fedora and Ray-bans. If you take your style cues from movies, you can opt between black bomber with crisp white shirt, slim black tie, baggy-ish jeans, and white trainers, or band tee, jeans, vans, and Wayfarers. For the preppier dudes, we could suggest you pair your favourite 'job interview' formal pants with some dark loafers, a simple neutral shirt, and a motocross jacket in a lighter colour, like tan or butterscotch. Smart casual with pizzazz!

   For girls, the cropped jacket is your best friend. Pair a black biker jacket with a light tee and dark trousers and smoky eyes for an edgy look. Maximise the maxi dresses and long skirts of summer by teaming them with a cropped jacket - they'll last a while longer yet. Pairing a sweet flirty frock with an edgy leather jacket creates an irresistible good girl/bad girl combination. Deshi girls could even try a cropped jacket with a long kurti and calf-length tights for a fusion twist to their usual wardrobe.

Denim

Source: mens-fashion-tips.com

At the surface level, this one's a no-brainer, because denim was never out of fashion to begin with. That being said, the creative minds in the industry have given everyone's favourite fabric a serious update, and it's bigger than ever before. 

First up, jeans styles for men. Grunge is once again enjoying its moment in the sun, so you'll see a lot of distressed jeans. Acid-washed, ripped, faded, and pretty much fashionably abused in every way you can think of, these are paired with dressier shirts and jackets for an interesting combo. On the other end of the spectrum, you have dark-washed stiff-starched jeans with rolled hems. And in between, you have straight jeans tending towards darker shades and slim fits.

For women, there are four fits to choose from: flares, skinnies, wide-legged trousers, and the boyfriend jeans. While your basic blue pair tends towards the darker shades, that's just one hue in the palette. Colour blocking is back in a big way, and now you can wear your skinnies in just about any colour you can think of. Thumbing the Labor Day rule, white denim, in particular, is all the rage. Finally, the grunge theme is played out through patched jeans.

   There's more to denim this year than just jeans, as the picture above shows. We love, love, love the look Jake Gyllenhaal is sporting, which takes the workman's denim shirt straight to the boardroom in this classy upgrade. And in fact, high-end labels continue last year's trend for incorporating the fabric into shirts, jackets, waistcoats, and everything in between. Ditto for women, who can choose from skirts to jeggings to dresses and tunics, all in this versatile material. Did we mention we are absolutely thrilled with Banana Republic's Mad Men line?

Valentino, Fall 2011
Source: fashionimperative.blogspot.com

Lace

   As materials go this peek-a-boo fabric will probably never completely drop off the radar; it's at once sexy and sophisticated, and it has been all over both clothing and accessory lines this season, in various forms. Blumarine and N12 went for colour statements, while Jason Wu chose to blend lace with other materials. Either way, there's a lot to choose from.

   For those a little shy about jumping on board with both feet, you can try starting with a little lace trim on your collars or cuffs to add a fancy touch to your everyday staples. When you're ready go bolder, pop a lace shell over a camisole, under a jacket for a polished, but alluring look. And finally, when you're up to going all out, choose between a tailored piece with construction details, or a sheath or tunic in clean lines. Be careful of 'trendy' accessories like lace gloves and shorts; they look great on girls, but may appear faddish on women over 40. (This doesn't apply to footwear - lace slippers and booties are cool at any age.) 

Stylebytes: Polka will never die!

Extra points if you caught the Dresden Files reference. Fantasy author Jim Butcher's musically-inclined coroner Waldo Butters may have been referring to his favourite genre of music, but his sentiment holds true for a timeless classic that's holding strong this season: the polka dot.
We're going to kick off our serial coverage on S&M's Fall 2011 with a medley of some of our favourite trends for Autumn this year, all in one sweet polka theme.

Source: gosh-makeup.blogspot.com

This one perfectly captures three key trends this season: polka dots, geometric motifs, and nail art. We're really digging the monochrome look, but if you're looking for something brighter, experiment with earthy neutrals, or cool metals. Nail appliques are all the rage.

Source: kaboodle.com

One of the looks that's really in vogue right now, is the innocent schoolgirl look, which pairs flirty flats with feminine frocks. Bows are also really back in a big way, and we love the splash of red (the hottest colour on the catwalk and the red carpet right now) against the monochrome palette. Don't let us stop you from experimenting with other hues and shades though.

Source: prom.about.com

One of the biggest factors influencing the paradigm shift in fashion, on and off the runways is the slew of critically acclaimed retro-themed television shows (Mad Men, anyone?). The ever-flattering A-line silhouette has been brought back and incorporated to the flared waistlines and flouncy skirts that characterized 60's fashion. Updated with modern textures and timeless prints, this number can be a hit on the dance floor, and is the perfect number for prom. 

Local Export

Source: hellomagazine.com

While we're still riding the tide of Emmy 2011 fashions, we wanted to look back a bit and remember this striking ensemble Dame Helen Mirren sported on the red carpet two years ago. Most magazines described it as an 'Indian garment', but this gorgeous silk number is actually a product of Aarong, purchased from its Vallance Road outlet in London. How's that for a dose of deshi pride?

Some thoughts on self-image

      Despite its current beauty/fashion-heavy content, LWIS is not essentially a blog about clothes and make-up.  Style, to us, is more about self-expression. Yes, what you wear is a big part of it, but so is how you carry it off, and basically the face you portray to the world through your words, your actions, your taste, and your work. It's in how you choose to make your mark on the world and make them sit up and take notice.
    One question that has come up a number of times is 'why does any of this matter?" Sadly enough, fashion and style are often seen as superficial, and even supercilious, but we at LWIS beg to differ. Every now and then, we will be posting essays on style and self-image, and self-expression, but we thought we'd kick off this section by borrowing something from Hearty, the online magazine: Julia Wertz's views on fashion. For those who haven't read her stuff, Julia Wertz is an American graphic novelist, most famous for her transgressive Fart Party comic series. An artist and Lupus survivor, she cuts an interesting figure, and for those most interested in the full interview, you can check it out here.
      For everyone else, we're reposting her cartoon essay on her views on fashion.

Source: heartymagazine.com