So you picked up your holiday pictures from the photo shop, and said goodbye to your tan and lazy summer evenings, got out coats, jackets and trenches and put away the sandals. Fall started together with the new work year, a new semester and a new list of trends to follow or at least to be aware of. Let’s take a look what is new and how to make this season less nostalgic of the summer and more upbeat about the new pace.
#1 Red is the new black: the male fall/winter collections 2011-2012 have finally acquired the long wanted brightness. Designers worldwide seem to be picking red as a new basic color and promise to hold on to it for at least another three to four seasons. Red comes in a myriad of variations: solids, stripes and even tartan. Remember three years ago when monocolors and color-based total looks were the cutting edge thing? Well those are back and revolve around red. If you aren’t as audacious, try mixing it with grey, white and black. If you are averse to that, then an accessory in this color will come to your rescue: there is a wide variety of red bags, shoes, scarves, hats or even…socks that will keep you trendy this fall. (please note that man in this picture needs a v neck shirt…tsk tsk)
#2 Layers: those are not back, simply because layers have never been out as such. They are comfortable, warm and leave room for so many combinations that a set of four clothing items can turn into an impressive wardrobe when properly combined. A word of caution here – no layers for the sake of layers. Layers make a single-entity look: match colors and patterns carefully as well as the fabrics. Wool, cashmere and fine cotton blends will be a great catch. Some even go so far as to combine two cardigans and a shirt – go for it.
#3 Functionality & Utility: those who could never understand why their girlfriends need more than one bag or three pairs of shoes, exult! ‘Tis the season of joy for all you utilitarian-oriented people!’ Fashion compromises looks and utility this season. All sorts of clothing items come with a 2-in-1 feature or some other unexpected useful twist. Coats come with clip-on fur vests, parkas have zip-off sleeves, transformer footwear can be dressy and ‘country’ landscape safe thanks to leather extensions that turn shoes into high boots. The future is right here right now with all sorts of unimaginable functional add-ons that are simply fascinating even if you are more on the conservative side as a dresser.
#4 The 80s silhouette: most of us are more than accustomed to the postmodern take on fashion – going back and revising what already has been done, interpreting it in the terms of the 21st century reality. These days designers are reminiscent of the eighties and here we are talking shapes. The square shouldered silhouette that originally comes from rugby and American football has gone outside and can now be found in coats and jackets. Colors and length here are up to you. The only thing to be aware of is that the chiseled manly look that your upper body gets when wearing this particular shape has to be carefully matched to the pants that you are wearing. Here you have two options: either supersize it with indecently broad pants with a ‘marine’ aftertaste or you can go skinny with slim fitting pants that flatter your legs. (After all, why should that treadmill torture go to waste?)
Meanwhile, I’ll pull on my red sweater and go to work, hoping for some great fall fashion on the streets of Russia.