Any garment — sweatshirt, dress, tee or skirt — can become a canvas for eye-catching prints for next fall. Digital printing techniques encourage giant allover motifs rather than traditional placed designs or small repeats. Imagery comes from past and present fine art, snapshots, nature photos, vintage illustrations or tropical scenics. Black grounds add more drama for an ironic “painting on velvet” feel.
Washed-out colors and ombré blurs provide a gentle artisanal mood for Fall. Bleached surfaces, dip-dyes, tie-dyes, acid-washed pigments and painted effects are used for everything from sturdy cotton outerwear and denim to over-dyed plaids and delicate silk lounge pants. There are even floral motifs printed in a tonal palette to give a “faux” dip-dye look.
Activewear meets city chic in the Pre-Fall collections. Sporty styles mix with skirts and sleek footwear to create a work-or-weekend ensemble. Comfort is no longer at the heart of the activewear movement. Now, it’s about adding bomber jackets to a romantic look or replacing track bottoms with a pencil skirt. The unexpected combination of the two styles produces a versatile balance of casual and polished.
Furry feet are walking all over Pre-Fall (pun intended). Slippers, sandals, mules, and high heels add a cozy yet chic feel to any ensemble. Neutrals like shearling beige or ivory plush add a natural note, but brights or pastels work too. This playful footwear works with any ensemble, from flowy dresses to distressed denim to tailored looks.
Cardigans grow to giant proportions for Pre-fall 18. There are wide stripes going horizontally or vertically, as well as chunky yarns or mohair surfaces. Marabou trims or bejeweled shoulders make the item right for Holiday. Most of these roomy knits have extra-long sleeves, but sleeveless versions are great for layering. Whether in chalky pastels or classic camel, x-large cardis bring a grunge-y charm to any ensemble.
The newest pink is not the meditative, gender-bending, leaning-towards-neutral millennial pink. For next spring, designers explore the gutsy bubblegum varieties of the hue, made even more sticky sweet with tulle flower petals, slick coated surfaces or punched-out eyelet lace. Used in strong shapes and accented with crimson red for boots or belts, these orchid pinks pack a punch that is more erotic than insipid. As feminist artist Lynda Benglis states, “Pink is a very floral, lush color. …No color is quite as seductive as this color is in nature.”
Designers seem to be channeling that moment in the 1960s when Wrangler released jeans in fashion colors, bringing a feminine twist to the cowboy dungarees for which the company was known. For next spring, clean nature-based shades like browns, greens and reds look right in classic 5-pocket styles, chore jackets or truckers. Sharply contrasting topstitching is a must.
For next spring the elements of grunge — the freeform layers, the dresses over pants, the plaids, the little-girl frocks and ripped lingerie, the Birks worn with socks — all take a decidedly ladylike turn. Grittiness is transformed into prettiness with lovely color, delicate sheers and upholstery florals. but the rebel spirit lives on in oversized proportions and a palpable sense of anarchy.