There’s a new matchy-matchy combo this season — pants layered with a matching skirt. The skirts can be long and graceful for Contemporary customers or short and sassy for Juniors. Many of the skirts tie-on apron-style, but some are created with built-in panels. Perhaps the look got its start with all the dress-over-pants layering seen on the streets — and emerging on runways as well.
Even when an item is a perennial, there are subtle shifts in material, proportion and silhouette that move the piece forward and speak of the “now”. Such is the case with this season’s trench coat. The newest must-have versions are boxy, with a straight, waistless shape. Firm fabrics or smooth leathers uphold the rectangular silhouette, and bellows pockets or flat-flaps echo the squared-off aesthetic. Sleeveless styles offer lots of options for easy layering. Most of the boxy trenches on the runways are minimalist, but Prada decorated the extended shoulders and flaps with an array of cabochons and colorful paillettes.
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.