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.
Pants tucked into boots looks right again. The styling approach was recently dubbed PiB (Pants in Boots) by Man Repeller‘s blogger Anna Gray, who writes: “They make me think of Amelia Earhart; of women stomping in puddles on their way to work, riding bikes up rocky trails and climbing mountains.” PiB was evident all over fashion month streets as well as on the fall runways. The adventurous look works with slim or slouchy trousers, most often tucked into mid-shaft boots — key footwear for next season.
The trend toward wearing mismatched earrings (which started several seasons ago on the Celine runway, among others) is gaining momentum. Designers showed disparate earrings with a common theme — like big pearls in contrasting settings or two different leaf shapes — or combined individual styles almost randomly for interesting juxtapositions.
Nothing says fall like the plush ridges of corduroy. The sturdy fabric conjures back-to-school season, especially in autumnal shades like olive, rust, tobacco and pumpkin. The newest cords are wide-wale, super supple and velvety soft. Use for cozy coats, tailored suits, demure dresses and classic corduroy trousers — with or without high waists cinched by self-belts.
Intarsia sweaters have long moved past sentimental holiday signifiers and pretend folklorists. The newest designs are big and bold, often showing off a craftiness that includes trailing threads or “reverse side” effects. Some sweaters mix intarsia with knitted appliqués or yarn embroideries, adding dimension to placed motifs.
Leather and pleather abound for next fall, looking freshest in cosmetic shades like beige, blush, mocha and camel. Real or faux skins in this new palette are used for for everything from trench coats to tailored suits, soft tops and crisp shirtdresses. Surfaces can be matte, buffed or high-shine. Super-supple qualities are shown off with plenty of gathers, ruched details at sleeves or channel elastic at neckline or waist.
In a season of plaids, there is one motif that particularly stands out: the time-honored buffalo check. The check originated in the 1700s as a Scottish tartan called the MacGregor Red and Black; Woolrich introduced it to America as the “buffalo check” in 1850. For next season the pattern gets updated with refreshed color combos, quilted versions, and brushed surfaces that give it a slightly blurred effect. The buffalo check works in both traditional and quirky styles and even goes head-to-toe with checked hoods and wooly platform boots.
Hoods are happening for next fall, and not just for hoodies or outerwear. Cut-and-sew pullovers — in ribbed jerseys or stretchy stocking-weight nylons — have snug-fitting head-coverings that extend from turtlenecks. While many hoods are built-in, there are also free-standing balaclava versions with hand-knitted appeal.
PROPHESY/PROOF: THE MYSTICS — Saturated blues grace the runway this fall, reaffirming the Mystic Trend Tale in MintModa’s FW18 forecast. While the mystical ultramarines and deep cobalts lend themselves to lush velvets and sheared furs, they look particularly wearable and fresh this season when used on casual silhouettes in workwear fabrics.
The movement towards comfy lingerie inspires all sorts of knitted bras, both as “built-in” details and stand-alone items. The tromp l’oeil versions include anatomically correct stitchery or strategically placed argyle diamonds. The season’s all-important crochet turns up as a hippie-ish bralette to layer over sweaters, and there are crochet or fully-fashioned knitted bras meant to seen under sheer tops or tulle dresses.
