No one can deny the fact that fashion is always ahead of time. Just when the anticipated vague vibe of spring is finally peeping its head from behind the winter we’ve all had enough of, in the fashion world,it’s already Fall 2011.
You may wonder what is the point of being 6 months ahead, especially when the Spring 2011 ready-to-wear has just made its way onto the racks. Perhaps it’s the inaccessibility that feels superior, or maybe it’s just simple absurdity. Truth is, no one really knows.
While it may be driving people bipolar to stock up their wardrobe for Spring/Summer while being bombarded with Fall/Winter Fashion Week coverage, let’s clear our heads for a second and look at some Spring/Summer 2011 trends that are going to be ubiquitous.
White:
If someone tells you this coming season “White is the new black,” he/she is probably right. The color white is undoubtedly one of the most seen colors on the Spring 2011 runways. Three-fourths of the Dolce & Gabanna collection and more than half of the looks in Alexander Wang are white from head to toe. The versatility of white is exercised to the max, from minimalistic to soft lingerie-like to constructed. Cutting to the chase, just pick up anything white when you are stocking up. An easy approach will be a white shirt for a unisex look or a white one-piece (preferably infused with lace) for a feminine interpretation.
Colors, colors and colors:
On the other end of the spectrum, we see tons of colors on the runways. It’s as though the designers had just had a color ban and couldn’t wait to add in as many colors to their collections as possible. Brights and neons will both be huge; evidence can be found on the runways of Prada, Gucci, Christian Dior and Marc by Marc Jacobs, just to name a few. The more prudent can play on the safe side by pairing up the colorful pieces with white t-shirt or shorts, but if you were to ask me, I’d say be bold, pile them all up and make the color intensity meter explode. IT’S SPRING!
70’s Revival:
Mostly as a tribute to Yves Saint Laurent, modernized 70’s looks were presented by almost all designers on Spring 2011 runways. The abundant use of colors mentioned above is in fact one of the elements of the 70’s revival too. We are seeing a lot of hippie chic, long dresses, and most controversial of all, wide leg pants. Though a number of designers have been trying to get over the era of skinny jeans and leggings, here we are, still going to them everyday. It is uncertain whether the reinforcement of wide leg pants will be successful this time, but one thing is for sure: just like the skinny jeans, not everyone can work the wide leg pants look. It can get really tricky when it comes down to execution, so in my opinion, stick to the long dresses and blast of colors.
Street/Boyish:
For anyone who has been following the Spring 2011 runways, I bet Balenciaga must be the first things that pops up when I mention street/boyish, while Balmain may well be the runner-up. Unlike the effortless, unisexual kind of boyishness we were presented with before, this time, it is a notch more hardcore and more towards punk-rock rebellion. Androgyny has been “celebrated” by the fashion world for a few seasons now, but is it going to be translated that easily to everyday wear? Probably not. The one upside of the boyish trend, however, is the best news to women ever: flats.