It’s on to themes and silhouettes for 2019 after the colour palette forecast yesterday. Remember that trends last for years, and even decades, these days, and that Doing Your Own Thing (DYOT) is the most important trend of all. Some looks are mainstream, while others are fringe. Pick what’s to your taste from the buffet of trends and sport things YOUR way.
From my perspective, these are the most important looks of the season, and the seasons to come. Many trends are a continuation of what we’ve been seeing for a couple of a seasons, and are simply gaining mainstream momentum.
Most of the fashion inspiration is taken from the ‘80s and early to mid ‘90s, with a smidge of the ‘70s thrown into the mix. Here are the most current and fashionable vibes and silhouettes.
Long Blazers
Blazer lengths that cover the bottom and hips, and extend onto the thighs, are where it’s at for now. The idea is to wear them with anything, so dresses and skirts across various lengths, full-length and cropped pants and jeans across all sorts of silhouettes, and shorts too. This takes me back to the ‘90s right away.
Full-length pants
The runways are ALL about full-length pants and jeans and very few bare ankles. Tailored and slouchy, regular lengths and scrunched lengths, hard and soft fabrics, patterns and solids, casual and dressy vibe, and very few skinnies. Retail insists on cropping pants and jeans until the cows come home, but that’s not what’s happening on the runways. Hopefully we’ll see a larger assortment of full-length bottoms this season.
Midis and Maxis with Movement
Skirt lengths are knee, calf and ankle covering and generally worn with hosiery, socks or leg warmers for warmth. 95% of the silhouettes are A-line and flared in some way for ease of movement. Many of the hemlines showcase some sort of asymmetrical interest. Straight, pencil and form-fitting skirts and dresses are few and far between.
Wide Pants
Pants and jeans are tailored with movement like bootcuts, roomy and very roomy all the way down, or pleated up top and tapered at the hems with ample fluidity in the middle. Roomy straight legs or narrow wide crops are popular, and cropped to around the ankle or scrunched over the ankle and very long in length.
High Rises
Rises are high, or very high. Waistbands finish just under, on, or over the belly button. Think the ‘80s. Flat fronts are as popular as pleats and paperbag waists. The idea is to showcase the waist by tucking, semi-tucking, wearing a short top, or wearing a top or topper that belts in the same position as the waistband of the bottoms.
Plaid on Plaid on Plaid on Plaid
Fashion is besotted with every form of check and tartan across all sorts of colours and wardrobe items. Subtle, garish, bright, neutral, and the variations in between. Plaids are pattern mixed with all sorts of patterns and with other plaids. The sky is the limit when it comes to plaid.
Animal Print
It’s another season of animal print everything and especially in earth tones and footwear. Leopard, cheetah, tiger, pony, giraffe, zebra and snakeskin patterns reign supreme, and in non-neutrals too. Like plaid, animal print is remixed with all sorts of patterns and colours.
Tailoring and Straight Slouch
Today’s fashion is a wonderful mixture of waist-defining form-fitting silhouettes AND unstructured waist-surrendering silhouettes. Gorgeous tailoring, subtle fluidity, roomy fluidity, and oversized slouch, so take your pick. Drape, architectural drape, or showcasing the contour of your body just as you want to.
Sharp Shoulders and Puffy Sleeves
The ‘80s sharp shoulder has been trending for a while but is not mainstream like it used to be. I’m not sure it will ever be maintream again, but at least we have the option. Puffy sleeves that are gathered on the crown and tapered at the wrist are completely mainstream, and a much easier silhouette to layer under outerwear than the exuberant sleeve detailing we’ve been bombarded with over the last few seasons.
Trouser Suiting
Another ‘90s influence. Suiting with all sorts of pant silhouettes is huge, and completely mainstream in solids, plaids, pinstripes, florals, animal print or any other pattern that you like. Some of the blazers are longer length, but many are regular hip bone length. The idea is to wear a pants suit as a fast fall-back outfit in all sorts of settings with dressy heels, sneakers, oxfords, or dressy flats. Combine it with a tee, blouse, shirt, or pullover. Wear a tailored suit, or a more relaxed oversized suit. This is your answer to a comfy and warm holiday look when you’re not into dresses and skirts. Pant suits are a lot more handy, versatile and comfortable that you think.
Gothic Florals
Big moody florals on dark and earthy backgrounds are abundant, and you’ll find them in every wardrobe item. You can combine them with solids, or pattern mix to your heart’s content.
Lots of Colour, Lots of Black
The ‘80s were about brights from head-to-toe, while the ‘90s were about black from head-to-toe. The opposing colour spectrums happily live side by side today, and you can pick and choose. There is no right or wrong colour combination. The only thing that makes it wrong is when you’re not at peace wearing it.
Corduroy
I think of corduroy as a ‘70s and early ‘80s fabric, and it’s back with a vengeance across all wardrobe items. Hello corduroy suiting, coats, boots, pants, blazers, hats and wide crops. It’s a very casual fabric that is texture-rich and warmer than denim.
Teddy, Aviator, Shearling and Maxi Coats
All sorts of faux fur toppers continue to trend in jackets, coats, waistcoats and gilets across all solids and patterns. Roomy aviator and shearling jackets across neutrals and non-neutrals in hip-length boxy cuts that cover the butt are a throwback to the ‘90s, and a fun way to refresh your topper capsule. Calf-length maxi coats in tailored and cocoon shapes are popular and complement the midi and maxi skirt and dress trend.
Belting
There is SO much belting on the runways all of which highlight the waist. There are belted tops, jackets, gilets and coats. High-rise jeans and pants are worn with wide belts, and dresses are belted at the waist with a broad belt, ‘80s style.
Prep School
There’s a school uniform look that combines shirts with ties and blazers, dresses worn over shirts ‘90s style, and sleeveless pullovers worn over shirts and blouses with flared skirts and trousers across colours and patterns. Add fun socks, oxfords, Mary Janes, a satchel or crossbody, and Bob’s your uncle.
I like it all, but to varying degrees. I am the least interested in long blazers, gothic florals, belting, animal print, lots of black, and corduroy. I am the most interested in full-length pants, aviator toppers, midis, prep school, wide pants, trouser suiting, sharp shoulders, puffy sleeves, plaid, maxi coats, tailoring, and high rises. Which of these vibes and silhouettes are you feeling for Fall & Winter?
