Gone are the days of non-leather shoes and handbags being unstylish, unfashionable and uncomfortable. In fact, these days some of my favorite shoes and bags are plastic. With sites like Ragazzi Vegan, Vegan Unlimited, Vegetarian Shoes and Bags and Luna Boston, there are options to suit all fashion personas. Non-leather items have the added advantage of being cheaper and more lightweight. Large leather handbags in particular can weigh you down, which makes the vegan choice super practical. It’s fabulous that animal friendly can be fashion forward and trendy. 

Wonderful shoes and bags from various online vegan sites. Luna Boston is a dash more pricey, but certainly a cut above the rest.

As you might have gathered from the length of my “raves” list yesterday, there was little this season that we couldn’t adapt to suit who we are. As always, it’s a matter of knowing how to sift through new trends in order to add just enough of “right now” to our existing wardrobe. Here are the items that didn’t make it through my filter:

• Hectic high heels that soared at 3½ inches or more were the order of the day. Many of them were beautiful, but most were impossible to walk in. While ballet flats were also in abundance, there was virtually nothing fabulous in-between. I’d have enjoyed seeing a wider selection of 1½ to 2 inch heels.
• Hippie tops were everywhere and often unflattering. While easy swing tops can be adorable, the wrong empire-cut top will do little for your look. Well endowed women battled with the empire seam cutting straight across their bust line instead of sitting comfortably underneath the bust. Also, these tops often stopped just above the widest part of your thighs which made them impossible for the pretty pears among us. In general, shoulder lines were sloppy and back ties were too long and frequently juvenile-looking.
• Black and white and other neutrals, like brown, tan and navy, continued to play a significant part in modern-classic and urban collections. Red shone through as a bright basic, but that was it. I love the clean and classic black and white look, but I would have also loved see a colourful assortment of clothing beyond the eclectic and boho-inspired styles.
• Crocs emerged a lot earlier than Spring 2007, but they certainly got a lot of attention over this last season. The company is doing exceptionally well and “making massive fistfuls of money with its wacky little shoes”. The trademark plastic molded shoes have their place, but it isn’t as everyday footwear when you’re out in public.

There were also a couple of missed retail opportunities:

• A deeper assortment of fabulous shrugs, cropped V-neck cardigans and tasteful bolero jackets might have made a killing if they were available alongside the multitudes of sleeveless dresses. The additional cover-up would have made frocks more wearable for work and air-conditioned environments. 
• Pants without side entry pockets are universally more flattering. It was a tall order finding pants  (especially white pants) without any pockets this season.

Overall, it was a fabulous season, but feel free to attack Spring and Summer 2007 a little more before we close the door and concentrate on Autumn. What do you think was missing this season?

Beautiful shoes with insanely high heels.

Most of us still have a good few months of warm weather to enjoy, but we’ve seen the last of Spring and Summer in store. It’s that crazy retail cycle again. Autumn collections are in full swing and, as ever, I am champing at the bit to talk about them. But first, some final thoughts on the last 6 months of fashion.  

Here are my raves (hold off on the rants…we’ll tackle them tomorrow).

• Dresses, dresses, dresses were everywhere. From jersey to chiffon, empire to sack, and casual to smart, dresses look fab on all body types. They’re perfect for hot weather and an easy all-in-one item to throw on. It’s been a great resurgence of the quintessential feminine piece.
• Yellow and cobalt  were “new” retro 80’s brights and a breath of fresh air amongst the neutrals.
• Longer length tops and tunics were perfect for skinnies, leggings, straight legs and boot cuts. Tunics and dresses over pants are a uniform in my wardrobe because they’re elegant, flattering, comfortable and versatile. If short tops become fashionable again, I might need to stay stuck in this decade.
• Swing tops that were easy to wear and forgiving on the mid-section get my thumbs up if they didn’t make you look pregnant when you weren’t. 
• Voluminous sleeves were dramatic, 40’s and girly. What’s not to love?
• Trapeze jackets worn over longer-length fitted tops and paired with slim bottoms were a new look. This watershed silhouette change became more mainstream this season and it’s nice to see something very new.
• Skinnies and slim pants were the best match for voluminous tops and tunics. After my initial trepidation a year ago, I have grown to appreciate skinnies again.
• Leggings with dresses were an unexpected hit, and a good look for Autumn.
• Waist belts remained an inexpensive way of adding that “of-the-moment” look to an existing ensemble.
• Patent in all it’s hues was a cheerful update from Winter and a wonderful way of adding colour and depth to a neutral outfit.
• Polka dots were fun!
• Ballet flats worked especially well with skinnies and leggings. A fashionable and comfy flat is always fab. 
• Bright accessories added lots of excitement.
• Clutches were the “it”  bag and a refreshing streamlined change to slouchy hobos.
• Black and white. Despite the overdose it continues to be a striking combination.

Now that our eyes have adapted to the fundamental changes in fashion over the last year, it’s time to embrace the trends that we like and make them wearable for our body type. What were your favourite trends this season?

It seems appropriate to close the season with bright footwear and accessories.

I adore black and white ensembles and the look has definitely become part of my signature style as I’ve grown older. But we’ve had 3 back-to-back seasons of strong black and white fashion trends and we are heading for a fourth. As much as I fancy the timeless, modern, vintage and dramatic appeal of black and white outfits, I enjoy seeing and wearing striking colours in playful and sophisticated silhouettes.

I had great hopes for Spring 2007, which promised us an explosion of colour. Colourful accessories were in abundance. Busloads of brightly adorned hippy empire tops and smocks filled the rails, filling the colour gap for those who like the bohemian and eclectic look. But unfortunately this was not a colourful season for modern classics and funky urbanites. For the most part, we were left purchasing neutrals.

As an ex-fashion buyer, I can understand why this might happen. Buyers are cautious about putting bright colours in their collections because overkill ends up on markdown. On the other hand, shoppers need choice regardless of their age, budget and fashion persona. There are only so many black and white dresses, tops and jackets that one can purchase. Is anyone else a little tired of seeing the sea of black and white in stores?