Culottes, a cropped wide leg, have been a fringe trend for years, but went completely mainstream this year. They are finally available in an assortment of fabrications, colours, lengths, solids, patterns, dress codes and silhouettes. 

They are a fabulous. You can wear them throughout the year with the appropriate support act. They can be styled with heels and flats, and are very comfortable. They’re trendy and look fresh amidst a sea of body-con skinnies. You can wear the right culottes to just about any occasion, creating a vibe that is as retro as it is ultra modern.  

As far as body types go, there is a culottes silhouette for everyone. You do not need to be tall, slim and long-waisted to wear them. Not at all. It’s all about finding the version that works for your body type, which means choosing the right fabric, length, width and style detailing. 

And yet, there is a general aversion to culottes. I see only a few fashion bloggers and a handful of our forum members wearing them. Some of my very trendy clients began wearing them a few years ago in casual denim and dressy black, and haven’t looked back. I was delighted when a few more of my clients starting wearing them with panache this year. But generally, the silhouette has NOT been popular, and I want to know why.

The negative feedback on culottes that I’ve received from my clientele runs the gamut. “No, not doing that again”, from those who had bad memories of culottes back in the ‘70s. “They aren’t flattering,” is quite a big concern, with the silhouette making my clients feel shorter in the leg and wider in the hips and thighs. Too much fabric, too fussy, and too trendy were other reasons. And it was a huge turn-off for short-waisted clients with a larger bust who felt dumpy and unattractive in the silhouette. 

Not knowing how to style culottes has probably been the biggest concern. It’s much easier to combine a regular length untucked top with a pair of straight or flared cropped jeans or pants and the right footwear. That’s why straight and flared crops pants and jeans have been winners with almost all my clients over the last year. Although equally cropped, the silhouette on the legs is narrower than its wide leg culottes cousin. 

I’ve been wanting a pair of culottes for years, but I also took a while to bite the bullet. I really didn’t know what I wanted until I found the perfect pair. I knew what I didn’t want. I didn’t want them to be super casual or too dressy. I didn’t want them in black, or in a pattern. And I didn’t want a silhouette that was too wide.

So I left my desire to get culottes on the back burner, until Greg and I found the perfect dressy denim pair for my birthday. And now they are my favourite jeans. Yes, they needed a little work to style them, but I enjoyed the challenge and LOVE having the very different silhouette in my jeans capsule. It helped that I had an army of blouses and pullovers at home that worked with them right away, and the footwear wasn’t a problem either. 

Over to you. Are you wearing culottes, and if not, why not?

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There are easy and fun ways to transition a sheath dress into Autumn if you’re a frock gal. No need to pack away those Summer dresses just yet. Here are four trendy ways to layer sheath dresses so that you can wear them to the office, out and about, or out at night as temperatures begin to drop. Note that maximal outfits are on trend so some of these renditions are far from simple. 

I’ve chosen a sleeveless sheath, but sleeved sheath dresses will work just fine. I’ve chosen a patterned dress, but solids are equally fab. Choose any colour palette. 

Sheath & Maxi Cardi 

The easiest and most simple combination of the four, and very versatile. This one will take you almost anywhere, and is the most comfortable to boot. Layer a maxi cardigan over a sheath and complete the look with peep-toe booties and a punchy bag. The cardi can absolutely be longer than the sheath, although you might prefer those proportions with heels. 

Sheath, Cropped Straights & Wrap

This is the most dramatic of the combinations. Layer a sheath over cropped straight legs and throw on an oversized wrap. Add a brooch if you like, and complete the look with booties and a bag that you can hold in your hand. I’ve pattern mixed the combination, but you can go the solid route.

Sheath & Faux Fur

This one has a little Retro flavour. Wear a faux fur topper over a sheath. Choose a jacket, coat or vest. Finish off the look with Mary Janes and a glitzy bag. 

Sheath & Bomber 

And a little Sporty Luxe rendition for the tomboys. Layer a bomber over a sheath and keep it open in front. Scrunch the sleeves and add high-shaft booties to finish things off. I’ve pattern mixed because that’s all over the catwalks at the moment, but solids will create a calmer effect. Add jewellery, eyewear, hosiery and watch as desired.

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Today is already the last day of New York Fashion Week, where designers are showing their Spring/Summer 2017 ready-to-wear collections. I’ve been reading some interesting behind-the-scenes articles, which I’d like to share:

There are currently about 80 Fashion Weeks around the world. Most media outlets mainly report on the Big Four — New York, London, Paris, and Milan — and have less time to explore smaller developing markets. Racked investigates when a fashion week has reached the maturation point at which it can successfully ramp up its foreign agenda.

If you have lost track of who works where, then T Magazine’s guide of new names and old pros will come in handy.

Business of Fashion explains the new rules of seating arrangements at fashion shows.

The New York Times has been running an interesting oral history about New York Fashion Week. In one instalment they also go deeper into the seating arrangements and what it meant to be in the front row, another explores how runway models went from being underpaid mannequins to the stars of fashion week. I also enjoyed reading about designers recalling their debut shows and other pivotal moments in their runway careers.

Fab Links from Our Members

Vildy is impressed with Rae’s short video illustrating her method of cleaning out your closet by using an off-screen client’s real wardrobe as an example.

With Angie’s blog post on extended sleeves in mind, Barbara Diane wanted to show us this photo. She loves how the dramatic pleated long sleeve looks in motion.

UmmLila directs us to Google’s Fall fashion trends report. She thought it was interesting because it shows which of the trends are actually being picked up by “regular” people who are doing fashion searches and who might end up buying the clothes.

There is often a disconnect between the weather outside and the merchandise that is sold at retail. Spring and Summer collections hit stores in the northern hemisphere in February when we’re bundled up because of ice and snow on the ground. Heavyweight Fall and Winter merchandise hits stores in August when we’re trying to beat the heat in breezy skirts, dresses and sandals. 

The fashion industry has operated like this for as long as I can remember, and there is method to the madness. The idea is that you plan ahead by refreshing your wardrobe early. That way you’re prepared and ready to wear something new as the weather begins to change instead of scrambling at the last minute.

Of course, the flip side is that it’s hard to focus on seasonal merchandise that’s very different to what you’re wearing at the time. It can also be hard to pinpoint your sartorial preferences so far in advance. Some prefer to wear their items as soon as they’ve bought them instead of waiting for hotter and colder weather. And some prefer to wait for end-of-season sales because they’re bargain hunters. 

More recently though, I’ve found that retailers are doing a better job of supplying weather-appropriate wardrobe items at the right time. Retailers in the US stock transitional merchandise throughout the year, which is brilliant for moderate climates. They’ve also caught on to the fact that Spring coats and cashmere make complete sense, and that sleeveless tops or sandal booties are a hit in early Autumn. Plus, online shopping has made it possible to shop for a larger range of items at any time of the year. 

I’m not sure whether it’s just because I’m conditioned this way, but I fully support the “disconnect with the weather outside” retail strategy because it makes me feel more prepared for the upcoming season. I love planning my seasonal refresh in advance, and having new items in the wings waiting for just the right weather conditions. And if those weather conditions show up earlier than expected — so much the better. I can enjoy my new stash earlier, and my upfront planning has more than paid off. 

It also helps that I am most excited about shopping right at the start of the season, so the refresh is on my radar. Retail buyers put their best stuff in early and that’s when I pounce. I’m assured of getting my size in the colours that most tickle my fancy. By the time the weather outside complements the merchandise in stores, I no longer want to think about planning and organizing my wardrobe for the current season (plus I’m bored with what I see.) I want to enjoy what I bought, wear the heck out of it, and slowly begin planning for the upcoming season so that I’m once again ready to pounce when the first lots of inventory hit retail. 

Over to you. What do you think of the disconnect between the weather outside and what is sold at retail? Do you wish that retail merchandise was more aligned with our weather patterns?