It’s been ten years since skinnies and variations on the tapered pant silhouette resurfaced on the runways of fashion week. Bringing back the ‘80s tapered leg was a HUGE change after the ‘90s, which was filled with bootcut, flared, palazzo and wide-leg jeans and trouser silhouettes. Looks like we’ve come full circle because skinnies are extremely rare on the Fall 2014 runways so far. At their most tapered, the pants are fluid straight legs and not sausage-casing skinnies. Now the runway is all about wider pant legs. 

This is an acceleration of the trend I mentioned in my forecast for Spring 2014 (trend #10). If my hunch is correct, we will see it continue to gather momentum.

There are two main variations of the silhouette: 

1. Wider all over and down to the hem. Think boot cuts, wide legs and flares. 
2. Baggy and wide on top, but tapered at the hem. Think baggy and slouchy styles like upscale track pants and harem pants. 

As I watch the shows I pin trends and inspirations along the way as a frame of reference. I love to see how the trends on the runway filter down to retail. Some get there right away, some take a while, some stay fringe and others don’t filter down at all. It’s a fascinating process. Here’s a peek at the pant silhouettes I have pinned recently:

1. Denim jumpsuit fabness. 
2. Gauchos. 
3. Forest green man coat with cream wide legs. 
4. Tomato column of colour. 
5. Wide tapered trousers with oversized coat. 
6. Dressy track pants. 
7. Oversized ‘90s soft suit. 
8. Cropped wide legs with voluminous layering. 
9. Culottes. 
10. Wide, wide trousers with tailored jacket and oversized topper. 
11. Wide on the bottom, fluid on top. 
12. Genie pants with straight blazer. 
13. Slouchy straight legs. 
14. Wide Winter white.
15. Stunning straight lines and proportions with lots of movement. 
16. Floor sweepers with belted retro coat. 
17. Magical cuffed culottes. 
18. Elegantly sloppy. 
19. Cropped, baggy and tapered on the bottom, oversized on top. 
20. Bootcuts with wrap coat. 
21. Baggy and wide Winter white. 
22. Wide, wide plaid. 
23. Tapered wide leg jumpsuit. 
24. Pleated, casual, wide and tapered with toggles. 
25. Roomy denim with oversized topper. 
26. Big suit. 
27. Bootcuts and colour blocking. 
28. Patchwork boyfriends. 
29. Baggy patchwork boyfriends. 
30. Bootcuts with fluid top and loose topper. 
31. Midi dress over bootcuts. 
32. Mega wide and tapered at the hem. 
33. Genius oversized volume with a little structure. 
34. Wide suit with tapered hems. 
35. High-waisted bootcuts. 
36. Perfect structured slouch with tapered hem scrunch. LOVE. 
37. Wide legs become pantaloons with ski boots. 
38. Big all over. 
39. Baggy low rise with inverted pleats. 
40. Wide legs with painter’s smock. 
41. Baggy, baggy, wide and baggy. 
42. Classic. 
43. Wide, cropped with wrap jacket. 
44. Apricot elegance. 
45. Wide and cropped. 
46. Layered, wide and cropped. 
47. Modern equestrian magic. My favourite.
48. Oversized classics. 
49. Roomy cuffed ankle pants. 
50. Wide and elegant. 

I did have the occasional apoplexy when I saw outfits with cropped wide ankle pants because the silhouette is my poison eye. But I do include them on my board because the look is trending. As for the rest, I welcome wider pant legs. We desperately need an alternative to tight, tight, tight. Of course, many of these catwalk looks are exaggerated, unflattering, and impractical to wear. Rest assured that wider pant leg silhouettes will be streamlined for retail purposes. 

While skinnies are scarce on the catwalks and wider pant legs are all the rage, it’s important to remember that silhouette changes don’t make their way to retail overnight. And even if wide legs do filter down in a big way, that won’t necessarily mean that skinny styles will become unfashionable or dated. Although skinnies did disappear in the ’90s and early noughties, I think their practicality, combined with a fashion era that is more tolerant of variety, will keep them in fashion.

That said, I’m not encouraging my clients to purchase more pairs of body con skinnies. I’m suggesting that they wear skinnies a little looser all over when they purchase a new pair, or opt for a straight leg instead.

A biopic about Yves Saint Laurent, Uniqlo and COS opening new stores, an eco-friendly denim line and more style news that made the rounds this week.

• COS, known for its minimalist aesthetic, is coming to Australia, and has plans to open a flagship store in Melbourne this year.
• The new Yves Saint Laurent biopic will be in theatres from March 21. In the meantime, have a look at the trailer. 
• Opening Ceremony installed a wall of Callebaut chocolate on the runway during NYFW, a fun reminder that fashion capital Antwerp inspired their 2014 F/W collection.
• G-Star and Pharrell Williams team up for an eco-friendly denim line made from recycled plastic collected from the ocean.
• Fans of the Fab Four: Vans is bringing out a limited edition Beatles collection in March, featuring artwork from the Yellow Submarine album and movie.
• Popular Japanese apparel brand Uniqlo will open its first Southern California-based stores this Autumn.
• Karen Millen will be opening bespoke studios in the UK and abroad as part of their new image marketing plan.

Earlier this week, we wrote on YLF about weelchair model Jillian Mercado starring in a new ad campaign for Diesel. In the meantime, Danielle Sheypuk also made the news, as the first model in a wheelchair to do a NYFW runway show.

Fun Fashion Fact

It’s widely believed that the embroidered crocodile on 1930s’ Lacoste tennis shirts was the first time a designer logo appeared on clothing. However, the Jantzen Diving Girl logo appeared on the outside of swimsuits as early as 1923.

I’m combining shades of red and pink on this romantic day of love. A little juvenile and jarring for some, but bright and happy to others. I’ve stuck to pairing blush and shocking pink with tomato red because those shades are personal favourites, but by all means choose deeper colours like burgundy and fuchsia. I threw in some coral for those who prefer it to pink in combination with red. White also plays an important role in the ensemble, keeping it fresh. 

There are many ways to combine red, pink and white in an outfit. The most bold combinations will use the bright colours in the clothing items. More subtle ensembles will introduce one of the brights in the shoes, a bag or accessories. I’ve kept things on the subtle side by choosing tops that are white or light in colour.

The rendition on the left is dressy while the one on the right is more casual. Here are the components.

Bottoms: Choose white, red or pink bottoms, or blue denim. Neutrals like white and blue denim are easy options, but you might have an orphaned red or pink pair of trousers or skirt that needs dusting off. Combining it with white and the other colour is one way to go. 

Tops and Toppers: How you combine red, pink and white depends whether you want to make a bold or a subtle statement. I’ve shown a high contrast red skirt with a white top and blush or bright pink topper in the middle. That’s the bold combination. There’s a softer version on the left with white bottoms, a blush top and bright pink topper, throwing in a little red with the scarf. The most subtle interpretation is the one on the right, pairing blue jeans with a white top and pink or red topper, throwing in the other colour with a bag or footwear.

Play around with red, pink and white wardrobe items in your closet to determine which combinations tickle your fancy. Furthermore, feel free to leave off the topper, thereby sporting pink and red on top and bottom with neutral footwear and accessories. 

Footwear: White, silver, gold and red footwear are an easy match. Taupe or tan is pretty good, and pink is another option. I’ve left black shoes out of the ensemble but they look great when bookended with black hair. Think any style of shoe, from dressy booties and pumps, to flats, oxfords and fashionable sneakers. 

Accessories: This is where you can bring in the pink or red if you haven’t already done so with a top, bottom or topper. Throw in a red or pink bag, belt or scarf. Or combine red, pink and white in a scarf. Keep the accessories white or metallic if there’s lots going on in the outfit already. Finish off the looks with jewellery, watch and eyewear as desired.

One of my brightest outfits last year was a neon pink pullover with tomato red skirt and white bag and pumps. Not an outfit I wanted to wear often, but I enjoyed it in small doses. I love wearing white in a clothing item, so this year I’ll be pairing that same tomato red skirt with a white shirt, a blush moto, and white shoes and bag. Happy Valentine’s Day. 

During all the Fashion Week shows, the clothes take centre stage, but it’s equally fun to study the hairstyles. What did you think of Marc Jacobs’ Pippi Longstocking pigtails, for example, or the severe looking combovers at Alexander Wang?

I enjoyed this contemplative piece about what a father learnt doing his daughter’s hair. Refinery29’s roundup of beauty blogs for natural-haired girls is also worth a look.

The Wall Street Journal recently published an article about elite stylists raising their prices to $1,000 and beyond. Here’s celebrity stylist Yves Durif’s response to people wondering if it’s actually worth it.

Some light-hearted entertainment: Illustrator Gary Card’s chart showing every hairstyle Prince has ever sported, and Refinery29’s Celebrity Hair Hall of Fame.

Fab Links from Our Members

Deb wants to share this interesting video on women artists throughout history and how they have been ignored.

As we mentioned in a recent news roundup, Marc Jacobs’ new pop-up shop accepts social media currency like tweets and Instagram posts instead of money. Diana thinks it’s a clever marketing scheme but wonders how this will translate into actual retail.

Nancylee and Suz both adore Bill Cunningham’s video about last week’s snow storm in NY City. He makes a good fashion point!

It had to happen, says Laurinda: the Norwegian Olympic Curling Team Pants now have their own Facebook page.

After reading Passage des Perles’ post on “High Fashion’s Groovy Return“, MuseumGal exclaimed: “If groovy is back, I’ll be a happy camper!”

IronKurtin loves Kim France, and found herself nodding in agreement with this blog post on NYFW Street Style photos.

Vildy liked Imogen’s post on choosing prints to disguise your tummy.

Elizabeth P enjoyed watching this video on Reed Krakoff and cannot wait to see his collection.

Angie is ploughing through the shows at all the fashion weeks over the next 5 weeks, and so far, as NYFW draws to a close, the following collections have been a favourite: Elie Tahari, Jason Wu, Christian Siriano, Tibi, Victoria Beckham, Thakoon, Tracy Reese, Theory, 3.1 Phillip Lim, Marc by Marc Jacobs, J.Crew and Narciso Rodriguez. Her favourite catwalk outfit so far is from 3.1 Phillip Lim. The lines of the pieces, the movement and fit of the garments are pure genius. And can we bless those perfect pant lengths, she adds.