Spring 2014 runway collections are well on their way with New York Fashion Week behind us and London Fashion Week hot on its heels. Based on what I’ve seen so far, I predict that Spring and Summer 2014 will be a skirt and dress season, with plenty of flared and roomy knee-covering skirts on the horizon. This trend is wearable, refreshing and office-appropriate. 

The next huge trend isn’t as wearable. Almost every collection shows variations of the crop top and bra top exposing midriff skin. Crop tops and bra tops are being paired with flared midi skirts and culottes, roomy shorts and fluid trousers. Some have sleeves and some are strappy. Some are tailored and some roomy. Some are layered under jackets, but most are worn on their own. Some are very cropped, and some more covered. Some are shown with high-rise bottoms, while others with lower rises. The point is that the amount of midriff exposure varies depending on the cut of the top and the waistband position of the bottoms. The shorter the length of the top and the lower the waistband position of the bottoms, the more exposure of the midriff.

I’ve pinned key looks from the shows, but here are some specific examples across a range of designers: 

Whistles 

• Mid-green cropped sweatshirt and culottes

• Bubblegum pink cropped sweatshirt with Bermuda shorts

Sister by Sibling

• Twinset with cropped underlayer and denim skirt

• Bra top and voluminous midi

ICB 

• Cobalt cropped sweatshirt with oversized ankle pants

• Colour-blocked crop top with roomy shorts

Sachin & Babi

• French blue crop top with midi culottes and boxy jacket

• White crop top with leather track pants and oversized moto

Lela Rose

• Bandeau bra top with fluid trousers and collarless boxy jacket

Tibi

• White shadow stripe cropped blouse with track pants

• Flutter sleeve cropped blouse with cropped pants

Alexander Wang

• Crochet crop top with culottes

• Sleeved crochet crop top with slouchy trousers

Rebecca Taylor

• Mesh cropped pullover with inverted pleat flared skirt

• Boxy cropped top with slouchy trousers

Rag & Bone

• Bra top layered under mesh poloshirt with paneled skirt

• Crop top layered under oversized sleeveless moto with pencil skirt

Jean Pierre Braganza

• Asymmetrical top with low rise bottoms

Michael Kors

• Bandeau top with flowing midi and belted boyfriend cardigan

What’s clear from the examples is that you can bare your midriff in a subtle way. Things don’t need to be tight and skimpy from top to bottom. Wear trousers and skirts with high waistbands that cover the belly button. Wear longer crop tops. Furthermore, wearing roomier and longer skirts and trouser silhouettes offsets the fact that you are showing midriff skin. As does wearing a roomy crop top with sleeves. Layering a jacket over a tight crop top is another solution. I do find these more subtle ways of midriff exposure quite alluring. I like it. 

That said, I don’t think this trend is wearable for the majority. For many women, including teenagers, the midriff is the area of the body that makes them the most self-conscious, especially post-pregnancy. So they prefer to cover up the midsection. Second, those who are comfortable baring their midriffs probably won’t be able to do so at work, which limits the wearability of the trend. And third, you need warm weather to bare midriffs, which rules out arctic air conditioning and cool Summer climates. For these reasons, I hope this trend stays fringe at retail level next year, despite its popularity on the runways. 

Over to you. What’s your take on baring midriffs, either in subtle or in more revealing ways? Will you wear the look?

This outfit formula is all about modern classics. Remember though, that most classic items are not absolutely timeless. They merely have a high longevity factor, and are very versatile. So it’s important to update classic pieces so that they reflect current fashion in terms of silhouette and fabrication. That way you amp up the modern aspect of your classic style. 

I’ve chosen a neutral colour palette, but by all means throw in the colour. Add colour through the trench coat and tops, or with footwear and accessories. 

Here are the components: 

• Jeans: Time to leave off the skinnies. Choose jeans in a straight leg or bootcut style because they work particularly well with the footwear. I’ve chosen faded blue jeans, but black, red or white jeans are also options. 
• Top: I’ve chosen three classic tops. A white shirt, a Breton striped pullover, and a long sleeved fitted T-shirt. A turtleneck or fun graphic tee will also work. You could layer the striped pullover over the shirt for a layered look. 
• Trench Coat: A tan, stone or camel trench coat is the most classic. But black, navy, red or a shade of white is great too. Heck, throw in a citron, pink or orange trench coat if that’s more to your taste. Single-breasted trench coats are just as fab as double-breasted styles.
• Footwear: Choose fashionable ankle boots, iconic Converse sneakers, or add trendy wedge sneakers. 
• Accessories: Incorporating a modern handbag is key because it makes the rest of the outfit look even more modern. I’ve chosen an unexpected light blue and a crisp shape for precisely that reason. I’ve also added in a classic plaid scarf, but any scarf pattern is fab. Furthermore, a scarf is not essential. I would leave off the scarf if it were my outfit unless I needed extra warmth. Add jewellery, eyewear and a watch as desired.

To some this outfit combination might be overly classic and a little boring. But to others it will hit just the right note. It’s a super outfit combination for Mums and casual gals on the go. It’s also great for city and plane travel.

I love a good infographic and Pinterest is a great source to find fashion-related ones. Like “The History of Hair” with fun visuals of iconic hairstyles throughout the 20th century. Or this decade-by-decade overview of 100 years of women’s fashion.

If you want to brush up on your fashion vocabulary, these guides on different patterns, bag and shoe styles might come in handy.

Because it’s Fashion Week time again, I thought it would be fun to have another look at the infographic EcoSalon created last year about the evolution of New York Fashion Week.

Fab Links from Our Members

“Growing old is a privilege, an adventure. You think about death but you choose life — just don’t wear beige, it might kill you.” Deb loved this quote by 73-year old artist Sue Kreitzman, taken from an article about “Fabulous Fashionistas”. This documentary from director Sue Bourne features six inspirational women whose average age is 80. Deb is holding thumbs that the documentary will soon be coming to the US too.

Gaylene loved Audi’s approach to assembling a travel wardrobe that you add to while travelling. She thought Audi’s “seeding” concept is genius, because Gaylene usually ends up enjoying a bit of shopping while on vacation.

Beth Ann found this Chris Guillebeau article on “Reducing Decisions to Focus Better” a fascinating read.

Eight days into New York Fashion Week and Angie is going with Creatures of the Wind and Sachin & Babi as her favourite shows.

Linda very much enjoyed this blog post about Robin Wright’s wardrobe in House of Cards. 

Wearing one or more very thin chain necklaces, or sporting an oversized, “this could easily slip off” loose shirt are two ways to create “sexy tension”. Vildy enjoyed Lisa Pippus’ tips on how to look sexy without going very body con or showing too much skin.

Wendy Nguyen recently launched the first issue of her own digital glossy, The FRAME. Her quote on daydreaming really spoke to La Belle Demimondaine: “I personally believe that giving ourselves permission to imagine different fashion scenarios can help us become more adventurous with our style choices. Daydreaming can create a sense of familiarity, thus allowing room for thoughtful fashion experimentation at a later time.”

Hil is a fan of South African blogger Chantelle Bester’s irreverent cosmetic reviews, and enjoyed reading her thoughts about the local Dove Real Beauty campaign.

Last month’s talk about Fall capsules extended to the YLF forum, with forum members showing off their own Fall capsules based on items from their closet. I loved reading about their process, which outfits were their favourites, the wardrobe holes they discovered and the epiphanies they had along the way. 

Without further ado, take a peek at some wonderful real life casual capsules for Autumn: 

Suz created three sleek and simple capsules in different colour palettes. One in taupe, cream and shades of cranberry. Another is black, white, navy and fuchsia. And a third in refined dark neutrals with a dash of bright white, which was her favourite of the lot. 

Pill, pulled together a tight little capsule mixing up jewel tones and earth tones with lots of handbags. Why not! Wear white jeans year round and increase the outfit options of your wardrobe. 

Day Vies cleverly pulled together a versatile taupe, white and plum capsule that she could wear on casual days at work, date nights, and to run errands over the weekend. She discovered the important role patterns play in livening up her outfits.

FireCracker mixed up waxed skinnies with bling-y trousers and a bit of boho to come up with a casual capsule that reflects her eclectic style persona.   

Ingunn, our Queen of Capsules, creatively cooked up lots of options throwing a skirt, dress and white jeans into the casual mix. She stuck to neutrals and added in a dash of green and cranberry. She then had fun creating a versatile red capsule for early Fall that she can wear before temperatures get really cold. 

Kellygirl‘s compact capsule mixes up tough with preppy in a neat and polished way. She can add many more tops to this capsule to create further outfit combinations.

Makrame created a capsule with her Nordstrom Anniversary Sale purchases. Jewel tones and dark neutrals reigned supreme, while white jeans were thrown into the mix too. 

Lisa did a great job pulling together two capsules. The first featured on trend camouflage pants, daring pattern mixing and black footwear. The second showcased simpler outfits in neutrals with green and blue. 

Joy, created a fun capsule complete with fun graphic tees of Bob Dylan and Shaggy Doggie in shades of white, black, blue and red. She later opted to replace the cargo pants with white jeans for a crisper look. 

Last but not least, Texstyle had a ball putting together her ultra casual capsule with animal print and flat footwear, using brown as her base colour. 

Actions speak louder than words, and visuals of people of all ages and body types wearing outfits is ultra compelling. It’s always fun to see the blog post topics come alive in our forum. Well done, ladies, and thank you for providing us all with inspiration.