An unexpected timepiece is trending, the Met’s new Fall exhibition, microscopic bag, high demand for vintage Gap clothing, the death of Jane Birkin, and other other fashion news that made headlines this month.

• L.L.Bean and Blundstone have joined forces, and are introducing a water-resistant hiking boot with Chelsea silhouette.
• According to Jess Cartner-Morley, the tea dress is making a comeback.
• The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute has announced its Fall 2023 exhibition. “Women Dressing Women” will honour the artistic and creative vision of women designers and women-led fashion houses from the 20th century to today.
• The Kit reports that headbands have been undergoing a rebrand.
• Tapestry, the parent company of Coach, is purchasing Capri Holdings, owner of Michael Kors and other luxury fashion brands. The deal will create a US luxury fashion conglomerate that will rival major competitors in Europe, including LVMH.
• American luxury brand St. John, known for its knitwear, is quickly gaining traction on the second-hand market.
• Refinery29 reports that ring watches are trending.
• In North-West England, a project is aiming to help transform the humble bulrush plant into an environmentally friendly alternative to the goosedown and synthetic fibres that line jackets.

Fashion Quote

Photographer Jannine Newman doesn’t like having her photograph taken. I have a feeling what she wrote in her Instagram post, will strike a chord with many of us:

“I guess I feel my age sometimes. I try to balance it with, ‘you’re still alive, just get over yourself,’ but you know, I’m just human and sometimes I struggle a bit. So here is my message to the older woman. You are marvellous and you have a voice. You are not washed up or worthless, and if you look back at your life, no matter what came your way, children or not, love or not, career or not, the greatest gift you can give yourself is respect, for having navigated the highs and the lows, the tributaries and storms of life, and realise that it’s not about the lines on your face or the slightly wider waist, but it’s about respecting your fortitude and strength as a woman.”

The fits, lengths and proportions of the items in these four outfits look particularly good to my eye. And they are fairly easy to replicate. If they tickle your fancy, create a similar outfit that works for your style in colours and patterns of your choice. Some combinations are great to wear now, while others will work as the weather cools.

1. Bootcuts, Boots and Breezy Blouse

These gorgeous bootcuts are a stunning fit and leg-lengthening length at about a quarter of an inch off the ground. Almost floor-skimming, but not quite. The jeans are fitted on the thighs, but ease up before the kneecap, elegantly flaring at the hems. Pointy-toe footwear further elongates the leg line. The blouse has a swingy silhouette that floats away from the body. It is voluminous but not overly so. Forgiving because it does not cling. Fab that it looks great worn untucked, and has a playful integrity too. The length finishes a couple of inches above crotch point, which further tempers its volume.

2. Belted Sweater Dress with Cropped Pants

Dresses and skirts over pants is having a fashion moment, and here is one way to pull it together. A straight sweater dress at knee-length is combined with a pair of black cropped cigarette pants. A black belt adds waist definition and matches the black pants. Classic white sneakers with black trim add a Sporty Luxe touch. A dressy black bag amps up the polish and matches the black belt. I like the way the black accents in the outfit match the black hair of the model.

2. Wide Pants, Short Jacket

Wide flowing pants can look overwhelming, especially in a bold pattern. A fitted top is combined with these pants to offset some volume. It’s tucked to create more waist definition. A very boxy jacket matches the volume of the pants. The short length of the jacket is key to offsetting the volume of the pants so that you don’t feel like you’re wearing a tent over a tent. The hems of the pants are shorter than puddle length to prevent a potential tripping hazard.

4. Columned Midi, Socks and Mary Janes

A boxy column dress at a midi length is combined with heeled and high-contrast Mary Jane pumps. Patterned checkerboard statement socks amplify the high contrast of the footwear, and pattern mix with the dress. The just-below-knee-covering dress and high ankle socks showcase leg skin, which adds an edge and a horizontal line to the outfit. The heels of the shoes offset that horizontal line a bit. But what is more visually effective to my eye, is how merrily the patterns mix because they share a strong colour (black) and geometric integrity. The model’s black hair helps too. The result is a bold harmony. I vote the addition of a quiet black or navy bag.

This week’s Link Love is for the knitters and fans of home-made knitwear:

• Six knitters talk of the garments they are most proud of.
• From comfortable sweaters to ‘fancy’ mohair creations, three women share the stories behind garments made by loved ones, that have been worn across the decades.
• Meet the new generation of male knitters.
• Maeve Higgins’ tongue-in-cheek article about finding extraordinary joy in knitting made me chuckle.

Fab Links from Our Members

In this video, Sarah Jessica Parker details the stories of her Met Gala gowns. Carol says: “I love when a celebrity stands for something, and for her it’s honouring great design.”

Jaime had been thinking of the role of taste in personal style when she saw this article.

BlueJay liked this article about the female actors and performers that have shaved their heads over the years. She remembers how sensational it was when Sinéad O’Connor and Demi Moore shaved their heads.

Allora liked this post: “How to Dress Over 50. Hint: Don’t Make It a Thing.“

“Developing your personal style is a lifelong journey and it is not a race despite what you see and hear.” Nuancedream really found this article about how micro trends may be impeding our personal style thought-provoking.

Quietloud loved seeing the original supermodels back together. Which led her to watch this 1995 documentary.

Suntiger recommends this article about “boring” clothes.

She also found “How to Embrace Trends While Staying True to Yourself” a good read.

And she enjoyed Jo-Lynne’s post on outfit proportions and the golden ratio.

Here are seven colour combinations for Autumn and Winter that could inspire your style. Angie’s into the red with tones of caramel! Teal and buttermilk might appeal to Team Teal.

She also reports that tall boots and biker boots are trending. Angie thinks of biker boots as an iconic classic that is having its fashion moment.

Rachylou thought the part about the development of women’s sizes in this episode of Radiolab was super interesting .

JenniNZ has been following Jill Chivers, and really liked this post about the real difference between fashion and style.

What happens to all the items we return? This article isn’t about clothes per se, but UmmLila thought it very interesting.

April enjoyed Wirecutter’s review of women’s white T-shirts.

Create a column of colour by combining a top and bottom in the same or similar solid colour. Use any solid colour in any fabric. The low-contrast pairing has the visual effect of emphasizing the vertical. Dark columns of colour are the most common. 

Dresses, jumpsuits, rompers are ready-to-go columns of colour. Add a patterned scarf for an easy outfit. A column of colour can make hard-to-style jackets, coats and cardigans instantly wearable. And they can elongate outfit proportions without heels.

Stylish dressing is not about creating outfits that are elongating or slimming. But sometimes the column of colour’s simple, lean line hits just the right note, making you feel attractive and comfortable. It’s also fast and easy to pull together.