Everything, Elisabeth. I'm not seeing a lot of body con at all.

Atlantia, I'm impressed you are watching the shows!

Heh....I may have to go in mourning for ink blue...does one wear black or blue for that?

Okay,,,,I CAN wear black, but would SO much rather wear blue..so I feel sad.

On the other hand, loose makes me very happy. At least controlled loose. So I will hope that I can buy into at least some of the trends!

Thanks for the heads up, Angie!

I don't really like wearing black without other colours - and I'm not really a fan of loose. Uhoh. And I loved ink blue!

Oh well, I will just have to be more creative.

Maybe I'll try loose trousers though!

I just saw Herve Leger's show (Max Azria, think bandage dresses) - he is the BODY CON KING, and even his show showed *much* looser fits. I couldn't be happier about this change in fashion.

Ladies, there will still be non-black items available in stores!! We probably won't have the assortment like we have now though.

I glanced at a few of the NY shows and thought of you watching them all Angie. That is a lot of patience! I do so appreciate it though - I learn so much by watching what you pick up. Anyway, I will focus on the looser fit and see how that plays out. From my little glimpse the colors do seem quite dark. I am hoping for more white mixed in.

I'll actually be glad when they start cutting the clothing looser in the mid-range stores (Macy's, Nordies' Point of View, Gap, BR, etc). Right now, I'm just sizing up tailored fits, which is demoralizing. On the plus side, I'm growing my own slouchy skinnies by shrinking. I guess that's the cheapest way to get looser fits (less cake, more slouch!)

I am going through a major closet edit right now. This report makes me feel more confident about getting rid of my bodycon bottoms (hello colored denim leggings).

Angie what kind of trouser silhouettes are striking you so far?

I admit to being glad body con is less popular. Never seemed all that comfortable!

Angie, I want to watch as many shows as I can this year!

This sounds right up my alley! Black, layers! I love short over long....I'm getting excited! I do feel have a good balance of color in my closet now so not longing for more colour at the moment.

I'm *thrilled* to read that a looser fit is going to be even more "in" this coming fall. Black I'm not so sure of, but I will admit that I have way too many black items in my closet as it is - at least I'll maybe be somewhat 'on trend'.

What about this upcoming spring Angie? I find myself veering to very soft neutrals instead of anything overly bright ...am I on the wrong track? I guess what I'm saying is that normally, spring has me thinking of colours like coral, vibrant or mint greens, cobalt and the like, and yet...these days, I'm drawn to pale blue and white. Instead of bright green, I'm more inclined to go with pale blue, white jeans and soft grey or taupe shoes. Is it just me or has something changed this year? Away from bright colour, I mean ??

Don't get me wrong, I do love colour - it's just that I notice myself feeling far less inclined to go for bold, bright spring-y colours in advance of spring/summer this year.

In the meantime, thank you for the heads-up re: fall 2013. I can stop worrying about finding "super skinny jeans" that work on my shape. YAY!

Fun to hear your take, Angie! Thanks for the heads up.

I'm jumping right on that looser bandwagon So, tired of squeezing into anything, and tired of feeling any constriction. But I can't imagine 2013's looser is anywhere near as oversized as the 80s?

Too bad about the colours going away. I have been absolutely thrilled with the non-stop offerings in so many wild and fun colours. I should have known it was too good to be true.

GAH, I *knew* I was getting spoiled by all the citron and emerald available! Crud, this means I have to pay more attention - and be ready to shell out $ faster - while stores are still stocking all my favorites.

I'll be honest -- I'm a little nervous about this looser trend. Oversized and I don't always get along. Especially when pleats or high waists are involved. Hmm. We shall see. If I could get rid of another 10 lbs, I'd feel a lot better about it.

Black and I, however, are old friends.

Well then, the looser fit comes just in time! All the non-maternity stuff I bought in a size up to wear while pregnant will go from looking body-con to oversized once I have the baby and eventually shed the baby weight. And I won't have to worry if I stretched my clothes out by wearing them while pregnant! LOL!

This is the one time I am glad we are behind most of you in terms of the fashion season...I will be making sure I snap up any ink blue items that fit my style criteria before they become "unfashionable"

I' m good with loose but the pastels are making me panic. I can do black but am glad I've stocked up on my colors as I can see them disappearing. It has been a heyday for me the last year so maybe it's good that nothing appeals now....

Loose and I dont get along, but I am waiting for those longer skirts. I'm really stocked up on pants. I'm sad that ink blue wont be in abundance.

I'm with Beth, I'm cultivating my own looser fit. Ice cream has been banned :[
Thank you for the fashion report.
Yep if Herve Leger is doing looser fits, it is over for body con.

This has been such an interesting read. Looser fit is ok with me; in fact, I really love the ideas of long layers. But I also hope it doesn't mean fitted/body con is going to look completely outdated. Several of my favorite dresses are body con and I still love them. Maybe wearing a combo of fitted and oversized/loose will be a good transition option for those of us who own body con items and don't want to overhaul our entire wardrobe. I'm doing a lot of that right now: for example, a loose top over a fitted midi.

As for black, it's a useful color but not my best. I do love neutrals, though, so maybe the return of black means a return to all neutrals. If that's the case I'm all for it! Love me some neutrals.

Angie, I'm wondering if pattern is going the same way as color? It seems these two trends travel hand-in-hand. Did you see mostly solids on the runway?

I'm with Neutral Nancylee! I walked into Steinmart the other day and was almost blinded by the brilliant hues. There should be plenty of color available for a while yet. I too am glad to hear about the looser fits coming into vogue.

So interesting to read your thoughts Angie. I look forward to the new silhouettes and the new colours. It is so interesting to see how it all translates in the retail spectrum.

Looser fits - love that! Looking forward to your future reports!

Smiling at everyone! I'm busy watching the shows so I can't respond in detail.

Shevia, you are a sweetheart

Zap and Beth, good for you!

VC, I summarized the Spring 2013 trends months ago, straight after the shows if you look back in the archives. And by all means stick to neutrals. Why not!!

Denise, all sorts of trousers are hitting my love button. Check out my Fall 2013 pinboard.

Debs, I am keeping my eye on your consumption of black clothes!

Patterns and pattern mixing still strong, but there are lots of solids too.

My favourite shows so far: Juicy Couture, Rachel Comey, Creatures of the Wind, Tibi, Kenneth Cole, Rebecca Taylor and Altuzarra. Only one big wig designer - Altuzarra - who is MY BEST so far. *applause*. Also liked Alexander Wang. Was disappointed with Rag & Bone.

Angie, does looser fit include wide legged pants? I just discovered a box of wide legged jeans and khakis. They fit just fine, but look so dated, esp on my 5'2" frame.

thanks!

K, I haven't seen many wide leg pants at all. It's all tapered and loose. But we have 4 weeks of shows left

I don't wear black at all apart from one pair of black boots. And I like my clothes a little fitted. Guess I, just have to be unique then