Top Ten Trends of NYFW: The Fabulous, the Flirty, and the Fur!

Ok, so if you haven’t had time to watch runway show after runway show this week for New York Fashion Week (Who does that? Not us…….Nooooooo) don’t panic!  There’s no need to hyperventilate over missed Marc Jacobs, or by-gone BCBG.  And if you have no idea who we’re talking about, no worries, we’ll break it down.  Here are our Top Ten Trends for NYFW…say that ten times fast.

1.  The 70’s…they’re baaaaaaack.

In case you hadn’t noticed, the 1970’s are back and looking fresher than ever. Gone are the sketchy polyester shirts and the lime green leisure suits. The seventies are revived by exaggerated pussy-bow blouses in natural fabrics, cardigans sheathed in metallic sequins, ponchos treated with embellishments, and high-waist wool herringbone pants in hefty neutrals. Of course, the look is topped off with large sunglasses and a floppy hat. These looks can be easily integrated into anyone’s wardrobe. The cuts, fabrics and fits are better than ever, so if you didn’t love the look the first time around, you’re bound to love it this time.  Check out K’s NYFW faves post for some prime Marc by Marc Jacobs examples.

2.  Fur…do we see a theme here?

Before you start typing up your smart comments, we are aware we featured the fur trend just a few posts ago.  But it was EVERYWHERE at Fashion Week and we simply would not have been doing you justice had we skipped past it.  Almost every designer gave us their take on the fur coat, fur scarf, fur boots, and fur sunglasses.  Ok, the last one was just Alexander Wang, but it was kind of fantastic.  Example A:

Not brave enough to slap those on?  No worries.  Carolina Herrera, ever the classic style spokeswoman, showed us how to keep fur chic and sophisticated with this gorgeous mocha number.  We love it for its easy luxury, and besides the fur, the thin belt makes us melt.  (Rhyme not intentional!)

3.  Lower Heels…tall girls rejoice!

There is something to be said for rocking 6 inch stillettos as an already tall girl and just feeling fierce.  However, if you’re not into towering over everyone, high heels can be a no-go.  We love that designers are starting to appreciate the down low (and general awesomeness) of flats and kitty heels.  For your inner punk, Anna Sui offered up a few lace-up suede darlings.

Need more proof lower heels are in?  The founder of sky-high himself, Christian Louboutin, has this yummy pair up for grabs for the low, low price of $795.  Start saving your loose change, ladies…

4. Heels are going one way or the other. Platforms are STILL in!

The statistic always goes that when the economy is sinking,  the heels get lower. When the economy is good the heels go sky high. However, several designers this week just couldn’t get them tall enough. Sometimes during fashion week the shoes get easily glossed over amid such spectacular clothing, so here’s a special tribute to the towering heels we loved.. No one can deny a simple pair of black pumps is pretty, but the fun in fashion week is trying to find beauty in the trends. This year, we saw a return to undeniable earthiness and bohemian chic, which is what I’m all about.

Rodarte makes art and these shoes are pure art.

These Marc by Marc Jacobs shoes already have my name on it.

Can we just talk for a moment about how perfect these Donna Karan shoes are?

They go with everything and every season.

5.  The Medium is the Message

To me, nothing looks more chic than the effortless mixing of fabrics. This fashion week, we were all about the layering of sequins and silks, furs and knits, leather and lace, and every other  combination combination possible.

Marc Jacobs mixed dotted winter fabrics with sheer shiny blouses for a modern vintage effect.

Donna Karan mixed what she called “moontone” furs and wools with

sequins, suede gloves and cable-knit tights for a lady-like dressy look.

In addition to layers, we saw mixed media in the garments themselves, like in Alexander Wang’s ethereal poncho.

Next winter, anything goes. Being able to pull this off is a matter of personal style. Wear what speaks to you and the options are endless.

6.  Neutrals that AREN’T boring.

Your basic color palette of black, cream, gray, and beige has been around for a few seasons, but this NYFW we saw designers really jazz it up a bit.  Vera Wang’s translucent, flowy skirts, and Jason Wu’s sheer laces were among our favorites when it came to the basics.  See below Wu’s perfect combination of modern yet feminine.

For a preppy take on neutrals, Kate Spade offers an adorable, 1920’s – inspired dress that would absolutely work on the streets of San Antonio or Austin.  Or Paris, whatever works.  And, um, we’re kind of in love with those tights.

7.  Jewel Tones, need we say more.

When designers weren’t sending a variation of black or white down the runway, we saw lots of bold, vibrant colors.  Deep purples, mustard yellows, emerald greens and bold reds dominated the runways.  Victoria Beckham dubbed it “dessert brights”, and we think she nailed it with this fitted piece.

Red or coral sightings were everywhere as well, as almost every show gave us a take on the red dress.  Our personal favorite was Prabal Gurung’s opening number which combined an almost “Wild West saloon” fit with a sexy vibrance.

8.  You’re invited to the Pants Party.

Every girl knows how to put together a standard outfit with a pair of jeans and a cute top.  But this past week, some designers made the pants the star attraction.  We saw all different fits, textures, fabrics, and embellishments.  Take this example at Rag and Bone (and may we point out the fur!)

Metallic finishes on bottom were also huge, and while we love the sparkles, we do not recommend the funky hat.  Sorry, Marc Jacobs, it’s just not us.

9.  Coats, Coats, Coats.

They were loose, they were tight, and they were all sorts of colors.  Whatever the style, it’s obvious one’s outerwear demands more consideration.  After all, when its bitter cold outside it’s often the only part of your outfit people get to see.  And THAT makes it important.  Peacoats are out, Parkas are in. Our favorites were Vera Wang’s, partly because of their structure and partly because they went so perfectly with her flowy pieces underneath.

Aside from the beautifully constructed pieces, we have to admit there was another, albeit a little startling, trend.  Have you heard of the “mullet dress”, where it’s a mini in the front but a long train in the back?  Behold, courtesy of Alexander Wang, the mullet coat.

10.  Funky Proportions.

Whether it was an over-sized boxy jacket mixed with a sleek pencil skirt, or a Maxi skirt with a heavy shape-less sweater, everyone experimented with proportions this week. While it will be interesting to see if this trend carries into the mainstream or not, to say that this style is not relevant is purely unsubstantiated.

Rodarte’s almost geek-chic look with this chunky sweater over a prim skirt spoke volumes about the

playfulness an altered proportion can bring.

Calvin Klein featured boxy look after boxy look in his collection look, but this look plays to the unusual. We can’t decide if the model looks fresh or like a bean as she wears her very over-sized leather coat over skinny cigarette pants.

So there you have it.  What did we nail? What did we miss?  Are you dying to try these out or gagging just thinking about it?  Tell us!