Good day to you Miss.... Welcome to 2012/13

The last 30 years has been all about “Dressing Down”. We have spent a lot of money on cheap fabrics, skimpy/nothing-there clothing and Fluoro (if I ever meet the person who invented fluoro....)

Well my friends, this is all about to change. With hands covered in dainty gloves, a tip of the hat and standing straight in our perfectly cut suits we wave goodbye to the trash we have been covering our bodies up with.

I am pleased to announce we are having a 50’s/60’s revival and it is going to last quite a while. 

Why? The ‘Boomers comprise the largest portion of our population so the old saying “Age Appropriate” is now “Ageless Appropriate”. Who would have thought? Apparently the parental units and great aunt Betty are quite trendy? Weird. 

This is possibly the most exciting thing that has happened in fashion in my lifetime. Instead of spending hours getting ready to achieve the “rough” look I will now look neat and like, well, a lady. 

If you’re still stuck wondering what this is all about, think original Chanel, Givenchy, Dior. The Classics. With me now?

Here is your forecast:

Covered up evening wear - Think long gowns. Class. Style. Beautifulness.

Shift Dresses are going to be all the rage. Timeless items so fill your wardrobe pronto. 

Suits - matching trousers, skirts and jackets. The look going forward will be “Career Dressing”. Sound dull? Not when they will be available in bright, refreshing colours! 

Precision-cut jackets. 

Draped dresses and sweeping curves will meet sharp, clean sculptures. Elegance. 

No frill, no fuss and no extraneous detail-like trims. 

For those of you who desperately want to hang on to the bohemian look you will have the chance to indulge in the tunic tiers. Block colours layered upon each other will be key when doing this look.

Leather will be staying but it will be coloured. Snakeskin, as I alluded to previously, will be the new hipper skin. 

Geisha-inspired Asian print will be massive. 

Fabrics will be heavier to allow a more precise cut. 

For all the good things in a season there is always something that destroys it. Plaid - in large print. Just like last season. Damn you Burberry. 

Colours:

Navy will be the new black. 

Bright colours. Head-to-toe hues (everything matching) - Shoes, bag, trousers, shirts etc. And please, if you are going to do this make sure the red in your shoes matches perfectly the red in your trousers and jacket. 

Abstract colour blocking and clashing combinations. 

Being coordinated will be important so keep that in mind when you pull your pieces together. Yes, you can be coordinated when assembling a clashing combination. If in doubt, please ask. 

Accessories:

Kitten heels, brogues and flats. Skyscraper heels? Nope!

Simple handbags. No monogram print, large pockets or zips. 

Gloves and hats. Many gloves will have the “Texting Fingers” exposed. Now who said we couldn’t do classic with a modern flare?

I am more excited than a teenager getting ready to go to a jive on Saturday night. We will finally look classy and sophisticated. 

Apart from the ‘Boomers what other factors were there behind this radical change in direction for fashion? All will be revealed soon on Fashion, Warrior Queen and what you can do to invent your own craze.

Classy [ˈklɑːsɪ] adj 1. having elegance or taste and self-respect. 2. When your mother doesn’t ban you from leaving the house.

2011 Winter Forecast - The end of the scruff

With the lights dimmed a powerful force addresses the group:

“Accurate”

“Accessible”

“High Intelligence”

“Confidential”

What the? Have I accidentally walked into a White House Bin Laden briefing?

After a few more moments of suspense-building words and dramatic silence it became clear we were very much in the right place.

My fashionistas, here is your 2011 Winter Forecast from around the globe:

The Key Items:

Animal prints (God help us) will live to see another season. The trendiest spots to have are Leopard and Zebra will be making an appearance as well. Watch out too for Snakeskin which will also be coming in. This will be vital for your 2012/2013 collection so invest now. Think outside the box with this, the more colourful, the better.

Fur Vests – this season we will be seeing them longer and available in more colours.

As much as we want to hang on to the skinny jean I am afraid they are now on the out. It’s 70’s all the way man! Winter will be about the Flare.

Military is still present but we are verging more into Moto now. Key piece to invest in will be a Biker Jacket.

Belted long coats will be a key piece in your winter look….if you like wearing a dressing gown in public.

If wearing a dressing gown doesn’t appeal to you, you will have the option of the feminine caped trench coat.

We are starting to see it already but tuxedo jackets will be an important item.

Denim shorts and tights are for whatever reason going to be REALLY cool. Don’t shoot the messenger.

Good news! Tailored shorts are also in. Phew.

Long skirts and chunky jumpers will be a very “It” combination. SJP was recently papped sporting this. Must be true!

Short full skirts (like the ra-ra but a little less tacky).

Plaid – I know I know, but this season the print will be larger and available in more colours. That doesn’t really help though does it?

Whoever thought we would see the end of the daggy long cardigan? Well this is the year! It’s all about the pullover jumper.

Open weave and crochet styled jumpers are taking their final breath. Enjoy them while they last.

As if animal prints and plaid weren’t enough. I am afraid it is about to get worse. Varsity. Yep, time to pull out your fake Oxford University shirts and stock up on your Hollister.

Prints and Colours:

Red – It’s the new black.

Neutrals – Skin tone.

Your key prints will be Bohemian/Peasant/Tribal and Aztec. A big trend will be pheasant dresses being converted into going out wear.

Florals ranging from ditzy to water colours are here to stay for a little bit longer.

Bold, bright colours will be replacing grey, white and black.

Polka dots are coming back big time.

Lace – but more feminine this season. You can shamefully put your grandmother’s doily-inspired dress away now, thank you.

Accessories:

Bright-coloured over sized clutches. This will also be the last season for the “It” bag so flaunt your LV and Chanel while you still can.

Fur hats, knitted beanies and wide-brimmed hats are your winter must have headwear.

Large-printed scarves – think so large that people may confuse them with being blankets.

Lots of little bracelets – which will go splendidly with your peasant eveningwear.

Men-inspired shoes.

Ladies, I regret to say the heel is very close to walking out the door so this will be your last season to pull them off (or should I say, pull them off after this season!).

Backpacks – perfect match for your plaid shirt, denim shorts/tights combo.

And finally – if you want to go retro you will be disgusted to know that the 80’s and 90’s is the new vintage.

There you have it, your key pieces for 2011. Enjoy them while they last because it is going to be a very long time before you see any of this again.

Stay tuned for your 2012/2013 forecast. My friends, it is going to shock the cheap cotton floral jumpsuits right of your back.

80’s & 90’s (80&903) n. 1. A period in time where clothing was deliberately made to look stupid. 2. An era which is best be forgotten, buried and burned.

2012/2013 – The Future is Near.

Year after year, season after season we cringe, shrug or applaud the designs presented to us in the glossies and worn by the mannequins on the High Street. We furiously scan the monthlies leading up to summer picturing tropical days, skimpy bikinis and the shortest shorts whilst tucked up in bed watching the snow fall outside. We live for the season ahead.

So, who are these powerful people who plan the summer seasons in winter and the winter by Indian summer nights? Who has this power? Who lets animal print and fluorescent colours come rudely crashing back into our wardrobe every other year and who is the magic behind the feminine flowing whites and beautiful pastels which don’t feature enough?

This Wednesday I will be attending a talk with the insiders of this magical world.

Stay tuned for your 2012/2013 forecast.

Fashion, Warrior Queen.

Fashion – The Everyday Mona Lisa

With hand on your heart you pledge you don’t give two hoots about what’s hot, what’s not, you never follow the trend and you are your own individual.

Bollocks.

Fact is, if you are hippie, goth, alternative, skater, retro or anything else that comes under a title, at some point in the last 100 years your look has been seen waltzing down the catwalk in Paris, Milan, New York and London. McQueen bought us goth, Galliano did skater and Louis Vuitton is permanently vintage. Let’s also not forget that history repeats and what is in the shops now is only slightly varied to what was in the shops 30 years ago.

Fashion is--and this might come as a shock--a walking piece of artwork. At some point in all our lives we have secretly admired or criticised a perfect stranger’s attire. Without giving it too much thought we are walking portraits of the modern time. What we wear depicts the mood we are in, what our fears are and probably most importantly, what we want people to think we are.   So why does it seem so socially unacceptable to choose Fashion as a full time hobby but yet so hugely smiled upon to collect pieces of artwork?

Seems a little odd as even the most alternative artists claim to be their own people but yet, their clothing and accessories (even the choice of a radical hair colour!) still put them in a category which at some point was considered “The In-Thing”.  Warhol, a filmmaker and painter was commonly linked to one of the most famous icons of our time and for decades we have been copying the style of Edith Sedgwick. The little black dress famously designed by Coco Chanel and recognised worldwide draws a very similar comparison to Da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man. Both encapsulate the symmetrical picture of perfection.

By no means at all am I even beginning to suggest that every being across the planet wakes up every morning and frets over what shoes will go with which skirt. I am more challenging the thought that Fashion is a perfectly acceptable interest to have and be obsessed over. Unless you plan on being a full time nudist you have sold part of your soul to the world’s largest organisation: Fashion.  So next time you go outside, have a look at the walking portraits around you and take a minute to consider what each one’s story is because they are, The Everyday Mona Lisa.

Original (‘rid3in’l) adj. 1. Pertaining to an item of clothing you haven’t seen before in your parents’ or grandmother’s closet. 2. Describing a situation when you are in public and people have no idea what you are actually wearing.

Launch

Welcome, my fellow fashion muses. Let it be known this blog will not be filled with countless entries praising the current threads and criticising the rich and famous. I will very much try and limit the use of “Oh My God – She Didn’t!” unless it is absolutely critical.  The aim of this blog is to express the views from someone who can appreciate both the love and hatred of fashion.  

So what has brought me to this point of blogging to the unknownosphere? Spending hours hunched over my computer tapping away and wondering if anyone will ever read my thoughts? A short time ago I was given some of the best career advice that has ever been offered to me –

“Just start writing. At the moment you are no-one and you have no credibility. You are trying to crack the most competitive industry and you’re 25.”

Hard? Yes. True? Absolutely. My fashion credentials are pretty minimal. I like fashion, I follow fashion, I read magazines and I do have a pretty good eye for what suits. I believe, right there, I have the basic fundamentals required to entitle me to express my viewpoint with some credibility.

“It’s always darkest before the dawn. But things are going to be just dandy, I promise. Warrior Queen, you’re looking fierce”