Winter Blues Dispelled Or Justice in Fashion

When winter gets really dreary and dull, usually between mid-January and the end of February, and especially when the outdoor movements are limited to narrow tunnels between dirty mounds of snow and melting ice, nothing cheers me up as the anticipation of spring: getting out of heavy boots, thick coats and hair-flattening hats. The long wait for that first warm day can be tedious, even as it provides ample time to get ready for stepping out in the latest sartorial fineries. This year, I find the spring fashion especially lovely. Gone are the skimpy cheap-looking mini affairs and in come the classy elongated silhouettes, with hems below the knees - clothes that make a woman look good as opposed to women making the clothes look good, as has been the case for quite a while.

Dries van Note

Dries van Noten

As usual, there is going to be struggle with arranging photos because the Blogger is soooooo inflexible.  In any case, left and right is my favorite Belgian designer Dries van Noten.  His style is immediately recognizable for its combinations of rich colors, playful patterns and luxurious fabrics, this year hinting at Morocco.  Van Noten's fabric designs extend to   his models' arms and legs in the form of Moroccan henna tattoos.  I will never own any of it and would have nowhere to wear it, but it is pure pleasure just to look at the photos.

 

Then there is the more conservative Chanel with its trademark black-toed sandals (above left) and  more sculpted outfits by the Swedish brand Acne, (above right)  known for simple geometrical lines, and the name which is bound to put off many an adolescent. Of course, there is H & M with its still affordable upscale line (below left), not to be sniffed at, as well as the always minimalist Zara (below right).

And girls, if you are not enthralled yet, here's more of the lovely........oops!  Sorry, guys this is for you - from Damir Doma of Milan:

I am pleased to note that the designers follow lifestyle trends as well as setting them.  Since walking is becoming an important part of daily fitness regime, many leading names in fashion now offer comfortable shoes.  Would you believe that the comfy pair below left is by Chanel?   Unfortunately there are still the ubiquitous platforms (below right), which is fine for the women who want to add inches to their stature, but prohibitive for me.  Something tells me I'll have another year of long searches for suitable shoes.

Some designers go to the extreme in their effort to adhere to life's realities.  As the rich-poor gap widens around the world, it is no longer kosher to display one's wealth.  Clochard-style items from the latest collection of New York's Thom Browne look like costumes for a movie about Oliver Twist. The clothes that only the wealthiest can afford look much like something most homeless would reject. There is justice in fashion.

    

Happy New Year, Where Is Spring?

Once the winter holidays are over, there comes a period of hibernation enforced by the gripping cold, seasonal illnesses, short daytime hours and a general sense of vacuum during a long wait for spring. To make the longing worse, magazines and clothes stores display spring and summer fashion collections as early as New Year's Day. If you start shopping for warmer weather now, you'll get bored with what you've bought even before the right season begins and then you'll want something new and different yet again.

While I was nursing a bad cold these past few weeks I went through a plethora of fashion magazines and Internet sites as my brain did not work well enough for serious literature. There have been some interesting discoveries.

A score of young fashion designers have cropped up that have made their names through Instagram and/or word-of-mouth. If their names are hardly known to most of us, someone must be paying attention because their prices are not low. Take for example Australian designer Karla Spetic whose name betrays her Slavic descent. Her simple white shirt dress costs more than $400.

Karla Spetic

 H & M

Several versions of the oversized white shirt or tunic are available at H & M for as low as $29.95.
http://www.hm.com/us/product/58239?article=58239-B
http://www.hm.com/us/product/88137?article=88137-A&cm_vc=PRA1#

Similarly, the dress by Bianca Spender (above left), which can be yours for a mere $315 at half-price sale  (the original was $680), is available in various forms and patterns from H & M (above right) for a fraction of that price.  And you can get it in different colors and patterns:


http://www.hm.com/us/product/88063?article=88063-B&piaDept=Subdepartment_ladies&piaType=Large_picture

An earlier H & M version of the dress

One of my most interesting discoveries this winter is Italian shoe designer Chiara Ferragni. She is barely in her 20s and already in high demand by big fashion houses.  Apparently thanks to Instagram. Wow! I guess soon they will start making millions while still in their cradle.

Chiara's shoes with whimsical designs such as an open eye one one shoe and a winking one on the other, cost about $300 a pair and you cannot quite find an H & M alternative for them yet.



But many places, including H & M and Steve Madden, have a wide variety of sneakers and loafers almost identical to Chiara's at prices 5 to 10 times lower than hers.

Another interesting site I discovered this winter is the Nordic Style Magazine:   
http://www.nordicstylemag.com/2014/09/trend-report-ss15-women/

Not that you could wear many of these creations to office in the conservative Washington, but it's worth taking a look for inspiration.

The images that really make one long for spring are haute couture designers' creations such as those by Roksanda Ilincic  (below left) and my favorite of all, Dries van Noten (below right)

Who can wait for spring?  That's why bears and other intelligent animals hibernate.