The New Season

WARNING: This is a long one. I am aware that the s/s shows are no longer news to the blogosphere, but discussing what to wear several sesons ahead just doesn't sit comfortably with me, so my contemplation of spring fashion starts now - if you are already sick of it, please do not continue. I begin with admitting that I by no means have browsed through ALL the shows on style.com, bacuse I frankly don't have the time (do any of you do, by the way?), so my view is narrow. But it's my blog and who cares anyway?

As usual, I've found more trends to evade than to embrace: Flouncy underwear as outerwear - I thought we dealt with this when Moulin Rouge came out and overdid it severely enough to at least let i rest 15 years? Beige, nude, tan, and every other shade imaginable between white and actual colour is everywhere. Groan. It's not that it necessarily always looks bad, just that I find myself looking very bad indeed in it. However, I'm willing to give it a try, just as long as no one tries to bring the nude bikini back, because we all know what that looks like. The below-the-knee skirt has made a comeback, it seems, and while this may look stunning on long-limbed beauties, it is one of the most Mie-unfriendly looks out there... Lastly, of course, there was the presence of the clogs at Chanel. They reappear on intervals in some show or another, but they never catch on - learn from it please (Karl, I expected more from you). The worst still? Missoni - 90s tribal rave is so not ready yet.

I also find it hilarious to observe the means designers employ to persuade us to buy new clothes every season. There is a lot of leather around for spring, and just by that information you would think "Splendid! Then I can still wear all the expensive leather jackets/pants/skirts/whatev that I spent my rent money on for fall!". Wrong. Because THIS season, the leather is almost all tan, as opposed to black, which means that last year's much invested in leather garments are out of date. The same goes for the all-black look that even I succumbed to in the end, which now has been replaced with all-white and all-beige. Consumerism at its best (/worst), this is.

Lovely tan jacket at Wang

What did I like about the spring shows? I was reading a piece in Britsh ELLE about the new season's fashion, and the header read "Are you a romantic or a realist?". I was shocked to find myself immediately (though mutely - we do not speak loudly to ourselves, now do we?) responding "realist". I actually feel more inclined to don minimalist one-colour otfits in the modern utility style than to run around in the pastel fairy dresses that have emerged as the reaction to last season's bondage look. This is absolutely shocking to me, previously the princess of candy floss dressing. What has happened? I now long for classic elegant pieces in muted colours, mixed with a little superhero chic alá Phi s/s (below),

the most dramatic of my sartorial desires being a tribal print black and white sweater, like these:

Perhaps it is called growing up, I don't know. My faves so far of the shows are Chloe and Celine, in addition to the aforementioned Phi

Chloe:

Celine:

My two immediate spring fashion needs are an oversize white shirt to wear underneath everything, in particular a skirt so that it peaks out underneath (like the one two pictures up), and slim white cargo pants - now where will i get that? Perhaps I'll find some slim white jeans that I can add pockets to (with my new SEWING MACHINE :D - so happy!). On the topic of DIY, the spring shows provide two easy peasy projects; the Wang underknee cut-out stockings, and the Chloe carpet-as-poncho:

Happy new season, everyone!