Speaking Style

They’re probably pieces that you don’t think of unless you’re watching Meryl Streep’s evil boss character in The Devil Wears Prada. But with the frequency that headscarves are popping up this season, you can’t help but feel that they’re already emerging as a fashion trend. It’s one statement that you can’t get out – or off – of your head.

Perhaps you could just see this pattern as a natural progression. After all, scarves have been a major celebrity fashion statement for a good part of 2008; Hollywood was very thoroughly invaded by scarves before fashion week even dawned in Europe. It really wasn’t far off for stylists and designers to play around with extra bits of fabric to create the next new fashion statement.

Hermes, for example, used very plain headscarves in neutral colors (in place of beanies, which they used for most of the collection) to top off some looks for the F/W 2008 runway show. It wasn’t really a necessary touch per se, but it did give a younger and slightly more rebellious vibe to the outfit. When you’re 30-plus and you’re trying to look a decade younger, that probably counts for something.

The same goes for Gucci, where the headscarf became an honorary part of the Gucci clothing collection for the season. It wasn’t very important, but it did fit into the theme and contribute something to the look. Only when Dolce & Gabbana clothing took a very traditional European turn (photo right) did the scarf become critical to the look.

To be brutally honest, headscarves are an iffy accessory to work with because they don’t work with every person and outfit. If you want to try them out for yourself, try it first in the superfluous way that Hermes did. That way, you can just stash it in your statement bag after the first negative comment.

If you’re the celebrity, fashion model or It-Girl type who likes to attend little parties and soirees, your wardrobe’s in for a treat. The last two seasons – F/W 2008 and S/S 2009 – have yielded a lot of breathtaking, party-worthy pieces. Everyone knows that cocktail dresses are the de facto dress code for any party, but this season’s pieces will make you look anything but standard issue.

The designation of a cocktail dress, after all, is all a matter of length. It seems that designers have been realizing that of late and have been really working with the little stretch of fabric that they’ve got. Results varied very widely, from all sorts of new little
details to completely new silhouettes altogether.

Just look at this Blumarine leopard-print chiffon dress for example. It’s a very feminine little number from afar, and then you realize that it actually references a really big fashion trend from a few months back. Who knew that a baby doll silhouette could work with an animal print? This one certainly does, and it’ll make you look like a sexy little kitten to boot.

Your dress is one of the few chances you’ve got to make a statement, and a lot of recent cocktail dresses will help you do just that. Take just about any piece in the Christian Lacroix collection with all its sculptural quality and bright jewel-tone colors. Worn with the right pair of shoes and equally appropriate attitude, outfits like those could just about make you the life of the party.

In a season when most other designers are sending demure and restrained pieces down their runways, Ralph Lauren is one of the few with the audacity to really break even the most prevalent fashion trends. He threw together (or threw away altogether) some of the season’s biggest trends and came up with a collection that was both daring and darling.

Opening the show was a series of structured black pieces which would’ve been relatively nondescript were it not for the bold leopard prints on the outerwear and the accessories. It’s true that animal prints are a major trend right now, but only in the accessories department. Precious few have tried creating collection pieces that actually focus on said prints.

After them came a series of garments that could only have been inspired by the Lauren family retreat in Colorado. The buffalo plaid and blanket coats are very ranch-appropriate choices, and can easily be imagined as standard issue on the Double RL Ranch. However, Lauren also gave the masculine pattern more feminine touches, such as fitted hunting jackets and shirts.

The biggest surprise of the show was easily the eveningwear. Where else have you seen an honest-to-goodness floor-sweeping evening gown in buffalo plaid? Lauren’s show would have been one of them, and the man pulled it off well on not one but three garments. There was even one piece that combined the plaid and the animal print for a loud, crazy-prints-all-over look. Yes, it looks kooky at first glance. As with most of Lauren’s work, though, you can’t help but see the elegance and chic-ness of the outfit as it comes gliding down the runway.