Fashion editors from around the world are in love with soft tailored suits, cosy knits and handcrafted ethnic coats, which have become autumn season's highlight
By Tsitaliya Mircheva
September is a big month in fashion, and not just because of the various Fashion Weeks. It’s almost like New Year for the fashion industry, and is the time for a fresh start and a new YOU after the holidays. It’s also when women most often rethink their style and image. In September all fashion magazines grow in size and hype with the new trends and runway news. It’s a time of important cultural happenings, of re-engaging with the outside world and the intellect, and we go back to business and social life agendas.
Naturally, in September, women start looking at fashion trends even if they’re not particularly into fashion. This season we’re seeing it even more so, as women feel enticed by what designers have to offer.
The reason is simple: fashion remains the best and easiest escape for people’s imaginations – and no-one requires a certificate or a test to participate!
If we have to describe the mood and tendencies of this new season’s fashion, the feeling is that designers have been really listening and observing our changing lifestyles and needs. They’ve been creating ready-to-wear that’s functional, respectful of the changing world, easy to wear, and something that works for every style, gender and silhouette.
In other words, there are hardly any rules in fashion at the moment, which feels comforting, considering all the restrictions we have to live with. Yet, there is a clear silver lining that runs through all collections. Inspired by the good old times and old classics, designers have been turning to the 60s, 70s and 80s and recreating iconic fashion looks. Adding bold new shades of the classic designs with emphasis on better quality of fabrics, which is something women seem to be unwilling to compromise on these days. Everything this season is about comfort and feel-good fashion.
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Obsession of the season: mega knits
How do you define comfort in fashion? The first thing that comes to mind, especially in Fall and Winter, is knitwear. Cozy, soft and mellow. Relaxed, sustainable and yet sexy. Sweater dresses, comfortable loungewear, cashmere, alpaca and pure wool sweaters and cardigans; as long as you like knit dresses that exude effortless comfort and relaxed chic. This year it’s really about soft blends and snuggly knitwear.
Styling tip: pair with a cool hat or a silk skirt and loungewear pants.
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Everything Handmade
Since the beginning of this year, the craft movement that’s been bubbling up in recent years has made a major comeback. It received even more buzz after the release of JW Anderson’s pattern and instructions for his patchwork knit pieces from his last February fashion show. “The idea”, Anderson explains, “Was to help promote this idea of craft and making during a period when everyone was stuck at home with nothing to do.” His theory as to why an art form with definite granny associations has taken hold with Gen Z’ers and Millennials? “People are looking for connection,” the designer says, “And not just via their phones.”, as elle.com reports. It’s not just knitwear either. The highlight this year is ethnic, folk-inspired coats, made of vintage and recycled fabrics, and using old traditional methods and skills of embroidery and weaving. Ethnic coats have made their way back to almost every fashion editor and street style icon’s wardrobe. The best part about them is they’re easy to put together with anything you own as a statement piece, or to create an eclectic bohemian look. They’re symbolic of people’s desire to travel, to be free and to reconnect with nature and other people.
Among our favourites are Olga Mul’s handcrafted Suzani Coats and Nina Leuca original woven on centuries-old traditional looms tailored coats.
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Colour Philosophy - saturated shades
This year designers seem to be approaching colour in a different way, the new colours are to say the least unexpected, slightly off-kilter and skewed, as Harpars Bazaar describes them. “It is a little like life itself”. We see bubble pink, rusty orange and pistachio or this autumn hit colour frog green. Bold and provocative. Then we see mustard meets lemon, aubergine and plum, and finally, the exciting framboise. In other words be open minded, try things on you, there is no such thing any more like: red does not suit me. Which shade of red did you mean?
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Corduroy
Corduroy trousers and blazers’ timeless allure have been frequently used in mainstream style. This season they’re coming back in a well-cut and unexpected colour palette that reminds us of Princess Diana’s countryside style and the 70s bohemian culture. And if you used to associate corduroy with librarians and geography teachers, today you cannot be more wrong. This season it comes in a variety of weights and colours, and quality.
Let’s look at our iconic bestseller this autumn – the Marmande corduroy pants by Momoni. These pants are super light and very soft in touch. The sexy framboise colour and the fine wide-leg cut create a playful, yet sophisticated and chic look, especially when paired with a button down silky shirt or a fine cashmere sweater. Once again it’s about comfort, texture and being easy to dress up or down.
Another option is our lemon-meets-mustard corduroy blazer. An ultra-soft light fabric that can easily fit into your bag and become your go-to piece when you need something light to throw around your shoulders in Autumn.
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The Princess of Wales nostalgia
Another fashion trend this year draws on the nostalgia around Princess Diana and her iconic not-so-predictable style. This year she would be 60- years old and you kind of ask yourself, “What would Princess D. wear today?” As one CNN journalist described her wardrobe, “Her clothes helped her take back control of her narrative (from both the Palace and the British press) following her 1996 divorce from Prince Charles”.
That leads to a question – what clothes do we choose to control our own story and to express who we are? Clothes are a free tool that help you to be your most authentic self – something that was brilliantly demonstrated by Princess Diana. This may be why fashion designers are once again being inspired by her style: the classic fine geometric patterned cardigan, miniskirts and classic blazers with unexpected elements, fine merino wool sweaters and micro shetland blazers and skirts. You can see in all of them a classic style with a skewed element that may be scandalising for the Royal Family, but it’s a symbol of your own approach to dressing.
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The new wardrobe hero: Wide leg pants
High-wasted wide-leg pants and oversized blazers have become symbolic of the feminist movement and female empowerment over the last few years. In the past, fashion icons like Coco Chanel, Katharine Hepburn and Marlene Dietrich wore them as a symbol of rebellion against the restrictive dress codes for women in society. So, it’s perhaps understandable that some of us still thrill when women, even under circumstances in which it’s socially acceptable, opt to wear trousers.
This season we’re wearing wide-leg trousers with a chic shearling sweater and a high neck roll collar or an oversized shirt dress. If you’re a little more on the wild side, then choose the microcheck wide trousers from Phisique du Role and mix them with a bubble pink sweater.
To get the look click on each image you like which will take you to our online shop.