The seasons are changing, say goodbye to the warm sticky summer months that consisted of tank tops, high waisted shorts, and sundresses. Summer fashion is disappearing faster than your tan and it’s time to embrace it. Fashion Week/month couldn’t come at a better time, allowing DU students to get new outfit inspiration (when they need it most).
You may be wondering, just like Andy from “The Devil Wear’s Prada,” as to how high fashion influences our lives. It inspires, trickles down, and influences what colors/prints/and new closet staples you need to get your hands on, unless you live under a rock. To quote Miranda Priestly on the trickle down process, “Cerulean quickly showed up in the collections of eight different designers. And then it, uh, filtered down through the department stores and then trickled on down into some tragic Casual Corner where you, no doubt, fished it out of some clearance bin.” Point being, whether you’re a student interested in fashion or not, what goes on during fashion week has the power to dictate what we wear #themoreyouknow.
Currently, all things fashion are underway as various different cities across the world experience their own Fashion Week. The fashion festivities kicked off in New York City on September 7th and ran till the 14th, London Fashion Week passed us by shortly after, and now we are in the midst of Milan Fashion Week, finally to end on Paris Fashion Week on October 5th.
On The Look Out
(Furs, skirts, sweaters, jeans, only some of the ways you can layer this fall)
DU Junior, Sabrina Pacha on what we will be seeing, “It seems like some fun trends that are coming in for Fall are faux fur, tan colors, bomber jackets that are lined with fur/shearling, plaid coats, and off the shoulder shirts.” We are shifting away from the color blocking and futuristic vibes of this summer and moving towards more neutral pallets that contain variations of tan, dusty pinks, deep colors, etc. Nicole Kerman, a Stylist at Free People at Cherry Creek Mall, also agrees that the bomber jacket will be a staple this fall. Her tips on accessorizing, “bombers with cool vintage band T-shirts and black jeans-I’m always in my black jeans. Then pull it all together with a choker and you’re set.”
(An example of Nicole Kerman’s favorite look for this fall)
Keeping with neutral and muted tones, a lot of deep greens and maroons are making an appearance on and off the runway along with muddy colors in general. Kerman said that “flannel is a trend we continue to see every fall and that you can’t go wrong there,” it’s definitely a necessity. “Flannel is really affordable for students on a budget since it’s really easy to find those for cheap at thrift stores.” Kerman suggested checking out Plato’s Closet or Buffalo Exchange if you are “ballin’ on a budget.”
(Bags sticking to the muddy and neutral color palette)
Kate Cooper, a Sophomore at CU Boulder said she sees “mustard colors, vintage denim, deep grays & burgundies” coming through in the collections from fashion week. Kate’s number one tip, “Add mom jeans into your life (it’s important).” Super tight low rise skinny jeans are completely out, if you’re going to do a jean it should be vintage/flare, a mom jean, or high waisted skinny. Kerman mentioned how familiar patterns from summer will evolve to be adaptable in the colder months. “We are definitely keeping florals around from the summer, just in darker colors to fit with the fall vibe and we are shifting away from futuristic stuff, we are gaining vintage inspiration.” Kerman also expects a lot of velvet as there is an increase in incorporating grungy styles with feminine materials/textures. “So joggers and a more grungy style in general. Definitely more athleisure wear, and I think that is heavily inspired by Kanye’s new line.” She as well said she heard that flower prints are surprisingly in for fall.
Effortless Transition
Kerman says, “we are shifting towards more military styles and looks. I think we are really embracing and returning to the 90’s with fashion in general.” DU students can expect to see that come more into focus this fall.
Over the course of the fashion events that are occurring right now, a lot will be changing. With some of the styles seen on the catwalks it’s clear that almost anyone, even a student on a budget, can transition into fall easily without completely revamping their closet. According to Pacha, the best way to do this is to mix and match summer items with more autumnal prints. “I think the off the shoulder shirt trend is a great way to transition from Summer to Fall. Paired with a cute choker, which is also in style, and maybe a nice plaid overcoat if it’s chilly.” Denver is known for its tumultuous weather so having an outfit that can transition well from cooler morning to hotter afternoons is key.
Kerman suggests, “Instead of completely switching from summer to fall, start pairing your more summery tops with jackets & dark booties with shorts. Sweaters with skirts make a good transition.” Or you can “layer a sweater with denim, tall boots with late summer outfits and start adding rich colors,” suggests Cooper. The possibilities are endless when you get to mixing and matching.
(Booties and Tall boots galore at Free People in Cherry Creek Shopping Mall)
Keeping Up
Kerman said she usually gets her style inspiration from Kendall Jenner and celebrity stylists like Monica Rose, and keeps up with the fashion events through “Instagram and usually the snapchat stories.” Kerman says that she understands that students are usually on a tighter budget when it comes to staying stylish and recommends that students should focus on buying the basics (like black jeans and items of clothing that fall in the neutral palette). “You can still find a lot of fashion in basics” she said, and then you can start layering from there. Sticking to mostly basics and then highlighting with certain pieces keeps your wardrobe versatile and timeless. You won’t feel like you have to go shopping every month because you’re sick of your clothes being so dated.
When it comes to keeping up with the trends Kate said she she utilizes Instagram accounts and various fashion blogs of the people who attend the real life fashion shows. She said, “This is the best way to quickly skim what trends are being highlighted and will most likely become popular for this upcoming season.”
Pacha thinks that DU students can easily keep up with fashion trends by reading fashion magazines or even just checking the Snapchat stories by Glamour or Refinery29. “It doesn’t have to be a full time hobby, but rather something you can just browse every now and then.”
Suggested Blogs For the Fashion Interested:
Chiara Ferragni: http://www.theblondesalad.com
Leandra Medine: http://www.manrepeller.com
Anna Dello Russo: http://www.annadellorusso.com
Carine Roitfeld: http://www.crfashionbook.com
Monica Rose: http://www.monicarose.com
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