Based on the fall and winter collections shown to the fashion world in Paris, Milan and New York earlier this year, the JoongAng Ilbo, with the help of some fashion experts, analyzed the latest fall trends.
Here is the information you need to update your fall wardrobe.
Blue is in
The most striking feature of the fall fashion trend is the continuing popularity of the color blue. Known as the most classical summer hue because it reminds people of the ocean, blue is everywhere in the fall season, from high-end tailor-made dresses to blouses to jackets. Even suits come in different shades of blue.
Some of the fashion houses that use blue as a primary color for their fall and winter looks include Kenzo, Dsquared2 and Korean designer brand Son Jung Wan.
“With the unprecedented economic depression, it seems like the popularity of blue continues into the fall and winter because blue stands for hope,” said Kang Ju-yeon, editor-in-chief of Elle in Korea.
“But it is quite uncommon to see the color blue in the [fall] season. We even dub it as the ‘new blue’ era,” said Yang Su-jin, the editor-in-chief of InStyle in Korea.
Samsung Fashion Institute also wrote in its July report that blue is the most inspirational color for this season and even for the next season, along with pink.
The report continued, “Popularity of the blue color will even affect the interior trend for next spring and summer.”
Return of classics
The reinterpretation of classical styles from the 1940s and ’50s is also popular. The designs returning to style include coats and dresses with slender waistlines, which put an emphasis on femininity and elegance.
“Fashion houses wanted to differentiate themselves from fast-fashion brands, and the return of the classics is the brainchild of the fashion houses after much consideration,” said Kim Hyun-joo, editor-in-chief of Cosmopolitan in Korea. “They combed through archives and brought out styles that they can modernize for women living today, and it is another characteristic of the fall and winter look for this year.”
Clothes with checkered patterns from the Italian brand Fay and Dolce & Gabbana are examples of the return to the classics.
Fashion houses tried to put some distance between street fashion brands by coming up with classical styles of their own, but they couldn’t give up on the free spirit that is abundant in fast-fashion brands. That led them to create street couture.
“The term ‘street couture’ is contradictory itself because the look is a combination of street fashion and haute couture,” said Yang from InStyle. “T-shirts and jackets with loud and flamboyant prints and patterns have never been attempted by fashion houses before.”
Such street couture styles are now available from Saint Laurent Paris, Kenzo and Givenchy.
For example, the street couture look refers to the mixing and matching of grunge sweaters with long and classical full skirts - or wearing a vintage rock T-shirt with a feminine pleated skirt.
Other trends
The editors-in-chief of Elle, Cosmopolitan and InStyle also pointed out another fall trend: oversized jackets and tops. Many brands are also introducing water drop prints.
Along with blue, brown, gray, red and yellow are other “it” colors for the next season.
Makeup trends have also changed a lot. Adding glow to one’s skin used to be popular, but Gang Ok-jin, Elle Korea’s beauty editor, said “Matte makeup, which makes one’s skin look rather pale, will replace glow makeup in the fall.”
Han Eun-ju, a beauty editor at InStyle, agreed: “Without glow, powdery and matte makeup would overtake glow makeup. Lip color without too much glow is also recommended.”
BY KANG SEUNG-MIN [so@joongang.co.kr]