It was all too dominant on the Fall/Winter collections this year. A refreshing turn from past season’s fascination over high street style led to a more refined and sophisticated mood that took over the runways. The most astounding pieces that immediately captured fashion’s fancy, quite obviously, celebrated the well-dressed woman. Proper ladies from the ‘50s and ‘60s, as they are so fondly called even today, were muses to designers who revisited the glorious days when one was never without a pair of gloves, a milliner’s masterpiece and a timeless pair of pumps. Christian Dior best expressed this ideal, taking reference from Madame Jolie ‘60s. It seemed that, as each collection was sent down — one after the other — an austere aesthetic had taken over style’s sensibilities.
The suit, a staple without doubt, has taken on new forms through fabrication, color selection and more significantly through severe executions in silhouette. At Jil Sander, for example, the label’s distinctly pragmatic and highly intellectual approach in design blended seamlessly with the current rave for sculpted forms through overt cuts and patterns. Such detailing added an inherent sense of minimalist, structural modernity to a timeless piece. This nod to sleek lines and hushed refinery perfectly showcases a newfound appreciation for the true meaning of chic.
Similarly, as best seen in the work of Marc Jacobs for Louis Vuitton, a fusion of downcast pastel — blues, pinks and greens in the most de-saturated hues — added an of-the-moment charm to an otherwise solemn number. This, as a result, gave the highly-constricted suit a refreshingly soothing appeal. It does appear that the season’s palette has now adopted a new notion to neutrals, adding hushed hues on its once very rigid register.
Most definitive of the suit, of course, is the jacket. And by this, the fashion front is specific about veering away from the usual and rather drab corporate jackets that, truth be told, one would most likely shove into fashion oblivion at the soonest possible chance. Tailored with the highest level of precision and attention to detail, this requisite piece for Fall is designed to serve both as a focal point to your number and a balancing element to the contrived feel that a suit often connotes. Yves Saint Laurent particularly stood out, adding a jolt of drama to tailoring. Head designer for the label, Stefano Pilati, concocted precision cut jackets and pants that evoked what one might deem as an odd ode to futurism as he brilliantly executed geometric cut lines and unexplored proportions.
While the general appeal of suits was in androgynous and mannish modernity, some designers opted to create pieces that ultimately paid tribute to all things feminine. At Nina Ricci and Oscar de la Renta, prim pieces were comprised of those with ruffle details. Romantic as it is utterly smart, a ruffle jacket or blouse perfectly balanced off this season’s pencil skirts and tailored pants.
And so it goes. This Fall, the fashion rebel takes a hiatus while the suit makes itself undeniably visible on the style radar. Structure, polish, sophistication and proper dressing are key elements in defining one of this season’s biggest trends. Once again, we are re-learning the meaning of the term “dress code” and it definitely looks like many are more than willing to comply.