After seasons of frills and embellisment, designers took Fall ’05 in a different direction with darkly romantic pieces like the soft blouse and the velvet jacket. Since everyone is still wearing jeans — and this year highly distressed and embellished jeans are hot — denim-friendly fitted blazers in corduroy are a must. Layered looks are still good, with tie-front tops or shrugs over longer camisoles. Fur trims add a bit of luxe to the whole look.
1. Black is Back
From sweetly beribboned cocktail dresses to jet jewelry, black is back in a big way for Fall 2005. The newest way to wear black is anything but basic: look for interesting shapes and rich textures (i.e. velvet, ruching) to give it life.
2. Tall Boots
What better way to complement your cropped pants and full skirts than the tall boot? Forget the ugly boot craze of last year: today’s leather boot is beautiful with either flat heels (if you can pull them off) or a sleek taller heel.
3. Full Skirts
Pants usually push out skirts as the leaves turn colors, but full skirts continue to dominate the fashion scene. They are part of what fashion types call “Volume Dressing,” and worn with tall boots and something sleek on top (a shrug, fitted jacket or slim white shirt) they are surprisingly flattering and forgiving (after all, full skirts cover up what is most women’s problem areas.)
4. Hobo Bags
Forget about dainty little under-the-arm shoulder bags. What looks fresh now is an oversized hobo in leather, suede or metallic.
5. Embellished Jeans
Stand out from the crowd with super-distressed denim from your favorite premium brands. Or go with crystal-encrusted jeans or even embroidered and studded styles. Keep everything else — tops, shoes, accessories — to a minimum for the freshest look.
6. Fur Trims
Tap your inner diva and break out a bit of fur around the neckline to call attention to your beautiful face. Don’t do fur? Then try one of the many faux fur alternatives.
