Fashion month is over – here’s what you’ll actually want to buy
Concluding a whole month of catwalk shows, this last Paris Fashion Week was full of new ideas that felt, refreshingly, wearable. From Saint Laurent’s glamorous boiler suits to Loewe’s new denim, there were plenty of new clothes on offer that we really would want to add to our wardrobes next spring, as well as styling tricks and ideas that could serve to update your existing look without spending at all. Here’s what should top your new season shopping list…
The floaty skirt
The loose shirt is clearly everyone’s best friend for next season, and at Louis Vuitton, Nicolas Ghesquière presented some uncharacteristically floaty skirts to wear with it. In lingerie-light gauze layers with discreet ruffles, his maxi skirts are as flattering as they get. Also take note of the wide waist-cinching belt, which provides a timely update to any look.
The jumpsuit
No less than 20 per cent of the looks in Anthony Vaccarello’s latest Saint Laurent collection were jumpsuits. From utility daywear styles with generous cargo pockets, to black evening onesies with strapless bodices (as modelled by Eva Herzigova), Vaccarello is tipping this as a piece to wear for all hours. Of course, this was Saint Laurent, so even the cotton casuals were elevated with gold jewellery, metallic sunglasses and glossy brown slingback heels – styling touches anyone can replicate when wearing their boiler suit out to dinner.
The bomber jacket
Don’t worry, your blazer is as current now as ever. But the blouson or bomber jacket is also back in play, and ultra desirable at Miu Miu where it allowed for new proportions to be played with. Here it brings a modern sportiness to a pencil skirt. Elsewhere it’s worn with wide trousers. As a new layering piece it’s going to be one of those endlessly useful ones.
The stretchy column dress
Ribbed column dresses have had a starring role this season and this version, with its cheering stripe and uncrushable material, would be the one to plump for. At Akris, the focus is always on the finest, most practical fabrics, worn by smart businesswomen who don’t want their clothes to crumple if they sit down. The brand majors on good taste, but this show had a streak of playfulness in its poppy prints and lace flowers, as well as a dash of fire-engine red, which will be a key colour come summer.
The ultra-high waist trousers
From stone-washed jeans, to khakis, to corduroy slacks, trousers were the headline act for designer Jonathan Anderson at Loewe this season. Specifically, above-waist trousers – pants that reached so high they touched the ribs. Anderson tucked in chunky knitwear, filmy shirts and casual tees, all to ensure that the trousers were the focal point of his looks. Refreshingly, his flares were styled with jewelled ballet pumps and glossy T-bar flats.
The rugby shirt
Via off-kilter colour combinations and layered-on sequins, Dries Van Noten has made rugby tops look positively glamorous. He’s kept their wide stripes and white collars, but added some unmistakable fashion touches. Some were draw-strung with ribbons to twist their jersey silhouettes, while on others the proportions had been exaggerated to form dresses and macs. The easiest way to get the look would be to belt an oversized shirt, and wear with a pencil skirt or slim-cut trousers.
The wide jeans
The loose baggy blue jeans at Valentino point the way for next season. There was a lot of denim on the catwalks but this pair was just the right side of slouchy. Here, the classic was elevated with a most elaborate top fashioned from white leather flowers. It’s a high-low mix that many designers love and it’s a look that’s quite simple to pull off.
The utility dress
A practical, 1940s shirt dress gains fashion credentials when it has soft leather detail on the breast pockets and collar. A narrow cut and clean silhouette are key, as is the understated but still luscious earthy colour and, to enhance its wearer-pleasing abilities, wear it with sandals you can stride out in, as here. There were lots of user-friendly pockets on the Paris catwalks, but nowhere were they chicer than at Hermes.