The Wiseling Blog

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Trend Watch: Tough Tweed

Your grandmother’s favorite fabric has gotten a tough update for fall. This season, we saw tweed in motorcycle-esque jackets, body hugging dresses, leather trimmed tops, and bold box-pleat skirts. 

1. Tibi 2. Alexander Wang 3. J Mendel 4. Erdem 5. Rebecca Taylor 6. Dorothy Perkins 7. Derek Lam 8. Vanessa Bruno Athe 9. Givenchy 10. Mulberry 11. Kenzo 12. Tibi 13. Proenza Schouler 14. Oscar de la Renta

Point of Reference: Peter Pan Collars

Photo via Elle.

The Peter Pan collar is named after the collar used in Maude Adam’s costume in the 1905 production of J.M. Barrie’s play Peter and Wendy. Following the play, this style collar became an immediate fashion hit, becoming associated with girls’ and women’s clothing. However, Adam’s Peter Pan was not the first to wear this flat, round-cornered style collar. Prior to her performance, the Peter Pan collar was already a popular detail for little boys’ suits (as early as the 1890s) and was typically associated with Quaker clothing.

This season, the Peter Pan collar has seen a major resurgence in women’s fashion, available in a multitude of collars and featuring beaded and embroidered embellishments. We love this metallic brocade top featuring a Peter Pan collar by Paul & Joe Sister. The trick for styling this trend is to pair it with tailored, grown-up pieces to keep from looking too precious.

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Trend Watch: Hair Adornment

There was a noticeable trend on fall runways this year, and it wasn’t the bold fur, oxblood everything, or printed silk pants. Designers this season opted for simple, hassle free hair styles topped off with some sort of adornment. There were jeweled and floral headbands at Oscar de la Renta and Dolce & Gabbana, and show-stopping hair clips at Rodarte. We love this trend as a no fuss way to add a little sparkle to any holiday ensemble.

1. Dolce & Gabbana 2. BCBG Max Azria 3. Tory Burch 4. Lanvin 5. Oscar de la Renta 6. Anna P 7. Gemma Kahng 8. Kate Spade 9. Rodarte

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Trend Watch: Pastels for Fall

This fall, designers have surprised us with an unexpected cold weather color palette: pastels. But these aren’t the Spring-y pastels that invade all the stores in April. This season we are seeing dusty, romantic colors that are more reminiscent of gingerbread frosting than of egg dyes. And with pretty pastels being featured by a diverse collection of designers like Oscar de la Renta, Moschino, Valentino, and Chloe, there is sure a piece for every wardrobe. 

1. Chloe 2. Acne 3. Mulberry 4. Aldo 5. Madiyah Al Sharqi 6. Acne 7. Tory Burch 8. Jeffrey Campbell 9. Red Valentino 10. Chloe 11. Oscar de la Renta

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Trend Watch: Leather Skirts

As the mercury continues to drop, we find ourselves having to put away our summer lightweight summer skirts and dresses, seemingly banishing them in favor of heavier, more insulating fabrics. Luckily, this year designers have provided us with a winterized option. Leather skirts have popped up in a number of styles and colors, taking them out of the realm of biker bars and firmly planting them on our wishlists. 

1. Lanvin 2. Alexander McQueen 3. Gucci 4. David Koma 5. Osman Yousefzada 6. Patrik Ervell 7. Organic by John Patrick 8. Yves Saint Laurent 9. Proenza Schouler 10. Chloe 11. Alaia 12. Sachin + Babi 13. The Row 14. Topshop 15. Versace 16. DKNY

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Trend Watch: Varsity Jackets

Designers were not just reminiscing about prep school this fall, they were also remembering school sports. Varsity jackets, or variations of, were seen at Anna Sui, Alexander Wang, and Proenza Schouler. While some have given us more literal interpretations, others created varsity jackets in the abstract, borrowing elements from the iconic sportswear, but reinventing the look. This would be a good time to get out your old letter jacket and show off your past athletic achievements. Or, if your school didn’t give them to members of the debate team, check out some of these fashionable versions.

1. Anna Sui via The Cut 2. Madewell 3. IRO 4. Stella McCartney 5. JW Anderson for Topshop 6. Prabal Gurung 7. Marc by Marc Jacobs 8. Kris Van Assche 9. Golden Bear 10. Alexander Wang 11. Proenza Schouler via The Cut

Will you be rocking this old school favorite?

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Street Style: A Paris Fashion Week showgoer is on trend in a bold necklace and socks with sandals.

Via Lord Ashbury.

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Trend Watch: Brocade

Designers have long referenced vintage designs in their creations, but this fall, some of them are looking farther back than usual. No, not the Roaring 20s or even the Victorian Era, but the Late Middle Ages. From Jill Stuart to Marchesa and Proenza Schouler to Jason Wu, we saw piece after piece sewn from rich brocades a la Queen Elizabeth I. But these dresses, trousers, tops, and coats hardly resembled museum pieces. Cut in modern shapes and paired with basics that let them stand out, this attention-grabbing trend is a sure fire way to make a royal-worthy statement. 

1. Proenza Schouler 2. Huishan Zhang 3. Stella McCartney 4. Oscar de la Renta 5. Matthew Williamson 7. Osman 8. Roseanna 9. Jason Wu 10. Opening Ceremony

Will you be wearing this regal trend this fall?

Fashion Timeline: Haute Couture

Haute couture is where fashion and art combine to create one endlessly fascinating world with limitless possibilities. It is in haute couture that designers can let their imaginations run wild and create designs that are as at home on the runway as they would be in a gallery. Each piece showcases months of labor and future trends at their most potent, before they have been diluted into versions more palatable for consumer consumption. As a combination between art and fashion, haute couture also strongly reflects the times, from the decadence following World War I to the strong, yet feminine woman of Dior’s New Look. Here, we’ve compiled some of our favorite looks from fashion at its highest over the last century.

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Paris Fashion Week Re-cap 2.0

All images via The Cut

Paris Fashion Week was so amazing that we just couldn’t limit it to one re-cap. This week we saw the best of the best in the industry, all of them tempting us with beautiful pieces for next spring before we’ve finished shopping for fall. It is hard to remember that we need to start dressing in heavy knits, boots, and red leather when we are being bombarded with floral prints, sleeveless tops, flowy dresses, and the one, overwhelming trend for spring: oversize. But in fashion, seasonal confusion is the spice of life, so here are six more of our favorite Paris shows.

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