Make The Look Your Own: Fall 2012 Trends: Outerwear
As the temperatures start dropping,
the pressure to find your coat
of the season is starting to rise.
Some may say there is a coat for
every occasion but for those of us
who must make the most of a limited
wardrobe budget, it calls for
some decision-making. Once you
narrow down the style you are
looking for, (are you classic?
Edgy? Sporty?), and your price
range, you can really explore this
season's trends and get a great bargain
on your outerwear.
While we are all working within budget constraints, it is important to consider that a fall/winter coat is really a good place to invest some money because it is something that you are going to be wearing every day. And while I like a good deal as much as the next girl, sometimes you get what you pay for. In terms of outerwear, you are paying for warmth, some level of weather resistance, durability and style. To justify my spending, I like to look at it this way: divide the cost of the item by an estimate of the amount of "wears" you will get out of it to determine the average cost per wear. This helps distinguish between a fad and a classic, and where you should invest some of your precious cash. If you're looking at a beautiful Banana Republic trench coat and the $300 price tag seems steep, consider that you may be wearing it at least four times each week for October and November, as well as through the spring into March, April and May. Once you do the math, the trench coat comes out to approximately $3.75 per wear. Seems reasonable, right? That's a latte a day.
Back to finding a coat! Some of the hottest trends of the season popping up in outerwear are mixing textures, bold colours, sports inspiration, structured silhouettes and a lot of very oversized pieces. Depending on your personal style and fall wardrobe allowance, there is something for everyone this season. A personal favourite is the two-tone and two-texture trend. This works especially well when it is a leather (or synthetic leather look-alike, and these days it is really hard to spot the difference) and wool mix. It adds a very sleek, modern edge to the traditional pea coat or blazer wardrobe staples.
The colours of the season are very dark and gothic inspired. As always, black remains popular, as it is so versatile and so flattering. For those of you looking for a bolder look, bordeaux (a deep, rich burgundy shade) is really trendy and flatters a wide range of skin tones. Dark browns, tweeds and camel colours will always be in fashion for fall outerwear.
In terms of sports inspiration, the bomber jacket is making a huge comeback. It is styled differently, some have the varsity letter jacket feel while others executed in leather or suede could have a more polished, formal effect. This is a huge trend, especially paired with the of-the-moment "sneaker wedges" — this is a combination that Rihanna has been spotted wearing absolutely everywhere.
As with any clothing item, silhouette, structure and shape are incredibly important in outerwear. It is crucial to know, understand (and accept!) your body type and what works best with it. It is better to think of how to accentuate and emphasize your favourite parts rather than try to change your body shape with clothing. Some current styles, like the oversized singlebutton knee-length coats, or a cropped bomber jacket, will certainly not work for every body type. The trick is to spot the trend and make it work for you!
We are lucky in London to have a variety of retailers for all price ranges. If you are seeking a unique look that you're not going to see every other girl on campus wearing then it might interest you to shop in smaller boutiques on Richmond Row, which have oneof- a-kind styles and funkier pieces. For the mass consumer of style there is always H&M at White Oaks Mall, which offers a very reasonable price point, and the even more affordable Forever 21 at Masonville. Don't forget, you can always shop online to get access to stores that might not be in this city or to get even better bargains. However, returning an online purchase is somewhat more of a hassle so be prepared to deal with that if you start surfing the shops.
The trends of the season are out there for you to play with and make your own personal fashion statement. Whether you're going to rock a cropped bomber jacket or huddle your layers of warm sweaters underneath a looser draped coat, fall outerwear trends run from one extreme to the other and you can stay warm, stay stylish and not break the bank doing it!
While we are all working within budget constraints, it is important to consider that a fall/winter coat is really a good place to invest some money because it is something that you are going to be wearing every day. And while I like a good deal as much as the next girl, sometimes you get what you pay for. In terms of outerwear, you are paying for warmth, some level of weather resistance, durability and style. To justify my spending, I like to look at it this way: divide the cost of the item by an estimate of the amount of "wears" you will get out of it to determine the average cost per wear. This helps distinguish between a fad and a classic, and where you should invest some of your precious cash. If you're looking at a beautiful Banana Republic trench coat and the $300 price tag seems steep, consider that you may be wearing it at least four times each week for October and November, as well as through the spring into March, April and May. Once you do the math, the trench coat comes out to approximately $3.75 per wear. Seems reasonable, right? That's a latte a day.
Back to finding a coat! Some of the hottest trends of the season popping up in outerwear are mixing textures, bold colours, sports inspiration, structured silhouettes and a lot of very oversized pieces. Depending on your personal style and fall wardrobe allowance, there is something for everyone this season. A personal favourite is the two-tone and two-texture trend. This works especially well when it is a leather (or synthetic leather look-alike, and these days it is really hard to spot the difference) and wool mix. It adds a very sleek, modern edge to the traditional pea coat or blazer wardrobe staples.
The colours of the season are very dark and gothic inspired. As always, black remains popular, as it is so versatile and so flattering. For those of you looking for a bolder look, bordeaux (a deep, rich burgundy shade) is really trendy and flatters a wide range of skin tones. Dark browns, tweeds and camel colours will always be in fashion for fall outerwear.
In terms of sports inspiration, the bomber jacket is making a huge comeback. It is styled differently, some have the varsity letter jacket feel while others executed in leather or suede could have a more polished, formal effect. This is a huge trend, especially paired with the of-the-moment "sneaker wedges" — this is a combination that Rihanna has been spotted wearing absolutely everywhere.
As with any clothing item, silhouette, structure and shape are incredibly important in outerwear. It is crucial to know, understand (and accept!) your body type and what works best with it. It is better to think of how to accentuate and emphasize your favourite parts rather than try to change your body shape with clothing. Some current styles, like the oversized singlebutton knee-length coats, or a cropped bomber jacket, will certainly not work for every body type. The trick is to spot the trend and make it work for you!
We are lucky in London to have a variety of retailers for all price ranges. If you are seeking a unique look that you're not going to see every other girl on campus wearing then it might interest you to shop in smaller boutiques on Richmond Row, which have oneof- a-kind styles and funkier pieces. For the mass consumer of style there is always H&M at White Oaks Mall, which offers a very reasonable price point, and the even more affordable Forever 21 at Masonville. Don't forget, you can always shop online to get access to stores that might not be in this city or to get even better bargains. However, returning an online purchase is somewhat more of a hassle so be prepared to deal with that if you start surfing the shops.
The trends of the season are out there for you to play with and make your own personal fashion statement. Whether you're going to rock a cropped bomber jacket or huddle your layers of warm sweaters underneath a looser draped coat, fall outerwear trends run from one extreme to the other and you can stay warm, stay stylish and not break the bank doing it!
