tailored, severe, and dark.
Since shoppers haven’t been spending as much money on clothes during the recession, designers are focusing on value instead of flair. Elegant, tailored clothing is the result. For a more detailed summary of Fashion week, see Kathy Horyn’s article, "Two Words for Fall: Toughen Up".
After looking at the fall shows from Donna Karan, Vera Wang and Michael Kors, I noticed the same type of look repeated over and over:
1. Thin turtlenecks w/belts or jackets:
D Donna Karan, Michael Kors
S Sleeveless turtlenecks:
Belted V-necks
Donna Karan, Michael Kors, Vera Wang
What colors are in? Dark neutrals:
Black, black and more black.
Silver
Charcoal
Burgundy
Camel
Caramel
Chocolate brown
Blood red
What textures are in?
Smooth texture, almost exclusively: Jersey, thin cottons, other clingy fabrics
What accessories are in? Belts are everywhere! Especially
black belts with silver buckles.
Donna Karan
How can we
apply these trends to our knitting for fall and winter?
1. Knit a
clingy turtleneck to wear under a blazer, or with a belt:
Top left is Rowan's Silhouette by Nina Chakoor, Top right is Lacy Rib Turtleneck by Connie Chang Chinchio.
2. Knit a V-neck
top:
Ramona Sweater by Jared Flood
3.
Knit a tailored blazer & cinch it with a black belt
Top left is Maggie and Top right is Darcy, both by Kim Hargreaves, Bottom left is Ardent Jacket by Kat Coyle and Bottom right is Orza by Kim Hargreaves. See how well Kim Hargreaves jacket patterns lend themselves to belts?
Ginny, by Kim Hargreaves
Keep these style trends in mind when you plan your fall projects:
1. Fit is
King
A fitted, clingy silhouette is in, tight at the waist. That
means you should be choosing sweaters designed with negative ease that will go
well with tailored pants or a pencil skirt. This also means that stockinette stitch is a good choice. Simple, ultra-fitted
garments knitted in stockinette will give the smooth,
clingy look of the jersey that is so popular this season.
2. Use
Thinner Yarns
In this season’s fashion climate, bulky knits and cables are
going to stand out like a sore thumb. The only exception here was the bulky
ribbed turtleneck—but the thick turtles were spilling out of fitted
jackets, still creating a silhouette that was cinched at the waist. Stick to
4-ply or sport-weight yarns for your tops, and no more than DK weight or
worsted yarns for tailored jackets.
4.
Tone Down your
Color Palette
Aside from a few bright yellow and orange tops in the Michael
Kors collection, and some jewel toned reds and
purples in Donna Karan, the theme is dark and neutral. Black and charcoal-tones
for us winters, camel and caramel and oyster for springs and autumns, and dark
browns and blue greys for summers. Keep it simple and
avoid variegated yarns.
Donna Karan
Of course, we can ignore these fashion trends entirely and go
ahead and knit whatever we feel like creating. But that raises the
question—are we thinking of our knitting in terms of craft projects, or
in terms of clothes? I think both of them have a strong place in our knitting, but it’s a good idea to
decide what we are trying for before we shell out $50 to $100 on a new batch of
yarn. Because if you don’t really need another craft project lying around the
house, why not spend that money instead on a great black belt to wear with your
sweaters and blazers this season?