The
latest
fashion trends for Spring/Summer 2007 are all about
'dresses'. There is a fashion transition happening at the
moment with romance in dress, versus futurism in dress.
On a fashion history point, I
note that hemlines have been rising steadily for some two seasons and the ultra-short
catwalk silhouette is leading to extreme leggy looks in mass
produced garments for spring 2007.
If you are not a dress type of person then you can still show
leg, but by adopting
the luxury sporty look.
This cream and orange bud print shift
top (£45) is modelled here as a dress. See picture to the right from the main range of UK
retailer Principles. With its bright abstract print, the
short mini Principles dress
captures the optimistic spirit of summer and the graphic styling
of late noughties prints. It can easily be worn either as a dress or
tunic top. Image courtesy of Principles.
The new sobriety in fashion demands that for Spring/Summer 2007
the midriff be covered, but expect to show a bit more leg .
Quite a bit more leg......
Hemlines for Spring/Summer 2007 are flirtatious and indecisive.
Spring is about the dress. For those youthful enough in
body and mind the mini-dress with the sky high hemline is the must-have dress.
A
fashion trendsetter should think
high-waisted empire dresses that reveal lots of thigh or at
least graze the knee. The high waistline has developed as a noticeable trend in all
types of clothing, including skirts, pants and jackets.
Deep corset belts can easily make any dress high waisted.
Short cute dresses and micro-minis are one of the key pieces
for fashion conscious women this spring. Wear them as
dresses or as tunic tops over leggings, jeans or pants.
Left - Butterfly by Matthew Williamson retro print smock
dress £45 and hexagon detail bag £60. Right - Debut ivory,
black & pink shanghai scoop neck empire line dress £80. Both dresses are from Debenhams Spring/Summer 2007 Womenswear.
Images courtesy of Debenhams.
Other key pieces
for Spring/Summer 2007 are also dress inspired and include the
smock, the parka dress and in complete contrast, the maxi dress.
Look
out for endless dress styles from the regular shift, shirt waist and empire dress to the 1920s drop waist dresses. Expect to find in a shop near you, bra dresses, lace dresses over slips,
bustier and bandeau dresses, jersey Grecian asymmetric and halter neck dresses.
But the dress that surprises most is
the parka worn as a dress. The dress that comforts most is the soft relaxed Jersey dress
in easy shift styles that suits many situations. This £35
blue one shoulder jersey dress left is from Warehouse
Spring/Summer 2007 fashion range.
Many of the Spring 2007 dresses will be
embellished and jewel
studded. This mink multi silk sleeved print tunic with
beads £60/€99 is from Wallis Spring/Summer 2007 ladies fashion
range. It
makes that fashionable nod to a jewelled neckline.
Images courtesy of Warehouse and Wallis/Arcadia.
For
Spring Summer 2007, the key fashion trends hinge on futuristic
space age looks, gleaming shining iridescent fabrics,
romantic folkloric delicate softness, sporty slouchy looks,
body conscious sculpting and an 80s neon colour vibe.
These fashion looks
all lean toward the dress as the major important garment this Spring/Summer 2007. Of all the looks, Futurism is without doubt the look that will move
us forward into 2008.
Other factors you need to consider when scanning fashion
trendsetters for Spring/Summer 2007 are the significance of a narrow or fuller silhouette,
colour,
texture and print. It is some while since
materials have held such importance on the overall look of a
season's fashion trends.
Volume has steadily been polished and
refined.
A-line swing trapeze volume
has been an autumn staple, but now volume has taken on a shapelier look as its moved closer to the body and as fabrics have become less stiff, more delicate, softer and flowing.
In 2007 volume
no longer shocks us, but it is evident everywhere in roomier
clothes in the swing of a fuller skirt or the flare of a trapeze
dress, the loose silhouette of a
swagger coat or swing back cropped jacket, wider legs in trousers,
a fuller bloused sleeve, a generous ruffle or a fuller wider
collar. This tent
dress right and courtesy of New Look Spring/ Summer 2007 Women's
Wear is a style you may well wear this year.
No doubt many women in everyday life, will opt for the volume
found in clothes of easy jersey slouch
dressing and wider pants. Even denim garments are getting
roomier as women now have the choice to rebel against wearing
skinnies, opting for well cut slim cigarette pants or slouch trousers
instead. But for those who can wear them, the cut Skinny jeans are Topshop's Baxter jeans which just happen to be incredible value.
Skinny pants in satin are novel too. Leggings with stretch are another matter and
they take on a new look now with metallic finishes. Volume has been around for 18 months or so - see my
Rules for Wearing Volume here.
Colours
shown on many catwalks were from a subdued chalkier earthy
palette, with softer
neutrals in silver, opal grey,
cream, white, flesh, soft pink, blush, ecru, coffee cream,
copper and soft
sandy browns.
Fortunately the high street has opted to follow the lead of
Miuccia Prada and her use of richer jewel tones. Look out
for stronger tones of sky blue, electric blue, gold,
golden
apricot and many hues as sweet wrapper metallic colours.
Check out the alternatives of sharply dazzling acid bright neon
colours. The latter hues are the confident 80's brights of
yellow, tangerine, coral, scarlet red, purple, cobalt blue, ultramarine, emerald sea green, and hot bright fuchsia pink.
Yellow and gold are some of the most important colours on offer
in many clothing lines this season.
Expect to see plenty of vivid ultramarine and electric blue.
The dazzling bright electric blue shorts shirt dress left
is courtesy of Oasis SS07 Catwalk Show. Electric colours
are often mixed silver and other metallics in
the luxury sporty look.
Spring/Summer 2007 fabrics are decorated with abstract and bold graphic prints
as well as small floral ditzy prints, botanical and large
cabbage rose designs.
Opt for big aggressive prints which have a more modern look
if you want to appear hot on trend, although smaller Liberty
dimity style florals will look more elegant for mannered social
events such as weddings.
Right purple floral print empire
bra dress - £25/€40 from Dorothy Perkins Spring/Summer 2007
Fashions. Image courtesy of Dorothy
Perkins/Arcadia.
Graphic bold black and white
monochrome prints hone in on the retro sixties element that has
been a strong fashion vibe for several seasons and should hold
on well through Spring/Summer 2007.
Why? Well women like the fresh youthful feel of 60's inspired
fashion designs.
Texture on dress is everywhere. Detailed encrustation and
textured appliqué on dresses was intense on many catwalk
garments. The technique made many garments into walking
60s inspired textile arts collages a confection of modern
passementerie.
Fabrics
for spring 2007 glimmer and shimmer, shine, gleam and glisten.
So important is this factor that Metallics
is a fashion trend in its own right and much of it is clearly
intended for day wear. If the metallic fashion trend is
too full on for you just add items with metallic trim to your
wardrobe.
Sixties inspired space age dresses with cutaway armholes work
the metallic fashion trend really well. Retro Futurism is where
Space Odyssey meets the 21st century.
This silver white jewelled brocade tunic shift dress shown left is
courtesy of Debenhams. It's from the fashion range Star by
Julien Macdonald at Debenhams
Spring/Summer 2007 Womenswear fashion range.
Storm
trooper, heavy metal looks don't translate too well to the high
street. Chain mail, although it made for good designer shows, is impractical in real life.
Futuristic trends include Lucite heels in shoes. Both Marc Jacobs and
Alexander McQueen used Lucite. Check out anything that has a silver 60s
Space Age look. For other designers who went futuristic
examine the merchandise from Dolce and Gabbana and Hussein Chalayan.
The high street can't copy this retro futurism look easily - yet! The
current alternative is to wear lame or
metallic leggings or adopt silver and metallic looks. So far the high street alternative
is to opt for plastic, oversized plastic or metal Pailettes on
garments, leather and unusual materials in cloth.
Until
realistic alternatives emerge, for now look to shiny preformed bra cups in clothes, patent
leather, shiny metallic fabrics, smooth line corsets
incorporated into dresses. Also accessorise with shoes trimmed with hard metal trims and sleek smooth untangled sharp
haircuts. The more instant practical solution might be the
golden leggings available from American Apparel or the copper
metallic wet look leggings from River Island and Retro-styled
corsetry with new, playful details.
Rubber, plastic, bonded
materials ....Terminator here
I come!
Golden
looks have gained momentum in the past few months appearing
across dresses, coats and jackets adding elegant glamour.
Gold, yellow and mustard clothes are very much a seasonal must-have.
This lovely gold brocade jacket £45/€70 left is from Dorothy Perkins
Spring/Summer 2007 range and has a matching shift dress. Note the elbow sleeves, shaped
waist, big saucer buttons and soft volume to the jacket skirt.
Image courtesy of Dorothy Perkins/Arcadia.
Look out for
lustrous
brocade damasks with shimmering negative/positive raised
surface texture and sheen.
It's not just gold, but silver too that has gained in importance.
The gold rush that started a year ago is shifting position to
add even more opulent gleam as silver shimmer and metallic sweet wrapper foil effects in
materials start appearing in stores. From clutch bags to shoes, to slinky dresses
and coats, shine and silver sparkle will be seen far and wide in
2007.
The New Look Metallic check-design coat far right has easy swing
and swagger, large
buttons, a wide flat collar and retains that sleeve interest
with a three quarter sleeve fitted into a small band cuff.
Sleeve cuffs of all types are an area of focus this year.
This gleaming silver grey
cloud grosgrain bell sleeve coat £80/€130 left, is from Wallis
Spring Summer 2007 Limited range and has all the features you'd look for in a special fashion
coat to take that chill off that wisp of a mini dress beneath it.
Image courtesy of Wallis and New Look.
Take special note of the directional features. Observe the
wider collars in both of these coats and note the
cuff ruffle flounce and the bands on the sleeves.
Obvious pockets and pocket welts or zip pockets are cropping up
on all apparel items. Fabrics are extra important this season.
They shimmer, they glimmer and gleam, they have textural
qualities not seen in general fashion clothing for years.
Grosgrain is one of the interesting fashion fabrics
currently in use. Grosgrain is a closely woven ribbed
fabric with linear surface texture similar to that of grosgrain
hatband ribbon.
Dresses
of 2007 come with built in jewellery!
The surface decorative texture on dresses, first seen at the
catwalk shows,
has also been used at the necklines of many high street shop
dresses. Jewelled necklines mean that there is minimal
need for to wear a necklace. With dresses like
these, concentrate on coordinating earrings or statement rings
and wrist jewellery rather than crowding the neckline.
The Nouveau Principles dress
is a comfortable option for dining out or dancing. It has
volume, but not too much volume. Make sure when buying a
loose cut dress like this, that your dress is a perfect fit on
the shoulder, neckline and armhole.
This
bejewelled neckline, oyster dress show to the right, is from Wallis and
looks like a classic buy that one day will be a vintage find.
The jet beads highlight the curve of the neckline and make
excessive jewellery unnecessary.
Right - Oyster satin dress with jet jewels £60/€99 part of
the Wallis Spring/Summer 2007 ladies dress collection.
Satin demands a figure with few flaws. Be sure to check
your appearance in a 2 or 3 way mirror when you buy any satin
garments. Fashion has no mercy when it comes to
lumps and bumps.
Images courtesy of Principles
and Wallis.
Catwalk
hemlines are exceptionally high, but do expect to see this high
fashion styling
tamed down for the high street. Ultra short micro hemlines
have lead to straight and simple trapeze silhouettes that skim
the body, but which show lot of leg and minimal cleavage.
Overdone cleavage is out.
Bare midriffs are out.
SHORT DRESSES ARE IN!
For Spring/Summer 2007, women will be able to look pretty in
prints that are grown up girly. This soft prettiness is a
counterpoint to the Brit Boy Slouch and Luxury Sporty looks.
Above left - Palma Tunic £55 courtesy of Monsoon fashion
range. This streamlined
tunic shift dress is perfect for modern daywear with its over
scaled graphic print and minimal colour palette of black,
white and flashes of ochre, khaki and burnt orange.
Image courtesy of Monsoon.
Romantic dreamy flowing full length, maxi dresses in empire line or
halter neck styles sweep the floor as exotic prints and Pucci
style abstract patterns all vie for attention. Full length
jersey dresses in plain strong colours or prints like this maxi style print dress from Dorothy
Perkins right scream fashionable glamour. Right - Green geo-print
chiffon maxi dress - £35/€55 courtesy of Dorothy Perkins
Spring/Summer 2007 fashions.
Short
baby doll empire line dresses are more prevalent than ever. Baby
doll dress left, is courtesy of Oasis SS07 Fashion Trends Catwalk Show.
Evening cocktail dresses with frivolous frills scream the
message feminine romantic lady who is all woman. Multi
layered chiffons float with volume fullness and are adorned with
self fabric rose flowers. Fabric flower adornment is
fashionable both as corsage embellishment and appliqué.
Floral silk muslins are perfect for summer dresses and you
can expect to find many dresses in practical materials and just
as many in romantic silk and chiffon. Dresses, blouses,
skirts all float to make for girlish romantic clothes
set against practical, pocketed, parka dresses and folksy
frocks.
Images courtesy of Oasis and Dorothy
Perkins/Arcadia.
Gucci's
ivory white and red miniature folk pattern inspired dresses have
inspired other fashion houses to create their own take on this
folksy look.
Gucci's folkloric dresses have recently been featured with
triple red snakeskin belts that cinch in volume and which are
paired with ostrich and tassel red handbags in a recent
advertising feature.
This is an easy look for fashion companies to copy and is likely
to be a commercial success, especially as the loose styling
means one size fits so many!
Look for intricate and scaled down patterns, Paisley
patterns, scaled border prints with strong bands of colour,
lacing, piping, square yoke necklines, smock shapes, elastication, flounces
and full blouson sleeves as the main features of this current
look. Arts and craft texture also features on some pieces
within this category.
This folksy floral tunic dress from Warehouse right is made up
in silk and is £55 from Warehouse Spring/Summer 2007 fashion
collection. Topshop also does this fashionable folkloric
look extremely well. If you seek a designer who favours
patchwork styled smock frocks then look no further than ladies
clothes from the Marc by Marc Jacobs range. Hot foot it
the new London store open from 16 February 2007. Just in
time for spring shopping.
Image courtesy of Warehouse.
If folksy is not your style then maybe you should look to the
body conscious trend. 80's body hugging short dresses sit best on strong looking
womanly bodies with good legs worthy of showing. This look
is not for fragile waifs. It's a power look and needs a
confident striding curvaceous womanly body. One that can
be held in without discomfort by strong Lycra™ power net whilst
tottering on high heels.
Select body-con dresses which emphasise the highness of bust and elongate the legs whilst really hugging the the body like a
tight bandage.
80's Body Conscious is a translatable trend and likely to be
more important by autumn 2007.
Glamour flourishes - the primary vibrant electric colour palette of the 80s and early 1990s brings
retro glamour which overshadows the understated looks associated
with greige and the soft neutral powder colours of the October
catwalk shows.
Mix hot colours with black for a real 80's feel and think
power and punk.
Check
out boxier jackets, blazers, clean sharp clingy 80's silhouettes and
anything bold and bright. This look is not for the timid
as your Day-Glo look will be hard not to notice with all that
fake tan you'll need to balance the look. Elsewhere leave
the roast chicken tan, fake or real safely under wraps.
Effortless chic and easy dressing make for feminine
fashionable urban looks in a soft powdery palette. Think
monochrome, soft white, silver grey putty, sand, taupe greige, khaki,
rose, pink and mauve.
Volume is interpreted as looseness, easy cut, generous sleeves, circular yolks and easy loose dresses not much longer than a tunic.
Easy-to-wear superfine jersey is worn in easy cut garments that
are layered tone on tone and makes for great ladies wear.
Jersey Slinky jersey, silk jersey, cotton jersey all fit into this
look. Dancing queens go for jersey which stretches with every move.
Eco friendly produced garments and organic fabrics also fit
well into this category. This look is very good when done in all
white. Think Claire McCardell easy sportswear. But
the easiest way to wear this look is the loose slouchy shirt
dress or oversized baggy T-shirt with low key hair and make-up.
If you like more structure even to your slouch looks then wear a crisp neat top with wide slouchy volume pants or skirts set off with a
big bag at least the size
of a miniskirt. Like the 80's Body Con Look, this is
another easy to translate and wearable look showing a clear
leaning toward androgynous tailored looks for autumn 2007.
Right - Tulip print dress with white wide
leg linen trousers - dress £60, trousers £40, sunglasses £16 all
from Warehouse Spring/Summer 2007 fashion range.
Image courtesy of Warehouse.
This look has been around for some time. Tailored androgynous silhouettes that are lean and long
borrow from the boyfriend. Tailoring is evident, but soft and
relaxed and definitely belonging in women's wear. Hip length jackets and tuxedo jackets define this
look. City shorts add a girly touch but if shorts are
a priority on your shopping list then maybe you are the perfect
consumer for the Sporty luxury look. Read more about the
boyfriend look here.
Athletic active sporty glamorous wear is an important
alternative statement to dresses in fashion trends for Spring/Summer 2007 season.
Luxury sportswear looks use satins and metallic futuristic
fabrics along with neon brights.
It is deluxe sporty glamour
which is soft, casual yet glamorous, not really intended for
sweating in the
gym, but perfect for clubwear. You can see and read about
it on its own page Luxury
Sporty and observe how it will appeal to a wide age range.
See and read much more about
the luxury sporty look.
Bags have their own page in this section. Big bags have
been a real major trend of 2006 and the look is set to continue
into 2007.
The main spring 2007 mass bag trend is the larger oversized
handbag. The more it resembles a super sized tote shopper the
more it is part of the current trend. But some of us have
been buying smaller bags in revolt at this look which is now
becoming laughable. Hand luggage is luggage - handbags are
handbags not intended to be Lady Bracknell baby carriers.
I confess I have already abandoned my bigger bags. I began
to feel overloaded by the contents that got heavier day by day.
However whilst I dislike this trend I concede big large bags
are in tune with current looks. So make your own choice
between big and bold or the sharp look of a clutch or a small
understated handheld frame bag.
The October catwalk shows were the creative inspiration for
new styles of clothing mentioned here. The season now moves forward, and designer
ideas morph into new mass fashion looks for
Spring/Summer 2007. Some catwalk looks will gain mass
adoption and become a real fashion trend, others will fall by the wayside, but whatever look you
choose, be sure you work with the parts of your body that you love.
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