Madame Suggests a Refresh

Fall is coming at you...

Conspicuous consumption—not a Victorian disease but too much buying of too much stuff—is not in style. It's bad for the planet, bad for the pocketbook and too darn confusing when it comes to what-to-wear. Trends are not important anymore. They're more like sprinkles on an ice cream cone because anything goes.

Never has "shop your closet" been a clearer directive. The trouble begins when you discover you didn't hang on to your Gucci-inspired 80s looks. Who did?

Celine, Fall 2019

 
You can decide to "sit this one out", as many of us with bulging closets and a sense of our own style may do. Nevertheless it might be fun to see how you can add your own sprinkles with a little imagination and perhaps a purchase or two.

Here's what I've gleaned from the fashion press and some preliminary scouting around town:

> Belts are back, in a big way. Big and small belts. Should there ever be a "Madame's Book of Mantras" one would surely be "Never get rid of a good belt." We had a neighbor some years ago in the belt business. Belts were so "out" he was changing careers and let me have the beautiful leather belts that had been his samples. I feel very lucky to have held onto them. This year's belt sprinkle (aka trend) is wearing a belt with a jacket or blazer.

Bazaar says it's a must-have

> If belts are back, can skirts be far behind? Pull them out because they are indeed back, two styles especially—the pencil skirt and the pleated. Pencil skirts are longer, definitely below the knee (the better to meet those tall boots, also on sprinkle for fall). The newest are faux suede and faux leather, the faux-er the better. No one is trying to pretend these fabrics are anything but man-made.

> Pleats are not just those off school uniforms of yore. The newest are mid-length or longer micro pleats in polyester or faux leather. You may have sworn off skirts years ago depending how you feel about your legs, but there are many lengths and footwear choices to make them a viable option.

 
Say you've got belts and skirts but a disappearing waist? The thinking has always been you will look younger and slimmer showing/creating a waist. I used to have quite the small waist, which made my hips look even bigger. Now things have evened out. I'm getting used to it, and yes I will try wearing shirts or sweaters with a skirt and belt.

> If you have a hard time letting go of summer's Bohemian looks, deeper florals on dark backgrounds can make you a Winter Bohemian. Some days I still want to be a gypsy.

 
> Are you seeing spots, zig-zags and scales? There is a plethora of animals prints out there, again I might add. The newest way to treat them is as a neutral for texture and color. We might as well face it, leopard is forever. I don't mind that either.

> One look you may not have in your closet is the deliberate mismatching of pieces or pattern in one garment. Probably an extension of separates pattern mixing, this was shown by a few of the more outre designers. I bet it won't be long before there are affordable options (the nice way to say knock-offs). Looks like fun to me.

Roland Mouret at it again

Here's something I definitely won't be wearing except in my worst nightmare. I'm not embarrassing the designer with a credit, but I think the house's founder would not approve of what his sister did.