By Emily F. Popek
The landscape of fashion can be confusing to navigate. Fashion designers present winter shows full of furs and boots during the summer, and when the snow starts to fly, out come the "resort collections," featuring tiny bikinis, tropical prints and other such indignities. New terminology seems to emerge from nowhere (all of a sudden we're calling vests "gilets"? Why wasn't I told?), and trends are often contradictory (skinny jeans! flares! cropped jackets! greatcoats!).
Fortunately, the following article will lift the hazy veil of winter's hottest fashion trends and reveal what's really going on in terms you can understand. We've done the heavy lifting for you (and this is meant quite literally, considering the sizable bulk of the December issues of Vogue, Harper's Bazaar and even the usually slender Lucky). We've stuffed our noses with cotton to avoid overdosing on magazine perfume samples; we've fought the holiday-mad crowds at local retailers to scout out what's good; we've surfed the Web's foremost fashion sights until our browser collapsed with exhaustion. You can thank us later (chocolate is always appreciated). For now, read on to ensure your ability to cut a fashionable figure at all your social events this winter.
Fashion has played an interesting role throughout history as an economic bellwether, and our current recession is no exception.
Tough economic times have often heralded a return to classic, conservative looks. Paula Baxter, curator of exhibitions and coordinator of educational initiatives at the New York Public Library, wrote in her fashion blog earlier this year that "Financial recession these days ... will mean that innovation is stifled. Lack of cash will force designers and companies to sit on big changes in garments. Look for classical to have a strong run this year."
Of course, "classical" can mean a lot of different things. Looking at the most recent runway collections, there indeed seems to be little to nothing new under the sun, but the influences on display range from Cossacks to the Culture Club (yes, the 1980s are still with us _ there seems to be no end in sight).
In the December issue of Elle magazine, "classic" refers to a dizzying array of styles from the 1950s, 60s and 70s. Feminine, tailored pieces replete with demure bows and ladylike pearls from Alexander McQueen, Marc Jacobs and Christian Dior would not look out of place on the set of TV's "Mad Men."
Next up are flowing, embellished caftan-style dresses by Michael Kors and Thakoon, touted alongside advertisements for Tory Burch's Mary Tyler Moore-esque collection at Bloomingdale's.
The common thread tying it all together? Nothing is plain _ not even those pieces described as "minimalist," "sleek" or even "pared-down," is bare or simple. Everything has a twist, an embellishment, something to make it look fresh and special.
Lucky magazine's gift guide overwhelms the reader with detail.
Ruffles, bows, embroidery, brocade, pleating, draping, scallops, feathers, beads, baubles and prints aplenty dazzle the senses until it seems the winter will just be one mad whirl of color, texture and shine.
The moral for the savvy shopper? A few appropriately outstanding pieces will add the necessary pop to your otherwise unchanged wardrobe.
Julia Seidl, creative director of Stylehog.com, "your online guide to runway fashion on a budget," suggests that investing in a few key pieces can sufficiently update nearly any wardrobe.
"Thanks to Michelle Obama, the structured and tailored shift dress has quickly replaced the power suit as the go-to piece' for working women everywhere," Seidl wrote in an email.
And when it comes to footwear, Seidl says, there's only one choice.
"The bootie (the hybrid between shoes and boots) has become the hottest footwear of the season. Whether worn with pants for the day or tights and a skirt for a night out, the bootie is the only shoe/boot you need this season," Seidl wrote.
It's tough to talk boots without uttering the dreaded three-letter word that is still making little dollar signs pop up in eyes of shoe salesmen everywhere: UGG.
"The UGG boots have continued to be popular," said Bob Scanlon of Oneonta's Sport Tech. "They keep coming back for them."
Seidl, among others, would just as soon this wasn't the case. "UGGs are like an ex-boyfriend we seem to bump into everywhere we go," she wrote. "We would have thought this trend would have disappeared into the fashion abyss a long time ago. But judging by what we see on the street, this trend is as popular as ever."
Before picking up your own pair, however, consider the possible backlash. There is an Anti-UGG Boots League on Facebook, an anti-UGG petition circulating on the Internet, anti-UGG T-shirts and even an anti-UGG public service announcement on YouTube (created "as a mock campaign against the UGG trend within our pop culture").
Accessories offer an affordable means of updating your look, and this season's picks are anything but mild. The usual standards of purses and jewelry have been joined by brooches, gloves and even hats (yes, ladies: hats) as the season's smart sartorial choices.
Lucky magazine's "Accessories Report" for December devoted a full page to costumey, glitzy brooches that echo an Art Deco sensibility, flush with floral motifs, elegant lines and plenty of sparkle. What could be better for dressing up that drab outerwear ensemble that becomes the de facto uniform during cold-weather months?
"Another wintertime accessory we love is a beret," Seidl wrote. "Perfectly chic, the beret embodies a Parisian sense of style, while keeping our heads safe and sound from the howling winter winds."
Fedoras, as seen on starlets such as Lindsay Lohan and Lauren Conrad of "The Hills," are another hot style for both men and women. While they may not offer as much protection from the elements, they can add a stylish accent.
The humble glove has joined the style party as well, getting decked out in sumptuous fabrics and stylish trims. Fashion-forward types have gone so far as to suggest that we bring back the daytime glove as an accessory, something that went the way of the corset during the mid-1960s. This whole idea becomes rather a moot point when it's December, so we'll leave that aside for now.
The point is that you should be able to do better than those acrylic knit gloves you bought for $1 back in October when you realized you couldn't find last year's "real" gloves.
"A pair of elbow-length gloves in super-soft cashmere or buttery leather adds a touch of glamour to any winter wardrobe," counseled Seidl of Stylehog.com.
Scarves are another way to make a big fashion statement this winter, and options abound. Following closely on the heels of so-called "tissue-weight" tank tops, T-shirts and sweaters, scarves are now getting in on the game. These floatingly light wraps won't add to the bulk of your winter ensemble, but they will still keep you warm.
Whether it's for a party, for work or just because you're sick of pants, chances are you'll don a skirt at some point this winter, and you'll have plenty of choices when it comes to hosiery.
Opaque, colored tights are still in vogue, as are patterned hose of every stripe. Pair them with skirts and sweaters, slip them under suits, or take this fashion-forward advice from Stylehog.com:
"Our favorite look this winter is a chunky sweater dress over opaque tights," Julia Seidl of Stylehog.com wrote. "The trick to mastering the chunky sweater dress without appearing bulky is to belt it. Fasten a belt around your waist to create a feminine silhouette while staying warm."
To recap: Get yourself a dress, a few accessories, a pair of booties and a sparkly bauble or two, and you're all set for winter. Who said fashion had to be complicated?
