Preview WGSN @SPFW – Macro Trends SS2012
Trend reports for the upcoming SS2012 season are OUT and that only means we are ONE STEP CLOSER to dippin’ sundrenched toes into sweet sandy granules! (As far removed from that scenario as we seem to be, so deep in the trenches of January)
In today’s “anything goes” style society do we even HAVE trends anymore? You bet. And these are my top 5 faves I hope to be seeing (and wearing) a lot of in the warm, blissful moments that make up sweet, sweet, summer. (Come onnnn already!)
1. Cinematic – Roaring 1920s – Fab Flappers
Gucci
Gimme some fringe and a red lip any day. The spirit of this decade in fashion represents the first real thrust of gal gusto society saw—where women dared to cut their hair short and hike up their hemlines against much protest from conservative society. And even though today you can see cooters on daytime TV so the calf-length dresses characterized by this style aren’t so showy or symbolic anymore, the 1920s feature is still one of the most ladylike and eye-popping trends that I hope sticks around for a while.
2. Futuristic – Art Deco – Shapes
Jason Wu with the season's hottest skirt length: mullet.
Space age meets new wave in this new trend, where last year’s colour-blocking met its 80s silhouettes and segway’d into a 2012 style that morphs everything sharp and shiny into really well, kind of aggressive-looking outfits. Definitely not for the timid, but everything an extrovert needs to know for a Saturday night out in SS2012.
3. Softness – Pastels – Sheer
Phillip Lim
Featuring everything opposite from #2, another major upcoming spring/summer trend riding off the camel craze of the last few seasons is neutrality: earth tones, sheer fabrics, and PLENTY of pastels. Normally it’s a palette I avoid like the plague, but even I –an “autumn” brunette with an aversion to girlie colours- am tempted to risk running around Vancouver looking like a jacked up Easter Bunny to try to pull off this sweet’n’sophisticated style. Hello Charlotte York.
4. Sporty – Gender Neutral
Isabel Marant
Thank you Andrej Pejic for advancing society’s understanding and acceptance of gender equality and neutrality SO much in 2011.
Eff you for being prettier than me.
The sporty look of 2012 is NOT Sporty Spice reincarnated. This time around it’s all about menswear blending and boho balance, where baggier pieces help to take this look from tacky Malibu to chic Manhattan. It does NOT mean Uggs are okay. It does mean you can probably borrow your boyfriend’s jogging pants. (Sweet!)
5. Pushing the Boundaries – Crop Tops – Corset Nylons – Peekaboo – Hyper Hues – Clashing Tones – Homemade Handicrafts – Weird Shit
Let’s face it: the internet has given us the go-ahead to dive right into the depths of potential human freakdom, and as we become more of a globalized society it becomes harder to feel like the cheese standing alone ie. maintain, or even identify, your individuality. And it’s only natural that some thrill seekers will be continually out there trying to set the bar for what’s “normal” beyond the, like, two things that have not been explored or exploited yet.
Nina Ricci
Anyway, so the resurgence of crop tops both frightens and excites me. Being able to sport freaky statement pieces that border on costume wardrobe and potentially not have boss or boyfriend bat an eyelash? Exactly how I want to go out when the world ends. Oh you didn’t think we could have a 2012 article without talk of all that, did you?
So let me revise: the biggest, most important trend of this year will be nice underwear—because didn’t your mama always tell you to wear clean underwear in case you, you know, get hit by a bus or stuck in a global disaster or something?
Check out this brilliant SS2012 trends analysis publication by ChelseaSettle
frockOn © 2012
