Next Seasons Prints and Fabrics

Although we are in the middle of summer, despite the ever changing weather, the new season is ever creeping up on us. There is a whole range of new fabrics, prints and colours that are applicable to the autumn/winter. The main difference between winter and summer wear, is the need to stay warm. You don't want to be heading out in your cut-offs in the middle of winter! Unless you wear them with some opaque tights, or whatever.. All images used are from A/W collections, and the majority come from Style.com (C)


Fabrics
So some key fabrics I have found that work so well this A/W are: duffle, sheepskin, fur/faux fur (whichever way you swing), silk and leather. These work on most garments, but statement pieces like coats or jackets should focus more on the duffle, leather, sheepskin and fur side of things. Here are some examples:

Camel Coat by Chloe 

Fur Jacket, Trousers and Boots by Chanel

Leather Jacket and Skirt by DSquared

Sheepskin Jackets by Topshop

Silk Blouse by Chloe

The use of these fabrics is interchangeable between different pieces of apparel. For example, Topshop Boutique currently stocked leather shorts, however you could use leather in a jacket, or a top from Gucci. Sheepskin and Fur are things I would strictly use on jackets, but if your more adventurous then explore what is out there. It takes a daring man like Largerfeld to make fur boots, trousers and a jacket, and then put them together! Silk I would use for either tops, skirts or trousers. This is mainly because this is a very expensive and luxurious fabric, and any rain would ruin it, so coats are off the menu! Duffle is also a fabric I would only use on coats, because it is very hard wearing, durable and keeps you super warm!

Prints

Okay, so the prints from this season carry remnants of the summer that has passed. There are a few which have been with us for a few seasons, and others which are breaking the new season. These include: Tartan, Lace, Ditzy and Alpine. Again, these prints can be used on any piece of clothing, and are more interchangeable than the fabrics. 

Tartan at Prada

Alpine at D&G

Ditzy at Paul Smith

Lace at Just Cavalli

For me, the tartan print is the most interchangeable. It can be worn on a coat, a skirt, a dress, a jacket, a bag, socks.. whatever, the list is endless. You could be super daring, and go very Vivenne Westwood style in an all out tartan overload (very McQueen "Highland Rape" too), or only use it on smaller pieces like socks or a bag. Either way, this ia a huge print for A/W and so you should be stocking up on some pieces. This also teams up with the punk glamour theme, which is also enhanced through the use of lace. The lace fabric, or print, whichever you think it is, has been with us for quite some time now, and has been massively channeled by some of the biggest brands including Dolce and Gabanna and Chanel (S/S 2010). it is still around today, and for A/W it can be used on mostly dresses, but also blazers and coats. If you are going to wear lace next season, try wearing it in a more glamourous and luxurious style, not as an everyday look. The ditzy print was HUGE at Miu Miu S/S 2010, and now has been picked up by Paul Smith. Keep these cutesy prints to tops and dresses, but avoid coats as these may look a little too 1990. Alpine is a new one this season. Channeled here by D&G, for me it is the perfect winter print. It looks warm and cosy, and can be transfered from the city to the ski slopes in minutes. I love it on jumpers and dresses, but would avoid using this as a main coat. The usual fabric for the Alpine look is wool, which is knitted loosely- hence, a coat made entirely this way wouldn't be an expert at keeping you warm. 

So, that is my round up of next seasons prints and fabrics. Comment if you have any questions, or if you have already started building your A/W wardrobe. I really must get started before I am totally poor at uni! Quick update too: I am going to Stratford on Monday with my boyfriend, and so I will have some photos from there, and then I am going to Yorkshire for a week on the 8th of August. I don't know if I will be able to blog from there, as I don't know if we have internet, but if I can't I will be sure to let you know. Again, there will be a tonne of photos from there. Lastly, I finally got my place in halls yesterday! I will be living in Shoreditch, so right at the heart of the underground fashion scene in London! I will be writing a post at some point about moving there, and what I will be living around ect.

Talk again soon!

Fashion Foreword

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