Redefining feminine charm

Posted by admin on Mar 10, 2010 in Arts & Culture | 0 comments

The season of spring: midterms are on our minds, summer is almost at our fingertips, and fall fashion is parading down the runways of NYC, London, and Milan. You read correctly: yes, fall. While most of us have been bogged down with a pen in our hand and our nose in a book, the trends of distant autumn have been unveiled. We are mid-semester, wishing for the summer, with the weather finally warming our sun-shunned skin just in time for the rest of the world to throw fall fashion at us; what’s a girl to do? I have decided to spare you the extra homework, and did some digging through the Spring ’10 archives to present you with incentive to brave the next few hectic months.

While perusing through spring trends and attempting to summarize the highlights, I noticed a subtle theme of an ode to the great Gabrielle (Coco) Chanel; in short, a deviant, yet elegant French woman who honed in on the functional, the unstructured, and the practically masculine meshed with the classically feminine. She found convenience in male-inspired women’s wear, and emancipation through loose cuts and draping fabrics. Clothing of this spring echoes Chanel of the 1930s via pairings of boyish elements with delicate details. Think button-down cotton shirts tucked into pleat-front trousers, or sundresses topped off with blazers and lace-up oxfords. Leather is coupled with lace, military jackets with floral prints, and draping blouses with structured trousers. Masculine-feminine juxtaposition brings the comfort and practicality of men’s shirts, pants, and shoes without losing the essence of spring found in airy dresses, lace tights, and silk tops. C’est magnifique, Mademoiselle Chanel.

As for addressing the colours of the season, look no further than the pallet budding outside your window. Pastels are a stable spring staple, incorporating blushing pinks, sky blues, light greens, and butter yellows. Neutral tones are also ripe for the picking; look for hues of khaki, beige, taupe, tan, and camel. Monochromatic pairings make putting together an ensemble easy and breezy, with white on white, denim with denim, and neutrals from shoulder to ankle becoming simple favourites. But feel no need to move your beloved black items to the back of your closet; darker colours like said black, olive and navy blue continue to be spring-appropriate as moderate focal pieces.

In parting words, simplicity is key. Spring fashion is inviting, enchanting, and anything but overbearing. There is a nonchalance, a effortlessness amongst a button-down shirt and silk harem pants or a leather-belted dress peaking out from under a blazer; ease in structured boyish pieces meeting the light of feminine items. Whether you are walled up in the library or sprawled out on the grass, find comfort in the practically masculine while embracing your inner Parisian. What better way to bring out our academic side than with a sport coat and high-waisted shorts, or go on and usher in the sunshine with a pastel dress and pair of leather oxfords. Welcome the springtime and make Coco proud.