Every season has its “it” staple — that one piece that surfaces on every magazine model, style blogger and mall mannequin. This summer, it was the white shirtdress. I’m still unclear what sparked the shirtdress renaissance. (Ralph Lauren and Lacoste have been churning them out for years.) I resisted the trend for months — I was sure […]
Trends
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Fashion’s Inside Joke: Trompe-l’œil
Today’s outfit is all about optical illusions, or what the French call trompe-l’œil. It’s a design technique that doubles as an inside joke for the fashion crowd — which may explain why I can’t pronounce it. (Someone really oughta burn my French minor.) A trompe-l’œil is the art of “perspectival illusionism” — i.e., making something flat appear […]
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The 90s Trend Meets Its Maker
The emergence of 90s nostalgia was mildly tolerable when it first reappeared: The 2012 Urban Outfitters x Lisa Frank collabo was cute enough, and I was delighted with the resurgence of “every day” leather pants. Then… things got weird. Anything with a sniff of 90s sentiment was suddenly hotter than a Ricky Martin single. Prices rocketed for the […]
Planet of the Platforms: The Rise & Fall
There are some fashions that just won’t die, and most of them hail from the 60s and 70s. Bell-bottoms, PVC and fuchsia tights are all as stubborn as Styrofoam, doomed to repeat the same Sisyphean trend cycle: ascendance, eclipse and return. The most enduring example is the platform shoe, a style that refuses to be snuffed out, despite its status as […]
A Dress that Unlocked a Million Memories
My favorite clothes act as a visual autobiography. These outfits drum up memories of my travels, unearth childhood nostalgia or remind me of a favorite book. Take this Dolce & Gabbana dress, which I spotted at Barneys last week. Instantly, I was electrified with the memories of my Morocco honeymoon. The cheeky oranges teleported me to […]
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The Truth About Harem Pants
Harem pants are tough to wear. In theory, the style is “on trend,” but in practice? Hot mess waiting to happen. Most harem pants include any number of unflattering features: Crotches that droop to the wearers’ kneecaps, elastic waistbands, Spandex-poly fabrics, neon prints & patterns. It’s like a Hawaiian shirt for your butt! Not cute. I […]