I think my adoration for the coming of fall can be expressed in a brief excerpt from Emily Bronte’s beautiful poem “Fall, leaves, fall.” She writes, “Every leaf speaks bliss to me. Fluttering from the autumn tree.” That truly sums up my love for this wonderful season. I love the changing colors of the leaves, apple cider, buying candy corn, the breeze in the air and most importantly, the new fall fashions! Actually, I like buying candy corn more than fall fashions, but it made more sense to end with the latter for the sake of this particular article.
In this past month, we saw much of the bohemian look showcasing the long, flowing peasant skirts and the big beaded necklaces. However, soon it will be cold and we will once again have to pull out those gosh-darn Ugg boots from the back of our closets. In Rochester, I am afraid that trend will never die.
Fall fashion has many exciting elements this season, beginning with metal details on everything from dresses to shoes to bracelets. A touch of metal says, “Yes, I am wearing a dress, but I can also change a tire,” in an understated way. Cashmere, always a classic, will be seen in all different shapes, such as wraps and wrap cardies – which is a wrap sweater but with an elegant edge, oversized and cropped. The nautical look – such as sailor coats – will also be making a come back because, frankly, our society does not celebrate the fashion of the naval forces enough. The Scandinavian look, which includes beautiful velvet pieces with intricate details and lace, once popular in the 1960s, is now making a vibrant comeback. I mean, who doesn’t want to dress like the daughter of a shepherd?
As Toni Collete’s character in the new film “In Her Shoes” – a fabulous film with pretty shoes and an adorable old Jewish lady – says, “Clothes don’t always look good, but shoes always fit.” Purses, jewelry and hair clips also fit. For shoes, delicate pointy flats are always a good staple for a shoe collection. They look good with jeans or a nice skirt. The boot trend from last year is still quite popular, but now it has much more of a variety. Lace- ups, fur-trimmed and alligator-skinned are just a few of the different styles. As for purses, on this campus I have noticed the trend has moved from the vibrantly colored Vera Bradley – which, before they made a hit with the young generation, were referred to as grandma bags – to the very prestigious no-nonsense Longchamp bags. The trend with bags this fall is small chains, skins, intricate patterns and, for some reason again, fur-trimming.
Wide-patterned belts are also another alternative. Accentuate your small waist by clinching it tightly over a cardigan or a long coat and if your waist is not your favorite feature, wear the belt hung low around your hips with a loose top. This will give the illusion that you have no hips. I know having no hips sounds weird, but in the flapper era it was all the rage.
So, if you need a shopping guide, just buy any fashion magazine that is out right now and remember to always add an element of yourself to any outfit. For example, as the great comedian Gilda Radner said, “I base my fashion sense on what doesn’t itch.”
Lepore can be reached at mlepore@campustimes.org.
