Fall Fashion: A Classic Affair

Remember the days when you prayed for a 4-day work week? Now it seems I'm left scrambling to make up the extra 24 hours. So, after a very hectic week, I have a special treat for us all -- a fantastic guest blogger! Carla from De Facto Redhead will be joining us here every second Friday for the next little while to get us all up to speed on this year's Fall fashion trends and the first theme is the lady-like silhouette, a personal favourite of both of ours. Please give her a warm welcome by taking a moment to say hello in the comments below.

From ads for Bic Razors to blogs big and small, everywhere you look, there are throwbacks to women’s fashion of the 1950s and 1960s, and I know it’s been said before, but who else is there to thank for this ongoing revival other than the women of Mad Men? Christina Hendricks (a.k.a. Joan Holloway) is consistently written about in magazines not only for her character’s fashion and makeup choices, but also for her own curvy, classic body. Her silhouette can be seen emulated page after page in the September and October issues of Fashion magazine, and fall ad campaigns from Louis Vuitton to Sears all feature everything from knee- and calf-length skirts and dresses with nipped waists, wide skirts, and pencil-skirt lines, to gloves of varying lengths, classic leopard-print EVERYTHING, pearls, tidy watches, beehive-inspired hairdos, flouncy ponytails, dainty bows, hand-held purses and bags, and pretty much any other retro-style-inspired look you can think of. October’s Fashion even has an entire spread titled “A classic affair” whose lead copy reads, “ladylike suits, pearl strands and structured handbags turn stolen glances into a runway romance.” The sight of the clothes in the photos made my heart melt, but, unfortunately, my favourite ensemble (above on far right) makes use of clothes by Dolce & Gabbana, shoes by Roger Vivier, and jewelry by Miriam Haskell, and therefore costs at least $6,605. No joke. But hope still floats for recreating the essence of this photo shoot…

Dress, ModCloth - $115.99; Shoes, Aldo - $80; Coat, Forever 21 - $37.70; Purse, Forever 21 - $14.80; Earrings, Aldo Accessories - $8.00; Bracelets, Forever 21 - $6.80

The above combination is not “for the mall,” to quote a favourite phrase of the America’s Next Top Model judges. This look could work for day or night, and the addition of tights with suggestive lines sewn down the backs could be the perfect way to dress up this outfit even more. The fur on the collar and cuffs of the coat add a bit of retro glamour, and another way to take this look even further would be to consider the impact of a red lip against the red of the coat. Just think of the big reveal once the coat comes off. Amazing!

What I also like about this outfit are the accessories because they have a vintage feel, but keep the look modern at the same time. I mean, come on, who doesn’t like owl jewelry? Also, the contrasting textures of fur, rhinestones, patent leather, Lucite, and alligator combine for a look that could, indeed, turn into a “runway romance.”

Note: I chose this set of bracelets because you could sub one in for the other, depending on which shoes and accessories you prefer for your personal style, but in this case, I would wear the single black bangle for a simple, chic look that doesn’t take away from this fabulous dress.