Traversing street style this season

We take a look at some of fashion’s latest fads that dominated international fashion weeks

LAHORE:

More than any red-carpet look, street aka pedestrian style is the real indicator of what runway trends have taken off for a fashion season. Some fads established on the ramp don’t graduate to the streets and simply get snubbed. While local fashion week trend-spotting is centered on the red carpet, the runways in Milan, New York, London and Paris attract street-style photographers, who snap attendees as they walk their way to attend a show.

As street style becomes as distinctive a traverser of trends as the red carpet, we take a look at some of fashion’s latest fads that have dominating both platforms this season.

Read: Fashion round-up: Exuding grace in lace

Bottoms

Skirt over pants

Model Kendall Jenner

Winter is approaching and calls for a lot of layering. Take a cue from the Spring/Summer 2016 runways and focus on layering your bottoms. This layering technique riveted our attention when model Kendall Jenner was spotted wearing a dress by The Row over pants. The trend has since been rocked by Emma Watson, who wore a Christian Dior dress over cropped pants to this year’s Golden Globes. This season, pants have been paired with skirts and the way to wear it is to keep it simple, top up and keep the silhouettes contrasting for the bottoms. Sport flared pants with a long pencil skirt or try trousers with a ball-gown skirt. This look has little to do with utility, as the skirt worn over pants is pure ornamentation and mainly adds drama and excitement to the outfit.

Paperbag pants

Stella McCartney AW 2015 collection

The key to sporting this trend is to find pants that appear at least a size bigger and tying them at the waist with a belt or a scarf. This fad was ubiquitous on the SS16 shows by Vivienne Westwood, 3.1 Phillip Lim and Dries Van Noten, particularly in street-style photographs. We also spotted one on-trend paperbag skirt by Saira Shakira on the red carpet at this year’s PFDC L’Oréal Paris Bridal Week.

Tops

Off-shoulder tops

Designed by Nomi Ansari, Actor Iman Ali

Off-shoulder tops have undoubtedly been the neckline trend of the summer and they even made an appearance at the PLBW (Nomi Ansari’s off-shoulder yellow top, anyone?). Although the flattering silhouette isn’t one we’re ready to let go of yet, it may inevitably fade into the cold of the upcoming winter season. Street-style stars are following the one-shoulder bare look and layering off-shoulder tops with dungarees and sleeveless jackets this fall.

Going backwards

International blogger-Kristina Bazan

Button-down shirts have long been the symbol of effortless style and class. The shirt in itself makes quite a statement but this season, street-style is flipping the staple — quite literally — by wearing the shirts backwards. The key to wearing a shirt like this is to leave only a few buttons open and carefully tied into a bow at the back. The shirt should be a bigger size and soft so that it ties easily.

Shoes

Back to basics with white trainers

Actor Kristen Stewart, Actor Deepika Padukone

Investing in normcore aka basics will make sure you get full utility out of your purchase. As far as footwear goes, that translates into a pair of simple white sneakers. This back-to-basics trend is here to stay because it doesn’t look sloppy in white as battered Converse shoes tend to look. They can be paired with anything from an evening dress to suit to mom jeans.

Bags

Quirk and double-take

Anya Hindmarch’s sticker covered bags

This month saw few bags by the likes of Chanel, Prada, YSL and more edgy quirky carryalls. These included Anya Hindmarch’s sticker-covered bags, telephone Perspex clutches by Charlotte Olympia, Fendi’s Monster Backpack, Lego-block briefcases and milk carton bags. Local versions can be found at Bastay, who make book clutches and bags out of cornflake boxes. Another trend dominant at Milan Fashion Week was people sporting two cross-bodies at a time. This move isn’t just pretty but also practical as you have double the room to carry your essentials.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 10^th, 2015.

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