Fall Fashion Trend: Color

Fall is here and all of the luscious new clothes are in the stores now. Because we all approach our wardrobes by color first, the question that is most often asked of me by consumers and clients is “what are THE COLORS of the season?”  That is why, when I do a wardrobe consulting job in a client’s closet, I make sure and pull like colors together first before I can even begin to work it with them.

As soon as the runway shows came to a close early last Spring, the colors that dominated the designer collections were what became known in the industry as “The New Neutrals.” This sophisticated palette made sense. Neutrals and nude shades were all the rage last Spring and the carry-over into Fall collections was apparent.

GREY was everywhere and called the new Black (have you heard that before?), however, the ultimate non-color itself, Black, was still there and CAMEL, the most obvious carry-over from Spring found its way to the forefront as talks of the return to classic dressing emerged loud and clear.

So as the season evolved and buyers made their purchases, these NEW NEUTRALS truly arrived. Leading the pack are two families of color… one, warm buttery and luxe came to the forefront. That color is CAMEL. To the other extreme, is the coolness and refinery of GREY.

Complimentary to the fall color families are, with CAMEL, comes OLIVE GREEN.  Its a natural for the still present, military trend and a color that becomes more important each season in a multitude of shades as we continue on our environmental task of “the greening of America.”  Also complimentary to camel are SPICE TONES which always speak to the season of autumn leaves, such as NUTMEG, PUMPKIN and warm toasty BROWNS.  Plus, spice tones just feel so right for most of us this time of year.

The GREYS are also very dominant this season and provide a nice softened approach for those of us whose wardrobes are so dominated by the color BLACK. Also, reappearing for another season is a hint of NAVY. This color is making its attempt, once again, to return to the fashion scene. For many of us, NAVY looks fresh and new, but warning to all, you have to look for it, it’s there but you will have to seek it out.

The Pop colors that work well with all of these darks, are PURPLE and my personal favorite, bright, Valentino RED, the color that makes all of the new neutrals come alive, increase their wearability and just puts a smile on my face!

STYLING TIP: Questions remain on how to wear color, particularly sophisticated colors that shout out their urban identity, in ways that are acceptable to most women, not just the east coast insiders. Texas Women love color, so fear not ladies! The answer is mainly through wearing POPs of color and patterns that have broader base appeal to all consumers. A gray sweater dress, a black pantsuit or a luscious camel coat, all very sophisticated, can be complimented with a colored top, red shoe or animal print bag, scarf or shoe. For those of you, like myself who wanted something NAVY in their wardrobe this season, brown or nude accessories (very much a Ralph Lauren look) are a rich compliment to this All-American color.

STYLING TIP #2: Accessories are a great way to get color or pattern into your wardrobes for Fall. I am a huge fan of accessories and approach these NEW NEUTRALS as the perfect canvas to showcase all of the great accessories that are out there this season. Pearls are the number one idea in jewelry but metals, mixed metal colors (yes, that’s ok) and colored stones, particularly at the neck, can add that right amount of panache. You can also stack on the bracelets (my personal favorites). Scarves and wraps, also provide a great compliment and this season there will not only be color and pattern but fur, as well, to use as accents.

Fall is here (for those of us in Texas, we can actually say that this week with some conviction… I love this weather)! Someone asked me last night about my wearing of tights and a cashmere sweater… was I pushing it? YES, (and they didn’t even see the leather jacket on the back of my chair) but hey, I’ll take the 10 degree drop in temps in a minute……….FALL HAS ARRIVED and I’m ready.