Remember the couple of years when we were all wearing sweatpants and loose tops, then dubbing it the athleisure trend? Fashion seems to want to move on from that.
It is back to the usual elegant and put-together look this year – more so, Pre-Fall 2023.
Largely gone are the slogan T-shirts or sporty leggings. While sneakers never really went away, heels have returned in full force on the runways.
What you can now expect are the cooler options of tailored pieces, couture-like dresses and chic separates.
With the idea of “quiet luxury” so popular right now (it is frowned upon to look rich), big fashion houses are practising restraint. The designs on offer are thus very much nonchalant – picture them as suggestively beautiful, but not at all in-your-face.
The kitschy aesthetic of the 1990s is making a strong comeback, but top designers are not keen on this too.
Instead, big names like Brandon Maxwell, Thom Browne and Olivier Rousteing (for Balmain) have revived subtler micro-trend: fringe embellishments, denim and fur coats (faux, of course), but infused with a 21st-century attitude.
Read more: Pretty metal! The metallics trend is having a major moment in fashion
Stylishly cut
The suit is the antithesis of Covid-19 stay-at-home dressing. So you can hardly be surprised that it has made a comeback since everyone traipsed back to the office. The trend of tailoring is certainly stronger than ever before.
It is seen in the collections for all seasons, from Spring/Summer to Autumn/Winter, which puts to bed the cries of, “The suit is obsolete!”
If not the traditional formal suit, then in a different form – wide legged, worn over bustiers and designed as a kimono wraparound.
Stella McCartney for example, sent out low-slung tailored trousers. Phillip Lim presented suit tops worn loose and cinched at the waist with an obi belt of sorts.
Feast for the eyes
There are also designers that went the couture route for Pre-Fall 2023. Their designs echo fabulosity, with tulle underskirts, beadings, puff shoulders, long trains and more.
These are, of course, not made for daytime events – or even your usual night out with friends, but made for special occasions.
It has to be said however, that the creations still exude a demure feel (again, bear in mind the quiet luxury trend). Maybe think of them as a throwback to old Hollywood, with red carpet vibes yet extremely tasteful.
Carolina Herrera’s Wes Gordon drew inspiration from divas for his collection: US-born Greek soprano singer Maria Callas and singer-actress Cher, plus the label’s founder herself.
“Women who are metaphorically or literally in the spotlight, and dress for it,” the creative director explained to Vogue. “That’s our woman.”
Retrograde trend
Retro styles are all the rage at the moment. In the realms of luxury fashion, it is not so much the MTV era that inspires – rather the 1920s or 60s, and early 2000s.
Fringe as a decoration is popular. This is reminiscent of flapper dresses. Add in beading and feathers and you get the “roaring twenties”, but in the new millennium.
Some of the designs even look like they incorporate macrame, which is, again, something from the past (groovy sixties, baby!) brought to the future.
Perhaps it is the carefree attitude of those decades that appeals to designers, and not so much the retro aesthetic.
In the description for the Oscar De La Renta collection, it alludes that co-creative directors Laura Kim and Fernando Garcia explored the essences of bold hues, floral emblems and intricate detail.
The pieces make for a happy wardrobe – which coincidentally fits the “dopamine dressing” trend from 2022 and still going strong this year.
Denim, denim everywhere
When one thinks of denim, it is usually a pair of jeans that come to mind. Nevertheless, the fabric can be used for for other clothing pieces too.
Denim-on-denim is not just a streetwear look. It can also be considered high-fashion, if styled right.
Brandon Maxwell paired jeans with tailored blazers and crisp white shirts. He also presented denim zip-front dresses, and there is even one gown that uses navy sequins to give the impression of being constructed out of denim.
Maxwell, who has dressed celebrities like Lady Gaga, plays off the maximalist feel, but tones it down to adhere to a minimalist voice.
Another trend from the Y2K is the skirt over trousers look. It started late last year and is showing no signs of slowing down.
Nicknamed “skousers”, the combination has been sported by celebrities on the red carpet. So naturally, the runways have to play the game as well. Pre-Fall 2023 collections are rife with this controversial styling choice.
Yes, it not everyone’s cup of tea – and can be a matter of whether you like it or hate it.
The fact that the fashion labels are also incorporating “skousers” in their Autumn/Winter 2023 collections shows that you can’t run away from the trend.
The advice given by most stylists is to steer clear of denim and stick to more streamlined constructions. Thom Browne’s use of a thicker navy fabric certainly gave his “skousers” a chic upgrade.
Read more: Cargo pants and jumpsuits are chic? Yes, the utilitarian look is back in fashion
Fuzzy logic
Fur is not necessarily out in the fashion industry – faux fur that is.
Less-thick fur coats have been included into the Pre-Fall 2023 collections. Whether coloured with the most gorgeous shades or cut to various lengths, they present as a versatile way to dress up your everyday outfit.
Maybe this is not so much a practical trend in a country with a hot climate like Malaysia, but if you are travelling to cooler destinations, then do consider this chic wardrobe staple.
So it happens, fur coats also give off that retro vibe.
Balmain, currently under creative director Rousteing, paid tribute to its founder.
Pierre Balmain designed in earnest at his own house from the late 1940s to the late 1970s, and thus the current season’s collection is beautifully vintage – fur coats and all.
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