It was a busy fall and holiday season which led to no blogs for a while. But I’m back and it wasn’t all studio work. I did have the opportunity to head into Chicago in December and spent part of that time checking out designer looks. The top tier designers like Chanel, Dior, de la Renta, Dolce & Gabbana, etc are always good indicators of what is to come. Additionally, early January is the time when there are lots of stories on trends for the year. So let’s take a look what is being shown and talked about.
Color, color, color is top of the list. Pantone has announced that the top color for 2020 is “Classic Blue”. While I think this is a great color that can be worn by many people and great for accessories in home decor’, it can go too far. Like the WHOLE room painted in the color shown in this Architectural Digest article on the color https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/pantone-color-of-the-year-2020
Other colors that were prominent in those designer collections were in those same clear, bright tones. Lots of yellow, peach, orange, green, etc. If you look back at those intense, clear colors of the 1960s that is the color palette. The Mr Dino dress below, that can be found in my vintage shop https://www.etsy.com/shop/PattensAtticTreasure, is an example of the type of colors I am referring to done in a print on a white background.
These colors were found in everything from handbags & shoes to businesswear to day wear. Keep in mind that these designers tend to be a season ahead so were showing more cruise and spring items than holiday. There was plenty of red as would be expected still to be seen for holiday wear. That was accompanied by deep forest greens as well. Evening wear also showed plenty of black but it wasn’t all black. There was also a good deal of midnight blue, forest green, and pewter or silver gray.
But it wasn’t all color that I noted. There were lots of looks that drew on retro influences ranging from the 1920s & 1930s (primarily in evening wear), lots of 1960s, and hints of 1970s and 1980s. Below are some photos of some of these looks I was able to capture. The top row of evening wear above highlights those bias cuts, lace overlays, etc of the 20s & 30s, and while the black has some of that in the skirt it also has vibes of the 1950s as well. The 2 bottom photos incorporate the blues. The toile type print in the ensemble on the left is very much the classic blue even though it looks darker in the photo. In every case it wasn’t flat out copies of retro looks but often incorporated one bit – for instance the jacket above is done in the blues with some princess seaming but was made of neoprene! The camel suit in the background of the black gown has a very 80s cut to the jacket. Which leads to what the trend reports are talking about – pops or accents of various eras such as
* bell bottoms worn with heels or boots but NOT platforms to pick up on the 70s
* shoulder pads on jackets and “statement” sleeves and necklines on blouses & tops for the 80s. The award show runways are also showing gowns that channel the 80s with big bows, puffy sleeves, and full skirts.
* the vibrant colors of the 60s as well as the “ladylike cuts” of that era – princess cuts, tailored looks – to channel Jackie Kennedy or a more modern example would be Duchess Katherine.
Below are a few pieces currently listed in my vintage shop that highlight these looks. Of course I’m always listing more and if you’re looking for something particular don’t hesitate to ask as there is a LOT waiting in the wings.
Patten Creations™ 