The FiFi Report Winter Fashion Spectacular!
Need to know what to buy for winter?
Need to know the key pieces you can’t live without? It’s all here…
Instructions:
1. Read
2. Print out
3. Shop
4. Fall in love…
What: The Jacket (Lanvin, Bottega Veneta Fall08).
Which: Two words: Icon jacket. Vogue UK coined this term and I like it. It’s not about the statement bag any more it’s about the statement jacket. (Remember the 90’s? No, I knew you couldn’t.) It’s all about the icon jacket for winter. It may be a jacket that’s structured and tailored. Think Chanel. YSL. it may be a jacket that has shoulders pads, with a lean cut. It may be a boyfriend jacket. Think Prada. It may be a suit jacket, or a puffa jacket (think Burberry) or it may be a zip biker jacket. It may be in velvet (big next winter) or it may be a Le Smoking Tuxedo jacket. It maybe all these . Change your jacket as often as your bag. (and your undies.
Why: Because next season is all about a stricter, leaner silhouette. Wave goodbye to the tunics, loose tops and oversized shapes that you have just discovered cover your muffin top (but have been around for the last 3 years. bless). Go on: bye bye. Au revoir. Toot a loo. Say Bonjour to tailoring, shape and chic. Say hello to your waist. And a skirt suit. Because we haven’t seen them for years and it suddenly looks new.
Wear: If you are going to wear a serious jacket the you don’t want any fights. No fighting over attention. So keep the basics clean and simple. Keep the jacket the centre of attention or it will get cranky. And no one wants a cranky jacket and fights. Wear with pencils skirts, with slouchy pants, with pretty 50’d skirts. Keep the tops and necklines simple. Anchor the look with major shoes and bags and keep everything in between classic and minimal.
Where:
Economy Class: Witchery for a black bomber $229 and a fab faux fur cape coat; Sportsgirl for a cool leather biker jacket $119 and a fabulous burgundy or taupe velvet blazer. $129. Cue for a puffa jacket.
Business Class: Head to Amorica for a brilliant Helmut Lang le smoking jacket in black stretch cotton $890. They also have a dark navy looser longer wool version. Delicious. Try Scanlan and Theodore for a gorgeous black, tailored wool fitted jacket $1200 or Sass and bide cotton/polyester cropped loose fitting parka $370. Try marcs or Saba and Country Road ( for a biker jacket) or Max and co for a divine velvet blazer about $480
First Class: Head to The Corner Shop for a Fredrick Grey amazing hip length leather jacket $1495; to Kirrily Johnston for a brilliant short cropped bomber jacket in leather and suede $1135 or Try Vanessa Bruno, and Belinda, Burberry and Prada….
What: The Dress (Bogetta Veneta, CK Fall08).
Which: You can’t get enough of dresses and why Not? Throw on a dress, climb into shoes, grab your Birkin and you are out the door in no time. A dress is always right. You want a narrow dress this season. It’s a long, lean line. It’s a sheath dress. It stops at the knee. It holds those curves. It skims over lumps and bumps. It may have a flirty skirt if you want to cover more bumps and hide even more lumps. It comes in every fabric and every colour. Hint: Watch out floral dresses are a huge story for summer
Why: Because we are women and they are men. Because we love feeling pretty and feminine. Because a dress will work for any occasion. Because a dress can be floral, print, or plain. Because a dress is Trans-seasonal and will go from summer to winter by throwing on opaques. Because dresses were everywhere for next summer..
Wear: With a pretty dress you need the heavy platform shoes. With a lace up Balenciaga boot (you wish). A dress will work under a trench or with a biker jacket. A dress will work under a long line cardigan and belted it. A dress looks great with red hosiery and black heels. Always heels.
Where:
Economy: Witchery’s black sleeveless shift dress is a great buy; with an elastic waistband and button and tab back detail $129 or try Cue for a classic sheath about $199, and French connection for print dresses. Ksubi has a gorgeous but very tight fitting ‘skinny mini’ black sheath with panels that shape the body $275.
Business: Head to Zimmerman for fabulous print dress in chiffon about $400; To Arthur Galen for chic, sculptered, minimalist dresses about $300. Try Country Road, Veronica Maine and Max and Co for fab dresses in a 70’s style shape and print. Go to CK Calvin Klein for simplicity chic or Kirrily Johnston at Paddington for a sheath dresses cut into vertical jersey panels (good for the body) $396.
First: Drool over the structured Alberta Feretti tweed and Lurex silk dress at Belinda $2415 and sob over Prada, Lanvin and Chanel . Buy the Roland Mouret from net-a-porter and never look back.
What: The Pant (Versace, YSL Fall08)
Which: We love trousers. Or pants or whatever you call them. They cover things. Like legs and hips. They make you stride. They make you feel strong. They make getting dressed a little quicker. The good news? Go for whatever suits your shape (And isn’t that so very nice to hear?). Want slouchy wide pants? Go for them in grey with a high waist. Can get away with skinny narrow pants? Go for black and skin tight. Want Flared and high waist? Yes. Want Hipster and skinny? Yes. Want low waist and flared? Sorry No way. It’s embarrassingly last year. And I don’t want you embarrassed.
Why: Because with all those pretty, pretty dresses there is now a return to man style dressing. Because pants work so well with jackets (see above). Because there is something so 70’s about a pant. Because pants were seen all over the runways from Burberry to Balenciaga. And they know.
Wear: Remember to keep it in proportion. If you have a jacket that’s full on with big sleeves, then go for skinny pants to balance it out. If you have a bomber wear it over a pretty dress or a pencil skirt to add feminity. If you have wide slouchy pants go for a jacket that’s fitted and nipped in the waist. And it’s about showing off the waist. So always wear a belt.
Where:
Economy: Head to Witchery for fabulous black or stone fitted straight leg jodphur with contrast piping along the leg; $119; Country Road for the best flat front , wide leg, high waist pants around about $110. Head to Cue for high waist pants and Veronika Maine for grey slouchy about $180. Sportsgirl and Portmans both have good grey slouchy pants for great prices.
Business: Try CK Calvin Klein for fabulous pants in grey or black, Sass and Bide for black tight pants $190; Scanlan and Theodore for a wide leg/ semi-high waist black pants $400 or Miu Miu at Beinda black wide man-style pant $685. Amorica has a gorgeous pair of black Helmut Lang tailored skinny pants. For an amazing pant with a bit of WOW factor wear the TV gold lame pant from The Corner Shop; high-waisted pant and a slim fit on the legs $370.
First: You want Marni from Marni in Double Bay, or Chloe from David Jones. You want to fit into the tiny trousers at Burberry. You want the buy the Balenciaga and you dream of the YSL.
What: The Skirt (Balenciaga, YSL Fall08)
Which: The skirt has made a comeback. But then did it every go away? A skirt this season is two things. It’s a narrow pencil or it’s a pretty 50s flare. Take your pick. Wear a pencil one day and a full skirt the next. A big trend that’s coming? It’s the skirt suit. Don’t make a face. (Oh, you can’t? glad the botox is working). Don’t make that inner cringe either. The skirt suit was all over the runways for next winter 09 and it’s going to happen. Soon. So be lady-like and invest in a black pencil or a pretty frou frou flared skirt. You may wear a tulip skirt if like. Think table top dressing. Keep the bottoms basic and your tops exciting. (exceptions? Prada).
Why: Because a skirt is nearly a dress but you can break it up and wear it with a jacket. Because we all need a wardrobe full of mix and match pieces. Because the 50’s lady like trend is here. And skirts can show off your shoes. Because with a black pencil skirt you look about 20 kilos lighter.. And that’s the best reason I ever heard.
Wear: A pretty full skirt needs a small jacket to show off the waist. Mix up the looks. Add a tough biker to a pretty skirt. Add a pretty soft blouse to a strict pencil skirt. Wear a skinny knit with a big floral skirt (Prada did) and try skirt suit a la Chanel (Marc Jacobs did). Wear with a belt wide or skinny. Wear with black opaques and your favourite lace up shoe boots. Stick to knee length unless you have great legs. Keep away from shin length unless you are a fashion guru…. you know 70’s mid length is coming back… ( quick more botox..).
Where:
Economy: Head to Country Road for a fab black pencil that sits on the knee and waist just right …about $129; try Cue for a full 50’s skirt about $180. Try French Connection, Kookai, Mango and Portmans.
Business: Head to Scanlan and Theodore for pretty chiffon skirts about $400; to Veronica Maine for pencil skirts and to Max and Co for divine chiffon.
First: Lanvin! Burberry! Prada! Thank you.
What: The Bag (Burberry, Marc Jacobs Fall08)
Which: You want a statement bag this season. It should still be so oversized and big you can’t find anything in it. You also want an oversized clutch. You want a structured lady like frame bag or something a little slouchy. It should be a colour like red or stone. It should have interesting hardware details a la Marc Jacobs. It could have fairies on it a la Prada (but that’s one out of the bag; so to speak). It could be in patchwork if it’s black a la Miu Miu. It can be in patent a la YSL or have amazing texture a la Burberry. Spend as much as you can on a bag. You want quality don’t you?
Why: Because a handbag can go anywhere with you. Because all the clothes this season are looking minimal, simple and structured so you want a bag that can dazzle. Because we love a big bag to throw around. Because if we are wearing a lot of grey and black we want a bag to add a little colour and texture.
Wear: Don’t think about rules. Throw a glamorous bag with jeans, a beaded bag in the day, an over sized clutch for work. I have said it so many times but I still get asked this question repeatedly: Forget about matching shoes and bags. Where have you been living? Under a Birkin? Ditch that idea. Now. So clash the colours, add personality to your wardrobe, mix it up. You want personal style don’t you?
Where
Economy: We love Witchery for the Marc Jacobs style Art Deco clutch about $250 and for the black multi gold or the zip bag about $229 or for black plastic hard case clutch with ribbed fan like ripples $69. Try Sportsgirl for a cute black satin clutch with a long detachable cross body chain $39 or an oversized cream clutch with a removable strap $29. Head to Nine West for Marc Jacobs style patent totes about $129.
Business: Head to Mimco for a black patent oversized tuxedo clutch with large silver turnlock $279, head to Kookai for Miu Miu inspired patchwork bag in black or stone about $220 or try Cue or Midas for good selection of bag. Myer also have a great collection of designer bags such as Cacherel which are better but not over $1000. This is called a bargain in designer bag land.
First : If you got it you should spend it. Head to Prada, Burberry, Jimmy Choo , Evelyn Miles for Miu Miu and Cosmo shoes for Balenciaga bags galore.
What: The Shoe (Miu Miu Fall 08).
Which: Where would our life be without fabulous shoes? Short for one thing. Shoes this season are very high with a platform, or a wedge. This is good news for those FiFi Report readers who did what they were told 2 years ago and bought platforms when instructed. You can keep wearing them. You can also keep wearing any shoes in patent, in bright colours, with crazy details or heels. Anything with a round toe, with a chunky heel or laceup. You want a shoe boot. You want very high and you want flat. There is no in between. Sorry. In Boots you want laceup gladiator style a la Balenciaga or Prada, short suede, round toe boots or flat long riding boots. I like the look of shoes with opaques; my boots will keep snoozing for another season. Both Lanvin and Balenciaga showed pointy toes for next winter. This is serious news.
Why: Because we love shoes. Because we can go crazy with shoes and keep sane with our clothes. Because shoes fit on a fat day. Because it’s time to show personality with your feet. Because winter clothes are lean and mean so you want shoes and bags to be fun. And add an edge. Because you tell everything about a person by looking at their shoes.
Wear: Go crazy and experiment. Mix it up. Throw embellished heels with jeans, patent with your suit, red with all your work black. You want to wear black opaques hosiery with sling backs, with peep toes, with every shoe. You want to wear long flat boots with skirts and your short boots with sweater dresses. You want to wear ballet flats with jeans, boots with dresses and lace up shoes with skirts. Don’t tuck your jeans into boots. That look is over.
Where:
Economy: Try Mollini, Nine West, and Witchery for the best ballet flats and great designers heels at great prices. Aldo have fabulous patent Lanvin style sexy mama heels and so does Zu.
Business: Head to The Corner Shop who has collaborated with Via Roma in Italy to custom make ballet flats in all colours and the option of round or square toe $195. Try Midas for patent shoe boots about $220, Go to Wittner for Balenciaga style stud platforms and fabulous Lanvin style ballet flats about $150. David Jones have the best shoe selection in town.
First: Head to David Jones for ALL the best designers labels in the world. From Christian Louboutin to Prada, YSL, Chloe and Jil sander. Louboutin is also at Scanlan and Theodore( you want the black platform very high heel $900) Or head to Jimmy Choo, Prada and Gucci or hand over your black Amex to Net-a-porter…
Other Must Have Accessories: (Burberry, Lanvin Fall08).
Long, long gloves, huge oversized scarves, multiple cuffs and amazingbig chunky necklaces. Belts, belts and more belts. Wide orskinny. Patent, in a colour or simply classic brown. Cinch in your waist. That is anorder. Brooches are cool and so is any heirloom jewels. You can leavethe earrings in the drawer. They have a hangover.
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