Men's A/W 2011-2012 Trends

Dear Readers,

Since I believe in gender equality, I decided to write about men's fashion A/W trends after writing about women's trends yesterday.

Relaxed Tailoring: Loose Pants

I have good news for all those men - and I know there are plenty of them - who hate skinny, figure hugging trousers. Whilst skinny pants are not completely 'out', this Autumn and Winter designers have opted for more relaxed, loose, drop crotch trousers. If you want to follow this trend, look for tailored trousers which are loose around the thigh and crotch areas. Many argue that loose tailored trousers undermine the 'formality' associated with tailored trousers, but I think that unless they're excessively baggy, they're still more formal than your casual pair of jeans.

Relaxed Tailoring: Jackets

The relaxed tailoring trend is not solely relevant to trousers, it's also applicable to jackets. One dominant element of this trend is the 'seamless shoulder', which can be explained as the lack of a stitch line where the shoulder meets the arm. In many ways, the shoulder style is very similar to a kimono sleeve. The 'seamless shoulder' trend was spotted in several collections on many different pieces, from casual sports clothing to more structured outerwear. 

Another element of the relaxed jackets trend is the 'deep shoulder seam / dropped shoulder' detail. This implies that the shoulder seam should rest somewhere beneath your shoulder and closer to your bicep. I haven't been to men's stores recently so I've no idea whether shops are stocking these jackets already, but just in case they don't, get a size larger and it will do the trick. As long as your jacket looks oversized from the shoulder area, then you're acing it :)

Plaid

This is probably my favourite men's trend for Autumn and Winter. Though plaid has been around for a couple of years already, it has never been this popular. This pattern will dominate men's collection in the coming season, so make sure you stock on your tartan, dogtooth and Sherlock Holmes-like garments. This trend is not only limited to jackets by the way!

Double-breasted suits and coats

Whilst sleek single-breasted suits are also in fashion next season - they never go out of fashion anyway! - we're going to see a huge return of double-breasted suits! The cut of the double-breasted suit is different this time. Whereas originally double-breasted jackets were intended to hide a fuller figure, this year's double-breasted jacket is in a V-neck form which accentuates a well-built body. For inspiration, consult Chuck Bass.

Overalls

I've mentioned overalls yesterday when I wrote about women's trends and here I am again exalting the charm of the one-piece! Overalls / Dungarees / Boilersuits are an incredible statement piece for men and I just can't wait to see people strolling around the street in them :)

Tonight, before going to bed, I'll pray to God and say, 'Dear God, please make many men follow at least one of these trends this Autumn. Make them throw those white undervests away! Amen.'

-B

The Boffism Guide to A/W 2011-2012 Trends

Dear Readers,

As I was telling my family earlier, I start gearing up for Autumn after the 15th of August. I love Summer, but I miss my blazers too much, so I can't wear to start layering things on. Before clearance sales end, I thought of giving you the lowdown on some of next season's biggest trends, just in case you wanted to bag a few bargain buys before they're gone.

Black and White
Thank you God. This a very easy and doable trend and you can hardly do it wrong. Black and white outfits are so easy to put together and dress up and dress down. You can adapt the trend to your workwear, and you can spice it up for an evening look.

Boyfriend Looks
Get your hands on any boyfriend blazers you find on sale women! Masculine looks are going to be BIG next Autumn and Winter, so you want to make sure you're equipped. I'm not going into too much detail on this trend because I intend to dedicate an entire post to the topic during this week. This is my favourite trend, hands down.

White Out
This look has also been en vogue during Summer, and as you might know I'm not one of its biggest fans. I have this little aversion to white trousers, bags and shoes, so I'm definitely not going for the look. But you're free to challenge  me :)

Maxi Dresses
YES! I love maxi dresses in Autumn, especially when paired with a boyfriend blazer or a cute denim jacket. Oh, one thing to keep in mind, never wear maxis during a rainy day unless you want to dry the land you're walking on. This is experience speaking.

Fetish
I must admit I chuckled when I read about this trend. You might be wondering what 'fetish' implies in this context. Well, easy, it implies plenty of latex, leather and textiles you're likely to see in a porn movie. Whilst I don't encourage any of you to go out looking like a hooker or a call-girl, I do encourage some 'softer', 'milder' experimentation. On my part, I'm glad that I'm going to have an excuse to wear my recently purchased leather top (what I tend to call my 'bulletproof vest'). It's a difficult trend to adapt, but we oughtn't give up!

The Parisian Look
Well, you know what I think about this trend. I won't be making too much of an effort this Autumn to follow this trend, considering this is my 'go-to' style every consecutive Winter. If you want to have a go at this trend, stock on tweed, dogtooth, sombre colours, refined jackets, and clear cut short coats. Ask yourself, 'Would Blair Waldorf wear this?' and if the answer is 'Yes', then you're doing it right.

Seventies Style
The seventies trend is still alive and kicking! It's been around for a couple of months now and we can't get enough of it! I personally love the trend, even though I usually avoid some of its most typical elements like flared trousers and platforms. But, having said that, bring on those floppy hats and huge sunnies, Jane Fonda ain't got nothing on us dear readers!

Lady in Red
Yikes, as much as I love red, I'll have to go slowly with this one. As a redhead, I try to avoid red as much as I can, although sometimes I just can't resist it. I'll have to stick to my loyal red lip but you readers can go for it, especially if you're blondes.

Pencil Skirts
As I read about this trend, I nearly screamed with happiness. Damn, I love pencil skirts. Forget those miniskirts ladies, midi-length is the way to go. Do you know what the French equivalent for 'pencil skirt' is? It's 'jupe crayon'. I think that's the cutest thing ever.

Fur
I won't go into ethical considerations and all of that jazz, because we all have opinions about the subject and this is not the place discuss the issue. I love fur, though I go for faux fur myself, just saying. If you're a fur newbie, then start with a fur scarf and work your way up gradually. Psychedelic / Multi-coloured furs like the one in the picture will be very, very in.

Spots
Yay, that's a very easy trend that practically everyone can enjoy! It's simple, fun and easy to come by. I've seen a hundred and one million spotted items on the racks already. So go for it, girls!

Brocade
I'm rather obsessed with brocade. I've got a brocade desktop background, a brocade iPod Touch wallpaper, a couple of brocade inspired room decorations and plenty of brocade clothing items. Without further ado, I declare that I'm all for brocade and so should you! For anyone who doesn't know what brocade is, it's a  type of embossed material which is usually made from gold or silver threads. I ADORE BROCADE! This reminds me I need a brocade blazer, mhmmm!

Overalls / Dungarees
Bingo! I can proudly say that I just bought one for 4.99 Euro last week. Many people don't like dungarees, but some people like me love them to death. The problem with overalls is that I barely see any in shops, which is totally unfair.

Snakeskin
Animal Print? Hell yes. Go.Buy.Now.

Aztec / American-Indian Prints
At the moment, Bershka are full of these designs and I just want to buy the entire section. Pair these items with feathers or fringes and you''ll give Pocahontas a run for her money!

Orange
Boo! This is such a big no-no for me unfortunately. Orange-haired women aren't meant to wear orange unless they want to look like the Annoying Orange. But, you all know I like challenges, so I'm going to try and defy this belief. I'll do it, I hope. I found an amazing orange blazer that I can't afford to leave in the shop. I must do this!

Mustard
Mustard is one of my favourite colours. My favourite blazer is mustard. My favourite coat is mustard. I needn't say more right? Oh, I want this gorgeous mustard Lanvin dress, pretty please!

I'm having an pleasant, crazy Summer but quite frankly, roll on Autumn!

-B

(all pictures via Vogue.fr)