Fall/Winter 2019: 4 Wearable Trends (Really!)

Happy day, reader dear!

Are you a fashion fan? Or does fashion stress you out? Well, style isn’t fashion, but fashion is the tool we use to express our style. Chasing fashion is a fool’s errand, but knowing what is current, and staying abreast of trends shows sends the signal that we are aware of what’s happening around us and interested in engaging with the world. (For more about why trends matter, read on!)

Last spring, the F/W runways were full of what some magazines dubbed style chaos, and finding common threads was a full time job for editors and fashion pundits. Since I’m all about what works in the real world, for real women, I chose four of the most wearable trends along with some ideas on what to look for and what to avoid. Grab a warm beverage and let’s have a cozy chat about just a few of the trends for Fall/Winter 2019…

Leather

Leather shows up every year, but this year expands on last fall’s obsession with leather… Not just jackets, but also vests, skirts, and dresses. Long leather trenches, too! The thing I’m loving most about all these leather looks is they are branching out from brown and black. We are seeing leather in every color of the rainbow, and you know how I feel about color! If you have an old leather jacket in the closet, pull it out and give it a good clean. And don’t forget to break out your boots, too! Caution: Leather jackets can add bulk, so make sure to keep the look streamlined, and avoid hems that end at your widest spot!

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I expect both jackets to be in heavy rotation this year!

Plaid

Plaid is another fall favorite, but this season we’ve moved past the humble plaid shirt into plaid almost everything. Plaid coats and dresses in particular. Especially oversized coats! Caution: Plaid can make you feel square. If it does, take a close look at the plaid. Is the overall look of the plaid horizontal or vertical? Here’s what I mean…

Not only overcoats that have that effect!

Animal Print

Pick your favorite animal. Ok, maybe not dalmation! Animal print is still going strong. Zebra, which was HUGE about 10 years ago, is making a comeback. Snake is everywhere. And the old standards of leopard and cheetah can be found on every imaginable piece of clothing. We’ll see if giraffe makes a showing again. I’ll be breaking out my animal print sweater again for winter. Caution: (1) Unless you have a highly Dramatic personality, you may not want to cover yourself in animal print from head to toe. (2)Animal prints also tend to the warm side of the color spectrum, so those of us with cool complexions need to be choosy. Remember that a print like zebra will be better for those with higher Value Contrast and snake for lower Value Contrast!

Purple

Fall and Winter 2019-2020 would be a dream for his purpleness, Prince. If you love purple, this fall and winter will be your year to shop. We are seeing everything from the palest lilac to the darkest eggplant. There really is a purple for every complexion out there… That’s the reason I call it a very wearable trend. You can find warm purples and cool purples, light purples and dark purples, bright purples and dusky purples. Caution: Purple is a love/hate color, so if you don’t love it, please ignore this entire section and leave the purple for those who can’t get enough of it! A lonely purple sweater hanging unworn in your closet is a poor use of your wardrobe budget.

If you want to see and hear what I mean, here’s a little video I made at my favorite local consignment place chatting about these same four trends.

So… How about you? Are any of these trends ones you can jump on? Which? Or which would you not be caught dead in? Do let me know your thoughts in the comments below… I LOVE to hear from you!

Stylishly yours,