A big trend that was seen on the runways in Fall 2013 RTW collections was old Hollywood film noir and glamourous vixen look. Marc Jacobs, Badgley Mischka, and Alice & Olivia were among the many designers that sent looks down the runway featuring this trend.
Dying to get in on this action? Hold on toots and put down that brocaded vest you wore in middle school. Before you start piling on everything you own that’s tweed, jacquard, brocade, and velvet, let’s talk this out. It’s really easy to overdo this trend and end up resembling Helena Bonham Carter in Fight Club. Although, she really knew how to rock a slip dress and heavy coat.
I would suggest investing in separates that you can wear alone or layer together to make a more complete, trendy look. You can never go wrong with a well fitting tweed pant or pencil skirt. These pieces will never go out of style and you can incorporate them easily into your wardrobe. For a velvet piece, I would look for a velvet embellished t-shirt or blouse with velvet trim. You could go totally old school 90’s and find yourself a velvet babydoll dress, but I implore you, DON’t. There are some nice velvet dresses that have a more modern shape and won’t make you look like Blossom’s bestie, Six. To top it off, I’d add a nice brocaded jacket with or without a fox fur trim. Fur played a big part in the Fall 2013 collections and fortunately there is not a shortage of faux fur alternatives available. For a fancy night out you could pull together a jacquard print mini, sheer blouse, and add some velvety pumps or a velvet clutch. Here’s some inspiration to get you started:
Mildred Lee Productions 