Balmain has kicked us all into touch and time travelled us back to the 80's with a combination of ripped, patched and bleached skinny jeans (and at 1k a pair, i'm sure i'm not the only financially challenged style-fix searcher to reach for the bleach and a cheesegrater...) and now the power shoulder is where it's at. Super sharp silhouettes have taken the edge off the boyfriend blazer and the denim jacket as the cover up du jour, and left some of us fashion fanatics wondering how to channel this look effectively ( i.e. without looking like a Thatcherite).Whilst boxy jackets look super paired with skinny jeans (think streamlined shapes and structured tailoring) they can also look fierce over a girlie dress for a more edgy look. Tip: give the pussy bow blouse and twinset a miss or we're heading dangerously into 80's workwear territory...lets make a style statement, not a Party Political Broadcast, yes?
So, never being one to let a trend pass me by without at least giving it a whirl, (this can be a detrimental trait....tie dye denim flares anyone?) I decided it was time to investigate the power dressing trend a bit more closely.
I think the key to this trend is a) being brave and b) being relative. The 80's were the decade that fashion forgot for a reason....many, many of the clothes were BAD. This doesn't mean we can't work them into our look...but the point is to lift particular pieces of interest and work them in an '09 way. Thus: we are not going for an 80's look, but referencing styles, rather than doing them head to toe.
I've gone for a pegged trouser here, which are so hot right now...these are Topshop but you can get them everywhere. I rolled them at the ankle to make them just a little bit more relevant and also, that means they show off my shoes better. Speaking of which, these are little wicker wedges which are absolutely ancient and I can't remember where I got them but I like how they look with these trousers, so we'll let that go by.
I've also used every girls perrennial wardrobe staple, the slouchy white tee, to counteract the print of the trousers...this one is from Whistles and is the nicest and best fitting tee i've ever had. A bit more expensive, but so worth it for the quality. This makes the perfect base for my overtly-shouldered number....this tan leather bib front jacket from ASOS (got it in the sale). The neutral colour makes it a great piece to work shape trends with, and the leather is a tactile fabric which adds a dressed down edge to a structural shape. The pushed up sleeves also add a nice touch of insouciance....rocking the 80's with attitude. Jacquard and Metallic fabrics also work great with this trend.
Accessory wise, I'm complimenting my 80's-esque threads with some ultraviolent branding...because we all know the 80's loved that. So a nice vintage Dior belt is in order, plus mammoth gold hoops to add a bit of nightclub chic to a daytime dresscode. The envelope clutch is a key piece and also relevant to trends of today. I'm also wearing a massive yellow plastic flower ring, because I do love a bit of statement jewellery...and it lifts the look with a bit of colour. I'd be wearing my oversized gent's watch too, if it wasn't being held hostage at the watch repairer's even as we speak. Trying times, and as it hasn't actually even worked since the 80's, it'll be interesting to see if I can work out how to wear it as a functioning timepiece as opposed to a fashion accessory. (Note to self: Must learn to stop asking people for the time).
Post a Comment