Monday, October 10, 2011

Trendspotting: Pantless Antics

If you can think as far back as Spring/Summer 2010, you may remember the resurgence of innerwear as outerwear: skimpy silk dresses, lace appliques, even the beginning of a velvet loafer trend that is now making it’s way into a larger market pretty successfully. That was quiet and subtle. This is not.

When I dropped the skirt-over-pant bomb, a handful of you were less than amused. But how about this? Spring’s next obstacle includes convincing you hard enough that pants are a trend of the past. And with some help from some of the highest of glossies and oh, I don’t know, maybe me, you may or may not find yourself slowly and quietly unzipping your pants, pulling them down, taking them off, and shelving them. It seems the season takes a turn for the contradictory: on the one hand, the captial L, Lady is back. This means shower more, wear a head scarf, and the bigger the better–re: your a-line. But on the other hand, yes sure you’ll shower, but leave that hair wet. Forget the skirt and run naked. See below, maybe I’ll make more sense. Maybe is the operative word.

Left: Chanel, Right: Louis Vuitton

See what I mean? Louis Vuitton was most certainly my favorite show during Paris Fashion Week. This is irrelevant re: the information I’m bringing forward, but I wanted you to know. Now, among two of the most respected fashion houses in the industry, Chanel and Louis Vuitton preach the demise of the pant. It doesn’t stop there, though, oh no.

Balenciaga and Dolce & Gabbana are on the very same page and while yes, the Balenciaga panty is more a bloomer than it is a panty there is something to be said about the demographic this particular silhouettes speaks to. More contemporary collections like Rebecca Minkoff have picked up on the trend too. (See: here) You know what though, I take back what I said about the contradictory nature of the seasons trends. At least they are proper panties, high-waist and enveloping all through the crevice of the thigh. Any lady would wear one, it’s not a thong, wouldn’t you agree?

…Had to throw this in for good measure. It’s so gypsy princess pin-up chic.

But collections aside, by now you should know, I’m not one to sit out a questionable trend.

And so without even knowing it, this one was no exception. These photos were taken in late August, before Fashion Week had even started, while working with Tibi by their Wooster Street store. The image was actually intended to serve as the seasonably updated continuation of our previous styling session where I worked a white body suit over black tights a la Edie Sedgwick. This produces a larger scale “wow” effect as people very truly believed I may have been a flasher. I’m not. Kidding, I am. Not.

trench jacket and body suit: Tibi, shoes: Yves Saint Laurent. Photos by Caroline Owens

Ultimately though, it’s this you should learn: I’m not serious about taking this trend off the runway just yet. Don’t try it at home and please don’t tell your mothers I told you walk around pantless, don’t tell your boyfriends either…it’s bad for my our image.

And with that I wish you a happy Columbus day. Go forth now, set sail.