Big Apple Diary – 2/01/09
06-02-2009
Hi All,
I've had enough of the "doom & gloom" attitude of the baby boomer consumer and was ready for an uplifting experience. So, this past week I combed specialty stores appealing to the target customer aged 14 to 35 plus. From the younger assortments of Abercrombie & Fitch, Aeropostale, American Eagle, H&M and Delia*s to a bit more sophistication at Zara, Club Monaco, Gap & J.Crew there were lots of similarities.
Definitely gives one a perspective on the affordable trends of the season;
Bohemian – the return of the happy hippy……
« Tunics with embellishments
« Peasant blouses
« Tie dye for apparel & accessories
« Fringe…a key detail
« Vintage mini florals, tropical prints , ikats
« Dhoti pants & crops in printed cotton voile
« Pareos
« Billowy full cut skirts or printed cotton mini's
Biker Chic – rock n' roll inspired looks grounded in the color black….
« Edgy trims; grommets, nail heads, zippers, chains, buckles on apparel, accessories & footwear
« Biker jackets in black leather
« Vests
« Skintight pleather & knit leggings
« Destroyed denim in black & dark rinses
« Toothpick legs with zip ankles
Neo-Western – old classics revived & remixed…
« Plaid shirts traditional or long enough to wear with leggings or skinny jeans
« Chambray work shirts
« Vests in menswear stripes or fringed
« Denim jeans, crops, shorts & skirts in super bleached & faded finishes
The best news of all is that the essential key pieces seamlessly crossover from trend to trend…What could be better or more economical????
The belted Trench – a cinched waist emphasizes sexy lines
« New proportions
« Long & classic
« Shorter lengths
« Shrunken bodies
« Pops of color in high voltage hues & sorbet shades
« Solid, plaid, checks or patterned
« Asymmetrical zip motor bodies
« Pair it with a strapless dress, pencil skirt or denim jeans
The cardigan
« Boyfriend silhouette – a long V- neck, button front & fitted to elongate & refine curves
« Open fronts in tunic lengths
« Fancy textured stitches & pointelles
« Sorbet solids, stripes or tie dye
« Great with short – shorts, leggings or skinny bottoms
The denim jean, crop, capri or short
« The return of destroyed finishes; holes, raw edges
« Dark rinse washes to super bleach vintage
« Railroad stripes
« Baggy, relaxed boyfriend bodies
« Sexy, skinny, toothpick legs
The extraordinary Tee – grounds every trend
« The classics: crew, V-neck or Henley
« Longer & slouchy
« Feminized with ruffles & rosettes
« Bare bodies; one shoulder, halter or tanks
« Ring spun, slub or tissue weights
Top off every trend with the necessary scarf…..
« Double wrapped
« Pick a pop of contrasting color
« Solid, printed, stripes or a "hit" of metallic
At 35 plus, I admittedly do not fit the customer profile for this retail segment, but it was a fabulous solution in redefining a wardrobe with an inexpensive update.
I suggest you try it sometime soon!
Cheryl
