Fashion Forecast: Atlas Shrugged

Okay, so the Atlas Shrugged reference doesn't perfectly reflect the halter top trend, but I couldn't resist using it.  If you're not familiar with the allusion, Atlas was a Greek hero or god or something who wound up with the unenviable task of holding up the world.  I believe at one point Hercules (or Herakles if you prefer the Greek) had to take over this job in his seven... or maybe it was twelve? ordeals.  You can tell I paid close attention in Greek and Roman Myth.  Anyway, Atlas Shrugged was a novel written by Ayn Rand during the Cold War, which was essentially a really long rant about how great capitalism is and in defense of property rights.  Believe it or not, the Iron Man comic drew heavily upon Atlas Shrugged for some of its material.  Cracked has done an interesting article on it.  I liked it because it suggested the shoulders, and as you'll know by now Spring 2011 is all over shoulders.

Again and again designers were showing this rather different look.  In some cases they featured genuine halter tops, which fasten at the neck and not at the back, and in other cases they seemed to take a tank top design and cut further away from the shoulder area, accentuating that feature.  It's a little hard to put into words but the pictures speak for themselves.  I think it's a pretty cool idea as shoulders can be very sexy.  However, this style does present a little bit of a challenge when it comes to your bra straps, and I'm not even sure it's something bustier ladies like myself can pull off, but I suppose that remains to be seen.  Pictures, as per usual, are all from www.style.com.

 

Calvin Klein

 

Celine

 

Celine

 

Christian Siriano

 

Derek Lam - one of my favourite items from Spring.  This dress is Bohemian and elegant; perfect for a Summer soiree. 

 

Gucci

 

Helmut Lang

 

Lanvin

 

Marc Jacobs

 

Oscar de la Renta

 

Prabal Garung

 

Rodarte

 

Stella McCartney

 

Versace

 

Yves Saint Laurent

Fashion Forecast: A Touch of Flare

Okay, so I haven't posted a Fashion Forecast in a while, so I thought I'd throw up a few more for those of you who are sartorially minded.  With the '70s on the runways in a big way, wide-leg and flared jeans/trousers were abundant.

While I like a good bootleg cut as much as any other, I can't say flares are a favourite of mine, mostly because they're hard to pull off if you don't have a really unhealthy BMI.  So, I'll be more inclined to go with the more democratic adaptation: the wide-leg.  A good wide leg jean will fit snugly through the hips, and then fit loosely through the thigh and leg.  If you have shorter legs then I recommend going with a high-waisted version or have them hemmed to just brush the ground in high heels, which will give you height and longer lines.

Badgley Mischka, Celine, Christian Dior, Derek Lam, D&G, Dries van Noten and Jason Wu all showcased versions of this trend.  Photos from www.style.com.

 

Badgley Mischka

 

Celine

 

Christian Dior

 

D&G

 

Derek Lam: This shot in particular has been featured in more fashion blogs and articles than I can count; and for good reason, since it's a great look!

 

Dries van Noten

 

Jason Wu