The Lipstick Page Forums Beauty & Fashion Blog . thelipstickpage

Notes from the Editors of The Lipstick Page Forums: A Dedication to the Art of Beauty and Fashion.

Meet the Staff: The Sketchbook

· Blog Home
· Profile
· MySpace
· Contact Us
· FAQ/TOS

On This Page
· Fashion Notes: Countdown to Spring

Comments

Archives
· Beauty Blog (2003-2004)
· Fashion Blog (archive)
· New Releases Blog (archive)
· Beauty Articles (archive)
· April 2005
· May 2005
· June 2005
· July 2005
· August 2005
· September 2005
· October 2005
· November 2005
· December 2005
· January 2006
· February 2006
· March 2006
· April 2006
· May 2006
· June 2006
· July 2006
· August 2006
· September 2006
· October 2006
· November 2006
· December 2006
· January 2007
· February 2007
· March 2007
· April 2007
· May 2007
· June 2007
· July 2007
· August 2007
· September 2007
· October 2007
· November 2007
· December 2007
· January 2008
· February 2008
· March 2008
· April 2008
· May 2008
· June 2008
· July 2008

Recent blog posts:

Links
Barneys
refinery29
The Sartorialist
Jargol
Perfume Shrine
Ambre Gris
Polyvore
The Fashioniste
The Powder Group
LA-Story.com
Dain's Literary Attempts
Colleen's Beading Blog
Colleen's Adult Acne Blog

The Beauty Blog Network

Eponym Blog Directory.
TBF Project:Blog

Health Blogs - Blog Catalog Blog Directory

Search For Blogs, Submit Blogs, The Ultimate Blog Directory

The Lipstick Page Forums Beauty & Fashion Blog

Posted by Dain, Friday, January 18, 2008 9:15 AM (Eastern)

Here are my votes for the best looks of Spring-Summer 2008. I've tried to stick to wearable (for me at least, but I realize this has a highly variable meaning). There has been a certain "anything goes" attitude in fashion lately, which sounds very well in theory, but it leads to quite a lot of bad fashion. Among the designers, there is a mania for excessive, showy tailoring that seems to beg affirmation as a couturier. It seems inevitable in retrospect, fashion is an industry at which theatrics come at the drop of a hat. These "creations" are sometimes absurd, sometimes sublime, and almost always difficult to wear. So among the wearers, "anything goes" translates into something called "layering"—black leggings, skinny jeans, couture tees, and the inevitable Louboutin. It is very hipster, very cas', very watered-down Kate Moss. Maybe anything goes, but there is just no fun to it. It may seem to you that I ought to champion democratic fashion, but hell, fashion isn't democratic. Style comes from an inner enjoyment, chic is inimitable, and anyone can and ought to be well-dressed, but fashion is always evolving away from the crowd.

Where will it evolve next? Judging by what's percolating in the spring collections, two major trends are raring to emerge. The first is a sort of ethereal (since it's spring) simplicity best exemplified by Raf Simmons at Jil Sander. The second is a collusion of prints to miss-and-match such as at Prada. There is very little sex, but quite a lot of fun, thank god.

Enough talk, onto the clothes.

Are hats silly? I love hats, they are so elegant, and it is hard to deny the graphic appeal of this one by Ralph Lauren, but I wonder if other people find it affected. All the hat-worship of the ages seems to have transferred to shoes and handbags. I think it's a pity.

I have a great weakness for pretty frocks, they easily outnumber t-shirts in my wardrobe. There are very many of these, but at this level of expense and hype, I expect something special and not merely pretty. The colors in this one by 6267 are magical, but those sleeves present some difficulties. But then when I imagined them without, it was to the great diminishment of the dress: just pretty, not special. It may not suit you as it does me, but it is definitely memorable.

An impeccably cut Jil Sander suit in a color so vibrant it feels quite alive. It is extremely simple, and the fit is absolutely perfect, so perfect that I quite forget the ominously skinny pants and rather think to myself, "Ah, would be chic with ballet flats."

A symphony of neutrals, marvelously well-judged proportions, and great jewelry from Lanvin. Alber Elbaz has a talent for making the remarkable look unremarkable, and therefore the height of chic; the result is something very, very French—simple elements put together in such a way that it is difficult to see how it is done, much less emulate.

Beachwear by Stella McCartney: transports you straight to summer, does it not? A little retro, and yet it doesn't strike one as costume-y. The white sunglasses are quite perfect, and all it needs is a funky tote.

This one from Prada might do (it is leather, not cloth). I quite admire the moody fairies at Prada, but worry that it might telegraph "fashion victim" (both label and season would be identifiable to anyone who follows the runways), and one wants such things to transcend time. But the effect is not quite so intense when restricted to a handbag, but still... there is the danger. I discovered a white one at Bag Snob I like even better.

This Christian Dior wrap dress has a quiet glamour that quite appeals to me, it is soft and clingy with old-fashioned shoulders, one that embraces the female body and worships it, never to upstage the woman who wears it.

Pastels, flowers, suits, and Balenciaga, oh my! An unusual direction for Nicholas Ghèsquiere to take, since his clothes are rarely possess even a hint of softness. The clothes are practically sculpture, and the fabric itself has been meticulously topstitched (it is difficult to get a sense of the detail in this long shot). It is a weird mixture of evening gown and suit, but there is nothing quite like it.

I felt one showstopper evening piece was due, and my favorite is this ethereal, molten-silver Nina Ricci. Look at how the fabric pools at her feet like mercury. Divine.

thelipstickpageforums.com

Labels: 6267, balenciaga, dior, fashion guide, jil sander, lanvin, nina ricci, prada, ralph lauren, SS08, stella mccartney

0 comment(s)