FabSugar

On Our Radar: Seasonless Dressing on the Horizon?

FabSugar — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 10:00:22 PDT

Fashion moves at the speed of light. While some designers with sound financing can keep up, there are many who can't and don't want to. Those in the latter situation have shifted their mentality and are taking a more seasonless stance on fashion.

"What excites us about the seasonless approach is that after decades of forced obsolescence by design in retail, people are beginning to rewrite the rules on what is an acceptable rhythm in the fashion cycle," said Brian Janusiak, founder of Project No. 8, a fashion and design outpost in New York's Chinatown.

Signs of a seasonless fashion future have already surfaced. First, global warming is causing seasonal temperature changes and unpredictability. A more subtle change is that designers are placing more importance on resort collections. Diane von Furstenberg, for example, included more seasonless pieces in her 2009 resort collection (above) to give her jet-setting customers more flexibility.

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Fab Flash: A Trend Toward Seasonless Dressing

FabSugar — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 11:30:22 PDT

Unpredictable weather patterns are wreaking havoc on traditional Spring/Summer and Fall/Winter fashion seasons, and fashion designers are having to adapt "to the reality that there is no strong difference between Summer and Winter any more," Beppe Modenese, founder of Milan Fashion Week, told The New York Times.

Fashion giants like Liz Claiborne Inc, Target, and Kohl's have all hired climatologists to help them plan for their next collections, and Target is even promising to sell swimwear year-round starting in January.

But the bottom line, as Harriet Quick, fashion features director of Vogue UK says, is that "we'll start to see a move toward what you could call trans-seasonal or all-year-clothing." If this happens, it means that you will be able to get more wear out of what you buy - and I'm not going to argue with that!

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Peek Inside Alice + Olivia's Spring '12 Garden Party Lookbook

Marisa Tom — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 08:39:39 PST

Alice + Olivia's Spring '12 collection is an ultra-feminine mix of flowy separates and expertly draped dresses - and we can't help but think we've happened upon a whimsical Alice in Wonderland garden tea party. We're particularly taken with the shimmery metallic minis, long pastel-hued frocks, and wide leg printed pants for all our future warm weather outings. The line sticks to Spring's go-to light color palette: silvers, whites, minty greens, pale blues, canary yellows, and girlie pink tones. And it presents our favorite ladylike silhouettes, including the peplum pop, drop-waist details, and super-sexy sheer cutouts. Read below for our must-have items, then click through to see the Spring collection in full.

Every girl should have a LWD like this one. Its flirty mashup of sheer, lace, and fringe combines sweet dressing elements into one subtly sexy look.
We're loving the overflow of pastels and this sweet spearmint maxi is no exception. Let these Spring-specific shades speak for themselves - a simple cinch, nude wedges, and a romantic updo are all you need to complement Alice + Olivia's designs.
You can never go wrong with a gorgeous print. Whether it's animal-inspired or floral-heavy, these seasonless patterns can easily translate into fun layering pieces for those outfit drama days.

One-Minute Makeover Tip: Add Texture With a Cable Knit Sweater

Marisa Tom — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 08:06:27 PST

The next wardrobe refresh doesn't have to come at the expense of another shopping spree. By digging into your sartorial archives for things that are tried and true and ready for another spin, you can update and transform any ensemble in a minute's time. We've tapped our fashionable community and our savvy clotheshorse editors for simple styling tricks to instantly breathe new life into the back of your closet. For today's tip, we're feeling particularly layer happy and Fall festive: add texture with a cable knit sweater.

It's a seasonless piece and an essential component of any fashion-forward wardrobe. While advantageous to us as the temps cool down, the cable knit sweater can act as a seasonal transition "middleman." You can get away with rocking this style in a wide spectrum of climates. Functional fashion at its best.
The subtle effect of a cable knit is infinite in its styling possibilities, but we love that above all, it truly adds dimension to any outfit. With Winter on our heels, incorporate this cross-layer stitch into your everyday getup.
Lucky for us, cable knit sweaters are super versatile. Test drive our theory three ways: pair it with cuffed trouser shorts and a mens' oxford shirt, or layer it over a floral midi dress then belt it for a flattering shape. We also love the idea of pairing with another textured piece, like tweed pants, for maximum impact.
Don't have it in your own closet? Check your boyfriend's. This knit is genderless, and for the sake of mix and matching, this is a very good thing. Wear it fitted, slouched, or oversized, and chances are, you'll still look impeccably chic in that pulled-together, understated Grace Kelly kind of way.

Photos courtesy of Tanyazh, Thestylesafari, and Postgradchic