As the days turn cooler, Bohemian luxury dazzles the senses.
Fresh fall fashions fuse hippie-chic skirts and shrugs with
luxurious baroque materials such as velvet, satin and tapestry,
bringing night-time looks into the bright afternoon sun.
As the days turn cooler, Bohemian luxury dazzles the senses. Fresh fall fashions fuse hippie-chic skirts and shrugs with luxurious baroque materials such as velvet, satin and tapestry, bringing night-time looks into the bright afternoon sun.
Sequins continue to sparkle in casual wear, too, but before blowing a year’s wardrobe funding on these tactile temptations, count to 10. Autumnal styles are rich and sumptuous, but after nearly three years of increasingly glammed-up looks, they have all the subtlety of a Vegas showgirl, and the fashion world is in for a correction, according to local retailers.
Still, shoppers take heart, and revel in the twilight of Boho chic. Jewel tones – purple, turquoise, brown and raspberry – dominate the season’s color palette as punches of color rather than all-out washes, according to Victoria Herrera, owner of the upscale Blush Boutique in Morgan Hill.
“Tons of layering is in, so if you’ve got jeans and a brown top, you’d be putting turquoise under it or wearing turquoise in your earrings,” said Herrera.
Skirts of all kinds, including trendy pieces like tiered peasant skirts are in style, and best paired with the body-hugging camis, tailored jackets and midriff-accentuating shrugs that appear to be the staples of the season.
“Everything is about skirts, skirts, skirts,” said Sheila Stevens, owner of She’s in Hollister.
For day, dress down glitzy looks with denim, said Deborah Wood, owner of Drapoel, a boutique apparel shop in Hollister, and don’t shy away from luxe fabrics and prints at work, either.
“I don’t get myself involved in workwear too much because it’s not that big here, but I still do suiting,” said Wood. “Camis underneath the suit can do a lot, but you’re seeing some tweed and some printed velvet, and the pants have fuller legs.”
On casual Fridays, head to the office in clean-cut denim cut into trouser styles rather than skin-tight Saturday night jeans, Herrera recommended.
“Jeans are a great staple,” Herrera said. “There’s a big difference between any jeans and a good pair of really nice, high-end denim. You can wear them for years. They don’t stretch, they don’t shrink and they don’t go out of style. All you need to do is change up top.”
After seasons filled with sky-scraping stilettos, fashion-forward footwear, at least, is taking a sensible tack. Shoe styles are all over the map, according to Wood, but the latest Nordstrom catalogue is heavy on foot-friendly options like chunky heeled boots, clogs and cowboy boots. There are also be plenty of flat boots and metallic slippers to choose from.
In the accessories department, steer clear of basic black, said Wood. Instead, head for notice-me-now items like hand-knit scarves, metallic shoes and funky-colored bags as even relatively staid lines like Brighton are coming out with colors like rust, teal and mustard, she said.
Jewelry for the season is, like everything else, predictably over the top.
“We’re going to see lots of color, lots of different stones and longer chains,” said Wood. “You’re still going to get a lot of bangles, and there’s a lot of tiger’s eye, wood and different textures that are coming back into style, but I don’t think the Bohemian look is going to stay too long. It’s not very feminine – too heavy.”
In fact, expect the look to land headlong on the curb with spring cleaning come 2006, said Herrera. Instead, get ready for the reign of the gaucho as the chic, loose-fitting pants prepare to take the summer stage next year, accompanied by muted colors and intriguing details such as embroidery.
