Style Stazi

Burberry is one of those designers that no matter what every year I love. A big reason is there hasn’t been a lot of change in the collections over the years and for some labels, such as Karl Lagerfeld, it just works and never gets old. Burberry’s designs have a classic Englishness about them that rain or shine looks sophisticated, comfortable, and classy. Whether it’s the Spring, Resort, or Winter collection they always have something that I’d want to get and it’s the reason it’s such a powerful name. Another plus is their runway fashion, even their more couture lines, are wearable and not so much art pieces that no real human would ever wear. Call me a hater, but art for the sake of art was never my bag.

The Ready to Wear Spring 2009 collection is yet another fantastic collection featuring, of course, the Burberry famous trenchcoat. To keep it a little bit different, the trenches this year have an interesting color effect that make them look as though they are wet even when it’s bone dry. I haven’t decided whether I like it since being wet isn’t really a comfortable feeling for me and pretending to be wet really doesn’t sound that great either. What I do love about the collection are the rich golden hues, the earthy greens, and classic grays. The color scheme is very Spring and yet isn’t overly joyous like some other collections with over the top yellows, purples, and reds. Spring is a rainy time of year and the colors are still emerging from under the gray cloudy skies.

The Burberry fabrics are also beautiful with soft, luxurious folds and bends that inspire comfort and quality. A lot of designers this year took the 80s trend to an extreme with hard, big shoulder pads and odd, stiff puckers at the hip line. Maybe it’s just me but the only people that look good in shoulder pads are American Footballers and that’s even debatable. Shoulder pads and fashion should never have been thought of in the same line and neither should completely rectangular cut dresses, or gowns with spiky bulges at the hips. Women have curves and extending those curves to a grotesque manner isn’t all that necessary, especially since most women except rail-like runway models complain about their hips, thighs, and butts all the time and the last thing they’d want to do is make their lower bodies look even larger.

But Burberry avoided all the pitfalls of this year’s exaggerated trends and despite coming out with a very simple, classic, and not too exciting line, it looks great and extremely wearable. The huge neck and wrist accessories go very well with the loose fitting sweater tops, floppy hats, and low profile coats. The graduated colors on the pants look great and seem to extend the leg length on the slim cut pants although it takes some getting used to on the trench coats. And as for the mens’ line, the style is as usual youthful, classic, and still hip. I wouldn’t mind at all being seen about town in some slim legged pants and a casual overcoat or cropped sleeve button up. Good job yet again.

As I was browsing through collection after collection of the usual designer catwalks, some of which were inspired and others which were simply bizarre, I came across the most unusual Boy By Band of Others, a fashion group designing couture clothes for the streetwalker and hipster. Refusing to hold a usual catwalk show, Boy by Band of Others displayed their collection in a video show featuring Kirsten Dunst in a grunge-fashionable unkempt everyday look. The 2008 collection was shot with a Polaroid classic - how hipster. But their biggest strength is making clothes for real people.

Boy by Band of Others has a distinct English school uniform inspired look full of pencil skirts, comfortable blouse tops, sweater dresses, light weight trenchcoats and blazers, and really cute simple shoes. Definitely along the major trend lines of the past couple years, this designer knows what’s big in the 20 something age range and isn’t afraid to make clothes that aren’t challenging, just wearable. What is best about the look is the classicness of the blouse, pencil skirt, and blazer combo. That’ll never ever go out of fashion. None of the designs from Band of Others are new, but wearing clothes doesn’t have to be an advertisement of how cool you are - that should be left to what’s under it all.

I’m most in love with the blouse/pencil skirt combo. It’s classic, sexy, and smart. As an everyday fashion it works in the office, on the street, at a coffee shop, bar, or band hang out. If this was the average women’s look I’d eat my heart out with a spoon. I can only wish. Something about this just works and screams collegiate. It’s probably just my love for the school uniform/office attire look. It’s easy to dress it up with a classic blazer and black heels or drop it down with bright colored flats and funky sweater coat.

For a more casual look evening look, the sweater dress is the ultimate outfit. One piece that’s fluid, comfortable, and classy. The wide collar reeks of hipness and keeps with the continuing 80s influence in fashion carried over from last year. Sweater dresses also have the perfect ability to create a soft feminine silhouette and hide unwanted weight no matter where it is.

The loose fitting square cut dress belted around the waist and paired with a relaxed fit coat is something straight out of the Olsen twins closet. Of the kids-turned-celebs, they have some of the best style and their own clothing line unfortunately doesn’t match their own trends. I think I saw Ashley Olsen wearing this on an Oprah interview. Simple is always a good way to go. If you’re too slim this outfit doesn’t sit well (ahem, Ashley Olsen…) so normal people, it’s all yours.

I absolutely love the patchwork style plaid trenchcoat. It has perfect proportions, not too long to be wearing the wearer and not too short to be completely for looks. The trenchcoat is also a perfect slimmer with long vertical lines and a belted waist. For people with short legs avoid longer trenches and perhaps look into hemming the bottom a little shorter for the great slimming effects while minimizing the shortening aspect of a long coat.

What can I say about the ultimate tomboy outfit - overalls. Boys can’t wear them without looking 5, but on the right woman it can and does work. Just make sure to not look to much like a boy. I would recommend this only for busty women and please wear it with a waist belt.