Sunday, March 1, 2015

Doll's Eye View: NY Fall 2015 Trends Pt. 2

Seventh Avenue (NY) has always had the reputation of "What you see, is what you get." There is nothing to interpret. Nothing to second guess how the garment will ACTUALLY be worn. Take it or leave it. In this, the second part of NY fashion week (if you missed part I, click here), everything is so simply defined. It is a matter of black and white.
 
Winter Whites
Be it dresses, coats, jackets, winter whites (both in warm and cool tones) offer a look that is soft and comforting. And, there is lots of swing whether we're looking at classic Diane Von Furstenberg or that nice. big, swing jacket served up by Josie Natori. What is interesting here is how it is often worn with black accessories including hosiery. (Stockings for dolly???!!!)

Dark Days in Manhattan
 
Black seems to be the go-to color for Fall Winter.. What's interesting here? Volumes...note how "big" everything has become. Layers....we can adjust layers to suit dolly's proportions to get the look without overpowering her.
 

Little Black Dress 3.0
Did it ever go out of style?!!! There is a wide variety of ways you can go with this. We love the little bejeweled cap leaves on a basic black dress a la Oscar de la Renta. Cushnie & Ochs shows both an elegant and very sophisticated way for dolly to wear basic black. For my mini-version, I used a stretch satin and a very basic funnel neck knit pattern. (No center seams for this beauty. The opening is on the shoulder) Then I tied a length of black satin ribbon into a bow over the neckline. Also notice the Kim Novak, below-the-knee length hemline! Otherwise, opt for fabrics and surface treatments with lots of texture and movement!
 
 Black Tie
Okay, so most of us don't go to black tie affairs. But our doll's just love to get all dressed up. Here again, what looks so good for formal wear is basic black. Whether you lean towards sexy or artsy styles, for me, these four looks sum up a great "Midnight in Manhattan" look.
 
 Clear as Black & White
Have you noticed....many of the television anchorwomen wear sleeveless dresses all year long. Are sleeves too expensive? Are designers lacking in ideas? Or have we gotten past "spring looks" versus "winter looks?" The boldness of black and white stripes has an eternal appear. It's a look that pops up at you, begging to be noticed. In fact, I was going to do Lisa Perry look, but at the last minute, stop myself. It looks awfully like spring time! Then again, these fashion reports serve as banks of information. And with dolls, anything works anytime, anywhere!!!!
 
 Fruit Cocktail

There's not a lot of color options for Fall/Winter 2015. However, during those long dull dreary winter days and nights, give dolly a shot of vibrant, fruit color. It can be a as simple as dressing her in a simmering satin dress that peaks out from underneath a black faux fur coat. Or you can turn to the deeper tones, like cranberry or raspberry.
 
Casually Elegant
 
One final note before leaving New York. The stand out new look for us was the combination of sweaters worn over fancy skirts. My Dolly Ralph Lauren was made from a tube of stretch lace and small lengths of marabou feathers sewn down from hips to hem. The stretch lace allows the doll to get in and out of the skirt easily without snaps or Velcro. But the trick is to attach the feathers starting at the hips so that they don't add bulk under the sweater. Another favorite is our Dolly Victoria Beckham...the little white sweater top over the shabby chic satin skirt. Again, I started with a stretch satin tube skirt, over which a "rag" (a piece of devore satin that was falling apart) is hand stitched on top.

Next stop: London!
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10 comments:

  1. Great post! I like quite many of the looks, but the first photo's dress I love the most! <3

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  2. Thank you Uraru. I totally agree with you. As soon as I saw that dress, I knew I had to make it and I knew hat would be my "cover" photo. It is such an elegant and timeless look! Big hugs.

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  3. Hi April, a great post! The LBD is awesome, but I really love how you interpreded the Ralph Lauren outfit too!
    there are some interesting things, I'm thinking of a total white collection for boys and girls and I'm taking notes!
    Kisses Billa

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    1. Thank you, Billa. The LBD dress is one of those outfits that is magnificent by its simplicity. I really liked the Ralph Lauren outfit, though if I had not been so short on time, I would probably have cut another sweater to be a wee bit shorter. An all white collection for your crew sounds pretty divine. Can't wait to see it! Big hugs, April

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  4. Hello from Spain: fabulous fashion show. Great proposals.. Keep in touch

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  5. Thank you Marta. I'm not finished with the fashion show quite yet.... See you soon.

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  6. I love the black halter dress! It's so elegant. The satin bow is a perfect touch. <3

    Isn't stretch fabric wonderful? I've been using it for my doll pants, and I love that I haven't had to sew a single snap. My Ken dolls want jeans, so I may look for some stretch denim.

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  7. Indeed, stretch fabric is great. Not only do you not have to think about snaps, but it also saves you from having to worry about darts or seams!

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  8. Replies
    1. Absolutely!!! Feather dresses have been on the European catwalks for decades. Typically, you would use flat feathers and they would be hand sewn, one by one. The idea of taking this idea down to a skirt, worn with a sweater is a more modern way of transforming this into a more modern, casually elegant look. And yes, just like the dress, it is a fragile garment. I would wear it to a cocktail party where I wouldn't be sitting much. More importantly....my dolls don't sit at all, so, unless they fall off the piano, I have no worries ;-)

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