Fall Fashion Review 2007

Once in a great while, the fashion industry does something incredible. An icon is created and inducted into the pop culture hall of fame, and is then relived for countless years to come. If we don’t study history we’re doomed to repeat it: and that seems to be the case of Vancouver’s fashion stance this fall/winter.

It appears like the Gods of fashion across the pond have decided that this past spring and summer had been written off as a time when it’s ok to be boring with your wardrobe. Simple re-writes of old-school style re-entered the scene, and more and more youth are being “inspired” by the bright hippie nation colours of the late sixties. I’m all for retro and vintage, but the reason its cool is because its different. The time has come for something new. And while this season doesn’t offer too much excitement, staying warm this winter is thankfully not a carbon copy of the bright flower power colours of the spring.

Recently, the chic thing to do is to be green: you know, reduce, reuse and recycle. And while this isn’t a bad thing it has sprung a lot of really irritating fashion items that are covered in slogans about how many natural resources are saved by wearing this shirt. That would be fascinating I’m sure if the shirt actually looked good on anyone. However, this is all about to change, as it seems that designers all over the world have taken the next step in their green mission, with outdoors inspired lines that use earthy colours to match fall’s gold and browns. The need for tweed has inspired new and exciting coats, blazers and hats that make any hippie look like a true outdoorsmen, now not only can they protect the forest they love, they can survive it too. Many of these looks appear to be based on Irish folk tales – bringing back the poor boy’s hat and hunting boots is straight out of a classic account from the old emerald Isle. Can the Guinness be far behind?

Until recently in this part of the world, winter has meant snow. And to combat the lack of the fluffy white stuff in this hemisphere, the fashion industry has decided what we need is a trendy line of ski inspired gear. Not exactly the most sensitive response I’ve ever heard, and certainly not the most intelligent, but none the less it is a very attractive idea. Those puffy down jackets are back, but spruce up the almost monotone palette of winter with blues and even exotic oranges. Winter boots are also back in style, and have been specialized with faux-fur insulation for “all that skiing you’ll be doing this winter.” Needless to say that this trend is not going to get a lot of press because, let’s face it, it’s almost un-wearable in this part of the world.

Following on the heels of the slicker hunter survivor look comes another spin off on the global warming situation. A more military approach to the hunter-gatherer look inspires a less optimistic standpoint then the outdoorsmen lines this winter is yet to see, and conveys a message of survival in a modern day world. Taking its insight from science fiction survival films (the spectacular “Children of Men” for example) the trend of looking like a militant left-behind has people dressed in more black then usual for a cold season, with newly refined pea coats and trench coats taken straight from the military vaults the were originally created for. Naval influences also drip off of fall’s new collections, including fishermen’s sweaters, hats, gloves and boots; as if to say, “If that glacier melts, you’ll still be happy and dry.”

This season looks like another globe conscious trend family, with plenty of style to back up its messages. Perhaps the first lines of fashion to be created in recent years where a serious message is understood simply in the design of the garment, these new trends are classics that have been refined for the times, and exceptionally well at that. Makes me glad that history repeats its best and brightest.