Should she have been alive today, the fashionable Marie Antoinette’s famous last words would have probably been “wear robes, hot pink and pinstripes.” Also, knowing her, she would have probably integrated them all into one show-stopping headpiece. But alas, her time was cut too short and 200 years too soon, so it is the job of the humble artists at fashion week to set the trends we will be fishing out of the bargain bin in a few seasons, much to Miranda Priestly’s dismay.
Athleisure has been the trend of 2016, whether it be A Calvin Klein “Obsession” sweatshirt rounding out at just under a thousand dollars with tax, or a pair of Adidas “Yeezy Boost” sneakers that will make you refinance your house. For 2017, it seems we will be dropping the athletic aspect and will simply be focusing on the “leisure” part of streetwear. Lacoste sent a terrycloth robe — yes, robe — down its runway, and Fashion powerhouse Alexander Wang created one out of mink, for those who like the finer things in life. May Hugh Hefner rejoice — his go-to look for the past half-century may finally grace Vogue’s centerfold.
In an era of monochrome minimalism, pink has become the color of the season, with various shades of bubblegum, magenta and taffy employed by J.Crew and Michael Kors. The former used a soft peony shades for a pair of silk, floor-length gaucho pants, and the latter used it for a tea dress reminiscent of Sunday school — elbow sleeves, knee-length and pleats that look as though they will take only seconds to wrinkle.
Last but certainly not least is an update to a movement that has been taking over for the past few years: gender neutrality. A welcome reaction from the fashion world towards equal rights, menswear as womenswear is starting to break the expectation of traditional dress. For a few seasons now we have seen strong shoulders and collared shirts, and now a pinstripe element has been added to mix. Rag & Bone and Monse both released looks that take pinstripes beyond dad’s favorite tie. A mix of horizontal and vertical lines have been used by multiple houses, and incorporating both into one piece will definitely be a new twist to the classic button down.
All in all, here are our takeaways: give the people oversized looks and leisurewear, tailoring houses be damned. Linda Evangelista once said she wouldn’t get out of bed for less than ten thousand dollars a day, and now we won’t have to get out of bed for more than ten minutes to get ready.
