Dresses: It IS your Grandma's Shift

Only Better! The collections for this fall made me sing, "hallelujah!" Designers such as Elie Saab, Marc Jacobs, Jason Wu, and Jean Paul Gaultier (to name a few) are bringing my favorite style era back. Which is that you ask? The 50's and early 60s! I am all about the shift and pencil skirt, and so are my favorite designers. Even a few Joan Crawfords, aka forties inspired frocks, snuck their way into collections. I've decided to make this into a series: Fall 2011/2012. This post we're going to focus on dresses and skirts.

It was a revival reminiscent of 1950's Dior. The silhouettes used this season were both waist conscious and forgiving. There's an option for everyone. Saab for example focused on a cinched waist with everything flowing out from beneath. LOVED! So all you curvy girls, i.e. Christina Hendricks, get ready to be the envy of every fashionista out there. And if you want to hide your curves don't worry the runways were full of billowy dresses, and loose shifts. I know we're talking about dresses BUT Marc Jacobs and Saab won my heart with gorgeous fur and textured caplets (with arm cutouts mind you). I LOVE CAPES...but that's another post.

For the skinny girls, who want to exude the hourglass silhouette that's bound to dominate this fall there,
 were lovely peplum skirts. When I saw these I think 
I fainted, came back, and fainted again. Its such a 
literal interpretation of my favorite fashion era. I don't 
care if I have to hop on a pole.





However, Gaultier hands down wins the award for favorite runway presentation. Models had gray beehives as big as you would expect to see in
Hair Spray. The clothing put you right back into the sixties and I couldn't help but melt melt MELT!

I could go on forever, but I won't. So to wrap this little post up we'll end with the glamour dresses of Wu and Saab, and the flouncy skirt. Elie Saab really and I mean REALLY brought back fifties glamour dresses. It was sparkles Galore! The bodice of the dresses were very structured and well constructed with the skirt falling in an A-line silhouette.

Wu did the same minus the sparkles, but his collection screamed Versailles opulence no less. His dresses 

remained in solid colors but in a showy chiffon any girl would love. Pencil skirts came back with a vengeance this fashion week. Flounce skirts? Well, that's what I call the poofy skirt every body type loves. Just look at the pictures and you'll know what I mean. Every girl can wear these. Yay!

                            

Annette Williams