culotte: AW14 trend

Tess Giberson AW14

The reminiscence of the 90s is vibrant and pulsing all over the fashion sphere. Everybody from designers, to celebrities, to fashionistas are embracing the most practical ramification of the most classic garment: the culotte.

Although this piece was an undeniable hit in the late 80s and early 90s, we need to go all the way back to the mid 19th century to find it's origin. Back then, the so called bloomers (predecessors of today's culotte), were born to conciliate womenswear with the impracticality of skirts and gowns for sports and everyday activities like riding bikes. They were quickly dismissed, as the look of them was definitely flagged as aesthetically unpleasant (they looked somewhat like harem pants, and back then that was considered horrendous on a Western woman).

La reminiscencia de los 90 vibra intensamente por la esfera de la moda. Desde diseñadores hasta celebrities y fashionistas están adoptando la rama más práctica de una prenda clásica: la falda pantalón.

Aunque esta prenda fue un hit indudable de finales de los 80 y principios de los 90, hemos de retroceder hasta mediados del siglo XIX para encontrar su origen. Por entonces, las llamadas bloomers (antecesoras de la falda-pantalón actual) nacieron en un intento de conciliar la poco práctica vestimenta femenina de faldas largas con la realización de actividades deportivas y otras actividades diarias, como montar en bicicleta. Fueron descartadas rápidamente y tachadas de estéticamente desagradables (se asemejaban a los pantalones harem, que entonces eran considerados espantosos en una mujer occidental).

19th century bloomer design
Elsa Schiaparelli tennis culotte design

It was only towards the 1910s that the culotte trend started getting acceptance amongst mass public. Abandoning the original baggy pant look that made them so impopular, culottes started getting reshaped and redesigned with a true purpose: making movement an easy, flawless task for women. Designer Elsa Schiaparelli came up with the first design of this garment that comes close to what nowadays we would call a skort; she designed a gorgeous pair of bermuda pants covered by a skirt for friend tennis player Lili Álvarez, who starred it at Wimbledon.

No fue hasta 1910 que la falda-pantalón empezó a recibir la aceptación del gran público. Abandonando su original estilo baggy que las hizo tan poco populares, las faldas-pantalón se reformaron y rediseñaron con un propósito inequívoco: hacer del movimiento una tarea sencilla y cómoda para las mujeres. La diseñadora Elsa Schiaparelli creó el primer diseño de falda-pantalón que se asemeja a lo que hoy en día conocemos; diseñó un precioso par de pantalones bermudas cubiertos por una falda. La destinataria de esta innovadora prenda fue Lili Álvarez, tenista que se estrenaba en Wimbledon.

A Détacher AW14
Marc Jacobs AW14

Since then, the culotte and skorts have evolved a bunch and had their ups and downs, but gear up for this autumn winter 2014, as they are coming back, and coming strong.

Desde entonces, la falda-pantalón y los skorts (shorts + falda) han evolucionado mucho y han tenido sus altibajos, pero prepárate para este otoño invierno 2014, porque vuelven con fuerza.

Zero + Maria Cornejo AW14
Marques' Almeida AW14

The longer versions of the skorts come ready to take over winter, shamelessly throwing perfectly gorgeous gowns over flawless pairs of trousers. Culottes are a must for the upcoming season and starred on catwalks on the main cities. Going from the monochrome look, to opposite colours, leather and sempiternal black, the new-age culottes are here (and hopefully to stay).

Las versiones largas de los skorts vienen para llevarse de calle el invierno, arrojando sin ninguna vergüenza preciosas faldas y vestidos sobre inmaculados pares de pantalones. Las faldas-pantalón son un must para la próxima temporada y así lo han demostrado las pasarelas de las principales ciudades. Desde el look monocromático a colores opuestos, cuero y el sempiterno negro, las faldas-pantalón de la nueva era han llegado (y esperemos que para quedarse).

Choose your look and follow your gut! Elige tu look y sigue tu instinto!

red - AW14 trend

Without a shadow of a doubt, the reigning trend over all catwalks, all four fashion weeks, every stage was tinted red for AW14. From its most vibrant and sharp shades to matte burgundies and wines, next winter we will have to paint all white roses red.

Sin duda alguna, la tendencia reinante en todas las pasarelas, desde Nueva York a París, cada escenario se ha teñido de rojo para el OI-14. Desde sus tonalidades más vibrantes e intensas hasta borgoñas y vinos mate, el próximo invierno tendremos que pintar todas las rosas rojas.

Many different textures like satin, gauze, chiffon and lace for potent reds and more rigid and firm materials tinted in burgundy, like leather or velvet.

The absolute monarch, the colour of passion and strenght, a reflection of fierce, decisive attitude that designers have envisioned for women on the upcoming season. The colour that runs through our veins and now will also flood the streets of our cities.

Muchas texturas diferentes como el satén, gasa, chiffon y encaje encarnan los rojos potentes, mientras que los burdeos y berenjena se materializan en tejidos como el terciopelo o el cuero.
El monarca absoluto, el color de la pasión y la fuerza, un reflejo de la actitud feroz y decisiva que los diseñadores han visualizado para la mujer en la próxima estación. El color que corre por nuestras venas ahora también correrá por las calles de nuestras ciudades.

Dress red whole-heartedly and follow your gut! Viste el rojo de todo corazón y sigue tu instinto!

trend alert: Olympia

Olympia
Édouard Manet

It's only been a week of NYFW and there is already a clear upcoming trend that we could have never expected and yet we are sure going to enjoy; it is what I call the Olympia trend.

Now what is that? I am borrowing the name from Manet's impressionist painting Olympia, which portraits a girl lying on a chaise-longue with nothing on but a thin black bow tied around her neck.

Sólo llevamos una semana de NYFW y ya podemos hablar de una tendencia emergente, inesperada y que no obstante seguro que adoraremos; la que yo he decidido llamar tendencia Olympia.

Bien, ¿de qué va esta tendencia? Tomando prestado el nombre del cuadro impresionista de Manet Olympia, en el que vemos a una joven echada en un chaise-longue llevando tan solo un finísimo lazo negro alrededor de su cuello a modo de gargantilla.

best corsets are made of flesh

In many places around the globe, looking out the window such a day as today, the weather can be described as anything but inviting. Hence the idea of exposing even the tiniest bit of our poor, darling skin seems like torture.

Nevertheless, there is hope around the corner; grey days will soon be long gone and there is a wonderful trend awaiting their arrival: belly show-off.

Catwoman would be proud

I have a friend that claims nail art is the most pointless thing. Men do not even notice, he says, and only a handfull of women would advert nail decorations, when truly outstanding.

My answer? To hell with that!

when bows take over

Marc by Marc Jacobs
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It is no secret that the baby doll look became fashionable a couple of years ago. Catwalks and eventually streets were loaded with polka dots blouses, kitten collars, ballerinas and, of course, bows.

nothing like a classic...

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As a closure of the week, I am going to invite you to surrender. Surrender to the chicness and simplicity of one of the most iconic, basic and essential pieces of clothing ever created: the white shirt.

on how outfits can give you diabetes (or how pastels took over Spring)

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Oh well, it's been a while... After this brief break I think it is time for a trend update instead of a Get Moody daily style episode. No fear, those will come back, but since last trend update was a while ago, there has been time for quite a bit of trend spotting and analysing. So to gently getting started, I cannot help but addressing what is to be (and is already) the key trend to this spring summer: pastels.

keep your clothes on... I wanna see it all!

what's with the beasts?

Animals are on vogue. They are featured on magazine editorials and trend websites. The importance of their relationship with humans is unquestionable, they are part of our lives in one way or another. From your lovely pet to the birds and mice that we share the city with, we live surrounded by animals.

you saw it here first: bye razors!

Speaking of which, a couple days after blogging about beards, I find this post on Murdock London blog. This amazing little book is a collection of photographs by Matthew Rainwaters featuring the most amazing, original and simply coolest beards ever. 

Are you ready to see all your men fall for this trend? Follow your gut!

to dye for

This young lady has been sitting on my desktop for quite a while. I do not quite know what she inspires me. Of course, it is to be mentioned that eye-catching, chewing-gum coloured hair, which is what caught my attention in the first place.

off with the razors

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After the hassle of moving houses and a few days with no Internet, here I am again to air out some more curiosities that have caught my eye. 

The topic I am currently working on for my trend book is very much related to how society is going back to basics, social mentality is becoming much more open and superficial is being left behind. All this, of course, reflects on how people look, what they wear and how they behave regarding fashion.

Translating this into a more practical approach: the tendency I keep noticing is hair. Social behaviour towards hair is changing a lot, back to the very basics (don't want to say back to monkeys, but...). Much more relaxed, undone, messy.

la vie en white

Lately I have realised that colour is taking a very significant role in everyday life. I guess the influence of the colour-block trend have made people more keen on wearing plain coloured clothes. But I also have the feeling that people interpret colours differently. The traditional significance of colours is not such anymore.

White is my proof. Usually white is a colour for purity, innocence, calmness. For what I gather, its meaning is changing substantially: in the Spring-Summer 2012 collections that Bottega Veneta or Jil Sander presented last week in Milan, the woman is portrayed as a strong, powerfull energy wrapped in a total-white look.

Bottega Veneta SS 2012