Three hundred sixty

I seriously can’t remember the last time I took a long hiatus without having to think about fashion concepts, booking teams, pulling out items, and deadlines. And then, I look back and it’s only been four days since the holidays officially started. Four days? My mobile is usually fused to my consciousness and in the past 96 hours, its unusual silence is starting to creep me out. I work insane hours and I like the packed schedule and fast pace, transitioning from a tornado of activity to slowly grinding to a halt is not only unsettling, it’s also a bit disorienting. Not that I’m complaining, it’s actually a welcome relief to not have a million, things run through my head before shut-eye. And then, today, I wake up and feel a giant pimple on my forehead. Thanks.

Four days and I’ve somehow fallen back to an easy routine of reading books, sleeping 10-hour pockets and waking up to homecooked meals. In other words, I was starting to get bored. So writing this actually comes as a welcome relief, a chance to dust off those brain rotors and start making them hum at a start-up speed. I thought of writing a couple of New Year cliches: A-Z recap of 2010, resolutions and even an in-depth reflection of what I learned in the past year (but who wants to read that?). I’ve trashed all and instead decided to write about major turnabouts in fashion, 360 degrees. Kind of relevant since it’s a start of the year and fashion has come full circle.

Great lengths

Jessica Biel and Sarah Jessica Parker let their inner lingerie shine, while runways for spring summer 2011 turn the see-through beams on skirts and maxis. Chanel at left, Givenchy at right.

Early 2010 was the time of Balmain and Herve Leger, definitely. What with body-con dresses that squeezed the breath out of any clubgoing girl-about-town. At the opening of Salon de Ning in Manila Peninsula first week of December, almost all of the hip chics decided that tight bondage Hervé and Hervé-esque mini dresses are the uniform du jour. But the new sexy for this year comes in the form of an anti-thesis. As always, when somethings is at its saturation point, those in the know tend to gravitate towards the polar opposite. So, ladylike dressing comes to the fore with below-the-knee circle skirt silhouettes, fuller and longer. But my favorites, and one that I’ve been wearing quite a lot lately, are those casual floor-grazing numbers. Maxi skirts, in voluminous pleated numbers, a-line shapes or tight-fitting lean pencil cuts are my alternative choice. Paired with slouchy sweaters or washed-out vintage shirts with tough boots, long skirts have a fresh new grunge feel to it.

Stark aesthetics

Okay, I know the term minimalism has been tossed around so casually that we’re all a tad sick of the word. But not with the concept—maybe we should change it to Phoebe Philo-ism. I mean, she is, after all, the mother of pared-down lines and fuss-free design. She is a genius. Responsible for making the Paddington the arm candy of choice while she was still in Chloé (circa 2002), her role now as creative director of Céline has made the French luxury brand cool again. Editing out hardware and embellishments, the nouveau It-bags are structured geometrical carriers, with sparse or no branding at all. Just the iconic signature of vintage squareness. What everybody needs right now is a sexy boxy handbag. Can somebody say Céline envelope and luggage minis? Seen being carried by editors, models and celebrities with taste, the totes and bags under Philo have once again achieved cult status. Along with the spartan and ascetic taste in handbags, other accessories have also seen sober reinventions. In place of the statement shoe, the classic pump is elbowing its way back into mainstream approval, albeit with higher platforms and newer toe shapes.

I super love Carey Mulligan’s style, it’s not typical Hollywood: ladylike dresses, skirts just falling above the knee, and round-toe pumps and peep-toe demureness. (Photos from Jak&Jil.com)

X-ray vision

The sheer factor (couldn’t help but use that pun) of transparent dressing has taken new layers of exposure. Yes, it’s been bubbling under the radar with lace bodysuits and inner wear as outerwear, but never has it been bigger than last summer. Maybe because Givenchy had models strutting down the runway in diaphanous maxi skirts in see-through midnight and bleached versions. And you know how it is when it’s the directional brands doing it, high-street brands soon follow suit with a more accessible and cheaper version. So be on the lookout for delicate transparencies that you can incorporate in your wardrobe. Again, I especially lean towards floor-grazing maxis similar to Givenchy’s. I mean, gossamer lightness was a permanent fixture on tops, on sleeves, contrast decolletages or whole buttondowns last year. But attention has never been focused on the lower half until now. So channel your inner princesses and float everywhere in these flirty babies.