Femininity, dresses and color–call them the holy trinity of women’s fashion for 2004.
But those three little words don’t begin to describe a scene that’s going to take faith, a discerning eye and the ability to figure out how to make fashions from past eras work in the 21st Century.
Color has been creeping in for several seasons. For 2004, it’s going to be in your face. Daytime dresses were all over the runways when spring 2004 collections were shown in September. And although designers often discreetly take inspiration from fashions past, now they’re blatantly borrowing.
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“The biggest thing for spring is going to be color. If you have to pick just one, pick green,” advises Keith Wagner, Northwest fashion manager for Nordstrom. But he notes we’re going to see a lot of bright, intense, contrasting colors in the coming year.
Vivid, solid colors may dominate the night scene, but almost any kind of printed fabric has a place. There are graphic, op art and tropical prints. Prints with a vintage look, dainty florals and even tie-dyed fabrics can be found.
Marylou Luther, an international fashion observer who now writes The Trend Report for Fashion Group International, calls prints “the symbols of the season.” She counted 45 different prints in the Dolce & Gabbana spring show, and says the Missonis have added “pop animal motifs” to their trademark striped or zigzagged knits.
The newest prints, however, are often on very sheer fabrics. And because fashion designers adore sheer fabrics, baby-doll flounces and ruffles, shoppers may pause and ask themselves, “Is this sleepwear or streetwear?”
Factor in some dresses and tops cut or opened in front to expose a lavish brassiere or bustier, and the lines between boudoir and public spaces blur. Fortunately, designers often mix sheer and opaque fabrics, a practice that helps move a garment out of the lingerie category.
Pant options range from short shorts (streetwear for the young and leggy, Luther predicts) to toreador, cropped and roll-ups. Many are hip-slung. Cargo pants seem to be fading from the picture.
Will women trade pants for skirts? Wagner says skirts will be some of the first signs of spring in Nordstrom stores. Designers and retailers are giving skirts a try–everything from pleated minis of tennis skirts past to circle skirts and dirndls of the 1950s. They’re either very, very short or hover at the knees.
Some skirts have handkerchief hems. Or they may be tiered. These are skirts that move, that belong on a dance floor. Dolce & Gabbana took it a step further and showed a flamenco skirt.
Jackets didn’t get a lot of runway space when 2004 spring collections were introduced. Ralph Lauren included a tennis blazer, and Behnaz Sarafpour showed patent leather jackets. Cardigan sweaters and ultrashort trench coats ruled the runways.
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Edited by Cara DiPasquale ([email protected]) and Kris Karnopp ([email protected])