2017 Fashion Trends I love

Every spring and fall we are inundated with projections on the latest fashion trends from the Fashion Week runways, the fashion magazines, the fashion bloggers,  and of course, YouTube, and rarely does anyone agree on 10, or 7, or 5, or even 3 fashion trends, so take your pick. I’ve read through too many articles to even remember, but what  I do have is the largest luxury fashion mall in the Yucatan just five minutes from my doorstep and time to watch what the ladies wear.

Altabrisa Luxury Fashion Mall, Merida, Mexico

Merida has over 1 million residents and the largest concentration of millionaires in Mexico, so the ladies here are very fashion conscious. And they love to come to IHOP, but then Mexicans love pancakes, or more precisely, hotcakes. This does make watching the ladies an enjoyable venture. And my very fashionable lady friends tell me that the women here all seem to jump on the latest U.S. fashion trends. So I’ve melded what I read to what I see and came up with this list of trends that reflects street-wise fashion.

Some general observations first. Mexican women here are generally better dressed than American women. Ladies of all ages love their jeans and they are worn form-fitting as are their tops. A little extra fat roll is not a problem. Usually 50-70%  of the women are in jeans or slacks and the younger crowd is most often wearing heels up to about 5 in.  But you will see all manner of footwear with wedges and sandals and now clunky heels being very popular too.

The other 30-50% will be wearing dresses or skirt and blouse combinations. More often than not, the skirts are (well) above the knee, and may be tight or flowy. Colorful maxis are also very fashionable and certainly comfortable even in this hot climate. I’m not sure what drives their fashion frenzy, but it is fun to watch.

One item worn here not seen in the U.S., except in border states, is the embroidered peasant blouse. There are examples below. It comes from the Mayan/Indian cultures of Mexico and certainly adds color to any chosen outfit.

I had a business lunch with a 70-year-old joint citizenship lady this week and she wore a black & white horizontal-striped maxi skirt with a white lacy semi-sheer top, and she was amazing. The bloggers usually recommend wearing one trend at a time, but as you will see in the photos below, wearing multiple trends works well if you know how to combine them.

So here are the trends in no particular order that work for me and hopefully for you as well. The trends are returning with a strong pull towards femininity. Not all trends are seen here as hosiery is rarely worn in Merida. And not all ladies are well put together, but that doesn’t detract from our daily fashion parade.

Statement Stripes

Stripes are still very much in evidence. Vertical stripes, horizontal stripes, diagonal stripes, broad stripes, uneven width stripes, pinstripes. High contrast and low contrast.

Do you love stripes but are not fond of bold stripes? Well, the classy stripe trend is just for you. Many of the top names, including Valentino, Altuzarra, and Banana Republic worked with the classy stripes in a variety of ways. Unlike 2016, when designers were more focused on contrasting colors and broad stripes, this time it’s all about feeling right. In fact, you might want to try this trend whenever you hit the beach. There is a breezy element to the stripes, which were lean and full of unique colors.

One word of caution though is what I call the prison stripe. The garment looks like something out of  a 20^th century prison movie e.g. Charlie Chaplin. In IHOP this week were three ladies, one in a dress, one in a top and one in printed pants . . . all in their prison garb and they looked  horrible.

Off-the-Shoulder Everything

The off-the-shoulder trend started innocently enough — a señorita top here, a slouchy sweater there — but it escalated quickly. Now, somehow, an exorbitantly expensive parka designed to expose, not cover, your shoulders seems justifiable. I know, it’s a weird time.

Lace

Lace is the fabric of femininity and elegance. From medieval fashion to the roaring ’20s, lace has always been in vogue.

From a feminine item and used primarily for dressy events, lace has evolved into a versatile fabric that can be worn by women of all ages, used within many garments and easily transfers from season to season. It’s unwavering elegance and ladylike romantic feel makes it a winner in our book.

White lace is an especially good choice, it’s a modern classic that exudes innocence and has that girl-next-door vibe. Whether you choose a full lace cover-up to wear over a slinky sheath dress for summer parties or a dainty fit-and-flare lace dress, white lace is the ideal form of the go-to sundress. Other looks to experiment with are: white lace tanks layered underneath chambray shirts or denim jackets, white lace maxi dresses for the beach, and a white lace matching set with sherbet color accents. See the many examples here.

Life in Black and White

Fashion girls have always been obsessed with wearing black and white, whether that means mixing them together or going for a single-tone look. It’s probably because basic pieces in neutral colors worn in interesting shapes and proportions just scream chic. For spring, we’re loving how designers are playing with proportions and volume on basic black-and-white pieces, like wide-leg trousers and off-the-shoulder tops with large bell sleeves. Finish it off with black-and-white accessories with gold hardware for a put-together and fashion-forward look. And take a look at our  B&W Pinterest board

Black and white combinations with ruffles

Ruffles

All things frilly and feminine came back in a big way in 2016, thanks in no small part to the influence of Gucci’s Alessandro Michele. Bring on the flounce, we say.

One trend in 2016 that seems to be extending its popularity into 2017 is the romantic ruffles. Ruffles were a big hit this year, from tousled florals to sheer patterns. And honestly, we just can’t get enough of its charms, so it’s really interesting how this charming trend made its way to 2017.

You can incorporate smaller ruffles into blouses, skirts and sundresses. These functional ruffles are perfect for any fancy occasion. And since these ruffles are already eye-catching, you will have to limit your embellishments to some extent. Ruffles are practical elements of a striking fashion. Thus, minimalism is the secret for a fascinating but not overly done look. Save money by keeping your recent ruffles on your wardrobe because surely you’ll make use of those on the coming year. Check out our Pinterest board on Ruffles.

Florals

I know, I know, every spring season is always leaping with garden party florals, but this year you can anticipate the revival of the ’60s Mod style. Small or oversized, monochromatic or neon, every store will soon be packed with groovy Mod florals. “Groundbreaking,” recites every person who has watched The Devil Wears Prada ever. Well, actually, this time around, they really are. So rad in coloration, scale, fabrication and mood that designers thought it best to go full throttle in full blooms from head to toe — shoes included. See some great examples here.

However the big news is printed floral pants. This trend comes from the ’80s, when our moms used to wear those boho chic and hippie inspired bottoms. These looks are fabulous and nowadays they are back on the track. We see them in the streets, runways and even on red carpet shows. Many brands and designers delivered us explosions of floral prints, making you look sexy and chic. I never thought I would wear them but I am getting a pair.

Black & white, Prints, Leopard look

Animal Prints

Classy and sassy, but never trashy. Use leopard as a tiny accent on an otherwise clean and simple outfit. Pair a leopard-print blouse with denim or break up a flowy leopard dress with neutral accessories. Treat leopard like a neutral and mix it with other prints or wear leopard flats for work and the weekend. Check out this blog article from Imogen Lamport on how to wear animal prints.

Fishnets

It was a surprising twist when I saw one of my favorite over 50 bloggers wearing fishnets or in many cases, just patterned hose. You can avoid ‘trashy” by keeping your skirt hemlines around the knees. They do make a fashion statement. It’s been a while since we got a little excitement out of the hosiery world, so the fishnet trend was a welcome addition to our wardrobes this year.

Pink Promenade   

The 2017 runways were set in bright pink as models donned different shades and styles of pink. Vibrant-hued tops, dresses and boots are the perfect match for the bright year ahead. And no doubt, these sorbet colors can brighten up your mood. Check out the holiday inspiration: Think Pink or our Pinterest board to get more pink looks.

“Pink is not a color that I wear often” said Susana Fernandez of The Key to the  Armoire, “but its calming nature felt just right to start the New Year, especially when I was welcoming it in Palm Beach. It is quite a trendy color for 2017. You can see how I have styled this pink blazer here.”

Susana Fernandez in pink

The Maybes

The platform shoe making a big return

Platforms are surging! They are the must-have new shoe — and the chunkier the better. Whether a platform or flatform (for added height with less risk of toppling), wooden or laced, you can expect to see several variations of this height-enhancing footwear.

Platform shoes were fun to wear, easy to walk in, and hyper-boosted an outfit’s style quotient. With all the other ’70s and ’90s comebacks, why hasn’t the platform replaced the single-soled shoe yet?

It’s already begun to happen on the runways, though the actual effects of it haven’t yet trickled down into stores. Gucci’s most photographed shoe from the past year was a rainbow-layered platform shoe. Marc Jacobs’ comically tall platforms were an editorial hit, appearing in the pages of every single fashion magazine, though you see them rarely in real life. I have a good feeling (and a selfish motive) that the platform will become a hit again in 2017.

Slip Dresses

Layered over a T-shirt or worn on its own, the lingerie-inspired slip was the favorite silhouette of many an aspiring Winona or Kate in 2016 and it’s expected to remain popular in 2017, See our Pinterest boord on Slip Dress — The Ultimate Femininity

Merida Ladies

Lastly, here are some of our ladies in Merida. It was tough to find good contemporary pictures because the reality is that Merida ladies are more varied and more colorful.

Tags: fashion, featured, opinion, style

Category: Style, Transgender Fashion