It’s hard to think beyond the winter freeze, but very soon spring and summer fashions will flood Montreal. In fashion the return of the sun is all about newness and fresh ideas, but shoppers often feel duped because spring and summer merchandise is mostly a round-up
of the usual suspects; peasant blouses, capri pants in Eastery pastels, shorter hem-lines and linen suits.
What’s worse is that styles heralded as the ‘must have’ and the ‘look of the moment’ is sometimes unwearable or downright outrageous. Case in point, the buzz for spring is that the blouson jacket and skinny cigarette pants are in. These styles look good on the
runway but are best left to tall, skinny people.
Blouson jackets are a strange throwback from the 80s; they tend to make people look like they are wearing a tarp with the wind lifting beneath their armpits. And cigarette
pants look good on people who have cigarette shaped legs. These two styles
are pretty much a write-off. But don’t fret, there are wearable styles for
spring and summer. Here is an honest guide to some key pieces you’ll want to
look into.
Military Mixes
Raby Bachour, noted Montreal fashionista and co-owner of Unfluence-U and Chevon Jeans, had five words to say about his spring and summer 2003 collection, ‘it’s going to be war’. Bachour’s Ste-Catherine Street Ouest atelier is filled with reams of camouflage and
khaki material just waiting to be cut into ultra low-waisted roomy cargo pants. Although clothing lines like Chevon Jeans and stores like Urban Outfitters are jumping on the military bandwagon, these items and many more can also be purchased at the Army Surplus stores. On a buying trip in Italy he noticed the stores were swamped with army gear, bomber jackets and camouflage cargo pants. Since Italy is pretty much the birthplace of
trendyness, it’s no surprise that the look caught on.
Wide Pants This may be the look that suits most people, because it can conceal a panoply of shortcomings, the danger of wide-legged pants is that you might end up looking like a raver, or a hip-hop wanna-be. The trick is to wear the loosest pants that look good on you, don’t try to be trendy for trend’s sake.
Micro-mini skirts
The first image that comes to mind with micro-mini skirts is that they leave nothing to the imagination. In fact, get ready to see some extremely short skirts that may leave you wondering if they might be more decent worn as tube-tops! When wearing a micro-mini it’s best to pair it with flat shoes or playful runners to offset the lady-of-the-night
vibe. Micro-mini doesn’t mean the same thing to everyone. Try wearing an
inch or two above the knee and see if you like it. Don’t forget to listen to
your inner fashion police, if you think you’re showing too much skin, you
probably are.
Accessories
In terms of keeping their cool, accessories have much more staying power. That’s why the short-list of what’s in for spring and summer is suspiciously similar to the fall and winter list. If Golden Globes fashion is any indicator, and it certainly is, chandelier earrings
are still hot, long and dangly are the key words. If your look is more urban
warrior, you should accessorize your arms with terry cloth Nike or Fubu arm
bands. As for the urban princess, she will most likely endure another few
seasons with her status bags, colourful Louis Vuitton and Rugby North
America leather. And to top it all off, the must have of all must-haves: hot
pink and ruby red nail polish.
