If you’ve been wafting about in breezy and boho summer outfits, by all means, enjoy.
There’s something about feeling the sun on your face and the free and easy living of relaxed seasonal outfits that’s guaranteed to elevate your mood.
But as the working year really ramps up and the weather cools down, there’s a decided shift in the styles that feel right. That change is happening now, as autumn and winter fashion collections start landing in stores.
Yes, linen remains a staple, and yes, white will last the winter through – expect white denim to be big all year – but it’s the move to refined tailoring that looks to dominate fashion over the coming months.
One look at collections from local designers and international heavyweights alike shows we should all be reaching for well-cut trousers and a jacket to bolster our wardrobes.
One concession for those holding on to loose and relaxed styles of summer ? New tailoring tends towards cool and slightly slouchy rather than tight and restrictive. So look for a boxy, oversized blazer, pair with matching wide-leg pants and you’ll be set for the season.
L-R: Tailoring from Harris Tapper; St Agni; Bianca Spender
One hero of the category? Australia’s Camilla And Marc (see images at top), long known for tying together both feminine silhouettes and masculine tailoring. The brand’s sharp-shouldered blazers have been inescapable on fashion’s movers and shakers for years. Camilla And Marc’s new season collection, called ‘Ascension’, again reaches for what the brand excels at, refined and cool tailored coats, separates, and even mini-dresses.
“The focus of the collection lies on the strength of a simple and minimal aesthetic that speaks to uncompromising quality,” explains Camilla & Marc creative director Camilla Freeman-Topper.
“We started with this idea of rising up, the feeling that comes when coming out of a state of tension, always before growth. I wanted to honour that journey through the strength in the silhouette; classic strong clean lines meet with a sense of relaxed androgyny to showcase a woman in all her power.”
Tailoring has always had an air of confidence that supports a 9-to-5 wardrobe, but now it’s also being embraced for after dark and special occasion dressing to boot, as evidenced in a range of autumn and winter collections.
Look for luxe fabrications and rich hues, then simply add a pointed heel – either sky high or the kitten-heel slingbacks that are everywhere – and step out in style.
