Classics & Comebacks: NYFW Fall 2014

February 13, 2014

New York Fashion Week continues with favorites old and new. 

Here's the low-down on some of my favorites:

J. Crew
J. Crew aka What Would Jenna Lyons Wear?
Personal favorite J. Crew is at it again with the preppy-cool shenanigans. The preppy sportswear brand's collection line has basically turned into a presentation of all the outfits Creative Director Jenna Lyons wants to wear come next fashion week. And Jenna Lyons has basically become the Woman We All Want To Be Like.

Because Jenna Lyons is pretty darn cool, if you ask me. She's got great, no-fuss style; not to mention she made her acting debut on Girls this Sunday, which is like the epitome of cool. With her J. Crew isn't just the wardrobe for Ivy League WASPs and polo players - it has become more (ugh, I hate this word) hip. People want to wear J. Crew. Which frankly I so love.

Anyways, their fall collection is full of clothes fit for every type of woman, from the dressed-up feminine lady to the downtown-cool tomboy. There's enough prep in here to stay classically J. Crew, but there's a youthfulness to the clothes that Lyons introduces that has really revitalized the J. Crew brand. I used to only get basics from J. Crew (plain T-shirts and solid skirts, that sort of thing) but now I enter their store looking for statement pieces. That's a big shift in brand identity if you ask me.

Proenza Schouler
Proenza Schouler gets wild!
The boys at Proenza Schouler are not afraid of a little experimentation, and each collection with them seems to be an intriguing exploration of cuts, textiles, and styles. For fall it appears there has never been a more appropriate time to use the term "Urban Jungle" when describing a collection, as these clothes were made for tackling the bustling streets of New York in style.

Jack and Lazaro are experts of balancing proportions and in mixing unexpected patterns together to achieve a spontaneous but put-together look, if that makes sense. 

The use of zebra stripes and other loud patterns in a cool, sophisticated way is probably what the Rodarte girls were striving for for their Spring 2014 collection, but here it works because these sometimes tacky prints have been applied to incredibly modern silhouettes and not to equally as tacky shapes. 

And if for some reason you are absolutely loving the whole Birkenstocks and ugly sandals trend (preferably with socks) the designers at Proenza have got you covered - well, at least your feet - with loafers that very closely resemble those water booties they make you wear when you go rafting.

Michael Kors
Neutrals never looked so good at Michael Kors
If the boys behind Proenza Schouler are mad scientists of clothing experimentation, then Michael Kors is a distinguished professor of history. You cannot get more classic American clothing than Kors, and you're never going to see him try something that is wayyy out there. And that's okay. Kors has perfected classic American sportswear and it is so darn good, why would he want to change any of that?

For fall Kors stuck mostly with neutrals and soft metallics, but it was always cool and never boring. Kors makes clothes that are sexy without being slutty, historically inspired without being outdated, masculine without losing that feminine edge that makes them so desirable. He may walk a fine line but he never falters, and that is why he consistently makes people fall in love with his clothes.

There's a rich luxuriousness to his clothes but at the same time I wouldn't feel like I had to limit myself from running around in them or going out into nature because I was worried I would spill something on my slip dress or tear my oversized knit sweater. Kors makes clothes that are meant to be worn and lived in which I truly find refreshing. Clothing can be as beautiful as a Renaissance painting but they aren't really valuable if you feel afraid to wear them.

With Michael Kors, these clothes are calling to me, asking me to wear them. And it's taking everything I have to resist them.


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I love hearing your thoughts! Thanks for reading! ♥︎Lindsey