Last fall, hemlines hovered tentatively at the knee. This year they’ve taken the plunge. Long is in, and designers have flocked to it with a zeal for body-conscious — but body-covering — clothes.
Brace yourself for the revival of some ’70s terms: midi and maxi. The look, though, is anything but a revival to length-loving designer Donna Karan. It’s something fresh.
“Whether it’s pants or a skirt, length elongates the figure,” says Karan. “A long, lean silhouette creates one fluid motion.”
And that’s just what moved down her runway for fall: a sleek, unified collection of close-to-the-body skirts, coats and knits in monochromatic pairings. Elsewhere, Calvin Klein got even more minimalist than usual with a dark collection of midi jersey dresses and maxi wool coats. And length appeared in every fall trend from Anna Sui’s Bloomsbury-styled print skirts to Norma Kamali’s Ali MacGraw ode in full-length shearling. It goes dramatic for evening with liquid Gucci gowns and sumptuous for day with Joseph Abboud’s floor-length cardigans.
Fall’s palette is subdued — chocolate browns, deep eggplant purples and nearly-black navys — and mostly solid, with a smattering of prints.
Best of all: The long look is available in a range of prices, from designer to discount.
Some see the development as a cyclical change.
“We’re seeing a trend toward covering the body after so much bareness in recent seasons with nude hosiery and sleevelessness,” says Gina Tovar, regional fashion director for Nordstrom.
And emphasis on coverage makes it figure-friendly. Says Nena Ivon, fashion director for Saks Fifth Avenue, Chicago, “Practicality might be working its way into fashion. What a concept!”
TO WHAT LENGTHS SHOULD YOU GO TO GET THE LOOK?
Fall’s look is long and lean, though few of us are. Is it too much for the vertically challenged?
“Height has nothing to do with it,” insists Saks’ Nena Ivon. “You have to look at it with a fresh eye and adjust it to your proportion.”
Ivon insists that “long” is a highly individual estimation. The only rule of thumb is somewhere between mid-calf and the top of the foot. (Nothing should graze the ground.)
But smaller women need not fear drowning in bulk.
– Fabrics such as jersey are fluid and even wool coats this season are cut slim, often in flattering, flared princess styles.
– Pairing a short, maybe military-style jacket, with a long skirt is an easy and wearable formula for most, says Linda Allard, designer for the Ellen Tracy label.
– The illusion of height and length can be created through monochromatic choice in hose and footwear, adds Nordstrom’s Gina Tovar.
– Anchor the entire ensemble with a practical shoe. Though fashion recently flirted with the Sabrina heel, its ephemeral appeal has faded. And long, strong looks need shoes to match. Look for squared toes and chunky heels and, if your legs can bare the scrutiny, knee-high boots in stretchy fabrics.
– North of a neck-extending turtleneck, an understated face, with no-fuss hair (slick it back if you can), and sheer makeup completes the look.
