StyleSheet: November 2012

We here at The Tweed know that you are very busy and important, and thus don’t have time to read all those silly style magazines. Yet you want to stay hip! So, we do the heavy lifting for you. Each month we read the glossy mags (for guys and girls), and round up the latest fashion trends. You’ll always be in style and you won’t have to flip through 3,000 Tommy Hilfiger ads.

Having covered most of the major Fall/Winter trends in the September and October issues, the major style mags are kind of scraping the barrel with their November issues. There is the obligatory mention of holiday party fare, but otherwise, they really seem to be grasping at straws. Here are the so-called top trends of the month, including the ones that no one will actually be wearing:

FOR THE LADIES

1. Leather Studded Anything
Leather studded shoes, handbags and jewelry are showing up in the November mags. I have to admit — this look is pretty great (Just look at those shoes! So fierce!). This trend can easily skew slutty or dominatrixy or just plain ridiculous. Keep it simple by pairing your studded accessories with sophisticated pieces: these shoes with ankle pants, a button-down and shrunken blazer; a studded clutch with a LBD; some studded bracelets with a cardigan and pencil skirt.

2. Head-to-Toe Ivory
An all-white palette is a look I never thought I’d like until I saw this photo of Jessica Alba. Talk about chic! What keeps this from looking like something a mental hospital orderly would wear is the mixing of shades and textures: cropped denim, a chunky sweater, a delicate scarf, a woven hat and leather pumps, all in slightly different shades of cream and ivory. They complement AND contrast. This look is definitely casual, so save it for the weekends. And try not to spill anything on yourself.

3. Gold!
Gold is everywhere this Fall; it must be the impending party season that makes everyone want to look so shiny. I’ve never really been a fan (nothing against it, really, it just doesn’t seem to look right on me), but I gotta say, Camilla Belle is rocking this gold Jason Wu number (va-VOOM!). Since it’s the holidays, feel free to go wild with the golden numbers: dresses, shoes, bags, jewelry. You can never really be overdressed for a holiday party, right?

4. Patchwork Dresses
I… don’t really understand this trend. It looks like the least popular contestant on Project Runway was beaten up and had all his fabric stolen, and all he was left with were scraps with which to construct an evening look. This DVF dress isn’t so bad, but really this strikes me as something a Phish-loving, hacky-sack tossing, 90s flower child would wear if she wear going to a fancy grown-up party. It’s just… weird. This is one trend I think it’s definitely safe to skip this season.

FOR THE GENTS

1. Tweed
The ladymags have been talking about tweed for Fall 2012 for several months now, and the guy mags are finally catching on. Tweed is the perfect Fall/Winter fabric, and it seems like it’s in style every year. Warm, cozy, earthy, sophisticated, and universally flattering, the key to tweed is to find the right cut and fit for you. Jackets are easiest to wear, but you have to be careful not to go into shlubby college professor territory. Keep it tailored and pair it with younger, hipper pieces.

2. Mustard Yellow
This seems to me a tricky color to pull off, but it’s everywhere in men’s fashion this season. Be sure to try on different shades to find the one that works for you, and pair it with muted pieces: dark jeans, a blazer, boots. You want a pop of color; you do not want to look like a bottle of French’s. For an ultra-now look, pair a mustard sweater with a tweed jacket, and wear it with confidence. People need to know you’re wearing that color on purpose.

3. Bomber Jackets
This seems pretty 90s to me, but hey, what do I know. I just write shit on the Internet. The fashion gods have deemed Fall/Winter 2012 to be the comeback season for the bomber jacket — who are we to argue? Eddie Bauer and Gap have some nice options. Stick with sleek, unadorned pieces. No extra zippers, no extra pockets. And for heaven’s sake do not wear aviators with it, unless the Top Gun look is what you’re going for.

Be sure to check back every month so you won’t walk out of the house looking like a fashion trainwreck!