Issue 25
STYLE
The Essential Journal | 17
words by ANGHARAD JONES
5 Key Pieces to Have in Your Wardrobe Five of the must-have Autumn/Winter 2017 key pieces you need in your wardrobe
E
ach season throws up a whole host of trends with some being more, er, questionable than others (the trucker hat has a lot to answer for, as does early noughties’ fashion in general) and some having a very short shelf life. It can be difficult to sift through the many collections to decipher what pieces are going to stand the test of time and Autumn/Winter ‘17 is no different (I’m not entirely convinced by Rick Owens’ flared leather trousers but I might be wrong) but there are five trends that are a definite must. From the new trouser shape to a retake on the classic greatcoat, these pieces will ensure you tick all the right boxes now, and start building up a wardrobe of items you can revisit again and again. EJ
RELAXED TROUSERS The skinny is officially over: the only trouser shape you need to be wearing in AW17 comes mid-rise and with a slightly oversized fit, giving a whole new meaning to the term ‘relaxed tailoring’. It’s a versatile pant too, with designers pairing them with everything from trainers and loose shirting (AMI), to tailored jackets and raincoats (Lanvin) and black boots and knitwear (Lemaire). The best bit? This trend carries well into SS18, with E. Tautz, Kenzo, Dior Homme and Paul Smith all heralding the relaxed trouser for seasons to come. CAMEL COAT It comes as no surprise that the camel coat is back this Autumn/Winter. It’s arguably as ubiquitous as florals in spring (also arguably more stylish) but with good reason. The camel coat is a classic, the shade complementing an array of colours (black, navy, white, charcoal grey…take your pick) while also adding an instant jolt of (subtle) colour to any outfit. This season the camel coat is given a contemporary spin with new cuts and textures – the best found at Louis Vuitton where tailoring is relaxed and oversized, Dries Van Noten where it came double-breasted and had that slightly-too-large, borrowedfrom-your-dad fit, and Marni where Francesco Rossi opted to recreate the classic single-breasted style with large pockets and accessorised with a leather waist belt. VELVET TROUSERS Bear with me on this one. While velvet may sound like a fabric to avoid unless your style icon is Hugh Hefner, it’s become one of next season’s go-to textures. With designers opting to use velvet in varying shades to create full suits, it’s the trousers that stand out the most and make a refreshing change from the velvet blazer. Look to Oliver Spencer and Paul Smith for the best velvet trousers found in dark olive, powder blue and luxe black. PUFFA JACKET The puffa jacket – the comeback kid that we all thought was a trend staying firmly back in the ‘90s – is showing no signs of going anywhere for AW17. Thanks to that whole anti-fashion, functional thing that’s been going on for the past few seasons (call it the Vetements effect), the puffa jacket has found its way back onto the must-have list. This time around though, designers are being more experimental playing with silhouettes and proportions, the best styles coming from Stella McCartney, OAMC and Moncler x Craig Green. OVERSIZED KNITWEAR Knitwear isn’t an afterthought this season; rather it’s given a new lease of life in the form of supersized shapes. At J.W. Anderson there were long sleeves and longer hems, John Smedley took their classic knits and made them chunky, long and wide-necked, and loose, baggy and two-toned at Alex Mullins. Great knitwear will always have a place in your wardrobe too, so you’ll be pulling that oversized knit out winter after winter.
Images John Smedley (Top Left) Paul Smith (Top Right) OAMC (Bottom Left) Oliver Spencer (Bottom Right)