Day 1-4

So, what does Shelby think so far of New York Fashion Week? Here, she breaks down the past four days.

Amongst the madness that is taking place with my own line, I of course had to take some time to scope the latest and the greatest on the ever faithful Style.com, and I am pleased to see what’s going on so far.

Menswear abounds! Thank goodness, as I have been drawn to my suspenders and pleated shorts and ascots in the past weeks and can’t seem to kick the habit. But when blatently present, in the form of tailored jackets and even ties, the trick is to pair such items with girly touches, whether in the form of bright colors, soft fabrics, or feminine silouttes. And, those not in rockin high heels were in menswear kicks that were equally as bad ass (Charles Nolan, Boy by band of Outsiders).

There were splendid blazers--both classically done, and some awesome new takes. Boy by Band of Outsiders, Hanii Y, and Marc Jacobs had some rad examples. One I especially liked came from Diesel Black Gold (pictured left); I have a similar one in my line! Even the ultra feminine Jill Stuart and Catherine Malandrino, and dress-focused Herve Leger, threw some blazer inspired jackets over their dresses.

The waistline remained the focus in many collections, a trend that is both flattering and feminine, and thus great to pair with blazers. One shoulder tops and dresses remained a trend, giving yet another body conscious, girly option to pair with your masculine blazer.

Colors: To my surprise, and to the dissapointment of my personal taste, many designers stuck to mostly neutrals (Jill Stuart, Malandrino, Luca Luca, Preen, Proenza Schouler, Daughters by Obedient Sons).

Luckily, some stuck to the spirit of spring and presented fun hues of a jolly pink, deco green, lemon yellow and a light, bright cobalt, and even some orange (Abeate, Chris Benz, Isaac Mizrahi, Peter Som).

Prints: Unlike the past few seasons, prints were kept to a minimum, but when they were present, they weren’t messing around--bold colors, and often large scale ethnic or geometric designs (Tuleh, Miss Sixty). The other way prints appeared were in the form of stripes, most notably when draping, making them travel across the body in interesting ways (Marc Jacobs, Herve Leger, ADAM--pictured mid-left).

Favorite piece: This jumpsuit by Proenza Schouler (pictured left). Jumpsuits didn’t scare many, and new renditions took the runway in every shape and form!

All for now! I will report back soon, and we’ll see if my trend assessment continues throughout the week!

--Shelby Scudder

(all images via Style.com)