Having fully rung in the New Year and inching ever close to spring, it's time to crack down While the majority of New Year's resolutions fall to the wayside after only a few short weeks-or when encountered by a tempting piece of leftover holiday pie-one resolution to which all should remain committed to in 2005 is the quest for exceptional style, regardless of how adept you already believe yourself.
Moreover, if you tragically spent 2004 donning the attire of the previous year, or, worse still, pre-millennium garb, make sure your 2005 look is cutting edge with these tips on what's sure to be rockin' during the upcoming year.
As fashion fanatics are well aware, the significant trends of 2005 included fitted blazers for both men and women, anything and everything tweed, fur Mukluk boots, metallics galore, shrugs, wraps, and capelettes, and the hippie-chic look, among others.
And while some items like Mukluk boots, or their 2003 equivalent, Uggs, are soon to be relics of the past, to the delight of trend whores who greedily snatched up other must-haves of the moment, 2005 will welcome a number of the preceding year's styles, integrating such items with the newbies of the New Year.
Dissimilar to years where outrageous, one-time-only fashions rules the realm of haute-couture, ready-to-wear, and mall fashion alike, 2004's emphasis on classic, elegant attire-velvet blazers, Chanel suits, and flats-has proved enduring, persisting beyond a years-span of wearability.So, yes, you'll still be in good taste this season if choosing to sport an oversized hippie-knit sweat with tweed pumps.
However, be sure to decrease usage of such styles as the months progress, and always mix the old with the new.
Clinging to the coattails of the 2004's "color-color-everywhere" trend, bright hues will also dominate in '05. However, whereas neons in shades of yellow, green, orange and the like were the rage in '04, more subtle, rarely-implemented shades of purple, fuchsia, and blue will come to the forefront in 2005.
Purple, in particular-from plum to pastel-is sure to be the coveted color for spring, with both men and women snatching up shirts, pants, shoes, and myriad accessories in this vibrant shade.
In fact, high-fashion brands like Mathew Williamson and Gucci, as well as more affordable retailers like Abercrombie and Fitch and Polo, have included all varieties of purple in a majority of their resort and spring collections.
And while purple and other pastels will receive significant exposure during the first half of 2005, another, more banal color has already begun to sweep the fashion landscape, ingratiating itself with designers everywhere. That color is none other than white, the meat and potatoes of any wardrobe.
However, while most pair white with colors, perhaps sporting a white t-shirt with red pants and blazer, the white of 2005 requires no compliments.
In the coming months, and most likely throughout the summer, head-to-toe white-that means, for example, white stilettos, skinny white pants or pencil skirts, white blouses, blazer, and hat-will be worn as an ensemble, perhaps a piece of jewelry or colorful handbag being the only differing shade of color.
This all-white look embodies a number of those qualities emphasized in 2004-clean lines, minimalism, and classic-chic.
Moreover, a gleaming white outfit, especially when tailored to perfection, garners attention from all, proving an effective method for getting noticed this spring and summer.
Particular fabrics that are emerging in the spring 2005 collections of Prada, Gucci, Juicy Couture, Yves Saint Laurent, and Michael Kors, among innumerable others, are straw, linen, and canvas.
From vibrant orange straw totes and shoes, to more neutral beige drawstring linen pants, designers seem infatuated with utilizing these "rough" materials, distancing themselves from the sleek velvets and satin materials used this past fall and winter.
But while purples, all-white ensembles, linen, canvas and straw may dominate the spotlight in the coming months, avoid the painful experience of overindulging in the must-haves of the present, opting for just a few of these current trends at a time, while pairing such newbies with the classics of 2004.
After all, your New Year's resolution is to commit yourself to style, not to have style commit you.
