Severe fashion is what comes to mind when I reflect on the fashion lines of the 2009 season. We have just moved from an animalistic Spring/Summer movement and have now tapped into styles with even bolder, and more powerful statements. The power, “Amazonian Woman” of the 80’s is DEFINITELY BACK!!! Robert Palmer’s video, “Addicted Love” really encompasses the look of the woman of Fall 2009 – a “GLAMAZON”.
This is a woman devoid of emotion…chiseled in a taste of 30’s glamour and armed for her daily war. The world is filled with darkness, war, strife and suffering in 2009. Fashion acts as a mirror to our collective consciousness and as a result, many of the major designers have picked up on this global social climate and their designs are as a result extreme in nature. One example of extremes this season, is the appearance of the thigh high boot! This look is very reminiscent of Julia Roberts, who played the call girl in the 1990 film “Pretty Woman”.
Yet, the point of integrating these boots into current fashion is that the modern woman IS STILL sexy, but she needs to be tough and sport the hardware to back the personality that she must conjure in order to face all of life’s challenges. The GoGo dancers have been wearing thigh high boots in the clubs for ages, however, to see the style creep onto the dance floor is exciting.
FETTY BE IN VINYL
There is something deviant about them too…bordering on a dominatrix look,depending on the particular style and material of the boot. Check out the the look of the one and only MADONNA! These are S&M style thigh highs, but she’s rocking them at a public outing! She’s not the only celebrity either. The MTV awards were filled with A-listers sporting thigh highs, in particular Lady Gaga in her controversial Paparazzi performance.
There are many ways to ROCK the thigh high for us women, no matter what our shape, size and comfort level is. There are actually some practical perks to wearing thigh high boots….one being they help to keep the legs warmer, esp. when waiting outside clubs in obnoxious line-ups!!! Check out this interesting TV feature about them, to see how to integrate the look into all aspects of your life.
The extremes don’t stop there. The focus on power dressing truly runs rampant this year in all of the fashion houses and will definitely be picked up in the club scene. Women tend to dress more outrageously as nightlife allows for more suggestive looks. The powerful 80’s image has returned, along with the massive shoulder pads. Some of us inwardly grown!! Recording artists such as Rihanna has really taken this trend to an all-time high this season and has helped to further it’s integration into the designers lines. She has also been endorsing the military jacket for some time now too, but this season it has taken off! It may also have to do with MJ’s passing and his fixation with glamorized military dress. Either way, it’s hawt and definitely will be seen in the club circuit.
RHIHANNA
Embellishment via massive volumes of necklaces layered up, scarves, mixing textures, wearing extreme-sized jewelry all accompanies this seasons need to be brazen and war-like. As a comparison to the natural world, one adaptation feature that nature has utilized to help its creatures to survive and protect itself, is the ability to make oneself appear larger than they really are. It is an interesting parallel to see that during these troubled times, designers are helping women to dress in ways that help them appear larger, stronger and more powerful than the might truly be. Woman ARE sporting body armor in many of the looks that use materials such as: studs, lace, metallic's, grommets, LEATHER, faux fur, FEATHERS ETC.
KATE MOSS IN A VERY NEW TRENDY YETI JACKET! ANY COLOR IS FAB!
bebe has even created a “GLADIATOR-INSPIRED” dress for it’s followers. Again, we suggest contemporary fashion aka body armor for daily living!
As noted above, the emotionless, hard edge to the 2009 lines doesn’t stop there. The robotic stream-line look of Daft Punk is embraced fully this year in fashion’s BASIC MUST HAVE – tights! They are also used to create a Disco punk look as well, but for the most part the tights of choice are black in various styles including faux snakeskin, metallic lycra, rider pants, biker pants, finished with lace, studes, buttons or zippers. The tight looks amazing with the thigh high boots and is definitely very slimming but possessing a masculine air to them. Tights have always been a favorite look in the music world, with Mick Jagger coming to mind! The rock n’ roll world screams throughout MANY of the new looks this Fall.
bebe has based MUCH of its new line on the vampish, GOTH, Victorian punk, rocker chick look! Dark eyes are the ONLY style bebe seems to be endorsing this year in terms of make-up and it makes sense culturally. Women are over-burdened, taxed, machine-like beings these days….not too far from Zombieland. Women who bear the price of hardships with bags under their eyes. Why not go with it and cover the tired marks with black coal?!! They are a bit challenging to create for work, but this dark look is definitely going to be edgy and hawt in the club scene. Hell even Hermione from Harry Potter’s pulling cat eyes!!!! Sweet!!! Luv the messed up hair. This again is an extreme and reinforces the sentiment of being disheveled and “at war”.
THIS LOOK IS SO QUEEN ELIZABETH THE 1ST RENAISSANCE-INSPIRED!
Actress Emma Watson
Check out what the other fashion blogs are saying about bebe’s newest creations: ”This season, bebe’s fall collection is a harmony of world-wide influences. The collection combines adornment, embroidery and detailed handcrafting to give each piece a special occasion feel. Drawing on other early 20th century inspirations, bebe is leading a fashion revival—a blending of classics from the past with a modern day seductive twist. Whether going out for cocktails or a night with the girls, these fall styles feature sexy silhouettes and romantic styling.” www.stylehive.com/tag/fall_collections
Personally, we feel that there is far more discourse in the collection, although what’s been said is true. However, there is just SO much drama in the individual pieces that it demands even greater emphasis on the embodiment of power. Fetty Be’s Buzz dear friend Miss April 2005, Playmate Courtney Culkin, reinforced this point with her quote about the 2009 bebe line on Twitter recently, “@fettybe as for bebe glam, its racey, sexy and classy! Hot this season!“ (Twitter September 25, 2009 http://www.twitter.com/missapril2005) We like the fact that Courtney utilized both racey & classy in the same description of bebe’s new pieces.
Mixing up the fabrics and textiles, to give it that old world/depression era look is also one means that bebe effectively uses to help soften the look, in order to maintain some element of feminity to the collection. However, it brings to mind the French courtesan…who was meant to appear beautiful and be nothing more than an object. This is relates back to our early mention of recording artist Robert Palmer and his use of emotionless ice queen band members.We aren’t suggesting that women are objects, it’s just a hardened look that reinforces the idea of women being desensitized due to ongoing daily struggles. There are MANY traditional French classic designs still maintained throughout the collection i.e. lace boustier, brooch chain necklace, knit corsets, topcoats, ruffles, high-low coats etc. Yet leather and/or vinyl is then layer within these looks and again we fall back to our body armor image that seems to prevail throughout the whole season.
Birthday Girl Fetty Be in bebe
Other popular trends that we have noted in addition to those previously noted is a global fascination with the color yellow…It’s everywhere and it doesn’t matter one bit that we are now starting into the autumn season. Fetty Be has been dying for a yellow handbag and FINALLY found the perfect one, a Nicole Lee, to take with her on the San Diego Cabo San Lucas Groove Cruise. It’s perfect!
BEST SELLING ANKLE BOOT THIS SEASON AT DSW!!
Other interesting xtreme features to club fashions include: ANYTHING metallic, studs, buckles, bondage layering, grommets, zippers, off-the shoulder, the bubble skirt/dress, the asymmetrical tiered skirt, ruched dresses/jackets, pant legs!, the ankle boot that kicked into high gear last Fall, layered chains, fedora and high tea hats, the Yeti jacket of faux fur, and massive costume jewelry. The basic rule of thumb to help you keep your look hawt and fashionable this season, is to make your look severe…GO BOLD OR GO HOME. Have a look at what trends were noted following New York’s Fashion Week. It may push many people out of their comfort zone, but isn’t that what haute fashion is all about. We are meant to question our ideas, principles, biases and presumptions.
Lady Gaga AND Her House of Gaga Fashion!
AS FOR WHAT WE DON’T LIKE THIS SEASON…LET’S PUT THE ANIMAL FASHIONS TO REST except for snakeskin fabric AND DEFINITELY THE HARAM PANTS have GOT TO GO! Anything that makes a woman look like she’s wearing a diaper, just ISN’T hawt ‘n sexy in our opinion!
NO MORE!
BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD! NOT!
This season’s choices for club attire are endless for women! The materials and sexiness factor are abundant. Hawt clothing is available from everywhere from high-end to bargain stores. Time are tough and the public doesn’t have access to endless resources, so frugal shopping is becoming more and more the new habit to embrace. Reduce, reuse, recycle and rally your inner Xena...or "SHE-WOLF" for the dance floors!!
KEEPING YOU UP ON THE CUTTING EDGE IN 2009 CLUB FASHION PEEPS!
Tuesday, November 10, 2009 
