Of cobalt and psychedelic prints: A review on the autumn-winter trends for 2012

Every step toward the holidays and the New Year brings about a dozen of things to look forward to fashion-wise. The last quarter of the year is the start of a new season, and I, Lou Habash, couldn’t get more excited just by looking at the runway reviews on the trends for autumn-winter 2012.

As an image consultant, I do a lot of research in order to recommend makeover ideas to my clients that are not only fitting with their personalities and style preference, but also timely and up-to-the-minute.

Lou Habash image credit: blog.lmff.com.au

For this season, one of the colors that I strongly endorse to my clients does not belong to the Christmas-y shades of neither red nor green, but in blue. Cobalt blue is the striking electric blue shade seen in the runway shows of Lanvin and Balenciaga. A lovely shift dress in this color, when matched with the perfect structured blazer plus black pumps, screams sophistication at all angles. Talk about having a new “B” in LBD – little blue dress.

Lou Habash image credit: trendnstylez.com

Another thing that I, Lou Habash, also noticed from various runway shows is the dominance of slim belts. Models strutted with belt-cinched waist or belts that create the illusion of smaller waistlines. This is actually a trick that I commonly recommend to clients who wish to hide their flabs in a bulky outfit or to those who wish to add more curves to their bodice.

Tribal, oriental, psychedelic, and natty prints also permeated the runways. Miu Miu, Mary Katrantzou, Prada, Dries Van Noten, and Marc Jacobs are just some of the designers who went for these hippie and trippy prints.

Lou Habash image credit: fashionchoice.org

One of the fashion dilemmas that I commonly hear from clients has something to do with non-fitting clothes. Commonly, this happens when a person loses weight, resulting to every item in the closet looking a size or two bigger. Luckily, this season introduces the acceptance to all things baggy and bulky – be it for trousers or coats. Supersize tailoring is witnessed in the shows of Celine, Zac Posen, Yves Saint Lauren, and Vivienne Westwood. Perhaps, the next time I hear a client complains about her loose clothing, I can confidently say “now that’s no longer a problem.”

For more fashion reviews, follow me on Twitter.