The result is going to be a fall that's both retro and wearable. Tailored pants will replace leggings - which will have their last hurrah this summer. Long tunics will be replaced by cardigan sweaters that stop at the hip. Glitter and shimmer will remain, but in smaller quantities on shirts and accessories - the flower on a cloche or other accent piece, for instance.
As for the designers who are popular at Philadelphia-area boutiques, they followed (a simpler) suit.
BCBG Max Azria featured three-quarter-length skirts and jumpers paired with vests and petal-thin turtlenecks.
Lela Rose focused on shifts with long sweaters and cardigans in soft watercolor prints. Her knee-length socks were an absolute hit.
Nanette Lepore sprinkled springtime shades into her tailored pieces. But one sheer knit turquoise dress featuring ruffles down the torso was a scene-stealer.
Nicole Miller worked clever folding techniques into her dresses that had color blocks of slate blue-gray and pops of orange - very discreet yet futuristic.
Michael Kors - an expert at making tailored looks appear feminine - experimented with color, working mauve into his mostly black and camel palette.
But the most significant change noticed on the fall runways was the menswear influence, said Constance White, a New York fashion expert whose own outfit demonstrated the latest trends: a soft tailored dress under a fur vest. "But it was very soft and streamlined." In many cases, the menswear looks alternated with the womenswear, usually something soft and sexy. "It was about balance this season," she said.
