Pulse Style: Fashion: Runway Report

Four local boutiques weigh in on the season’s biggest trends — and what Philly fashionistas will be wearing this fall

By admin· 5/6/2008, 8:09 a.m.

Toby Lerner
Owner, Toby Lerner,
Suburban Square, Ardmore; 610-642-8370

Color trends: “The real story this fall is now you can mix brown and black. We bought a Valentino turtleneck that is brown with a black wool lace insert at the neck. Wear it with a brown and black houndstooth suit.”
Favorite designer: Etro. “We bought a ton of Etro prints — paisleys, florals, geometrics — that can be mixed.”
Shoes and bags: Gold is huge for fall, says Lerner, and in shoes she predicts lots of flats, pumps and boots — all with round toes. In bags, the utility trend continues. “We bought Rafé bags with a lot of outside pockets, in colors like fatigue green, cognac and mahogany.”

Jen Weisenbach
Merchandising manager, Blush, Centerton Square Shopping Center, 14 Centerton Road, Mount Laurel; 856-222-0500

The mood: Fall, says Weisenbach, celebrates the return to luxury, with Russian and Edwardian influences, which give a more grown-up feel to spring’s bohemian look. “The trend translates as rich textures and luxurious fabrics — fur, velvet, brocade, animal skins, jeweled trims. It also means deep colors, like eggplant and chocolate brown.”
Proportions: “It’s all about two silhouettes: the fitted jacket, cropped or long, and the longer straight skirt, with a little flounce at the bottom.”
The new top: “This season marks a return to sexy, structured blouses with details like corseting or high Edwardian collars.”

January Bartle
Owner, Third Street Habit, 153 North 3rd Street; 215-925-5455

The mood: “I see fall as bohemian, but more tailored for city living; I call it bohemian for the city street.”
The dress: “I loved Nanette Lepore dresses this season. They follow that rich hippie/Russian princess trend.”
The jeans: “I really like darker washed denim for fall. It’s more dressed-up and polished. Hudson did a dark resin wash in a sexier, lower-rise style that was
gorgeous.”
The coat: The Victorian trend. “I bought a lot of long, tailored coats with ruffles on the front or back and a form-fitting high collar. I love Gwen Stefani’s floor-length green tweed coat with a removable ruffle bustle down the back.”

Debbie Dickson
Owner, Claire Dickson Boutique, 545 Germantown Pike, Lafayette Hill; 610-825-8668

Still strong: Tweeds and lots of plaid. “We saw the cropped wide-cuff glen-plaid pant in several collections — always with boots. Theory and Maurice Tarica paired them with a short tweed fitted jacket.”
Two most wearable trends: The versatile three-quarter-length velvet jacket, and the new longer skirt: “Long and dramatic, with a little ruffle or ruching.”
Accessories: “Belts are still big, big, big. Bags are split into two silhouettes: the ladylike, Chanel-type bag with quilting, and the big, slouchy hobo bag.”