Do you depend on department stores to tell you what to wear?

As another summer simmers down in the city, tourists hang on to the last days of vacation and NYU freshmen invade Washington Square Park once again. Stores are getting ready for the new season and changing their displays — making us even less able to deal with last week’s heat wave — but it’s never too soon to get your wardrobe ready for the next season.

To do it stress free, follow these steps: look at your life, understand your “fashion needs,”  asses what you have, create the looks, and then buy what you are missing.

When it comes to fashion looks, and probably anything else in life, there are innovators and there are imitators. While I use some creativity in putting together an outfit, I cannot say that I am an innovator without seriously stretching the truth. I watch the fashion shows, and most of the time have an idea of what the designer wants to say, but by the end of the 20th show, I have no idea what trends are going to be popular next season or what will make me look “in” or “out.” Thanks to my ignorance, there are buyers out there who will never lose their jobs.

What better place to get ideas about popular trends than the windows of the “Big Six” which are: Saks Fifth Avenue, Bergdorf Goodman, Barneys, Bloomingdale’s, Neiman Marcus and Macy’s.

I checked out the windows to see how they were prepping for fall. Here are my findings.

Saks Fifth Avenue

Knitwear: fishermans’ cable, mixed media and layering

DVF: bold color and strong femininity

Bergdorf Goodman

Print, Tweed, Leather, Rich Color, Peplum

Barney’s

No clear direction, emphasis on jewelry, designer Derek Lam.

Neiman Marcus

Lists but not on the front page numerous trends: Digital Prints, Mixed Greens, Borrowed from the Boys, The Jacket, The Leather Leg, The Smoking Sleeper, Navy, The Statement Bag, Brooches.

Macy’s

Interesting emphasis on home produce and Saturday sales. No mention of upcoming fall fashion trends.

Bloomingdale’s

The only references to trends are for current summer ones, including color, print, and white cropped bottoms.

And that’s what we have so far. Not everyone seems fully prepared for fall, including the big six stores mentioned above.

That’s if for today folks. I’ll keep you posted on what’s worth shopping for in the city.

By Wendy Rose Gould

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Posted by Wendy Rose Gould at 09:48 PM
Fashion: Trends, Style, and Business , Opinions , Places , SHOPPING , Stores , The City , Trends , Trends |