TORONTO – No time travelling required for those pining for vintage styles: the retro revival is in full swing for fall, with looks from decades past getting a modern update for the cooler months.
“I think the ’60s is very commercial because the lines are very clean and minimal,” said Cynthia Florek, trend director of womenswear for Sears Canada. “We’ve seen the whole minimalism movement for a couple of seasons, but the way it’s collided with the ’70s is through colours.”
Florek said there’s no lone hue that stands alone as the go-to for fall, but rather a rich range of autumnal colours evocative of the ’70s, such as camel, burnt orange, ginger and mustard.
Menswear-inspired chic, fusing retro glam with a hint of British influence, is also on the fashion horizon, with a return to matched suiting which sees tailored jackets paired with pants and even shorts for a monochromatic look.
Turtlenecks worn under fitted blazers evoke a ’60s vibe, while feminine bow blouses matched with flared pants offer a flash of ’70s style.
“I think a lot of these pieces are classic, so even if you’re wearing a camel suit with a brown turtleneck, it can be very masculine, but at the same time, the silhouette can be very feminine,” said Florek.
Even the traditionally baggier boyfriend blazer is getting a revamp, with a more fitted silhouette and “professorial feel” with patches on the elbows and patterned in herringbone or check, she noted.
It’s a similar story for men’s fashion, with more polished suiting like elbow-patched sport jackets and the incorporation of a sleek turtleneck as a substitute for the dress shirt.
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While the emphasis is on monochromatic looks, opting for select staple pieces can help put you in the style groove.
A camel or ginger-coloured suit can be worn as one ensemble or split and matched up with other pieces, noted Florek. Same goes for the tweed blazer which she calls a “must-have” for this season, and which can be paired with either a classic chino or more casual denim.
“The nice thing about this trend is it’s really transitional,” said Florek. “It can work with the stuff that you already have in your closet.”
Blazers are also staples in the country chic look for fall, said Brigitte Martin, merchandise manager for Reitmans.Fitted jackets in classic tweed, velvet and corduroy teamed with riding pants or leggings tap into equestrian and English country influences.
Whether it boasts multiple pleats or a wider sweep, a longer, fuller skirt is making a return for fall and can be substituted for pants for an equestrian country chic look, Martin said. If you don’t have a blazer, you can sub in a V-neck cardigan instead, she noted.
“It’s just a question of doing it with something that’s a little more cleaned up that doesn’t have too much fullness in the shoulder.”
A contrast to the polished suiting for fall is the more casual, laidback vibe evident in bohemian-inspired apparel.
Martin said sheer tops in romantic prints like paisley or florals are central to boho chic.
“It’s something that has that vintage influence,” she said. “The tops are away from the body, they’re a little bit loose, and you tend to wear them with wide-legged pants. But a new way to mix up the boho revival from what it was in the ’70s is that you can wear them with skinny jeans too and play up the proportions.”
Blouses can be paired with chunkier, longer-length knit cardigans along with a straight-legged pant or even leggings, a contrast to the flared pants and bellbottoms that typically defined the look, Martin noted. But for curvier women who are more reluctant to wear a slim-fitting pant, Martin said a wide-legged trouser may be a better alternative.
“It is fuller through the thigh so it will make you look taller, slimmer, but you’ll still get that leg shape,” she said. “That might be better for you because you don’t want the jean to pull across your thigh.”
For those who avoid chunky knits to prevent the appearance of added weight, an alternative could be a long, open cardigan but in a finer knit or weave, Martin suggested.
“You could still have texture but it will just be less weight on your frame,” she said.
Beyond the retro-inspired styles, classic patterns and prints that have become perennial favourites are dialling up the colour for fall, from preppy argyle to cosy, casual plaid.
Intricate Fair Isle prints are incorporating multiple hues into the mix and playing with the sizing of the pattern seen in the knit.
“It’s either a micro Fair Isle or it’s kind of overtly big,” said Florek. “The scale’s what makes it new.
For those seeking a small addition to the wardrobe, new accessories to diversify your outerwear look may be an easy fix. Florek suggests a great pair of leather gloves, or perhaps a chunky knit scarf to add texture to your look.
Regardless of whether you go broad-scale with wardrobe reboot or bring a lone new piece into the mix, a little retro flavour is consistent in spicing up many of the fall offerings.
“The one thing that goes across the board is get something that has that vintage vibe to it,” said Florek.
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