In the spring of 2007, the trend in textiles is toward shiny sumptuous fabrics that gleam with dusted sheen or
have sheer qualities. Raw silk, glistening brocades, satin, moirés,
taffetas and chiffons with luminous qualities reign supreme, as you can see in the
main fashion looks. Metallic fabrics are big fashion news this spring
and the quality of brushed brilliance is important. With the metallic
shimmer look you need minimal jewellery. The fabric becomes the
personal decorative jewellery. Expect to see mixes of tulle, brocade,
lace and paste jewels on fabric surfaces.
Jersey knit fabrics are one of the big stories this spring. Jersey offers
the consumer comfort in wear, plus the novelty of drape and easy care
features. New prints tend toward the exotic and the tropical, the result is graphic
explosions of pattern.
Shimmer, opalescence and evanescence have become more important as over-distressed and unwashed fabrics have become less fashionable.
Natural fabrics are still important, but their value is starting to relate
more to eco criteria and performance in wear. Read about colours on
the Spring 2007 colour
page.
Beading, crinkled metallic fabrics, gold lame,
leather foil effects and metallised plastic all come in silver - the hottest
of looks. There are all over silver and gold sequin fabrics and pretty pastel colour sweet-wrap metallics.
Any and every one is used to construct apparel from parkas to hot pants.
The gold
metallic, asymmetric, one-shoulder disco dress is £34.99/€58.50 from River Island Clothing Co.
Ltd., Spring/Summer 07 Womenswear. (See picture to the left).
The trend for gold clothes is increasing with gold embossed and impressed textured
leather coats very fashionable right now. Gold and more gold trim - gold leather coats, gold leather mini dresses, gold bomber jackets, gold parkas, gold tops, gold shoes, gold bags, jewelled fabrics
that shimmer and glimmer say 2007.
The silver metallic skirt image right is courtesy of Dorothy Perkins -
Silver metallic skirt - £25/€40. Wear with metallic high-sandals or
shining ballerina flats or easy wedge
shoes.
Brocade,
lustrous smooth satin and figured satin have all moved into daywear.
All cream jacquard fabrics create expensive looking matching dresses and
coats. Several retailers such as House of Fraser and Wallis are offering cream
or ivory white coats with matching dresses.
Cream coat image courtesy of Matalan New Tribe left. New Tribe Matalan
Spring/Summer 2007 jacquard shift dress £18 jacquard coat £35.
Prada used thick duchesse rich toned jewel colour
satins to create signature items. The jewelled colours were used for
satin shirts and tunics, teamed with skinny pants. This year as desire for the luxe looks increases, Prada will offer dry-clean-only silk denims and pure linen jeans.
Other
luxury materials include silk charmeuse, matelassé, sheer tulles, chiffon,
and fine lawns.
Textured fabrics like cotton lace, Chantilly lace adds great beauty to ladies
fashion garments.
Details right - Lined shift lace dress right courtesy of Wallis.
Cream and nude are very strong colours for spring 2007. Many
retailers will have nude-toned lace over nude slips or cream on cream
versions of lace dresses.
For spring 2007 lace can be the main upper fabric of a court shoe.
These lace upper court shoes are from Faith Footwear Spring/Summer 2007
Court Shoes - Style Charmant £40.
Lace is used in this dress as a
border technique on clothes and helps create the illusion
hemline. The tea party spot dress left is £75 and is
courtesy of Phase Eight. It appears shorter than it really is
because the lace hem is see through, fades out and creates an optical illusion
to the eye. See more examples
here.
Monochrome schemes will include black and white fabric prints in wild
abstract patterns. There are also strong bold tablecloth, buffalo and
plaid check pattern arrangements.
The short dress right, can also be worn
as a tunic top. So many of this seasons dresses double up as tops over
trousers or stand alone dresses.
ar right image courtesy of Principles - Main Spring Summer 2007 Collection black and white
kimono top £49.
Butterflies, dragonflies, roses, flowers, ginkgo leaves and exotic
flowing botanical designs, all feature as print texture for this
spring 2007.
Vintage prints are
growing as a retro pattern type that designers are favouring. Large
oversized spots and circles have a fifties feel especially when the print
has sheen to its surface. When such patterns are printed on flowing jersey they
take on a very new look.
Fabrics covered with blooms, roses, sprigs, botanical embellishment and floral trails
or very bold prints with lush cabbage flowers are standard for spring 2007.
Think tropical exotic print and jungle plants. Jungle print is part of this exotic trend and bamboo print was a choice of Matthew Williamson.
He used brightly coloured floral
sequin patterns to make stunning simple shifts.
Smock top image right courtesy of Dorothy Perkins Spring/Summer 2007 - Pink
hibiscus print smock top - £20/35.
Earthy
African and sepia animal prints compete with botanical and massed floral prints and futuristic textured fabrics. Glamour Zebra, leopard, tigers, cows and giraffes are all accommodated as animal prints
evolve into modern looks with a modern feel. when combined with futuristic silhouettes.
Leopard prints are always popular although this
trend is now in full swing so is less edgy that it was. Even so animal
prints are becoming classics.
Fabrics from chiffon to batik mark this
animal look a trend that has gained in strength rather than
diminished. Chiffon animal print blouses have been
especially popular recently. These sarong wraps right are both in
animal prints and the image is courtesy of House of Fraser from the spring
summer 2007 women's swim wear range.
Jersey fabric is a popular choice for spring 2007 clothes.
It's perfect
for dresses for dancing the night away. Dance trends mean easy swing jersey dresses with plenty of
volume are set for popularity.
Modern jersey fabrics perform well in wear and this makes
it a great fabric for work, play and easy laundering. The fabrics themselves are often made of a combination of viscose, Lycra and polyester, some are even made of totally silk jersey. The wrap dress
right is now a classic wardrobe staple for many women. Right - Black
white monochrome wrap dress £35.00 courtesy of Discoo Online fashion store
Spring Summer 2007 ladies fashion range.
The dress is so short this summer that sometimes it really is a tunic.
The two garments are interchangeable. This volume tunic left is in
dazzling golden yellow, a top colour of the moment. Image left
is courtesy of Warehouse - yellow jersey dress £25/€40, bag £32/€49.
Texture on dress is everywhere. This texture left is from a Chloe dress. Appliqué morphs into hippy themed collage looks as dresses become walking art forms. The complexity of couture craft skills take away the
bo-ho folk look; to add further texture, print fabrics are embossed.
Matthew Williamson specializes in colour, his bright, bold, beautiful clothes feature lively surface embellishment.
Detailed encrustation and
textured appliqué on dresses was intense on many catwalk
garments and the
high street has followed this lead. The technique made many garments into walking
60s inspired, textile art collages, a confection of modern
passementerie.
This silver white dress detail is from the range Star by
Julien Macdonald at Debenhams. You can see the actual dress on the
Spring 2007 Looks page. The jewelled brocade bodice shown is a
dress from the Spring/Summer 2007 Debenhams Womenswear range.
Pailettes, imitation glass gems both cabochon and faceted and larger poppet style opaque beads embellish many garments at necklines, hemlines and sleeve edges.
Versace dresses were gold Pailettes. By fall iridescent Pailettes
will be making a strong impression.
Note the
emerald square cut metallic bead bordered hems, on dresses or
worked as either all over fabrics and as deep 10 cm bands on hemlines and
below elbow bell sleeves.
In extreme examples round domed studs, so fashionable this past 2 years,
are now offering variations as spiked punk style studs. Square studs with diamond domes a
feature of punk dressing were used on bags accessories and clothes
especially on shoulders.
Bands with domed stud effects are used as
fabric inserts such as in the baby doll puffball dress right. Image
courtesy of River Island Clothing Co. Ltd., - Bubble mini dress £34.99
Fashion Futuristics range.
Fine 2 or 3mm micro accordion pleating is often used on ruffle cuffed
sleeves or used as the body of sleeve fabrics. Coats with pin tucks,
fine tucks and fine pleats add texture and interest. One step from
this is the trim of fabric fan pleats. Gauzy organza is used as
mini-pleated accordion Fortuny style trims applied as ruffles on cuffs and
jabots.
There was a noticeable return of hand sculpted
fabric roses at
designer shows.
Roses were a must of 1980s/early 90s
occasion clothing. In the 1960s many dresses were
decorated with bodices covered in fabric flowers.
High street stores such as New Look have romantic dresses with sculpted fabric rose
flowers decorating the necklines of bodices. The lemon baby doll dress
right can be worn as
it is as a mini dress or as tunic top. Image right courtesy of River
Island Clothing Co. Ltd Lemon Ruffle Collar Dress £59.99/€100.50, Silver
T-Bar Sandals £49.99/€84.
Buttons are big and oversized. 5 cm statement buttons are not
unusual. Often mixed buttons in different colours and patterns are
used. Mother-of-pearl buttons often create interesting
fabric surfaces which generate Pearly Queen effects. Versace showed an interesting buttonhole stand of
square facings.
Buckles have been on boots and bags in abundance this past autumn and they
continue into spring. If there is no buckle maybe you'll find a
bow, general surface add on fabric texture, pleating or ruching on that shoes or
bag.
Opulence is still found in fabrics as is ruching, ruffles, and
rouleaux loop bows. We are seeing bows on the waist at the back of skirts and jackets. Also, decorative bows, streamers and sashes add a
feminine touch.
This season look out to for more quality fabrics, 60s style novel
futuristic fabrics. You should also see airy fabrics, light nubble
wools, madras plaid, buffalo checks, raffia, seersucker, embroidered net,
web-like knits and fabrics that gleam with dusted dazzle.
Even natural fabrics like linen get mixed with silver or gold threads to
capture that shimmer of the season.
As individuals gain eco awareness, natural fabrics and how they are grown
and processed has become a focus of interest for the consumer.
Manufacturer Toray Industries has spent some years developing a process to
enable them to reuse production nylon waste to create more Nylon 6 and using
85% less energy that making nylon in the first production process.
Fashion-Era.com looks at women's costume and fashion history and analyses the mood of an era. Changes in technology, leisure, work, cultural and moral values. Homelife and politics also
contribute to lifestyle trends, which in turn influence the clothes we wear. These are the changes that make any era of society special in relation to the study of the costume of a period.
Fashion-Era.com can take no responsibility for any information on the site which may cause you error, loss or costs incurred from use of the information and links either directly or
indirectly. This site is owned, designed, written and developed by Pauline Weston Thomas and Guy Thomas. This site is designed to be viewed in 1024 X 768 or higher.
Before you write to me for costume/fashion help or information please, please consult the extensive sitemap which lists all our pages. If you still cannot find the answer after searching the site, then before you email me, please consider if you are prepared to make a donation to the website.
Donations Reader's donations help this site flourish, in particular donations encourage me to write more articles on fashion history as well as current trends. PayPal
allows anyone with a credit card to donate easily and securely. You may donate any sum you feel appropriate.
If you have any comments, or if you see any broken links, then please email with
details of the page url or problem
