If you are like me, you may have until now assumed that the
only real sport is shopping until you drop. One of my
forum members has an avatar which states 'I have a black belt in
shopping'. Now fashion has moved sideways to provide
you with glam sporty looks to help you pursue your passion for
the sport of shopping - only kidding. However, it is a fact
that utilitarian sportswear and military wear have frequently
become mainstream fashion and especially so in the C20th.
Many
will recall the shell suit of the 80s (and maybe inwardly
groan). The little bomber jacket shown left is no more
than a metallic version of its forerunner, the sturdy milled wool forces jacket worn some 7 decades ago. Who would have thought the styling would travel so far and become catwalk glamour.
Now the luxury version is shimmering and glimmering smart
enough to wear for an evening on the town like this lovely
silver version right suggests.
Details Left - River Island Clothing Co. Ltd, Metallic
Leather Bomber £120/201.50, Roll Up Pants £32.99/55.50,
Lemon T-Bar Sandals £49.99/84, Grey Leather Handbag £100/168.
Right silver metallic parka jacket from the Oasis Spring Summer
07 Catwalk Show.
Images courtesy of River Island Clothing Company
& Oasis.
Athletic active sporty glamorous wear is an important
statement in Spring 2007 fashion trends.
Luxury sportswear fashion creates its look with satins and metallic futuristic fabrics combined with neon brights. It is deluxe sporty glamour
which is soft, casual yet glamorous, not really intended for
sweating in the
gym, but perfect for clubwear.
Gold brocade fabrics and latterly silver brocade fabrics have
crept into daywear by stealth. The spring catwalk shows also ensured that
metallics were destined for more everyday knockabout street
looks made up in sportier styles. Welcome Luxe Sports.
Right - Silver viscose satin parka £80/130 and black cotton
shorts £30/47 - both 'W' - A Limited Edition for Wallis
Spring/Summer 2007.
This
season Oasis embraces a new modernist mood with clean, simple shapes and a play on volume and proportion running like a thread throughout.
A sense of futurism emerges through the clever use of techno
fabrics on luxe sportswear influenced pieces. Day
wear has been given a sporty make over through gorgeous
parachute fabrics which move effortlessly into short suits with
cute racer backs, button through romper suits, parkas and
high-waisted skirts. Metallic fabrics add a technical edge to
high-shine boxy leather jackets and light weight cagoules.
Luxury
sport uses satins and metallic materials including sequins,
brocades, leather and wet look Pleather** to achieve futuristic
novel effects.
Left - Yellow dress with silver parka dress £25/40, parka
£90/140, bag £32/49 and all from Warehouse Spring/Summer 2007
ladies fashion wear.
This softer clothing
with sport touches is practical for many women to wear. Racer stripes, techno fabrics with pocket and zip detailing
all add a street edge. It's functional, but glam,
especially when its figure hugging like this jumpsuit.
Images above/right courtesy of Warehouse and
Wallis/Arcadia and French Connection.
Above Right - The form fitting body conscious jumpsuit £80 is from French Connection's Spring 07 women's range.
As
you can see from some of the photos here, River
Island offers you a Spring/Summer collection that is guaranteed
to tick all the right fashion boxes. River island say key trend alerts
include the parka, the spring jacket of choice and available in
various guises.
Right - River Island Clothing Co. Ltd. - Parachute Silk Parka £69.99/117.50, Sequin
Hot Pants £39.99/67, Pixel Print T-Shirt £24.99/42, Clear
Panel Stilettos £44.99/75.50.
Left -
The luxurious silver parka and electric blue dress are
both from Oasis Spring 07 collection. Oasis sporty silver
parka, drop waist bright blue dress parka £80.00, dress £50.00.
The silver or white parka is the fashion trend picked up by most high street retailers and is likely to be a major hit with younger women.
Every size has been catered for, including plus sizes. This white techno parka £50/75
is from Evans Spring/Summer 2007 women's plus size range. The
purple jersey dress is £28/43 and the pewter court shoes
£25/38.
Get your white parka or silver parka early before they all sell out.
Images courtesy of Oasis, River
Island Co. Ltd. and Evans/Arcadia.
The
versatile parka also comes in dress versions. Dress parkas
usually have a closed centre seam with front opening about bust
level.
Wardrobe Tips -
The puffy parka pockets have also moved onto other
garments and are often placed low down on other dress and skirt
styles, so if this look in its entirety is not for you, you will
find parka pockets on other garments.
Left and right - Parka dresses from Oasis Catwalk Show SS07.
Another likely sporty favourite will be the all-in-one suspender
skirt or shorts overall.
Right - Dorothy Perkins Bib and brace skirt. Dorothy
Perkins Spring/Summer 2007
Blue dungaree dress - £25/40.
Images above courtesy of Oasis and Dorothy
Perkins/Arcadia.
A key trend for the young will be shorts in materials from denim to floral fabrics. Watch out for sporty fashion satin looks, gold or silver lame shorts
like these from Dorothy Perkins shown right.
Like
the metallic bomber jackets and silver
parkas, shorts too can be teamed with neon brights. Silver and electric blue are winners.
Silver lame shorts right £25/40, are from the
Dorothy Perkins Spring/Summer 2007 fashion collection.
Left - The chartreuse jacket and lamι shorts are from
Matalan's New Tribe Spring/Summer 2007 range and just £15
for the belted utility jacket £15, £10 for the metallic
shorts, and ruched brown bag £12.
Sports influence was also strong at Stella McCartney where the
audience was treated to dungaree bloomers and bloused
draw-string features. The high street has versions of
these playsuits which are fine for the young and well suited to
the beach.
Right -
Dorothy Perkins Spring/Summer 2007 button through playsuit
£24.99/42.
Jean
Paul Gaultier focused on the athletic scheme of baseball jackets
and vest top all covered in half inch Pailettes and teamed with
designer zip featured shorts creating a Luxe sports look.
Look
for Pailettes and large sequins on sporty styles so that some
garments will meet with
futuristic looks.
Although we think of satin as special, this
year satin is another standard fabric. Miuccia Prada used
jewel toned satins in her collections and mixed strong colours
in satin fabrics in the same outfit.
This yellow satin top right is from French Connection. It is in
one of the hottest colours of the season and hits the right
style notes.
Read more about colours and about fabrics on the Spring 2007
colour page.
Special thanks to David of http://www.prshots.com/
and companies providing images. Thanks to Arcadia, Wallis,
Dorothy Perkins, River Island Co. Ltd, Evans, Warehouse, Faith, Primark
and Oasis.
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
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