Colliding Forces

Ladylike, body-conscious, menswear, draping, military, patterns, and neutrals are all catchphrases for pre-fall 2010. While we acknowledge how important it is to focus an outfit and to avoid seeming overdone, we're still into the New York Fashion Week collections that seamlessly integrate a few of these. In particular, the best looks have fused genders not just by borrowing from the opposite sex but by engaging elements of both. For example, the exposed brassiere and underwire, as in Preen at top left, or the body-con bandages and drapes colliding with militaristic colors, as in Jeremy Laing at top right and Rag & Bone at bottom left, and gray or black suiting, as in Doo.Ri at bottom right. The Mafia Materialist especially appreciates this ladylike menswear when characterized by long sleeves, black patent lace-up or industrially embellished footwear, and metal buttons, all laced with bursts of color and prints.

Photos courtesy of style.com