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Flou-Flou, C'est Quoi Exactement?
Flou is the latest rage in fashion. Flou in French means "little dresses" and "looseness." This is easy enough to see whether you take a stroll through a suburban shopping mall or down an urban retail avenue. Lots and lots of little chiffon-y dresses, many in floral pastel prints, to give the wearer that certain touch of jeunesse. Banish the black, urge fashion editors. Go with the flow-the flowing innocence of youth. Discover your inner little girl.
I must protest.
First, I will be the first to admit I have made fashion calls that were proved wrong. Michael Kors' September 1999 New York show, with its soundtrack from ABBA ("Dancing Queen") and prancing models in post-debutante looking clothes drove me to write that "no one would ever want this look". Michael Kors obviously knew something I did not. We are still seeing this nouveau riche look all over, and ABBA music refuses to die. Also that season, in Paris, I predicted that John Galliano's referencing old Dior logos did not mean he or the company was planning to re-introduce them, as if he had too much integrity as an artist. Wrong, wrong, wrong, obviously. I am going to make a call now that I think might not fall into the "wrong" category.
Do not buy into Flou-Flou, or you will be kicking yourself next season. One pleated chiffon dress in dusty pink, maybe. Or one little floral print blouse. But DO NOT make it your fashion statement unless you are under the age of 16. Make that 12. As a life-long fashionista, I would like to put forth a list of tried and true fashion guidelines that work whether you are tall or short, slim or curvy. This is not about emotion, but as close to scientific as I have ever gotten. I base my guidelines on years of international travel, attending top fashion shows all over the world, and most importantly, comfort and elegance.
Guidelines for International Modern Chic
1. Respect your body type, your age and your environment. Many years ago, while traveling in Saudi Arabia, I had the misfortune to see young American women walking in the streets of Riyadh in shorts and tank tops. Along with being completely disrespectful to the national standards of dress, these women had rolls of exposed fat. It was a moment of disgrace for all American women, as far as I was concerned.
2. The colors black, ivory, navy, beige and mauve (or lavender) are couture colors that will work in all every day life situations, from the office to galas. Stray from these colors, and you'd better be a fashion genius. If you are not a fashion genius and can't resist an all red ensemble or the proverbial purple hat, you will be known as eccentric, but not stylish. If you are reading this editorial, you'd probably rather be known as stylish.
3. Leopard is here to stay. An uptight and un-chic not to be named San Francisco writer in the nineties declared leopard to be "tacky." She has since gone to her reward. Well, that was a pretty stupid statement on her part.
4. The articles of clothing no fashionista can be without:
-A black silk or satin trench coat
-Several pairs of well fitted black pants
-Black cashmere turtlenecks for winter, silk shells for summer
-Black cashmere cardigan
-A couple of black skirts, one pencil shaped, one A line
-A couple of white cotton shirts (if this is your style)
-A little black dress
-Two or three Chanel or Chanel-like jackets, AM to PM
-A white leather jacket
-A leopard print coat
-A lot of Manolo Blahnik shoes in various heel
heights
-A Hermes bag (I got my Kelly at the Paris Flea
Market)
-Antique or estate gold jewelry and large pearls
-Black leather gloves when appropriate.
In case you are wondering, I am describing not only what I believe in, but the last few ensembles I saw Lee Radziwell wear at the Paris shows. If you want to be silly and buy a lot of this Flou look, be prepared to come down with a bad case of Flou, as in buyer's remorse, around the end of the summer. I just hate to play the devil's advocate-not!
Happy Spring.
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