Towering Heels in Toppling Times

Skyscraping styles from bottom-barrel times: (clockwise from top left) Ferragamo's iconic 1938 platform, WWII-era cork wedge from 1943, a sparkling disco stage for one from 1974, and Emilio Pucci's 2010 red stilletto design. Illustrated by Christine Berrie for The New York Times.

We fashion fiends are familiar with the varying trends that somehow seem to follow (or predict?) the swings of the economic pendulum. Mostly the history books have shown a correlation between good times and short skirts. Beyond hemlines, a slideshow in today's Times makes the case for a footwear barometer. Apparently the worse the dollar does, the higher womens' shoes get. That would explain the rash of ankle-breakers that seem to have taken a toehold in fashion's top tier for at least three seasons now (read: an eternity). If the enduring popularity of platforms, stilettos, and spikes are any indication, we may be in for some long-lasting hard times, but at least we'll look fierce while we starve.

Quicksilver

Karl (l) and Armani (r) in cahoots.

I'm always a little suspect when more than one designer at a time is suddenly struck with a concurrent aesthetic revelation. This couture season has seen both Armani and Kaiser Karl take pretty drastic turns toward looks that aren't usually part of their output. The two showed collections based on silver tones; Armani stated the moon as inspiration and Lagerfeld abandoned his usual palette of black, white, and Chanel Gold for silver embellished pastels. Now, to be fair this could all be truth, but part of me wishes to expose to my audience a little known aspect of the fashion business: Trend forecasting firms.

Trendspotting: shimmering legs at Armani and Chanel.

Fashion in this capitalist society is first and foremost a business. It is a big business, a huge business. A massive business that fulfills one of the human population's three basic needs (food, shelter, and clothing). As such, there is a major motivation to keep product moving. Now more than ever fashion's fickle, fleeting attention span pushes anyone who cares to be socially accepted to buy new things so that they are on trend. And, those trends don't come from just anywhere. Trends in fashion are forecasted by huge firms whose job it is to do nothing else. They analyze data, form theories, and present evidence for what will tingle the senses of the stylish next. Nearly every single fashion house of note and large clothing retailer subscribes to their services. That is how there are these waves of seemingly divined similarities between any given season's shows. If the big trend companies say wrap dresses are next, or sky-high stilettos, or, perhaps, silvery moon tones then you are bound to see them surface on nearly all of the catwalks.

Call Vogue and tell them it's silver this season! Wait, they probably already know...

It's fine. Trend forecasting on a certain level just takes the temperature of the stylish. But, I do get a little vexed when designers play it off as their own flashes of brilliance, their own sudden revelations. Karl, did you and Giorgio have a sleepover the night you woke up stunned by the thought of silver in your head? I didn't think so.

If You Were Doing This You'd Be Cool Already.

If Mr. Tommy Ton, fashion's photo blogger extraordinaire, snaps three photos of something at fashion week, I do believe it qualifies as a bonafide trend. In that case, you should definitely start wrapping the tail of your belt around itself. In fact, I think if you don't wrap your belt from this moment forward, I'm allowed--no obligated--to make fun of you.

Don't say I didn't warn you.

Ankles Away.

Coco Rocha rockin' her ankles on The Sartorialist.

A new fashion highlight zone has arrived this summer. It's the ankle. I'm sure many of you have been a fan of the thinnest part of your legs for a nice, long time, but fervent ankle adoration has reached a fever pitch of late. The City streets are filled with rolled pants cuffs shortened just so they reveal that sexy, sinewy spot. There are also a plethora of cute little flats with ankle ties, straps, and other adornments in shop windows and on all the hip kids.



Chinese Laundry flats from endless.com, $59.95

While the ankle strap shoe is certainly a holdover from the gladiator sandal trend, it is a pleasant, slightly more sophisticated break from those ubiquitous, buckle-happy, leg-climbers. Here are some hipper-than-thou (or perhaps not hipper than you!) ankle fans snapped by The Sartorialist.

The thing about ankles is that most ladies have gorgeous ones. I know, I know, there are some of you who insist that you have dreaded cankles, but mostly this is a very forgiving, flattering feature on women. So decorate those ankles, show 'em off, and strut 'em proudly. Me and my big girl thighs couldn't be happier about this trend! I love showing a little leg, as long as it's close to my foot...ha.

Wave Goodbye, New York

l to r: 3.1 Phillip Lim, Cynthia Rowley

Waves rippled through the New York shows. From ruffles to graphic readout-like patterns, undulation was the new edge.


l to r: Yigal Azrouel, Nanette Lepore