Trend Report: Fall 2020 RTW at PFW

The last leg of Fashion Month has just wrapped up, and I’m feeling refreshed and inspired to start thinking about the pieces I need to get for this upcoming fall and winter — It’s not possible to be too ahead of the trends right? In other news, I know that you’re here to get the down-low on the best trends from PFW, so get ready because school is in session. If you’ve missed any of my previous articles from F/W 20 be sure to check them out here.

Our top 6 PFW picks are:

I recently researched and created a guide dedicated to traditional fit for garments that explained exactly how garments should sit and fit the body. F/W 20 is your chance to throw all of those guidelines out the window.

A popular trend that made its way throughout each fashion week this month was garments with sleeves and pants legs in extra long lengths; like the cow print outfit from Off-White, where the sleeves extended well below the area between the wrist bone and mid palm. The trousers that completed the outfit were bunching up a bit, too, but they weren’t nearly as dramatic as the black trousers that were spotted going down the runway at Valentino’s show. Honestly, I’m kind of excited to see if this trend will come to fruition in my area because then it’ll be an acceptable time to bring out my jeans that are way too long for my petite (short) legs. This look can easily be achieved by adding a few inches to the pattern pieces of tops and bottoms at the sleeves and pants legs. Our patterns at moodsewciety.com are a great place to start.

Fashion seems like a slippery slope sometimes, especially when models (no matter what size they wear) somehow manage to look way better in clothes than I do. Luckily, a beloved style secret of mine is ruching, and I saw quite a bit of it in Paris. It’s great because it has the power to accentuate the right areas and disguise problem areas at the same time. Ruching can be placed anywhere, but it was largely used around the stomach in Paris. It was also spotted around the hip area down to the hemlines on dresses with a drawstring (which is another win because it offers a lot of room for adjustments as needed). Ruching is easy to create, just add a tiny bit of elastic and sew it to the desired area or make a casing and thread it in a u-shape to get a cinched look. I love ruched tops, dresses, and skirts with this option because I can adjust the length to my liking.

This isn’t a revolutionary print, but it frequented the catwalk too many times to be avoided. I like to think that checked plaid is at the top of the pattern ladder but Paris proved my theory to be incorrect as houndstooth appeared more often than typical tartan plaid. Color combinations in fun and refreshing pairings appeared, as well as neutral combinations like black and white and shades of brown. Fun fringe details added a whimsical spin to Thom Ford’s houndstooth printed blazers while playful colors of blue and pink gave a funky fab look to Andrealage and Allesandra Rich’s runway looks. The houndstooth printed trench coat with leather accents on the Hermès runway was the perfect blend of smart and beautifully fitted. 

A little bit of sparkle makes everything better, and some of the beautiful patterns spotted at fashion week in Paris were brought to us by brocade and some jacquard looks, too (which I’m combining into one category). As the pages of the week turned, I noticed brocade as it seemed to meander from one show to another. Stand out brocade looks were the mini dress and overcoat set with velvet cuff links and collar on the Andrew Gn runway. This look was just one among the many gorgeous pieces in his stunning F/W collection for this upcoming season. Another brocade favorite of mine was spotted in the Mulberry collection: A lustrous suit eloquently complemented by detachable belt and collar accessories with beautiful beading and rhinestones. 

Let’s cut the croc and get straight to it. Reptile prints are in and they will continue to be straight through the spring right into fall. Keep your croc printed bag and your snakeskin-embossed booties because you’re gonna need them. Garment wise, reptile prints were large and in charge! There were reptile looks with lace, reptile printed suits made of faux leather in matte and glossy finishes, chiffon draped garments and more. Redemption’s croc printed cape captured my heart with its blazer-like details and floral lining peeking out front under the back arm. 

The turtleneck: A simple garment that has the power to complement your entire winter wardrobe. It’s a staple for winter and it has been utilized throughout PFW and fashion month. It’s the perfect piece for layering with dresses, sweaters, overcoats – the whole lot. Celine’s runway show reminded me that a simple all-black look complete with a black turtleneck never goes out of style and that imitating a celebrity look, like Audrey Hepburn’s, doesn’t have to be tricky. If bold fashion is more your style, then opt for a fabric that will give texture and warmth like velvet.

This year’s Fall 2020 R-T-W collections came in strong and finished the same way. That’s a wrap on this fashion month and there was a lot to take in. I love seeing each designer’s take on current events and trends, and more than that, I thoroughly enjoyed seeing how differently each collection is from the next, whether it’s in the same auditorium or across the world and vice versa. Now I want to hear from you, what were your takeaways from the fall 2020 runway shows, and which fashion week was your favorite?