With 2011 almost done and dusted, it’s time to take one last glimpse back at the runways and reflect on the wardrobe highs and lows of the year that was.
Any fashion aficionado worth their salt will tell you that the fashion event of this calendar year was the royal wedding of Prince William and, now Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton.Kate was radiant in Alexander McQueen (a very fitting homage to the Brit designer who died last year) while sister Pippa nearly stole the show flaunting a bit-too-sexy-for-a-bridesmaid gown by the same designer that clung so suggestively to her derriere that it sparked countless blogs, fan-pages and facebook pages in appreciation!
This brings us to this year’s diet of choice: the Dukan. It’s worth pointing out that this high-protein diet found its way through the Neos Kosmos office long before the Middletons even contemplated ditching the scones for lean chicken breast, however the royal wedding probably gave it a tad more publicity. For 2011 it was all about lean limbs and cutting out carbs. The New Year may bring with it a return to breaking bread, but I predict Dukan devotees will say this diet is here to stay.
The colours this year have been off the chart with lots of stripes, colour blocking, neons, fun shades of orange (muted tangerine anyone?) and brilliant hues of blue.
One highlight has definitely been the return of animal prints (it was like Jackie Collins swung open her wardrobe doors and released her leopard prints back into the wild), bright accessories to liven up our winter uniform of grey and black, and super high wedges that meant no one had to teeter with their Taittinger at the races.
I’m sure many will agree on one trend we can happily leave behind: Bieber bangs (that’s Justin Bieber for those of you who haven’t yet succumbed to Bieber fever). Hairdressers have frantically spent this year replicating and perfecting these girlish long sweeping fringes and boy bangs, to the point that the streets are now a mass of mini clones of the “tween” pop sensation. Here’s hoping that 2012 brings with it sensible haircuts and significantly less hair flicking in young men.
As for clothes that can happily be left behind in the 2011 closet; jeggings are at the top of that list. That’s right, leggings that look like denim jeans: jeggings. The massive comeback of leggings has been a huge blessing for most women; they’re super comfortable, they’re versatile, they’re multi-seasonal and yet they’re still quite misunderstood. To this day it still bears repeating that leggings are not pants! You cannot wear them on their own, even if your taut behind rivals that of Pippa Middleton! That moment when you realize someone is not wearing jeans, but in fact jeggings, is a bit like opening up a gift certificate when someone adopts an Amur leopard for you but you don’t actually get the leopard; you feel cheated. You can wear jeans, or you can wear leggings, but you can’t have your cake and eat it too.
That takes us to the end of another year of fashion feats and follies here at Neos Kosmos. To all our readers, may you be unique and chic and fabulous this festive season. In the wise words of Coco Chanel: “remember in order to be irreplaceable one must always be different”.