The Red Coat

I've always thought there was something daring about wearing a full, blood red coat. Coats have so much fabric that the color can be overwhelming. Perhaps that's why Calvin Klein's black pea coat and Burberry's khaki trench are able to sell so much season after season. Black and tan are colors that will never be out of season.  Then there's red.

Red says something. In advertising/graphics classes, you learn that red emits warmth and emotion. Heat and sensuality.  (Apparently, yellow makes you hungry. This sick combination has done wonders for McDonald's). Oscar de la Renta had a couple different red coats in his Fall 2010 collection. The red coat always brings me to one person in particular, Julia Roberts as Vivian Ward in Pretty Woman. The movie was released in 1990. Great to see where the 80's met the 90's. There will be books written on it later, but at 22, people in my generation will be the ones to document it. Maybe me?!?!? Well, until then, I just go with the flow.


I came across this sweater/jacket before browsing the Oscar Fall 2010 line, so I surprised myself when, while researching for the greens in my "Militant Fashion" post, the red coats were right there, too. Mine has a fly-away style as there are no buttons. & it has monstrous should pads (in an AWESOME way). There are pockets, fortunately.  This is definitely going to be my fall coat. Paired with a knit scarf, I won't need much else except some leather gloves!

Fall's Militant Fashion

FALL 2010 TREND: Military Greens

I work at ALDO shoes. We occasionally have to do a "floor verification" that basically tells us which shoes are missing off the floor. If you're on to do the verification after a shipment has come in, you get to see all the new shoes first. We have a shoe in the store called "Norkus" that first came in in black and taupe.  I'd been waiting for a military green to come in and, low and behold, The Norkus came in under the label "Khaki". They can call it what they want, it's military green in my book.

The military green was seen walking down the runways for the Fall 2010 collections of  Burberry, Anni Sui, Nicole Miller, Oscar de La Renta (my fav deisgner) among many others. H&M jumped on the trend and their window visuals nation wide are seeping in military green.  I got a dress from the goodwill, it's Liz Claiborne so, very far from couture, but well made and 100% cotton. When money is tight, remember: Quality & fashion over letters on a label.

This color is going to look amazing in the fall. It'll work with the natural colors of the season: reds, oranges, browns. Colors capable of warming up the coolness of this particular green. I plan on wearing this dress with some high, brown, leather boots. Might even put on some really thick knit stockings or knee-high socks. Bundled with a comfy scarf, I'll be ready to transition into the winter. Can't effin wait!

The simple fact that it's a dress does something amazing. The green has a masculine feel to it (with it being darker) but as a dress there is an added femininity that works very well. The ruffles on the Oscar version (below) add the femininity even more, softening the color as well as the feel of the outfit. This goes with the androgynous feel we've been seeing a lot of latley in fashion as well as music with the likes of Elly Jackson feature in ELLE's July 2010 issue as saying, "I get a lot of bras and pants thrown onstage... Evidently, my androgyny appeals to both sexes.” Hey, the more the merrier, I guess! 

So here's my dress next to its idol. (Oh! & mine has pockets, too!)