ORLANDO, Fla. — All those empire-waist gowns and tops that looked so stylish at the start of the season suddenly have turned into the fashion equivalent of pumpkins, morphing from au courant to out-of-date as quickly as the New Year's clocks chimed 12. Or so say the trend-watchers.
The high-waisted "baby-doll" look, which topped most must-have lists in early 2007, is one of several trends predicted to take a tumble early in 2008.
Berri Morris of the Coralia Leets Boutique in Winter Park, Fla., is blunt: "High waists make you look pregnant. My customers do not want to look pregnant. They work out. They're in good shape. They want clothes that show off their shape."
Also on the way out are micro-miniskirts, shapeless tunics and extremely low-rise jeans, say boutique owners.
Those styles will be replaced by fitted tops, belted dresses and trousers with higher waistbands.
People are also reading…
On the footwear front, metallic ballerina flats are losing their luster. "We are all ready for a new shape in flats," says Paige Blackwelder, co-owner of Tuni in Winter Park. Gladiator sandals promise to be the new favorite.
Patent leather — for handbags, belts and shoes — is one of the few current trends that promises to last well into the new year. Other holdouts include trench coats, capri pants, clutch bags and platform shoes. But make that "hidden platforms," where the shoe leather wraps over the platform sole, providing elevation without clunkiness, says Melixa Carbonell, co-owner of Shou'Ture in Winter Park.
And make the belts either extra-wide or super-slim. And the bags huge or tiny.
Emerald green will be a key color come spring — along with yellow, coral, fuchsia and white. Expect to see all those shades swirled into oversized, abstract prints. "Big, bold floral prints, not Laura Ashley-style minuscule florals," says Courtney Karem, owner of Courtney K. Couture in Orlando.
Fashion leaders are less certain about trends in jeans styles. Erin Skalde, owner of Redhead Boutique in Orlando, has been debating the subject with her sales clerks, most of whom are college students.
The students think skinny jeans are on the way out, says Skalde. "I feel they are becoming a wardrobe staple, not a trend."
Where jeans are concerned, however, trends don't count for much. The most stylish jeans are not the widest or narrowest; they're the ones that fit the best.
2008 trends
WHAT'S 'IN'
• Belted dresses
• Fitted tops
• Prints (abstract, floral, animal)
• Bright colors (yellow, coral, fuchsia, emerald)
• Long dresses
• Full-leg trousers
• Higher waistbands
• Bermuda shorts
• Gladiator sandals
• Hidden platforms
• Patent leather
• Trench coats
• Sleek totes
• Bold necklaces, cuffs, rings
• Mid-length hair with bangs
• Subtle highlights
• Precision cuts
• Pretty pink makeup
WHAT'S 'OUT'
• Trapeze dresses
• Baby-doll tops
• Stripes, dots
• Muted colors
• Miniskirts
• Skinny pants
• Super-low waistbands
• Short shorts
• Ballet flats
• Stiletto pumps
• Distressed leather
• Puffer jackets
• Bags with multiple pockets, buckles, zippers
• Delicate jewelry
• Long, straight hair
• "Skunk stripes"
• Messy "bed hair"
• Dramatic glitter makeup
