Fall/Winter 2010 Fashion Trend: Military

Ladies, can you believe that it is almost September? Where did the summer go?! While September unfortunately means that Ohio's dreary (and seemingly never ending) winter is right around the corner, in the short-term it also means that it is time to bundle up in some of my favorite autumn clothes, which also means that it is time for my run-down of this fall/winter's fashion trends! Over the next few weeks, I will post my picks of the biggest AW 2010 fashion trends and, at the end, I will provide a summary of those trends. And if you are wondering what is still "in" from last fall and what is "out," I can tell you to hang on to your fur vest, over-the-knee boots, leather jacket, skinny jeans, and booties and shooties. While the on-trend style for the leather jacket was motorcycle-inspired last fall and still remains relevant this fall, other styles are also popular this fall including aviator and bomber styles. The strong shoulder trend and bib necklaces that were so popular last fall seem to be on their way out, although statement necklaces of any kind are always fashionable. Also, the 80s redux trend seems to have had its moment -- this fall it is all about traditional gender extremes -- think severely masculine or ultra feminine. To kick it all off, I thought I'd start off with probably the biggest AW 2010 trend -- military-inspired pieces.

It is hard to miss this trend this fall/winter as military-inspired pieces are popping up left and right in boutiques and departments stores all over C-bus. Military pieces were prominent on the AW 2010 runways as seen above at Max Mara, Andrew Gn, Oscar de la Renta, and Marc by Marc Jacobs. I am sort of ambivalent about this trend myself. On the one hand, I am a fan of the neutral color-palette of olives, greys, blacks, and navys and I like the button detail that typically accompanies military-inspired pieces, but on the other hand I am not a big fan of camouflage-printed items, which I've been seeing a lot of lately as well. Nonetheless, this trend is overwhelmingly one of the biggest this fall/winter, so if you want to pick up a military-inspired piece below are a few (non-camo) options to consider: Elizabeth and James "Explorer" blouse for $245 on www.shopbop.com; BDG fitted military dress on sale for $29.99 on www.urbanoutfitters.com; BB Dakota "Clifton" coat for $130 on www.lulus.com; Aqua buttoned circle skirt for $78 on www.bloomingdales.com; Juicy Couture "Skylar" twill military jacket for $298 on www.shopbop.com; Marc by Marc Jacobs for "Kelly" cropped wool military sweater for $228 on www.bloomingdales.com; Majorette bubble hem skirt for $17.80 on www.forever21.com; Marrakesh "Belle" jacket for $180 on www.nordstrom.com; Nanette Lepore "Isabella" wool flannel military jacket for $448 on www.bloomingdales.com; Pleated military jacket for $42 on www.forever21.com; INC International Concepts skinny ankle zip cargo pants for $69 on www.macys.com; Kettle Black military stud bracelet on sale for $80.50 on www.shopbop.com; INC International Concepts double-breasted sequin epaulet blazer for $99 on www.macys.com; Belted military dress for $59.90 on www.express.com; Military knit jacket for $32.80 on www.forever21.com; Open-front shirttail military jacket for $88 on www.express.com; J. Brand "Houlihan" skinny sateen cargo pants for $244 on www.nordstrom.com; Aqua silk anorak for $128 on www.bloomingdales.com.