A Touch of Gold

After reigning uncontested over the trends of the last 6 seasons, Christophe Decarnin may be seeing his rising star begin to fall. Despite the fact that for Fall/Winter 2010-2011, Balmain is no longer one of the top 10 houses to follow, the touches of gold that studded his collection could be the just the thing to save a good number of fall looks from boredom.

Between the Max Mara camel and the Céline navy blue, the new season has never had so much in common with neo-bourgeois classicism. The September issues of the magazines may be overflowing with fashion series paying homage to Mad Men, but this does not mean that adding a twist to the 50s and 70s looks with some anachronistic details is out of the question.

In any case, with the exception of the fashion weeks (during which it is acceptable to go for a head-to-toe look), not a single of the Charlie's Angels looks from Chloé, nor the openly retro ensembles from Marc Jacobs for Louis Vuitton, are to be replicated as is. This season, the fashionistas must interpret the catwalk instructions with a minimum of flexibility, or risk appearing to be a vintage control freak...

To avoid this, she could check out the collections that are less popular with the press, in order to find something to spice up her looks for the new season in unexpected ways. Despite being stigmatized by the baroque excesses of its designer, the Balmain show provided an idea for embellishing the sensible minimalist ambiance with a few touches of glitter.

It is true that a thin gold belt will have the good taste to wake up a pair of wide-cut, high-waisted, sable-colored pants, whereas a navy-blue 50s skirt can be made more casual when brought into contact with a gold-colored sweatshirt. As for accessories, a gold-colored narrow headband, scarf, or kitten heels in gold will bring a touch of extravagance to save a too-strict ensemble.

If the Balmain gold seems too shiny, the more matte version at Dries Van Noten may be more accessible. Do not hesitate to wear it on visually stronger pieces, like an ingénue dress or a smoking jacket.