Feminized menswear is replacing ladylike fashions this winter

Fashions, as predicted, have come the full circle again.
BALTIMORE SUN
There is a yin and a yang to fashion -- a balance that becomes predictable after successive seasons. Minimalism one year begets extravagance the next. Basic black one fall will burst into a kaleidoscope of colors the following spring.
So it is no surprise then that this fall and winter season -- one year after the omnipresence of all things ladylike -- that menswear has crept back into the fashion landscape.
And it makes sense that a spring of all things boho and peasant has evolved into a season of structure and luxury.
"Women want to have options," says Gregg Andrews, a fashion director at Nordstrom.
Marina Kievsky, design director for Cache, a chain of mall stores that specializes in luxe, says, "The theme of this season, it's very folkloric and Bohemian in feeling."
And Nicole Fischelis, vice president and fashion director at Macy's stores, says, "This year, we have seen a return to feminized menswear, which means beautiful suiting, impeccable tailoring, lots of tweed, lots of glen plaid, pinstripes with feminine blouses and interesting underpinnings."
This is the season of fitted velvet blazers paired with taffeta circle skirts. Dainty camisoles and glen plaid trousers. It's Victorian and cowboy. Leather and lace. Boy meets girl -- and falls in love.
In a season of mix-and-match and blended trends, that just means there's something out there for everyone to wear.
Suitable suits
"There's a lot of talk about the return of the suit," says Andrews.
But make no mistake, ladies. This is not some boxy power suit handed down from the men's department.
The season's feminine suit has a fitted jacket, often with a flounce -- "to accentuate a small waistline," Andrews says. It's paired with a slim pencil skirt or a fuller skirt, much like those that were popular this spring and summer.
Trousers also will dominate store racks this season, in many different shapes and styles. The trendiest is the menswear-inspired trouser, with pinstripe-detail or in a smart glen plaid. Some have pleating; others have cuffs or are cropped. Some are wide-leg; others, slim.
"The most fashion-forward pant is extremely, extremely narrow -- it can be almost as narrow as leggings," Andrews says. "We're even seeing pants that resemble jodhpurs or britches."
Opulence prevails
Last year's luxury bent has risen to a whole new level this season. Now, what was rich is even richer. What was lush is now ultra-luxe.
"Lots and lots of opulence," says Fischelis, of Macy's. "From jackets to dresses to even the skirt we've seen all summer."
Instead of cottony or gauzy lightweight materials, the full skirt will be done in rich velvet, Fischelis says. Or taffeta, says Andrews.
Velvet will be one of this year's signature materials. You'll see it on skirts, blazers, dresses, collars, and trims.
The key to wearing such a traditionally dressy fabric in the daytime, experts say, is to pair your velvet item with something more casual or understated -- such as a flimsy camisole or a pair of jeans.
Fur, real and faux, will continue to be big on coats, sweaters, hoods and trim. On the runway, Dolce & amp; Gabbana even showed a pair of denim capri pants cuffed in fur.
"There's two directions this season," says Abigale Greenberg Levinson, fashion market editor for Elle magazine. "Either the very classic, clean, neat style or it's the very embellished, over-the-top kind of ethnic thing -- Russian, Eastern European."
Always blue jeans
As jeans have worked their way from yardwork gear to fashion staple, they've become more decorative and unusual. This year, jeans dress up even more than ever.
"The denim we are doing is very modern, embellished, embroidered. Lots of rich washes," says Kievsky, of Cache, which only recently got into the jeans market, because of the latest trend toward luxury. "It's great because all this embellishment is so rich and expensive- and luxe-looking."
Sweaters, shrugs and shawls of all kinds will be popular again -- things women can wrap themselves in and be cozy.
"Large, chunky knits, cables; it might even look as if a stitch was dropped. Things that look as though they're crocheted," says Andrews. "There's a huge interest in things that have a hand-finished look to them and are unique."