Spring may have just arrived, but fashion-wise, we're already thinking about what will be in our wardrobes next autumn. We've rounded up some of the top trends of next season to give you a head start on your summer shopping.
With the new season come new silhouettes and lots of textures to play around with. From fetish wear to cocoon dressing, here's your a/w 2011 fashion cheat sheet.
A/w 2011 Trends Cheat Sheet
There's long been an interplay between masculine and feminine in fashion, and boys clothes for girls is definitely on the radar for next season. At Dolce & Gabbana, vixenish girls were counterpoised with girls clad in crisp shirts, low-slung trousers, waistcoats and bright sequinned evening jackets for night. Chanel's post-apocalyptic models wore large jackets with rounded shoulders and baggy trousers, and masculine-tailored statement coats and oxford shirts tucked into trousers featured in Celine's minimalist collection.
If there's one print to get your hands on for autumn 2011, it's something covered in polka dots, spots, circles... you get the picture. Dots were also given texture on tops, dresses and skirts on the catwalks of Marc Jacobs, Stella McCartney and Prada. Perfect for adding a little rustle to your night on the town.
There was a definite nod to midcentury (read '60s) silhouettes for next season, with one standout silhouette: the cocoon. From coats to dresses, the oversized shape even made its way down Victoria Beckham's catwalk. We definitely approve - on trend and no need to worry about sucking in.
Stockinged models louchely strutting (and even smoking) on the catwalk at Louis Vuitton, exposed corsetry in Christopher Kane's collection for Versus and Bettie Page-inspired leather peplum skirts at Givenchy made it clear that naughty is very nice for your closet next season. This is super easy to pull off – all you need is something sheer and something leather.
Another strong coat shape to emerge for next season is the cape (and/or) poncho, which can be sporty, sexy or sophisticated. Take your pick from designers like Rag & Bone, Alexander Wang and Lanvin, and get used to having your arms out of your sleeves.
Fur is a big story for autumn - even decorating glasses at Alexander Wang - as are exotic skins (look at Missoni's floor-sweeping snakeskin coats for reference). Animal lovers, fear not – instead of wearing the fur you can wear the print instead (just check out Givenchy's panthers, running deer at Marc by Marc Jacobs and dog portraits at Topshop Unique and Ungaro.