Holiday trends

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I have never seen as many trends booming as I have this holiday season! In all the magazines, blogs and fabulous shops we have here in Mountain Brook, we are seeing choices that allow for more personal style from peplums to side-stripers to the cold shoulder in all kinds of fabric, I’ll tell you about them all. Any of these trends would be a great look for a holiday party.

Hot fabrics and colors. Fabric trends this season are tweed, velvet, brocade and leather. Show them off with a velvet blazer, leather tank, brocade jacket or tweed skirt. Hot colors are blood red, deep orange and cobalt blue.

Peplum. Peplum, a two-inch (or more) ruffle on the bottom edge of a fitted top or at the waist of a dress or skirt, is flattering on a straight body type because it gives a waistline. Women with curvy hips should steer clear of this look, as it can make the hips look wider. The key to wearing a peplum is having your bottom half fitted with a pencil skirt or skinny pants.

Silk blouses. An easy trend this season is a button-up silk blouse. Solids and prints are both great. You want to go with a loose and sexy blouse, not stiff and business-like. A solid blouse paired with leather skinnies or printed pants presents a chic yet effortless look.

Side-stripers. Speaking of printed pants, the updated version to this look is having the print (or contrasting color) run down the outside edge of each pant leg, also know as the side-striper. It’s an edgier way to wear printed pants and very slimming to the leg. Mixing prints is still on trend as well, but remember to have one print subtle if the other is bold.

Cold shoulder. Everyone loves a sassy top, but you might not like showing your arms. The solution to this is the cold shoulder top. These are long sleeved tops with cutouts at your shoulder so only your shoulder is exposed. It’s a great way to show a little skin without being too revealing. These tops look great with everything — jeans, skirts and dressy pants. It’s the perfect go-to top for a night out!

Etc. Other individual pieces I’m seeing are caplets and ponchos, bulky sweaters, statement necklaces made of various chains, gold-tipped heels and boots in every style. I love the look of oxford shoes with skinny jeans, blazers paired with T-shirts and colored jeans, anything with a military influence, and booties in bold colors.

Whichever look you go with this season, you’re sure to hit a trend.

You can find them in all our great village boutiques or in the back of your closet. Be creative, mix and match, and tweak some old pieces to look new again. Pair a velvet blazer with an old pencil skirt from a suit that you never wear anymore. You can even pull out those leather pants that you secretly kept all these years!