I always look forward to the new season with anticipation…what new styles will we see and which ones will fade away…it’s always fun to watch. As I write my seasonal Bewitched, Bothered & Bewildered update I always hope that there will be many more trends that are bewitching than bewildering and this season is looking good!

Color is always the first place I look. Generally we see darker, richer tones as we head into the colder months and that’s true this year. Marsala (a red-brown) is the Pantone color of the year and it is a beautiful addition to the season. It looks great blended with any neutral and adds warmth and beauty to your wardrobe.

For the rest of what’s expected keep reading and enjoy!

BEWITCHED

COLOR – Marsala is the hottest color out there and we see it in everything from clothes to accessories. Marsala colored shoes are one of my favorite ways to wear it, but it’s everywhere. Earth tones abound, especially green, but we will also see some orange and a muted golden yellow. Although I have heard murmurs of the return of brown, I have yet to see a hint of it in the stores.

Here’s one of my all time favorite dresses (others must think so, too, because they keep making this dress season after season always in gorgeous colors)—with sleeves, no less . It looks good on nearly everyone (and often comes in petites and plus, too). This time one of the colors is this season’s hottest: marsala.

DUSTERS – My all time favorite new trend is the duster. For 10-15 years I have made due with the shorter (sometimes called shrunken) jackets because longer jackets were no where to be found. That is all changing…finally! As with skirts, having a range of jacket lengths makes sense since one length does not work for everyone.

You will see a lot of long (ranging from fingertip to floor) duster sweaters. That is not my personal favorite because I don’t have the shoulders to wear them, but I do love the longer duster jackets.

Here’s an example of a duster sweater:

And, my favorite (in fact I own this jacket):

See more ideas here including a denim duster (it’s much cooler than you think) HERE.

BOW BLOUSES — These feminine blouses are still going strong. Here is one in a beautiful deep green (and it even has sleeves!):

BROCADE — Brocade and other fabrics reminiscent of interior home design fabrics are everywhere. Here is a stunning pair of brocade shoes:

And a fun Nanette Lepore jacket (complete with another trend—oversized pockets—although who would notice those with everything else going on on this jacket!)

See much more elegant brocade HERE.

FLOUNCE HEMLINES — These are pretty and feminine and tend to look much better on a body than they do on the hanger. And, if you do not feel up to having a flounce hem dress, try a top like this:

And here is a pretty elegant flounce hem dress:

You can also see an example of where flounce went bad (along with other scary trends) at the bottom of the catalogue HERE.

LOAFERS & OXFORDS — These shoes have been gaining popularity over the past few years both with heels and without. I have lots of examples online, but here is my favorite:

FRINGE — Tassels and fringe show no sign of waning. I love this fringe handbag in this season’s marsala color:

And, my favorite pair of casual earrings are my fringe earrings similar to this pair:

VICTORIAN-INSPIRED — This gorgeous corduroy duster has a Victorian feel:

And there is a trend toward tie front boots. Here’s one example in a flat boot:

PLAID — Every fall plaid and checks are a popular trend (rather like florals in the spring). Of course, there are the typical plaid button down shirts, but why not try something different like this beautiful blow blouse in a subtle plaid:

Or this dress with a plaid skirt:

Or even this pair of plaid heels:

There are many other different ideas for plaids HERE as well as an example of a truly horribly plaid design at the bottom of the catalogue.

Phew…see what I mean? There are a lot of fun and flattering trends this season to spice up your winter wardrobe. Now on to Bothered and Bewildered…

BOTHERED

COLOR – This is my semi-annual whining about how much black is in the store – too much to the exclusion of other great colors including the very versatile neutral: brown! Even worse, the obsession with ’50 Shades of Grey’ continues with something called a ‘groutfit’ (a client filled me in on this). It has a dreary ring to it so you won’t be surprised to know that it’s an entire outfit in gray, specifically a woman’s suit—a.k.a., 50 ‘suits’ of grey. Enough with so much gray already! And, if you really feel compelled to wear a lot of grey mix it up with this season’s hot color, marsala, or deep plum or even lavender if your coloring goes more towards the softer tones. Unless you are absolutely sure you look great in light gray, choosing a deeper shade like charcoal gray will generally look more flattering.

OVERSIZED PATCH POCKETS – While patch pockets are generally not my most favorite pocket style, I don’t really have anything against them until now. Why do they think that women want giant (yes, they aren’t just any patch pockets but oversized patch pockets) pockets often in contrasting colors sitting on their upper thighs? It looks like something a third grader would design and only very tall, thin women can wear. I did succumb (let me explain!) because I love this dress (I’ll wear it like a tunic) and the pockets are the same color as the dress so they are relatively quiet. I’ll keep you posted on whether it becomes a favorite, but I can tell you if it had big black pockets on it I would have steered clear. By the way, this dress also comes in black and stone.

FUR – I don’t hide the fact that I am against all animal cruelty and real fur takes the cake. Why it is still around is beyond me, but this season it graces shoes and boots (and yes, that includes the ever popular UGGs) as well as cuffs and sleeves. Faux fur can do the job just as easily without the suffering.

BEWILDERED

OVERALLS – Never a favorite for me unless you are 8 years old.

LONG SLEEVES – There’s an entire ‘look, Ma, no hands’ style out there right now where the sleeves come down covering the entire hand. To me, it looks messy and certainly doesn’t allow for ease in eating. Unless you have a super funky, free-spirited style (and even then it’s iffy), leave it to the teenagers.

FLOATING DICKIE – Remember the turtleneck dickies that were so popular in the 70’s. Well they are back in an even weirder form. It’s like a fabric choker. I doubt I’ll see anyone I know flaunting this trend and they must be getting really desperate for new ideas if they resort to this!

PATCHWORK – This is a 70’s trend that just won’t go away! Most of it is hideous, but if you like to give a nod to that fashion decade, here are a couple of ideas (and two of my favorites HERE)

And this scarf is even in the new long skinny style (two trends in one!):

ONE EARRING – I don’t really despise this trend. It’s just that it’s not at all subtle. The trend right now is for huge earrings and this one earring trend embraces that. So, mostly it looks like you lost one along the way or got so busy you forgot to put on your other earring.

ONE SLEEVE – And, to take it one step further, there is a trend forming for dresses with one sleeve. Not one shoulder, but one sleeve. I don’t hate it, but it feels a bit like a sleeveless turtleneck…when do you wear it? Either one arm will be hot or the other one will be cold. Here’s an example of one in a beautiful color. If it appeals to you, don’t let me stop you. I’m sure you’ll rock it!

I could go on and on. I spent many hours over several days pulling this all together for you and if you go HERE) you will see many, many more examples of trends you can incorporate (including Chinese influences, ponchos, patterned tights, belt bags and much more) and even a few to avoid.

The most important part with seasonal trends is to choose a couple of them that intrigue you have fun with them. You do not need to wear all of them – in fact you don’t want to do that not only because it is overwhelming but also because when it goes out of style you don’t want to be stuck with a closetful of items you do not want to wear.

Happy shopping…it’s just beginning!

Please note: All garments pictured here (and in the catalogue) are vegan-friendly (made from fabrics that did not harm any animals).

Some of the affiliate links may generate commissions for Total Image Consultants which helps support the time spent creating these very specific recommendations.