FIENDFRIDAY: FASHION FLASHBACK

ABBY CUNNINGHAM

With the 70s making a strong comeback this season, it seems topical to remember the roots of the trend. Perhaps the most overt of the trends is the tailoring of suits and relaxing of the hemlines. Loose, but polished silhouettes are the vogue of the moment, a la Abby Cunningham from Knots Landing (famously played by Donna Mills). Clean, relaxed lines, and a modern sophistication in both attitude and personal style are so 2010 (and Abby Cunningham, though she could be a bit catty at times, to say the least).

Looks from ADAM (by Adam Lippes), Chloe, and Yves Saint Laurent harken back to the late 70s/early 80s lackadaisical ease and update it for the modern woman.

PHOTO CREDITS: ADAM (left), Chloe (center), and Yves Saint Laurent (right) from style.com.

FIENDMONDAY: TREND WATCH

A ROMP IN THE RACKS

Call it a jumpsuit, a romper, or a one-piece just don't call it comeback because the romper never left. Checking in on this trend that jumped its way back into the fashion zeitgeist in Fall 2008 and continued into the Spring and Fall 2009 seasons, it looks like the jumper has arrived to romp another day.

PHOTO CREDITS: Roland Mouret (top), Alberta Ferretti (left), Hermes (center), and Chloe (right) from style.com.

FIENDTHURSDAY: THE MODERN DIVIDE

CLASSIC NEUTRALS

In response to the opulence and flashy 80s-inspired looks that have been so prominent the past couple seasons, a movement of simplicity and refinement has begun to rise and will be poking its head high above the ground come Spring 2010.

Even Marc Jacobs, who cemented the 80s trend's permeation with his Fall 2009 collection, is moving in a different direction come Spring. The tension between the two aesthetic camps is symbolic of our current cultural dilemma: in the face of economic strife, do we move into a more somber, subtle place in minimalist looks or come out swinging in studded boots and (updated) shoulder pads?

Houses like Chloe, Celine, and Tod's are reliable for easy breezy minimal style with fine details. When in doubt, s0me designers have decided to straddle the middle by working within a nuetral palette of black and white, a classic combination that seems to recur season to season as a safe option with innovative potential if technique and styling are used to full effect.
PHOTO CREDITS: Marchesa (top), Marc Jacobs (bottom left), Karl Lagerfeld (bottom right), and Givenchy (center left) from style.com.