The most venerable and illustrious Giorgio Armani once stated, "Accessories are important and becoming more and more important every day."
I could not agree with him more.
Today, accessories are tools with which the fashion-conscious can maintain organization and comfort in their frenzied lives while enhancing their look.
In light of the recent temperature drop, cold weather accessories such as gloves, headwear, and scarves become essentials to our endurance. However, we must ensure that these accessories develop our chic, and not throw it off course, which requires selective decision-making.
Armani also identifies the second most important aspect of accessories: "The difference between style and fashion is quality."
Superior quality is necessary for the longevity of accessories, as well as for adding the perfect polish to an outfit. Here is the simple overview of how to execute late fall/winter accessories with success:
The hat: This winter's hat is simple. While beanies and Baker Boy caps remain classic staples for both the modern man and woman, the trilby and fedora are seeing a long-awaited comeback for both genders. Labels presenting in Milan and Paris revived the oversized, luxury fur hat for men and women, in addition to the female riding cap. Sticking to sturdy materials and basic colors such as charcoal, grey, snow, variants of brown, violet, and plaids keep the look subtly classic. Undeniably, the hottest look is the separate hood or cape.
The glove: Fitted, elbow, or wrist-length gloves in purple, yellow, black, grey, robin egg, and other vibrant colors of the rainbow bring back "un style aristocratique" reminiscent of the 1920s flapper and dandy. Stick to fine leathers, cashmere, or well-plied wools for that supreme added touch. New York label Duckie Brown confidently asserted that men, too, can embrace elongated, more brilliant gloves.
The scarf: Just think?NO scarf is big enough. This year on runways, particularly in Milan, scarves were longer and chunkier than ever. I fervently advise having a formal scarf of either silk or cashmere in a simple, dark color. Reserve several others in lighter or more fun patterns (Fair Isles, for example) for more frequent use. In general, match your scarfwear with your headwear! My favorite trend in this category is the chunky, oversized, neckwarmer: eccentric and warm, but equally practical. For those of you fashionably far ahead of the rest, we'll cover foulards, capes, shawls, and ascots later on.
Le sac: Now that we've covered our basic Maine essentials for the season, it's time to tread into bigger waters: the bag. Functional and universally necessary, bags keep members of vibrant and scholarly college communities such as Bowdoin organized and ready to go beyond the school day. Gentlemen who think they are above toting bags are kidding themselves! Porting a mobile phone, that chunky wallet, the shades and case, ID card, and perhaps the car keys all in your pants amounts to unflattering bulk. Here are some basic style guidelines for finding a bag that works for you:
Classroom: Expand outside of the backpack realm by mixing it up with a messenger or laptop case. However, I do commend Giuliano Fujiwara's military-inspired backpack at his Milan show in January, which revamped the otherwise boring backpack.
Country: Saddle or bucket bags for ladies and totes for all signify fine rural living. Light browns, forest shades, tweeds, and distressed materials are best left for the country.
En Voyage: I refuse to travel without a Duffel, Portmanteau, or Keepall/Carryall. They generally have multiple handles, are organized, durable, and distinguished.
Metro: I rely on Carryall totes, attachés, or The Shopper Bag to carry me through city life. For ladies I recommend Bowler bags, The Speedy, and shoulder totes. But assigning genders to bag styles is a tad passé, no? City colors are unlimited, but I suggest targeting dark chocolates, blacks, greys, rich purples, reds, silver, and bronze. Patent leather, fur dark plaids, lots of studs and chains are ideal.
Work: Same rules apply as with metro, perhaps with a more conservative edge. Consider incorporating essential components such as a high-end document case or briefcase with strong handles.
Nightlife: Men should ditch the bag and consider the money clip or a slim billfold insert, while with ladies it's all about the wristlet and minaudière/clutch. Again, stick to the metro guidelines, except add a more fierce and opulent approach by using studs, jewels, silver, gold, silk, and other hardware.
Overall, bags for both men and women tend to be better when they are textured (such as quilted bags), have more structure and harder frames, and have adequate storage compartments. Be discriminative of bag linings. I've bought or rejected bags based solely on this. Lastly, never overlook vintage bags; some of the best looks incorporate vintage vibes, be they designer or no-name.
My top two high-end bag brands for men/women:
No. 1 for men: Prada?Top of the line, exquisitely constructed, with all the chic bells and whistles a successful man could want. ($400-$2,000. Visit prada.it.)
No. 1 for women: Fendi's hectic geometric patterns, matched with excessive amounts furs, plumage, opulent studs, and yarns equate the perfect ingredients for this year. The bar has been raised! ($300-$2,800. Visit fendi.it.)
No. 2 for men: Y-3 Yohji Yamamoto?Urban bags with plenty of compartments and oh-so-sleek. ($175-$600. Visit y-3.com.)
No. 2 for women: Burberry. This season's line defines the trends; oodles of black patent leather and chains are proof. ($275-$1,800. Visit burberry.com.)
Cheaper but still chic (and unisex):
1. Marc by Marc Jacobs?On-the-go Hipster or Fine-N'-Dandy. (Visit marcjacobs.com.)
2. J.Crew?Classic, but getting even more progressive. (Visit jcrew.com).
3. Club Monaco?Modern and extremely smart. (Visit clubmonaco.com.)