Last Friday evening, after only minutes of dressing, my roommate Ali Grisé announced her readiness to head off for a night of friends and red wine. She can be pretty impatient, so her quickness didn’t surprise me, but the quickness with which she constructed an outfit so reminiscent of stylish fashion-model Sienna Miller, did. This roommate of mine kept warm despite Eugene’s snappy nighttime temperatures in her long, royal-blue buttoned frock, gray baby-doll coat, black leggings and heels to match.
Her outfit was no accident, but rather styled after fashion’s hot new thing – the 1960s mod look.
Made modern by Miller, this trend has recently hit clothing stores around the nation, and students are starting to get wise.
Holly Stalder, designer and co-owner of the Seaplane boutique in Portland, Ore., sees the switch in focus of eras as a good thing for fashion.
“It is a very forgiving look on all body types and the fit is not as particular as other looks because it can be worn oversized,” Stalder said. “The very short dresses can be worn as long tunics on taller women and shorter woman are thrilled to have dresses that are actually a good length on them.”
“One of the best things about the ’60s mod styles is that they have a lot of structure and volume,” Stalder said.
Thanks to layering and the more forgiving shapes the dresses and jackets are taking, a brave girl can pull off head-to-toe ’60s glamour on a typical day.
Brendan Scott from youth-oriented retail giant Urban Outfitters’ store in Tigard, Ore. is stocking wool and lace mini dresses and leather platform boots for the fall.
“The big trend for girls, besides skinny jeans,” he said, “is getting creative with make-up,” meaning completing the 1960s glam look with thick dark eye-liner.
Fashion leaders on campus and throughout the industry find ways to translate runway trends to what can comfortably get them through a hectic day of classes and a wild night with friends.
Although head-to-toe 1960s glamour can be hard to pull off on a typical day, many of the trends from that genre can easily be achieved for daily wear.
Tavia Weinmann, a University junior and an employee at American Apparel, sees ’60s mod fashion taking shape in current movies like “The Science of Sleep,” where a character dons a textured lace-knit turtleneck dress.
“This fall the big trends seem to be crazy-detailed tights, little jackets and baby-doll-minis with boots,” Weinmann said.
But for days with colder temperatures, “I see girls wearing skinny jeans with boots, and huge scarves that cover the whole neck,” she said.
Now, trendy girls are willing to expose some shape via shorter and more structured hemlines, without compromising their body heat. These wearable, layered styles, like so many of Sienna Miller’s famous pairings, will be inspiring my roommate and other campus fashionistas late into the fall.