Lara Limbaugh

Climate change has been a hot topic in our nation since the whole Al Gore scandal of 2004. However, is seeing the effects of climate change influencing our fashion decisions?

Some of the hottest trends of this Fall include colorful rave prints, business cozy a la sportswear, and traditionally summery trends melted into the crisper winter months (see all white well after Labor Day, y’all).

Street stylers and influencers from LA to NY are rocking these springier trends this Fall, and with the arrival of 60’s and 70’s-inspired silhouettes in the Spring/Summer 2015 collections coupled with dark and warm color palettes, we have to wonder…are our fashion seasons shifting, too?

Thanks to celebs like Cara Delevingne and Miley Cyrus, along with the music festival fashion obsession and the resurrection of 90’s bold color prints, the rave scene look is in full swing. Companies like Lazy Oaf’s and Urban Outfitters have used this influx of 90’s counter culture to their advantage, profiting on the demand for these prints and grunge-inspired looks.

While grunge is very Fall, loud bold prints are more closely associated with the Spring equinox or Summer solstice. As the consumer drives the fashion cycle forward (or should I say backwards?), these trends are picking up on the runways.

In last spring’s Fall/Winter 2014 shows, we saw bright colors and bold prints gallivanting down the runway in the shows like Diane Von Furstenberg, Rag & Bone, and even the likes of Chanel. We also saw Pantone’s bright color of the year, Radiant Orchid, peppered throughout these Fall shows.

However, the Spring/Summer 2015 shows have just wrapped in the Empire State, and we can see the same type of backward coding throughout the runway. While neutrals have always been the name of the game for some of these designers, the dark neutrals are unexpected for the warmer seasons.

Rag & Bone’s looks consisted of dark denim and other navy blue components. Diesel Black and Gold prepared us to expect the unexpected when they showed black, white, and — you’ll never guess — gold looks for the season of new beginnings. The dreary doesn’t stop here. These dark neutrals are featured in other designers’ Spring collections as well. Check out Pantone’s coveted colors for Spring/Summer ’15 and discover burgundy, forest greens, and (my favorite) the classy Toasted Almond.

Don’t get me wrong -I like this juxtaposition between the feels outside and the feels inside. Sometimes, a summer day just calls for all black (a.k.a. when you’re mourning the end of the series you just binge watched on the Netflix, or when it’s not quite sunny enough to justify a pool day), and when summer days are drifting away, you just need to get your last drag on the season by busting out your favorite sundress and combat boots.

The climate is changing, but so are our traditional color preferences for the four seasons. Bizarre, exciting, and evolutionary are a few words that come to mind when I think about these shifting color schemes. Will they continue to shift? Or is this an anomaly? Only time will tell.

As New York Fashion Week comes to an end, we can take a moment to appreciate the fashions that are somehow more relatable and less intimidating than their counterparts that just finished tromping the runway.

It seems as though Americans have always been a little slow on the fashion side of things. Revolutionary mass production assembly?  No problem. Innovative technology?  You got it dude. Yet, we can’t seem to get ahead of the fashion curve…but we are finally catching on. Thanks to beautiful pieces created by masterful designers and inspiration gathered from these fashion shows, American street style is a force to be reckoned with. While most of the world’s gaze was turned to the sporty and vintage-inspired looks rocking the runways, a few heads were turned to the streets.

Street style is the phenomenon that is taking our newfeeds by storm. But what is street style, you ask?  Street style is literally what people on the streets are wearing (duh). Organically grown and observed (for the most part). However, thanks to digital cameras and sweet social media platforms like Tumblr, Pinterest, and WordPress, we can now observe New York street style all the way from China if we so desire. Not to mention plenty of fashion influencers like Olivia Palmero, Courtney Trop, and The Blonde Salad have made street style blogging a spectator sport. So let’s adjust our gaze from the catwalks to the front row of the shows, and see what the audience is wearing for a change.

Here’s the guide to the scandalous, chic, and tres wearable street styles witnessed at New York Fashion Week 2014 (this is in no way a best dressed list).

Scandal — everyone’s favorite television drama (and my favorite word), but also the perfect word to describe Miley Cyrus’ get up. Oh MiCy, how we love to hate. But I say, let your freak flag fly – but maybe not at Alexander Wang’s after rave (yes, rave) next time. Cyrus showed up to Wang’s rave in little more than black jeans and sunglasses, and to hide the goods? Cyrus sported ice cream cone-shaped pasties (confidence and liquid courage to pull that off, no doubt).

*Photo c0urtesy of MiCy Instagram

This look I am calling Scandal Marries into an Upper Class Family Named Les Chic. This sports bra clad fashionista is taking this everyday item and elevating it to a classy street style ensemble. Paired with sick boyfriend jeans, a classy blazer, and some sick pumps -she literally can do no wrong.

Chic — in a word, that’s how I would describe this show-goer’s ensemble. I love the look due to its minimalistic nature and her middle finger to that old cliché, “no white after Labor Day.” Rebellious in the best kind of way.

*Photo courtesy of Elle.com.

Instagrammer and Street Styler, Irene Kim (@ireneisgood), wowed us with this 1950s Throwback. The blogger edges this look up with a cropped top, multicolored paneled midi, and her wildly colored hair. I love the new take on the old school letter sweater. The perfect amount of slouch elongates the lines on the skirt, and even Danny Zuko would be electrified by her cool composure. For more of Irene’s sick looks, check out her Instagram.

*Photograph by Mark Iantosca.

Girl, you better work. This Minimalist look is everything; from the color neutral color palette to the dramatic flair of her palazzo pants, this look screams city chic. The boxy silhouette straight from the fall ’14 runway demonstrates just how ready-to-wear the trends of spring will be.

This brings us to Wearable, my favorite street style category because not everyone can pull off a chic scandal.

This cool muscle tee and midi skirt combo is perfect for the average Jane. The layered necklaces and shear stripe give this conservative ensemble just the edge it was missing (it’s all in the details, you know).

*Photo courtesy of Elle.com

Gigi Hadid nailed the wearable look. This simple get-up is totally doable for your average fashion lover. Destroyed boyfriend jeans not so neatly cuffed, a basic black tank, and the right booties, and you are set for a traffic-stopping look.

Who knew that black destroyed denim and a white blouse could look so…good. This effortlessly sexy street style is perfect for any season (although you Georgians may want to be careful in the summer). These girls add the right amount of drama to these looks with their too cool for school shoes.

As summer fades to fall here in the Classic City of Athens, GA, it’s a fresh spring day over in City that Never Sleeps. The 2014 Mercedes Benz Fashion Week in NYC commenced September 4, 2014, officially kicking off the big four fashion weeks. We’ll start in NY, hop across the pond to London, journey over to Milan, and come to a climatic end in the City of Love — Paris, France. While we can impatiently wait for the upscale Parisian show or the edgy London show, there is a certain amount of pride to be felt for these American designers.

Here’s an overview of some of my favorite looks of the Spring/Summer ’15 shows. These pieces also capture the overall themes of the seasons, 70’s inspiration, bright colors, exquisite prints, and bold/menswear-inspired silhouettes.

Jordan Warmflash unconventionally ties together bold prints, colors, and vintage silhouettes in her Spring/Summer collection. She tells Style.com that she was inspired by the Pop Art movement, particularly pieces from Tim Wesselmen. She declared at her spring show, “I liked how he would take ordinary objects and make something special out of them.” Warmflash was quickly moved to create her own Pop Art.

My favorite look of the collection wasn’t the simple evening gowns or white leather bib tops, but this sick romper. The bold citrus print, bright colors, and carefully crafted garment quality are a symphony to my eyeballs and truly a work of art.

*photo courtesy of Novis

Prabal Gurung held our hand and led us to complete the journey we started in his Fall ’14 collection. Using lighter fabrics and colors, he steered us through spring in the Himalayas. In this look, we see the bright colors and a cleaner silhouette than in some of his knitted looks.

It’s easy to love this dress due to its textural intricacies and slimming color blocking. Are you in love? I am.

*photo courtesy of Kim Weston Arnold and Style.com

Alexander Wang. I couldn’t leave him/one of his looks off the list, because he’s as much a part of pop culture right now as his celebrity party guests. His show was awesome and has a lot of scandal surrounding the shenanigans that took place before and after (see Miley Cyrus and Nicki Minaj). However, Wang took inspiration from menswear and—believe it or not—tennis shoes. No, this wasn’t a challenge from Project Runway, he simply re-imagined the materials of the athletic shoe.

This black and white suit is chic, classic, and fresh all at once. I personally love the high waisted black trouser that serves to lengthen the leg and slim the waist, but maybe my inner vintage queen is showing.

*Photo courtesy of Yannis Vlamos.

Kaelen Haworth is doing something right. She found the balance between masculine and feminine, boxy and shapely, sexy and cute, earthly and ethereal. I’ll have what she’s having. This macro-botanical print, boxy silhouette, and mix of bold colors make for a perfect storm.

*photo curtesy of Kaelen and Style.com

With the New York shows wrapped we can wait in anticipation for the next shows form our old favorites and new comers that will happen in February for Fall 2015. Until then it will suffice to say, Spring/Summer 2015 will be everything we never imagined and more. With athletic materials and comfort taking importance over traditional silhouettes and fabrics how can we not love the giant floral, short shifts, boxy maxis, and bright, bold prints? Spring is just around the corner…or is that a pumpkin spiced latte I smell?