Final Prediction
For Spring 2013, ruffles are meant to enhance femininity, and “herald a new era of optical allusion” (Menkes, 2013). Ruffles can upgrade a look from frumpy to fabulous by placing them onto a dress, skirt, blouse, jackets, bathing suits, and even shoes!
In Nicholas Ghesquiere’s collection for Balenciaga, I noticed that he did not hesitate to maximize the large architectural, sensual ruffles. From the hemlines, necklines, to the sleeves, ruffles were everywhere. Balenciaga, Chloe, McQueen & many other designers produced structured, yet flouncy pieces definitely offset any argument that frills are twee and girly. On the runway, the sleek, and sophisticated ruffles triumphed on the runway. Despite their sensuous, wave-like beauty, such dramatic frills may not be manageable off the runway. My final prediction is that unless you are an A-list celebrity or a VIP, you most likely will not be wearing the very sexy flamenco ruffle to take a stroll down the street. The majority of society (well, at least Athens, Georgia) is still being eased into the ruffles trend., so the more subtle ruffles are in the rise stage & are being accepted for for professional, casual & cocktail hour. Seeing as ruffles are still in te "rise" stage of the fashion cycle, many boutiques in Athens are just starting to carry this trend (in April 2013); it is very likely that the ruffles trend will continue to grow throughout Summer 2013 & remain prevalent through the fall before we start to see it decline! |