Flowing and Flattering

While the gaudy, disastrous and dated couture spotted in the wild (shopping centres, post offices and home affairs) often leaves the fashion industry weeping in the corner; there are still those fashion-forward trend setters who forge ahead regardless, and rightly so. Among those in the know is Jessica Lupton, stylist, lecturer and fashion director at Gaschette Magazine. Now that we have shed our 2014 skin, we can take Jessica's recommendations as we leap into 2015 fashion trend forecasting.

The Big Influences

Around the world the trends of returning to your roots and perhaps getting back to basics. For South African 2015 fashion trends, this means identifying our context and finding our individual identity within all of this, while still embracing the minimal.

Money Matters

There's no doubt that our cash flow affects what we spend our money on and why. In times of recession we see a strong pull towards the minimal. This can be observed in the use of beautiful fabrics, well made garments and loose yet flattering silhouettes. Buying flashy single season items have become somewhat wasteful, so instead we are looking for lasting fabrics and cuts.

The Palette

The 2015 palette welcomes camel, taupe and ivory hues which are easy to wear and flattering. The winter white or camel coat will form the backbone of your wardrobe this winter, while ivory bohemian dresses will keep you cool in summer.

The Silhouette

There has been a general toning down of the over sexualised hour-glass form. The emphasis has strongly moved away from curves and body shape to clothes that flow around the body and envelop it suggestively, without being too explicit.

The Face

As of 2015 we can officially put theatrical contouring behind us, wipe off the colourful eye shadow and instead concentrate on luminescent skin and exaggerated brows. The look is understated and low maintenance, and the results are more natural than we have seen in a long time.

The Shoe

Most of us have grown bored of our crazy and colourful platforms, and are only too happy to trade them in for flats. We have also seen a return to flats in the forms of sandals and pumps; as spending on ostentatious footwear, such as platform heels, is seen as uncouth.

For the sake of the aesthetic and in observation of 2015 fashion trends, take Jessica¿s advice: go easy on your wallet, scrape off the excess foundation, put on some comfortable shoes and, most importantly, use our wonderful colourful culture to provide you with all the fashion inspiration you need in 2015.