FALL RTW 2009: TO BOY, OR NOT TO BOY

The best thing about wearing your boyfriend’s low-slung jeans and over-sized cardigans nowadays, is that you can absolutely get away with it, and fashionably at that! Now that the gender bender trend has most certainly arrived, you may find yourself putting a twist on the shapes, sizes, and styles you choose to rock your way through the city streets.

In the Fall 2009 RTW Collection by Trovata, I just could not help but fall fixatedly in love with the masculine-inspired pieces flirting with an edginess and air that was most certainly feminine. The designer John Whitledge cited Paris circa 1968 as his main draw of inspiration, and interestingly enough, pointed the main focus on the concernings of the sexual politics at that particular time. The result, as you can see for your self, exhibited a collection of fantastically flirty but edgy boyfriend-esque ensembles that will have the ladies indulging in their own rock star-like getups.

The RTW 2009 show rolled out with a confidently chic model rocking an over-sized male cardigan with a funky bow tie, strutting down the catwalk in trousers, which definitely set the tone for the boyfriend-like gender bending trend. Main attractions of the show were the indie-rock style of black shorts worn over opaque tights in mostly black shades, white tuxedo and oxford shirts, newsboy hats and bowties, and skinny black cardigans. Although many fashion critics called the collection a “preppy menswear theme” that seemed to emanate throughout the entire collection, but I would say the unique line draws more from a mix of the recent teenaged-boy trend of skinny jeans and après-sex hair that top models like Agyness Deyn and Freja Beha Erichsen have been sporting down the streets during pleasure time. If Deyn hasn’t given designers the most inspiration for the chic and unique new catwalk trend, then I really haven’t a clue as to where they have been looking, besides these so-called Paris circa 1968 inspirations Whitledge claims to be drawing from. 

But even still, the trend continues throughout the show, with Whitledge pairing opaque black tights as an alternative to the recent trend of overwhelming leggings of all sorts appearing left, right, and center. He matched the tights with many featured over-sized boyish sweaters, as well as cardigans and male-cut Oxford shirts. The majority of the collection tended to use dark shades, mostly black and white opposites brought together harmoniously by artistic license, but navy blue tones managed to work their way into the designs. Even one baby blue scarf prevailed through the spring pastel season, despite Whitledge’s refusal to draw from the norm. Stripes and solids overpowered patterns on this runway, and side-tipped old English newspaper boy hats paired with chunky, sexy black heels took ahold of accessories du soir. The by-product of the charming new spin on gender-bending was the most delectable infusion of flirty femininity and charming pieces of menswear, all brewed to perfection to create ensembles that really put the shine in the Fall RTW 2009 shoe. Now that, my friends, is the real funk behind fashion. Bravo Trovata!

Photos courtesy of nymag.

P.S. I spy Elyse Saunders!