This summer you will be feeling more than the heat. Textured fabrics and ruffled pieces are dominating the fashion industry this season, from models on designer runways to students on Gainesville's sidewalks.
This play on fabrics creates hands-on outfits that are reminiscent of a childhood summer with fun, floral prints and romantic ruffles.
Ruffles have been making waves in all aspects of the fashion world since the 1500s. Royals, like Queen Elizabeth, lined their wrists and necks with ruffles as symbols of high status in society. Colonial men wore light ruffles on their collars and wrists under their suit jackets to add flare, and in the culture of Spanish flamenco dancers, layers of flowing fabric accentuated each dancer's twists and turns.
Today, ruffles are for everyone. Such pieces owned the runway of high-end designers like Roberto Cavalli, Valentino, Zac Posen and Dolce & Gabbana, to name a few. And celebrities can't seem to get enough. Stylistas such as Leighton Meester and Nicole Richie have stayed faithful to the trend by adorning ruffles to more than one event.
Almost every fashion show this season hosted extravagant dresses, so wide and voluminous they spilled off the runway.
Of course, these dresses, or rather works of art, are impractical for Gainesville's fashion scene. But thanks to more pocket-friendly brands like Pink at Victoria's Secret or Xhilaration at Target, ruffles are moving from the runway into reality. The remarkable thing about ruffles is that they will look elegant at every end of the price spectrum. This fashion detail of the season can be found in most stores with a designer vibe at a reasonable value.
Flaunt this feminine trend by picking up one of these pieces. Have fun playing with the volume of your outfit but don't overdo it. Ruffle overdose and busy prints can add
unnecessary bulk that weighs down the airy feel of the outfit. Stick to one statement piece like a flower print, tiered tank top and pair it with skinny jeans. Less risky rufflers can find a solid-colored blouse with a ruffled accent - just enough to add a gentle touch of three-dimensionality.
Whether you dress it up or dress it down, when worn correctly, this trend will leave your ruffles and minds blowing in the summer breeze.
