2010 Must-Have Trends

It looks like for the 2010 Spring/Summer season that the emerging trend is ‘Southern Folk’, drawing inspiration from traditional South American garb and giving a haute couture twist; a creative melting pot in a mix of influences and civilizations – vibrant, joyous party tints in slashes of colour; blazing red and deep violet blend with more neutral shades (ochres, clays, beiges, cactus greens) evoking dry South American landscapes.

They take into account Latin America’s diversity, a military uniform mood reworked with a modern city attitude; big, rustic shapes inspired by Indians and ornaments, which take their cue from Aztec motifs. But also: defined waists, the tapered, chic lines of gauchos, 1950s seductive women and tango artists.

An example of the trendy gaucho.

An example of traditional gaucho

The silhouette is inspired by retro-Hispanic elegance, black-trimmed jacket and floral shirt; the preppy look in a bad boy version from the Latino districts – full of fantasy. The “resort” style nylon jacket is sportier and more modern calling on the comeback of boat shoes.

Due to folklore inspiration, rough looks, rustic weaves, and fresh cottons resembling household linens are being used. On a more refined note: laces and macrames are in.

When it comes to accessories, I find this quaint and quirky jewellery created by Design Glut very intriguing. The Crude Jewellery collection, which is manufactured in monthly batches, is engraved with the date and the price of a barrel of oil on the day the jewellery was made.

And guess what guys? They're baaaaaack! Yup! Panama hats are in, thanks to Gucci for sparking the fire with their use of these hats in their 2009 Spring/Summer safari-inspired collection (seen below).

Panama hats are often seen as accessories to linen or silk suits. Beginning around the turn of the 20th century, panamas began to be associated with the seaside and tropical locales, such as the Caribbean. 

The panama hats as called nowadays are made out of palm straws (paja toquilla). The name of Panama hat does not come from the places of origin of these hats, which are Ecuador, Manabi and Montecristi.

But who really cares where it's from! The point is that they're hot, they're in and they scream SPRING & SUMMER!! It’s a garment with a lot of history, one that’s practical and that can rightfully claim to be a fashion classic.