Boldness Beams Color
How statement pieces fit today’s fashion repertoire
Written by Zack Zens, Staff Writer
Photographed by Luc Marchessault, Staff Photographer
Modeled by Zack Zens and Lucia Frias-Wackman
With autumn in full effect, fall fashion has returned from the depths of everyone’s closet. Fall is the perfect season for fashion, with temperatures being cold enough for layers but not so cold that going outside is a battle against hypothermia. With that said, there is no better time to break out that red sweater, vibrant trouser or studded biker boot because no matter the season, statement pieces are essential to a versatile and fashion-forward wardrobe.
Bold colors and patterns establish a personal style and project a rejection of the mundane and ordinary. Bold pieces provided tonal balance, making the individual instantly distinct from the crowd and automatically memorable by default. A ruby suit or emerald trouser takes the power of fashion into one’s own hands.
From Cher to David Bowie and, more recently, Lil Nax X and Rihanna, the greatest fashion icons are those who take risks, lauded for their cunning integration of bold and unique pieces. Statement pieces do not have to be designer; they can come from anywhere. Incorporating statement pieces into a wardrobe comes down to three things: fit, appearance and tonal balance.
Fit is a key component of any statement piece. There are two general rules for fit: either a baggy or purposefully oversized fit or fitted and tailored options that follow traditional garment length and size rules. On the other side of fit, recent trends have revived the idea of extremely fitted or cropped clothes like the highly controversial Miu Miu mini skirt which debuted for the Spring 2022 collection. Baggy clothes generally fall into a streetwear or athleisure category, which is decidedly casual. A long oversized sweatshirt extending past the torso is a great option to diversify a wardrobe. For a baggy fit, the rule is often that a garment should be large enough to fall loosely over the body, but not so much so that it is sloppy or unflattering. Billie Eilish is a fantastic example of how baggy clothing can genuinely define a wardrobe in new and daring ways.
Fitted or tailored looks commonly hug and flatter the silhouette and typically work best for more elegant or formal styles. A suit, for example, should not be overly baggy and shapeless, but rather, tailored to highlight aspects of the individual's silhouette by broadening the shoulder or tapering the waist. As Tom Ford says, a suit should make one feel “gently held in,” “younger” and “trimmer” (Ford, 2017).
Once fit is taken care of, appearance is the next most important thing. Recent years have continued to introduce new color trends into wardrobes that are far more variable and bolder than the last three decades while drawing heavy inspiration from 1960s and ‘70s fashions. A generous high-waisted pant or floral shirt instantly brings attention to the wearer. Statement pieces are not only defined by color but by texture, material and pattern. A black jacket can be bold if woven in jacquard or displaying an eye-catching image or pattern; ultimately, it comes down to uniqueness.
If one walks into a thrift store, most of the pieces are simple staple options in tonal neutrals like black, brown, navy and so on; bold pieces, by contrast, stand out to the viewer not only on the rack but on the wearer as well. The modern rules of fashion are such that calculated risks are rewarded and noticed; thus, in a sea of fashion homogeneity populated by worn-out sweatshirts, bland sweaters and tired chinos, boldness is a quality worth striving for and attaining. After all, bold fashion choices are a rejection of the status quo in service of fully realizing one's fashion identity, and fashion is, after all, about expressing one's self.
For reference, this season, collections from Bode, Gucci and Amie Leon Dore have all strongly embraced the power of statement pieces as core tenets of their design ethos. In Gucci's use of bold patterns, 1960s and ‘70s inspired silhouettes and large graphics come on the wave of a new standard in fashion and design. Amie Leon Dore, on the other hand, integrates older silhouettes with a decided streetwear influence, drawing from the past as well as looking forward to new and evolving tastes. Each of these designers understands the importance of standing out and the power of a virtually infinite color palette in generating a collection that endures the test of time.
Once the piece has been selected, the true art comes down to integrating them into an outfit. A great rule of thumb for statement pieces is the use of tonal balance. Tonal balance is the idea that bold pieces should be balanced with more neutral pieces to form an outfit that is not overbearing or untasteful. When wearing a bright orange sweater, for example, it is generally best to balance its boldness with other neutral pieces that are cohesive but do not overshadow the statement item. The idea of too much of a good thing truly applies here. This is not to say that color blocking or a kaleidoscopic collection of colors cannot also work. However, the latter option is more challenging to pull off, so it ultimately comes down to the wearer and their ability to feel good in what they wear. Many “fashion advice” columns have stated that statement pieces are not worth buying because they are not versatile enough to justify adding them to a wardrobe. The truth is, anyone can wear statement pieces for almost any occasion, given that the outfit fits the moment.
Equipped with the tenets of fit, appearance and tonal balance, nothing can stand in the way of creating a genuinely bold, versatile, and fashionable wardrobe. As the Roman poet Virgil once wrote, “Fortune favors the bold'” and those who wear statement pieces. Fashion is about making the wearer feel better about themselves, more confident and ultimately more in tune with the power of self-expression. With that said, all that is left now is to don that statement piece and go forth to greet the golden hues of the cool autumn air.
Sources:
Ford, T. (2017, November 2). Mr. Tom Ford's Six Rules Of Style. Mr. Porter.