Molly Bloom knows style

Runway looks for men rarely translate directly to street looks but certain details do influence upcoming trends. One thing I’m hoping does trickles down from Jil Sander’s Fall ‘09 collection: subtly patterned suiting and overcoat fabrics. Pictured above, the wavy lines are very subtle against the pinstriped heathered material.

The lapels are wider and that’s a change from what we’ve been seeing. The length of the coat is awkward, possibly because of the slightly nipped-in waist, a detail that’s carried through much of the collection to various extremes.

Maybe these geode-like, earthy color striations could replace the all-over pattern hoodies that have been done and overdone for a few years.

The retro sneaker resurgence continues with the KangaROOS brand.

I had a pair of ROOS when I was a kid. They were purple and I kept a Kleenex in one zip pocket and a Chapstick in the other.

Women’s Wear Daily got the scoop on the hat Aretha Franklin wore for her performance during the inauguration. She bought it at the Detroit shop of milliner Luke Song, where she is a regular costumer. The hats are sold with the label Mr. Song Millinery in New York, California and the South.

My favorite outfit of the day was Sasha’s belted coat. Orange and pink is one of my favorite color combos. Lovely.

A new website allows women to
register the dresses they plan to wear to upcoming events in hopes of not having another attendee arrive in a duplicate gown. The big news here is that women have been registering their inaugural ball gowns. Most are floor-length and described by one reviewer as conservative. New this year is a lot of colors, including orange, purple and red. Cool.

If I were going to an inaugural ball I’d want to make my own gown. For inspiration, I like this heavy satin James Galanos gown from the 1960s (pictured above).