Rather than follow the upcoming A/W '08 European runway trends, it seemed to me that the Argentinian designers were influenced by previous seasons. They also create their fashion own trends (such as the drop-crotch pants I bought), in addition to using cheaper locally produced fabrics such as leather, cashmere, and wool. Traditional fall fabrics such as tweed, plaid, corduroy, leather, suede, and chunky knits were dominant on the racks of the chain stores. Important colors for fall in Buenos Aires include: cherry red, kelly green, deep purple, royal blue, and ebony. Deep purple in particular appeared to be the single most popular color used in window displays. Many of the stores I visited had the clothing arranged in groups by color. This made it easier for me to head straight to the garments I liked in shades of blue, purple, or green, as those tend to be my favorite hues.
As far as embellishments, I noticed sequins, glitter, peacock feathers, studs, and fringe on clothing and leather goods. At Rapsodia (whose jeans are favored by the editors at Lucky magazine and now by me as well), bohemian styles and lightweight flirty tops reigned supreme. Most of the denim at Rapsodia was low rise and straight leg or skinny leg, and the washes were lighter in color with minor fading and whiskering on the thighs. Skinny ankle-zip jeans were also popular at the trendy, youthful retailers. John Cook was the place to go for shiny metallic leggings, long jersey tunics, and neon jeans. Looking for bright, fun, and flashy clubwear? Then I'd recommend A.Y. Not Dead. I spotted high-waisted wide leg trousers at several boutiques, although I didn't see any high-waisted skinny leg styles. I was happy to see a few pairs of jodhpurs in some of the independent boutiques, although they were more conservative and less baggy in the thigh than styles seen on past season's runways.
Standout styles that I admired included: hot pink leather boots, crochet vests, colorful thick leather belts, stretchy wrap sweaters that can be tied various ways, fringed hobo handbags, flirty brocade dresses, and bold graphic tees with bursts of neon.
