The Leather Harness

Over the years the leather harness has been seen as part of fashion but it is until just recently that they were less of a sexual or fetish issue.  Bondage fetish fashion has been around for years and pioneered by Madonna in the early 90s. The fashion trend appeared again in 2009 when it was all about leather, studs and chains. Now it has become something a little more classic and refined. It is still a fetish item but more luxurious in design.

 

Essentially a harness is a contraption that attaches a belt to a collar choker on the neck in some way. On the runway this spring it was seen without the studs and buckles in a flat thin leather augmenting long sweeping silk gowns.  Designer Ann Emeulemeeester envisioned it as an asymmetrical belt with several bands that stream up in one sheath of leather over the neck and that is worn with a long grey silk gown and pieces of floating shawl threaded through the asymmetrical bands.

 

Max Azria for BCBG concocted a leather harness without metal that attached in a V from the neck to the waist and was embellished with black lace. This was worn over a long bright white very formal looking gown with a boat neck.

 

Diesel Black Gold featured a harness in white canvass attached by netting, ties and zippers and pouches so that it resembles a vest. This subtle and quite wearable bondage look is a throwback to the nineties when bondage style clothing was a real street look.  This Diesel version features the vest fitted over a white sheer dress.

 

D-Squared has also featured a unique look that is a harness created out of black leather studded cutouts. This type of harness is made to look more haute couture because it is worn over a flouncy silk dress and also with a ton of heavy pearl jewelry.

 

 

Max Azria turned the whole idea of the harnesses into a high-end leather vest complete with a criss cross of wide leather straps. These harness-like vest were worn over the brand’s signature black and flesh colored bandage dress.

 

Some harnesses seen on spring runways were surprisingly dainty and looked almost like suspenders. Jason Wu featured two very thin black leather straps attached to a thin belt over a pink peplum dress.  Worn with sheer net gloves and stiletto sandals with sheer net socks the look was naughty but nice all at the same time.

 

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Orange is a Big Color This Spring

If you want to add one color to your wardrobe to add real “zing for Spring” then be sure to add anything orange. Every shade of orange is going to be in fashion whether it be a mandarin, a terracotta, a carrot, an amber, a honey or pumpkin shade.

 

Orange is an interesting color because it speaks of joy, living in in the moment and warmth of spirit. It is a fun color and it survives very nicely through the next two seasons of summer and fall.   If you are buying the color orange in order to wear it through a couple of seasons then it is recommended you go for a brighter or darker orange. The oranges that are paler are more associated with summer. However an orange hue that borders on peach does translated to the office or school very well for fall.

 

Can you expect to see people wearing orange from head to toe this Spring? Yes you can. All kinds of designers sent models down the runways wearing pant suits, cropped tops and pants and full two-piece menswear ensembles. Orange looks great when it is tailored like menswear because the exuberance of the color contrasts nicely with the masculinity of a suit color. White or a soft light peach or cream color is usually worn with these types of outfits.

 

Orange is a color that is associated with the sixties mod look and lots of that type of retro will be seen in stores this spring in the form of cute mini-dresses and mini-skirt with large white patchwork pockets, buttons and white hem details.

 

Orange was even seen on the runways in the form of long evening gowns. Designer Jenny Peckam has made a long straight evening gown with a boat neck and long sleeves that shimmers with sequins and round bangles sewn on the three quarter length sleeves.

 

Orange is also seen on the runway combined with other colors in the tropical spectrums of magenta pink and banana yellow. These color combinations are sobered up a bit with the addition of black trim on the clothing and also by pairing the clothing with patent leather black belts, purses and high heel ankle boots.

 

Don’t be afraid to wear the color of orange this fall. It is the color of real confidence!

 

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