The Fabulous Girls Guide: Swing into Fall

Ah, New York in the Fall. The changing leaves, the crisp nippy air, the swing coats. Wait, swing coats? That’s right, this Fall is going to be all about the swing coats. At this past Fashion Week for the Fall 2007 collections, everyone had at least one swing coat and some had several. I’ve always liked the swing coat because it brings back a little of that 60’s flair sans the bubble folds and weird Balenciaga bustleness. I actually started wearing one of my old black swing coats out at night because it’s so warm, who knew I was ahead of the fashion curve?

So how do you do the swing coat without getting swallowed up by it, or looking overly fashionable in a non-fabulous way? The key is the cut and the length. If you’re petite, find a coat that is cropped and pair it with slim pants. If you’re a bit taller you can wear a longer coat that hits a little below or a little above the knee. With both versions, you don’t want the fabric and cut to be too voluminous. Yes it should have a distinctive swing, with a slight flair at the bottom, but avoid mountains of fabric.

Other swing coat trends include tons of fur and black fabric; more to follow on that later.

Here are some beautiful and practical swing coats from Fashion Week.