LAMORINDA WEEKLY | Looking Good in Lamorinda


Jake Wall on Project Runway Photo courtesy Lifetime

I cannot let a fall season pass without partaking in a trend or two and there are always plenty of choices. Fall 2015 continues the '70s theme with accessories such as chain belts and dangle earrings. Statement rings are it and more is better, think Queen Elizabeth I with a ring on every finger. The menswear influence in tailored pants is back. Skirts are still favored but there's been a shift to a fuller silhouette with longer hemlines.

This season Ann Rubin from Specialtees in Lafayette is excited about fringe. "You will see fringe on all your favorite styles," says Rubin. "Bohemian or preppy. Vintage or modern. Everyone will be loving fringe."

OK, count me in on fringe and my other go-to trend is the crop pant. Sharp and distinctive, the crop pant in tweed worn with boots is a twist on the menswear look, but still comfortable and professional. Pair with a tailored jacket and you will be nothing less than elegant-chic. For something different consider going '40s with the jacket. Mixing vintage with current fashions is an easy way to create a unique look. Collector's Choice Antiques in Lafayette carries an array of quality vintage clothing.

This fall Moraga resident Chelsea Nicole is going for layering and accessorizing.

"I like wearing hats during fall and winter because they are functional for keeping warm and you can tie a whole outfit together with a long and flowing scarf," she explains. A working mom, Nicole needs quick and easy fashion options. "I work at Absolute Center in Lafayette as a Pilates instructor and I really like their boutique because they offer fun and sporty pieces that you can also wear to the grocery store or dinner and not look like you just got off the treadmill."

"When in doubt bring out the black and white as it's always right," says Eliza Jamkochian from Glamorous Boutique in Lafayette, who is big on this season's color block trend. "It is safe to say that women wearing these two colors always feel striking, chic and feminine. Depending on the style of the dress, most women love the idea of a color block piece as it tends to be more flattering."

Just in time for the fall fashion frenzy, Project Runway has returned for their 14th season on Lifetime television and fans are excited to be rooting for two local designers. Jake Wall and Candice Cuoco, both from the Bay Area, joined 14 other contestants for the popular fast-paced fashion design reality-show competition. Last month I had a chance to meet Wall at Bespoke in the Westfield Mall San Francisco Center. Wall runs his own company, Jake, which offers custom-made suit separates and shirting for men and women.

Wall says he and his business partner were inspired to jump into the suit business after hearing that the art of tailoring is on the decline. "I think that a lot of people don't wear as many suits as they used to because the suits don't necessarily fit them that well." Wall apprenticed in Hong Kong with a tailor and set up shop four years ago offering bespoke tailored pieces. As for Project Runway, Wall says he had a great time and ultimately what he came away with was a life lesson. "To challenge myself continuously and to think unconventionally," he shares. "I want to be more unconventional with things that I have around me every single day." He may also have walked away the big winner. As of press time, Wall is still in the running. Tune in and follow along.

Among all the current fashion events around the Bay Area is the exhibit "Amy Winehouse: A Family Portrait" at the Contemporary Jewish Museum in San Francisco. Fans of the vocalist can get a peek at the young girl and her family before and after she found fame. Born in 1983 to a Jewish family in a London suburb, Winehouse grew up a regular kid in a supportive household but with success came drugs and an early death in 2011.

This charming, small exhibit celebrates Winehouse's life and includes a family tree, photos, concert mementos, clothing of her childhood, and fashions the singer favored such as a dress by Betsy Johnson, which Winehouse wore for her U.S. television debut on David Letterman. "Amy Winehouse: A Family Portrait" runs through Nov. 1.

Embrace fall fashions and go forth in style.

Moya Stone is a local fashion writer and blogger at www.overdressedforlife.com.