Walking the Edge

This season, pretty and tough mix it up for soft looks with a little bit of an attitude

By Amy Spiezio

In high school, wearing your best guy's varsity jacket was the accessory that went with pretty much everything. And if his sunglasses were in the pocket for you to enjoy, so much the better. These days, the boyfriend look can be seen throughout the fall fashion scene in a variety of applications that present a rough, tough, or slightly macho take and give it a decidedly feminine feel.

This pretty-but-tough trend goes from head to toe in fashions including:

JACKETS. Coming to attention in uniform coats with kicked-out skirts, leather jackets with pretty crops and saturated colors, and blazers in drapey cuts in wool and velvet.

MIX AND MATCH. Treading the line between masculine and feminine with color, black and white contrasts are strong statements on and off the runway. Structure helps tell this story with architectural accents adding interest.

GREAT OUTDOORS. Khaki gets two takes. Manly military looks get a softening touch with fur accents, embroidery, and embellishment. The earth tones are also a sophisticated take on the green movement, bringing nature into sharp focus.

In the optical universe, an edgy beauty trend is the latest evolution of the ongoing love for all things retro. Slick and chic styles borrowed from boyfriends and beyond light up the frameboards this season:

SUN. Shields and dramatic wraps that bring unisex sun styles back to the forefront with an uberdose of style in classic colors as well as superbright colors with mirror lenses for extra drama. Classic mens' styles also get a feminizing treatment, including aviators with enamel color and patterned accents.

Rx. The double bar look has broken away from the pocket protector set and hipster scene dweller, making its way across gender lines with shaping and tapering to make it appealing to women. Another traditional man's look, the club master, gets a feminine stroke with the addition of translucent acetate frame fronts and fine temples for a less severe look. Yet another take on tough is the adding of edge to feminine styles, like the plumped out cats-eye. FB

PHOTOGRAPHER: Bill Diodato

STYLIST: Marie Yan Morvan

HAIR: Tomo Nakajima/Halley Resources

MAKEUP: Dominique Samuel/Artists by Timothy Priano

MODEL: Yulia Panina/Q