Penny Sage dress, $450 and Louis Vuitton silk scarf, $1120. Diamond studs, $1140, from Walker & Hall. Photo / Greg Bowker
She wears the pants. And the dress. This season’s layer of choice is the best of both worlds. The boy meets girl formula resonates well with local designers who love to play on that dichotomy of masculine versus feminine and hard versus soft.
One international designer who has recently relaxed her signature body-conscious silhouette and pushed for relaxed tailoring and more tomboy separates is former Spice Girl Victoria
Beckham, with her eponymous label. Respected fashion journalist Tim Blanks describes Beckham's gradual evolution from pop star to serious high-end designer as being one of "New York Fashion Week's ongoing pleasures" in a newly released Skype documentary that chronicles her business since its inception in 2008.
For her autumn 2014 collection, Beckham made a point of showing a relaxed approach to wearing dresses over pants, a nod to her newfound confidence in bringing both masculine and feminine ideas into one cohesive look.
Volume comes into play here with several oversized dresses working particularly when well worn over pants. The "Whenever Wherever dress" by Penny Sage (#1) lives up to its name as a versatile dress. With its subtle floral motif and lavender hue, it's one of this season's best dresses, paired with equally voluminous pants and heels for a new take on layering.
