Pointy collars, long sleeves and good underwear

Extra long sleeves

Manicurists are in trouble. Designers are playing with proportions by stretching sleeves on shirts, sweaters and dresses so that hands are completely covered.

The trend has been teased by oversized boxy black blazers for years, which now require wardrobe respite. Now the “Honey, I shrunk” look has been applied to saccharine pink knits at Coach. Creative director Stuart Vevers drove the message home with a hint of shirt cuff keeping fingers under wraps.

Jason Wu took the elongated approach with asymmetrical dresses dipping dangerously from the shoulder and leaving hands stranded mid-sleeve.

In two years, Paul Helbers’ minimalist approach at Fforme has made the label a front-row favourite. The menswear designer for The Row and former men’s style director at Louis Vuitton, stripped away excess with cocoon jackets and simple shirts, where the only luxury was excess fabric below the fingertips.

While trialling the trend, look for sleeves that can be bunched or folded above the wrist to avoid coffee stains and awkward handshakes.

Sheer layers

The New York runway has featured more exposed breasts than a French beach, with an outbreak of sheer tops. If you’re worried about breaching Instagram guidelines by exposing your nipples, abandoning the bra is not compulsory.

Basic sheer tops are quite often used by stylists to give commercial collections an edge. Off the runway, layering sheer pieces over black underwear, or wearing embellished sheer tops and dresses will stop traffic without causing an accident.

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Tory Burch sent Emily Ratajkowski down the runway in a modest mock-croc black bodysuit, with tantalising movement added by an embellished sheer skirt.

Beyoncé and Jennifer Lopez favourite LaQuan Smith presented his provocative take on workwear in Manhattan’s Financial District. Sheer lipstick-red blouses were anchored by red bra tops over pencil skirts slit to workday underwear.

French designer Ludovic de Saint Sernin seemed most comfortable with the trend, placing sheer skirts and tops over conservative black underwear. Velvet floral embellishments added beauty to the trend, without relying on shock value.

Three quick trends

Vintage: Get your coat game out of the trenches with pieces that look as though they’ve been foraged from an op shop, without the unidentifiable smell. Sheepskin, shaggy and battered leather coats are top picks.

Quirky knitwear: Take your jumper game beyond blue and grey crew necks with yellow rubber ducks from Coach, Anna Sui’s Where’s Wally stripes.

Gold: There’s a Ferrero Rocher flavour to models wrapped in blinding gold dresses at Gabriela Hearst, Ulla Johnson and Christian Siriano.

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