Seeing Red

By now all of you must know that red is going to be THE color of this Fall (and certainly holiday) season. All the major fashion houses and brands have at least one red item in their collection, as well as our dear JCrew.

Even before seeing the Fall previews I had sort of a heads-up. One day back in the spring I was strolling around in the neighborhood with my daughter and I happened to witness a photo shooting for some fashion magazine. I couldn't help taking a pic myself, the model outfit was so beautiful, don't you think?

That's when I understood that we would probably see a lot of red in the Fall. Unfortunately red is not for me. Even if I wouldn't say that red is exclusively for brunettes (the Versace dress that January Jones wore at the Golden Globes put the word end to that conception, I think:)

it is a color that fights with my warmer skin tone and hair. I can do a bottom but not a dress or top and certainly not in that particular shade of crimsom red that the model is wearing.
Luckily for me the red that Jcrew is using this season (vibrant flame, decadent red) is much more orange-y. I can do orange, as far as it is a warm orange, in fact it's one of the most flattering colors on me.
However, as we all know, sometimes JCrew uses the same color code for shades that look quite different. For example, the lovely Teddie dress and the beautiful Origami sheath dress in wool crepe are supposed to come in the same "decadent red" shade. But they look quite different, at least on my computer monitor:

This is the perfect example of what I was saying before: I can do a red like the Teddie but not a red like the Origami (if the website pic is in fact a good rendering of that shade. I haven't seen it in real life, so I cannot be 100% sure). Too bad because I could actually have some use for the Origami (a more classic and elegant dress), but not for the Teddie (which I really like, don't get me wrong, but can't see myself wearing, at least not in red).

So, I think I will limit myself to a red accessory, like a scarf or a bag, to satisfy my "red craving". As many of you I was drawn to the Edie purse in flame but I really can't stand that handle and the price is too high for something that is more of a craving as I said that a real need. So when I was shopping the Zara sale back in July I saw the perfect candidate: a small cross-body bag in the perfect shade of red, with a shape that is more attuned to my taste than the Edie and very cheap ($29.99):

The reason why it was so cheap is that it isn't leather but poliurethane (basically, plastic) but it looks like leather and I am not picky as far as it doesn't look cheap (it doesn't). I think it will look great with my camel coats and as I said I don't want to invest in a red bag.
In the picture above I am wearing another Zara find. Do you remember this Look from the Fall previews?

I remember someone saying on the JCA that she didn't know why anyone would want to look like a big pumpkin. In any case, the long skirt is another big trend for Fall and another one that as a petite I should be careful with. I don't want to be sucked in and put a lot of $$$ in something that will probably last only one season and is not even particularly flattering on me. However, I was drawn to this Zara skirt, that I had seen/tried several times before and finally bought on sale (I would have bought it before but it was a "size M fits all" which means that it needs alterations, so I waited for a sale). Ironically, it's the color that I really liked, a beautiful strawberry red. This was part of the spring collection (it is unlined) but the fabric is substantial enough to be warn through Fall with tight and boots and has a beautiful draping.
Now don't laugh, because I am not going to use it to wipe the floor like in this pictures (I am having it hemmed):

And with the beautiful cashmere cable sweater in heather camel, which is the only thing in the JCrew early Fall collection, along with the cafe capris in yatch blue, that I wanted so badly to pay FP. I am wearing the XS:

Camel and red make such a beautiful pair that I am tempted by the Classic mini in felted wool in decadent red:

but I will resist because I have the atomic mini from last year (I don't think I can pull off the No. 2 Pencil Skirt in Double Serge Wool in the vibrant flame color, but it's beautiful).

Are you "seeing red" this season?