Chava Rom
Simchat Torah was celebrated with joy and plenty of noise in Israel’s synagogues! Often, this is almost the only day of the year when women with small children manage to get to synagogue.
The new outfits bought before the holidays tell us what women will be wearing throughout autumn and winter. A look inside the shops will also show us what is on offer for everyday wear.
Of course, colors, cuts, and textures will vary among different communities, but we will look at the key fashion trends for autumn 5778:
1. Royal Attire
The season’s biggest and most varied trend.
What should a true queen wear in winter? Of course, velvet.
Blue, black, bottle green, burgundy, and even pale pink velvet. These days, everything is made from it: dresses, skirts, blouses, and jackets. Even footwear—velvet ballet flats, pumps, and ankle boots. A touch of royal chic.
Continuing the royal theme, velvet pairs beautifully with lace, satin, and silk. Lace never goes out of fashion; only its texture and pattern change. We are wearing lace dresses and tops in autumnal colors, while cream and white also remain in fashion.
If you are not quite ready to transform yourself completely into a princess, you can combine velvet with more everyday fabrics—for example, wear a velvet jacket with a tweed or wool skirt.
Corduroy is back in fashion. Its pile reminds us of velvet, but it is more of an everyday option.
Faux fur in every imaginable color appears on many outfits this autumn. Last year, we wore vests made entirely of fur; now, it is more often used as trim or decoration. It appears not only on clothing, but also on shoes and bags.
The fashion for royal sleeves, adorned with ruffles and lace, once again calls royalty to mind, while full skirts evoke princesses and balls.
Particularly fashionable is footwear with a metallic silver or copper sheen. These shoes would be appropriate even with a classic business suit.
Shoes for festive occasions also call to mind a princess’s footwear: they may be embroidered with sequins or beads, or decorated with bows and ruffles.
2. The Peasant Lady
This season’s trend is ethnic style: cuts, patterns, and traditional embroidery on sleeves, plackets, and the front panels of dresses. The cuts, too, are reminiscent of traditional national costumes.
The fabrics here are somewhat simpler than a queen’s, but richly decorated with folk motifs. Sleeves are the season’s main focal point—voluminous, unusual, and embellished!
Mesh embroidered with bright floral patterns was a hit in spring and summer; in autumn, we are combining it with velvet. We are wearing dresses, skirts, and blouses made from several layers of fabric!
3. Tundra
Faux-suede fabric is holding its own; it is now even used to make T-shirts. A very good choice for cold weather. Both genuine and faux leather are comfortable to wear in autumn and winter. All the colors of autumn look wonderful in these fabrics: terracotta, burgundy, brick red, olive, camel, and sand.
Clothing often features faux-fur trim.
Cozy knitted cardigans in oversized styles (voluminous and concealing the figure) and sweater dresses will keep us warm and be very much in fashion.
4. From Grandmother’s Trunk
Vintage is in fashion. It is particularly endearing to see vintage-inspired dresses on young girls. The cuts recall their great-grandmothers’ fashions. The refined look is achieved through a stand-up collar and cuffs. These dresses are often decorated with buttons and topstitching, and made from fabrics with the patterns of exotic silks, florals, or paisley (the “cucumber” print).
5. Sport, Sport, Sport
Straight-cut, loose-fitting dresses and blouses made from thick knit fabric, often resembling a long T-shirt.
The cuts may be feminine, and the clothes may have unusual sleeves or even bead and sequin embellishments, but the fabric itself places these pieces within the sporty trend.
Stripes are on trend. Athletic footwear—canvas sneakers and trainers. Small backpacks instead of the usual handbag. Pair these pieces with metallic accessories and bright necklaces.
Modern fashion allows us to express our individuality, choosing from the abundance on offer precisely those pieces that highlight our character and suit our appearance and outlook on life.
Try out some new looks, and perhaps one of them will become a reflection of your inner self.
