Frankfurt - Wearing a dress over jeans or a Polo over a long-sleeve shirt are examples of layering that have been trendy for a long time. This summer, designers are working with plenty of new materials, changing the proportions emphasized by the clothes in a big way. Thus, layering is back in fashion again.
Behind this trend is the current transformation of the silhouette, said Gudrun Allstaedt of a textile industry trade magazine published in Frankfurt. Tops are extra long and wide, reaching down to cover the bottom. Loose blouses, jersey shirts and tunics are being combined with jeans that hug the leg all the way down.
The new silhouettes have created new rules for combining clothing, said Sandra Jaruschewski of the association of German fashion and textile design in Wuerzburg.
"Long garments are being worn over short ones, fine fabrics are being worn over coarse ones and small is being combined with voluminous," said Jaruschewski, a fashion designer. Fine knits, leathers, jerseys and linens can be combined in layers according to individual tastes.
"Particularly in summer, this has its functionality. You can dress for different temperatures," said Klaus Brinkmann, president of the German fashion association in Cologne. New light materials, mostly mixed weaves of coton and synthetic fibres, allow for this without causing the wearer to break out in a sweat.
Synthetic materials today are like cotton in terms of functionality.
Dresses play a big role in summer layering. Generously cut dresses fall loosely over tight jeans, while the waist is emphasized with a belt.
Allstaedt says the new look is pushing a renaissance for boleros and cardigans. In addition, the trend means that the reassessment of accessories that has gone on for years continues, whether its scarves, jewellery, ties or bags.
Today's look calls for minimal accentuation.
"This is bringing back the look of the 1980s," said Bitten Stetter, an instructor at a design academy in Hamburg. She views the new look as a chance for people to show their individuality outwardly.
Elke Giese, a trend expert at the German Fashion Institute in Berlin, said the new style brings a lot more functionality. "The designers are now much more inspired by city life. Sportswear and other things that are seen on the street have made their imprint." That in turn has promoted the principle of layering.
Giese said simple necessity had generated the idea. Women who go straight from the office to the gym and then meet their friends at the bar, need garments that can be easily combined for different situations.
