Coats-cocoons in the autumn-winter collections

IN A CONSTANT WONDERZINE HEAD talks about trends from the podium that can be adapted for your wardrobe for the next six months. In this issue we understand why coat-cocoons are at their peak of popularity, referring to the fashion of the 1980s.

How it all began

The creator of the cocoon is Cristobal Balenciaga. He showed it at the beginning of 1957, and six months later, he continued to create deliberately voluminous things, demonstrating the so-called "giant" collection of clothes and accessories a couple of sizes larger than models were supposed to. The coat-cocoon is also called the “Grace Kelly coat”: the actress was Balenciaga's girlfriend and, of course, she often wore his clothes. But it is believed that the coat-cocoons were invented at the beginning of the XX century. Proof - sketches of similar coats, appeared on the pages of the French magazine La Gazette du Bon Ton in 1912.

Perhaps the main upsurge of fashion on things of a deliberately large amount happened in the 1980s. Then the cocoon coat became more rigorous and more masculine - and it was called the boyfriend's coat. Such demonstrated every second brand: for example, Missoni, Guy Laroche and Yves Saint Laurent. Since then, the cocoon-like coat has become a classic outerwear model - like a new look silhouette coat. Now designers are remembering the 80s again, so the cocoon coat is at its peak again.

How to wear cocoons

Cock cocoons are always voluminous, so the main thing is to keep proportions correctly. Of course, it all depends on the type of figure. If you are short, it is better to combine a cocoon coat with straight-leg trousers and high-heeled shoes, as the Hermès French do. But with a high enough height you can wear a cocoon coat with wide flared trousers and sneakers, as the Italians Max Mara suggest. When choosing a skirt for such a coat, keep in mind that it can "cut" the figure, so it is better if the skirt is the same length as the coat. The color of the cocoon coat can be absolutely anything: pink or blue, as in the Guillaume Henri collection for Carven, or black, as in the Chalayan show. Stella McCartney creates a striped tweed coat and Sacai creates a tweed checkered coat. The same goes for texture. So, Marni and Proenza Schouler are moving away from tweed and offering a coat with a mossy texture.

BEWARE!

Choose a coat size in size: this is the case when it should not be a couple of sizes larger, otherwise there is a danger of looking cumbersome. Experiment carefully with layering and large items of clothing. The cocoon coat is quite large, and the additional volume can make the figure look awkward.