A very “French” Neo Bourgeois style Trends, Fall-winter 2020/2021
Diala Aschkar, Art Director at Orient Palms, France

A very “French” Neo Bourgeois style

Trends, Fall-Winter 2020/2021

The bourgeois style is probably one of the biggest trends for Fall 2020. Since last season, designers are drawn to the cool attitude of the « Rive Gauche » and the sexy 70’s style of the Parisian dress code. Other designers were inspired by the more conservative 80’s and 90’s upper-class woman aesthetics.

There’s something about the legendary French posh elegance that every woman wants to seize. Think silk blouses with Lavallière or frilled collars under gilded-button blazers, culottes, capes, rich tailoring in velvet and tweed, high boots and wide-brimmed hats.

1 Saint Laurent twists bourgeois codes by adding a touch of perversity to the 70’s elegance: latex! Chic elements like pussy-bow knots and double-breasted gilded-button blazers are mixed with skin-tight latex leggings.

2 For more insolence, bras are worn as tops on body-hugging pencil skirts in ultra-glossy latex or colored leather.

3 The 70’s culottes are back. Hedi Slimane presented a very posh version for Céline, with bow ties on frilled shirts and jabot shirts, impeccably tailored blazers, high heels and fedora brimmed hats.

4 At Céline, capes instill equestrian panache to the chic silks, velvets and long totemic pendants.

5 The elegance and simplicity of these Céline all-black slinky figures with byzantine-style jewelry couldn’t go unnoticed.

6 Go for urban posh, go for the Chloé urban chic looks with chain jewelry, tweed blazers or this Prada all-grey look with a transparent frilled-front dress under a thick wide coat.

7 Céline faux-fur coats are very 70’s « Rive Gauche ».

8 Equestrian bourgeois is a big theme by itself this season. At Hermès it is practically part of the house’s DNA. The pleated leather skirts, the very structured blazers, the long leather boots and the very graphical houndstooth print that adds a twist to strict Winter colors, all these elements in leather and wool have an aristocratic elegance to them. The Genny outfit — though also with an equestrian feel — looked more swanky with its silk print tie, refined red crocodile-print boots and jewelry brooch-like buttons.

9 The Bora Aksu outfits below were inspired by the life of Swedish artist Hilma af Klint and the conservative image she projected in her everyday life. It was channeled by black and white or monochrome traditional fabrics such as tweed, wool and lace, and under-the-knee skirts combined with false-pearls necklaces and headbands.

10 Chanel’s 80’s woman looked classical and aristocratic with the byzantine-era jewelry on rounded white collars and the sober thick jackets. But it was infused with some romantic rebelliousness with the track pants open on the sides, the pirate boots, the polka dotted tights, the high slits, some very short shorts or a lace cropped top.

11 Isabel Marant has been inspired for several seasons now with the 80’s/90’s pronounced shoulders and cinched-waists silhouette. This season has a more high-class air than the usual ethnic one.

12 Olivier Rousteing created for Balmain a very 90’s bourgeois collection, probably inspired by the upper closed society of Bordeaux where he grew up. A golden-buttoned navy blazer looks imposing and martial. Another blazer in wool, with a golden metal chain design is equally imposing, contrasting with a nonchalant white shirt which collar extends into a hanging scarf. The opulent red, blue and gold colors are also used on richly embroidered skirts and bags with horses motifs. The leather accessories are very lady-like: long gloves, thigh-high boots, big tote bags.

13 It’s all about combinations at Chanel: the pirate look with the frilled white shirt and "Cavalier" folded boots is given an haute bourgeois air with long chain necklaces and byzantine-like bracelets and belts.

14 What better than Dolce & Gabbana to transform Jabot and ruffled white shirts into short sexy dresses with golden jewelry and erotic stockings, creating a new version of « La fille de d’Artagnan ».