Back in Black

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Michael Fink, SCAD’s dean of fashion, sells color-loving Savannahians on the new noir. » Photography by Tim Willoughby » Styling by Ikeda Feingold

BCBG sequin dress, $298 at BleuBelle Boutique, 5500 Abercorn St., 355-3554, www.bleubelle.com. Spiky earrings, $120, bracelet, $189 at ZIA Boutique, 325 W. Broughton St., 233-3237, www.ziaboutique.com. Belt, stylist’s own.

Just when designers seemed to be getting comfortable with spring’s bold color blocking and splashy prints, the fall collections emerged, bathed in black.  This return seems right.  What a great way for style-conscious Savannahians to stand out from the endless stream of tourists clothed in washed-out pastels.

There is also a shift in this fall’s silhouette.  Loose-fit coats, boxy jackets and full, pleated pants replace the figure-skimming cuts of spring and summer.  These fuller forms exude authority.  And shape-shifting in black reduces the shock factor.

Fab’rik White Collection dress, $58 at Fab’rik, 318 W. Broughton St., 234-8470, www.shopfabrikboutique.com. Braided gold bead belts, $52 each at Kathi Rich. Gold hoop cuff, $165, and beaded earrings, $175 at ZIA Boutique.
Lady Like

Ladies, there’s a reason the “little black dress” (LBD) has always been every woman’s reliable go-to.  It’s easy to accessorize, usually slimming, correct for every situation—and it goes with every shoe.  Vogue editor-at-large André Leon Talley has his finger on this fashion pulse and is curating an exhibition devoted solely to the LBD this fall at the SCAD Museum of Art.  With dresses from 1907 to the present, the exhibit will demonstrate why this wardrobe staple has enjoyed such an incredible shelf life.

Now the ubiquitous LBD has company, thanks to the addition of this season’s newest array of coats, jackets, pants and skirts that will take you anywhere.

Go the “urban warrior” route and you will find yourself in all manner of glossy black leather—the shinier, the better.  Pair with this season’s hybrid ankle boots.  Runway all-stars YSL, Calvin Klein, Dior and Alexander Wang know how to give good leather.

Ecoskin maxi, $180 at Kathi Rich, 2515 Abercorn St., 236-7424, www.kathirich.com. Necklace and shoes, stylist’s own.

Or go for Baroque.  Splurge on embroideries combined with black velvet or black-based brocades.  These opulent touches elevate an ordinary jacket or suit to regal status.  Dolce & Gabbana and Rag & Bone show just the right amount of excess.  Finish off this royal affair with the must-have shoe of the season from Marc Jacobs: the pilgrim shoe.

This season, it’s just better to be blacklisted.

For Men in Black suggestions by Michael Fink, turn to p. 68 in the Sept./Oct. issue of Savannah magazine.