Gather Together in Style

In addition to actual shoes, accessories, and garments, there are several interesting touches that can be considered hot trends coming down the runway for fall 2012. One of these effects is ruching.

For those of you who aren’t familiar with this term, ruching is when fabric or any textile is gathered up and forms a ruffle or a ripple-like effect on an item. Typically the French term ruching is used on sleeves, waistbands, and collars of items of clothing. It can be found on home goods like pillows, quilts, and furniture, but for fashion, this treatment shows up on accessories, shoes, belts, and outerwear. What is interesting is this detailing works on all types of fabrics made of natural fibers and synthetics. It can be used on men items, but more often shows up on women’s.

Ruching has a pretty and feminine effect when it’s used, and it often can change the whole look of a garment or accessory. A plain and simple t-shirt or skirt usually worn for every day can be transformed into something you could easily wear on a special occasion or to a formal event.

At first glance you may think this effect is not flattering to fuller figures, or will add unwanted inches or pounds to a person’s frame, but it’s actually quite flattering to all types of figures. The ruching effect can create curves and fullness where you thinner gals might want to add a little extra. On the flip side, when it’s done in the right places, it can divert attention away and even minimize certain areas. One tip if you plan on working this trend is that you may want to limit an outfit to one or two ruched items. For example, pair a ruched blouse with a ruched skirt, but you may want to skip the ruched cardigan, jacket, and so on.

If you don’t want to commit to a ruched garment there are several other options to work this trend into your wardrobe. A ruched belt is a great choice to try out this trend or consider a pair of shoes or boots with ruched detailing. You may also want to check out this detailing on outerwear or a smaller item like a pretty scarf or elbow length gloves. You may even want to save these pretty puffs to wear for the coming holidays instead: this effect looks lovely on most fabrics, even denim or wool, but it’s particularly eye-catching on luxury fabrics like silk and velvet.