Model wearing a fringed shirt by Jean Paul Gaultier and a model wearing a fringed dress by Mark Fast
FRINGE BENEFITS  Downtown glam rocker meets 1920s flapper.
 

Fringe may be enjoying a resurgence in popularity in recent spring and fall collections, but designer Jay Godfrey has been a longtime fan of the flouncy trim. “I always have loved fringe,” he says. “I love the movement it creates.” To Godfrey, it’s no surprise that this trend, which first appeared at the beginning of the Great Depression, is making a comeback. He also adds that because fashion tends to get darker in color during hard economic times, fringe is a good way to add interest. With fringe, he says, “you can still be sexy and lively in a black dress.”

 

Photography: Courtesy of designers

 

Jay Godfrey black fringe Toni dress ($415), at Jake, 939 North Rush Street and 565 Lincoln Avenue, Winnetka
“Fringe is not for the faint of heart, but there are ways of toning this down, like putting a long cardigan over it.”
 

MUST-HAVE ITEM
JAY GODFREY black fringe Toni dress ($415), at Jake, 939 North Rush Street and 565 Lincoln Avenue, Winnetka

 

Photograph: Jeff Harris