Fall Fashion Trending: The Peplum

There are women who like to dress ‘girly-girl’, others who like to be sporty, some channel their lady-like look. Still others seem to express their inner goddess. Yes, ever thought of dressing like an Olympian deity? Fret no more, the peplum is fast becoming a fashion detail that designers are successfully reissuing on a global scale.

Peplum Greek 1940s Dior New Look Fashion Trend Fall 2012

“The Pleiades”, Elihu Vedder, 1885 (the Metropolitan Museum of Art)

Laura Biagiotti – Fall 2012-Winter 2013

“Victory”, Augustus Saint-Gaudens, 1892–1903, this cast, 1914-1916 (The Metropolitan Museum of Art)

Etro – Fall 2012-Winter 2013

What exactly is a peplum? The peplum today can be described as a waist-hip short skirt or something that slightly flares-out from a tight jacket or dress. In Ancient Greece, where the detail originated, the peplum was actually an over-fold of fabric created by belting a chiton or peplos.

Grave stele of a little girl, ca. 450–440 B.C., Greek (The Metropolitan Museum of Art)

Peter Som – Fall 2012-Winter 2013

David Koma – Fall 2012-Winter 2013

For Fall 2012-Winter 2013 collections, the peplum has returned to the pinnacle of fashion fancy, whether as an integral part of a garment or an accessorizing detail attached to garments. The interpretations are endless and truly cement the peplum’s prominence as a global fashion trend.

Andrew Gn – Fall 2012-Winter 2013

Marni – Fall 2012-Winter 2013

Michael Kors – Fall 2012-Winter 2013

Etro – Fall 2012-Winter 2013

The variance of the peplum favored nowadays comes directly from the mid-20th century version, the one initiated in the late 1930s and heralded again in 1947 by Christian Dior’s New Look. Keep in mind, he wasn’t the only one doing it, but he became the most identifiable designer favoring the look to this day.