September is known for fall fashion and at JCPenney, we’re helping women find the season’s hottest looks at an incredible value. Our Style Director, Geoffrey Henning, has curated the five must-have trends of the moment into looks that women will Love Now, Wear Now. We sat down with Geoffrey to learn more.
JCP: Tell me more about Love Now, Wear Now. How did the concept come about?
GH: We came up with Love Now, Wear Now as a way to take the season’s biggest trends and show them to her in a very relatable, yet inspiring, way. And what better time to launch this concept than September for Fall Fashion Week? She’s inspired by a new season and ready to shop for her new “must have” pieces.
The latest looks to Love Now, Wear Now will be showcased prominently at the front of every JCPenney store. We have all-new graphics and signage hanging above a runway of mannequins wearing each of the trends. We intentionally chose to mimic a runway because we want to inspire her to look at the trends, wander through the styles and envision herself wearing these pieces. The product will also be showcased at JCPenney.com in a dedicated style hub and featured in the women’s fall fashion mailer this month.
We’ll update the Love Now, Wear Now trends about ten times a year – so almost monthly. We want to inspire women with new fashion no matter what time of year it is.
Each collection of Love Now, Wear Now looks will be displayed down the store’s main aisle, as if walking the runway, to provide inspiration and style tips to JCPenney shoppers.
JCP: How do you choose which trends to include within Love Now, Wear Now?
GH: We looked at the most important trends of the season and then considered how she would wear them. Can she mix them up? Can she wear them from day to night? How do they fit into the different personalities of her life? Once we looked at it through this lens, it was easy. We chose fall looks that she will love and then showed her versatile ways to wear them. We also want to inspire her to look at them differently. It’s all about creating a personality for yourself – mixing patterns, adding color and being bold with your fashion.
You can tip toe into these trends or dive head first. That’s the beauty of fashion at JCPenney. It’s extremely affordable so every woman can make over her wardrobe without spending a fortune. No matter your style, JCPenney has a look for every woman.
JCP: So, what are the Love Now, Wear Now looks we’re featuring at JCPenney this month?
GH: For September, we are highlighting bold color, the fashion jacket, menswear, athleisure and the wide leg.
Bold colors are huge right now and inspire confidence. With the power suit making a comeback, we chose a suit in a bold color. It has a tailored jacket but a full leg trouser. This creates the perfect silhouette. And with the bright, bold magenta color, it feels fresh and really makes a statement.
A nod to the 70s, a wide leg pant with a shorter top is the new on-trend proportion this season. The wide leg creates a fluid movement and with a fitted top tucked in, this look elongates the body and offer a neat, crisp and flattering look. Add a boot, a sneaker or a flat for a super modern look.
We’ve remixed menswear patterns to feel more feminine but still quite powerful. We included a matching, head-to-toe look in a windowpane print.
The boucle jacket is the must-have fashion jacket of the season. It’s the best layering piece you’ll buy all season. Pair it with jeans and a heel and you’re ready for the day.
And finally, athleisure is still important. We have a track pant that can be dressed up for work with a heel or dressed down with a sneaker for the weekend. Unexpected pairings, like sneakers with suits or booties with an athleisure looks really take your style to the next level.
JCP: What’s your favorite piece in the September collection?
GH: My favorite piece is the bold power suit in magenta. It just feels good to me. It creates confidence, it’s empowering and it makes you own the boardroom.
JCP: Can we have a sneak peek into October’s trends? What can we expect?
GH: October is the return to kelly green. It’s the return of the sweater. We’re mixing the idea of soft and cozy with the assertiveness of pleather. We’ll show her how to take something a little edgy, like a leather skirt or legging, and pair it with a soft blouse or relaxed sweater. It’s the perfect moment of modern mixing so stay tuned.
Editor’s Note:
Check out this fun video of our Senior Styling Director, Bertha, showing the versatility of the Love Now, Wear Now looks for September:
