Fall Made Easy

By THÉRÈSE MARGOLIS    

This week’s selection of new products and garments encompasses a wide range of beauty and fashion items to save you time, keep you looking sharp and help you transition seamlessly from the carefree days of summer casual to the more polished look of back-to-school or the conventional style of autumn office dressing.

Getting back into the swing of things for school or a less-relaxed fall, buckle-down office routine doesn’t have to be difficult.

If the mere thought of the hustled challenge of pulling together a more formal look at 7:30 a.m. seems too intimidating after three glorious months of blissful cutoffs and Ts, try laying out your clothes and accessories the night before, so that you don’t have to waste time trying to find the right scarf to go with your burgundy blazer or a pair of khaki leggings to match that auburn miniskirt when you are rushing to get out the door.

Also, think layers, and group pieces that work well together in the same part of your closet, so that you can find them quickly and easily.

Cultivate healthy habits such as less caffeine and wine at night and more plain old-fashioned water as your go-to-bed cocktail.

The days are getting shorter and the nights longer, so plan on getting to bed earlier to cash in on those long winter nights.

The payoff is that you will feel (and look) more bright-eyed-and-bushy-tailed in the morning.

Keep you hair style simple but chic with freshly washed tresses that, with the right products (like the Aquis routine we mention later in this article), can air dry as you apply makeup or enjoy a hot bowl of morning oatmeal (which will stick to your ribs and keep you energized until lunch).

And, finally, just like the leaves of autumn that are slowly changing colors as the weather gets brisker, let your fall wardrobe and style statement evolve naturally, with select pieces that you add on week-by-week as the season unfolds.

Prepping for Prep School

Aéropostale’s new  Back-to-School collection, titled Aéro Real, is designed to make the shift from summer to fall uncomplicated and effortless.

Comfort is the key word in all of Aéropostale’s new fall items, with relaxed-fit jeans for men, women and kids.

And you can choose from High Rise Wide Leg demins and soft-fitting Boyfriend Jeans or body-hugging Cheeky Fits and hide-your-caloric-sins Mom Jeans, all in hip-flattering, love-handle-forgiving, 360-degree stretch.

The men’s selection also boasts a wide range of Dad Jeans, Loose Fit and Skinny Fit.

Tops include organic, recycled cotton Tribe of Tees V-necks and off-the-shoulder blouses, as well as brightly printed long-sleeved flannel shirts and teddy-bear-style bomber jackets with sequins to add a touch of sparkle, plus keep-me-cozy Sherpa demin parkas and multihued color-blocked windbreakers with hoodies.

Cute little, ultra-short skating skirts in bold black-and-white plaids pair beautifully with super-soft cable sweaters in pinks, navy and dark burned mustard and the right pair of leggings.

There are even a few satiny finished dresses and glittery jackets to dress up your look when the sun goes down.

To finish off the collection, Aéropostale has a practical range of light but sturdy backpacks (some made smaller and lighter, just for kids) and day-to-night footwear, from 80s pop urban sneakers with soft, geometric patterns to oh-so-feminine ballet slippers in metalic finishes.

Aéropostale’s new collection will be available in Mexico starting in August at Aéropostal boutiques and Liverpool department stores nationwide.

Zegna Goes Urban

Even high-end design houses are favoring comfort and casual poise over tailored fit this season.

The luxury Milan-based menswear brand Ermenegildo Zegna, for example, has based its entire fall/winter couture collection on a youthful, hip-hop urban street style inspired by the Milano Central metro station.

The company even went so far as to present its runway show of the new collection inside the Piazza Duca d’Aosta subway station itself (quite a feat, given that the organizers had just one hour to set up the stage, seat the guests and present the entire fashion parade between stops).

The collection includes some revolutionary new pieces, such as a wash-and-wear wool suit (yes, you can actually throw it in the washer), geared for the young urbanite who isn’t into dry-cleaning bills.

The multiethnic, multipurpose, multifunctional character of the collection comes across through unique details such as detachable exterior bags and removable pockets that latch on with velcro.

Versatile shirts transform into jackets in bright grays, blacks, blues and khakis, and ubiquitous cargo pants become combat pants that allow for hands-free maneuvering in heavy weather.

A tailored puffer jacket elevates the otherwise outré informal metro amalgamation into a upscale coterie ensemble.

The finished composite is highly personal and effortless, with a mix-and-match of old and new materials, fabrics and even recycled industrial waste (part of Zegna’s new corporate motto of #UseTheExisting).

Monkey Bags for Men

As promised in an earlier Trending Beauty column, the Danish travel and lifestyle luggage company Kipling is releasing a special backpack and bag collection just for men come August.

And while the collection, called Boost It, is definitely masculine in that it is devoid of any frilly feminine details, it is so sleek and understated that it really is unisex in nature.

Inspired by a sense of freedom of expression, urban adventure, individual creativity and a love for music, this Generation Z collection offers a no-holds-barred, make-your-own-rules approach to carrying.

The bags adapt to the needs and lifestyles of the owners, serving as daily backpacks or universal travel companions without forgetting the prevailing Kipling theme of Live.Light.

There is a sporty Tamiko rucksack with a relaxed, water-repellent, black exterior and a rugged orange interior that can accommodate a change of wardrobe, food, drink, books, a computer and just about anything else you want to fit into it.

The Freedom and Gitroy bags are great for work and school supplies, and the flexible Chika and Seoul pouches are ideal for laptops, doubling as informal briefcases with plenty of compartments to store cables and whatnots.

The entire Boost It collection will be available on line and in stores starting in August.

Ticking Crocodiles

Did you know that every single Lacoste watch has five different crocodiles on it?

In keeping with a tradition started by René Lacoste himself, every Lacoste watch ever made has an image of the little iconic croc (Lacoste’s alter-ego mascot) strategically placed on the face (at 3 o’clock), the back of the case (inside the image of the classic Lacoste polo shirt), the strap (on the inside flap, right at the end, where it tucks under the strap guard), on the upper corner of the buckle, and on the crown (the part you use to set the time and which used to be used to wind the watch).

The French luxury sport garment, footwear, eyewear, leather goods and, yes, watch brand is still churning out pentagonals of the aquatic reptiles in its latest wristwatch offerings, a minimalistic collection of monochrome, water-resistant timepieces from men, women and children.

The new fall/winter 2019 collection is part of the now-classic Lacoste 12.12 watch family, which pays homage to the brand’s emblemic L.12.12. polo shirt (dating from 1930), and comes in bright green, blue, red and black for a sleek, understated look.

Non-slip silicon straps and three-hand quartz movement make for a contemporary functionality-meets-style design that is ideal for both sport activities and daily wear.

The kids’ version has a slew of colorful little stylized crocs up and down the strap, making it fun and cutesy.

Lacoste will also be bringing out a more polished 12.12 edition in winter with a specially processed leather strap that resists water for its Christmas holiday collection.

Hair Defense

Aquis, those smart people who brought us the Rapid Dry Hair Turban and Rapid Dry Hair Towel that cuts drying time by 50 percent, has just come out with an entire new line of hair products that help protect your tresses every time your wash them, Aquis Prime.

This four-step system leaves your hair stronger and healthier, starting with a Water Defense Prewash that prepares follicles to withstand the damaging effects of water during your washing and drying routine.

It’s a fact: Wet hair is weak hair, which means that it is more likely to suffer damage when it is swollen with water.

But a lightweight nourishing spritz of Aquis Prime 01 Water Defense Prewash before you shower (you can even spray it on an hour before you bathe) has been clinically proven to reduce hair swelling by as much as 40 percent, dramatically reducing tangles, frizz and damage to leave hair stronger, healthier and easier to style.

The nurturing spray is packed with coconut and avocado oil, plus keratin and cysteine amino acids that coat each strand to shield from the harsh effects of water.

After the Prime 01 Prewash, a low -suds, Aquis Prime 02 Rebalancing Hair Wash (void of such nasty chemicals as sulfates, parabens and phthalates) gently cleanses hair from root to ends.

The Hair Wash helps reset hair to its natural pH.

The third step is to wrap your hair in the Aquis Rapid Dry Lisse Hair Turban to absorb excess water, and follow with the Aquis Prime 04 Restorative Leave-In Conditioner, which detangles and prepares your hair for styling.

The entire four-step Aquis Prime system is now available in Mexico nationwide at Sephora.

Freeze It Away

And, finally, if all that summer easy living has contributed to a few extra pounds in undesired parts of your anatomy, take heart because the very first cryotherapy spa in Mexico City just opened in Colonia Mixcoac.

Eterose, located at Río Mixcoac 61 in Insurgentes Mixcoac, offers a variety of whole-body immersion cryotherapy therapies, including the treatment of migraines, pinched nerves, sports injuries, arthritis, mood disorders, low-risk tumors, inflammation, memory disorders, atopic dermatitis, acne and, weight loss.

The spa also offers cryotherapy facials and targeted treatments for specific areas of the body.

All Eterose personnel are internationally trained in cryotherapy safety and can adapt the treatment to each patient’s specific needs.

Eterose also offers traditional spa treatments such as massages and deep-pore facials.