Spotted: Aviator Jackets and Lace-up Boots, Fall 2010 RTW Collections

Some of the most memorable pieces from Fall 2010 Ready-to-Wear collections are the Aviator-inspired Jackets and Lace-up Boots. This post was inspired by film portrayals of real-life aviators Howard Hughes (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Amelia Earhart (portrayed by both Hilary Swank and Amy Adams). Because these are depictions of real people, every costume here serves the purpose of realism: to authenticate the story and its characters. Sandy Powell is the costume designer for Martin Scorsese’s The Aviator (2004), for which she earned an Oscar. I chose this frame because you can see Howard Hughes’s (Leonardo DiCaprio) aviator jacket nicely as well as the whole aviator look from the extras in the background. He is also wearing boots with lace all the way up, which you can see throughout the film. 

Here’s a shot of Amelia Earhart (Hilary Swank) wearing a version of an aviator jacket and lace-up boots (hard to see) in Amelia (2009) by costume designer Kasi Walicka Maimone.

And this is Amelia (Amy Adams) in Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian (2009), costume designer, Marlene Stewart. This aviator jacket is what most closely resembles Mullberry's version that you'll see below. This also shows the detail of the boots, which in this case has lace all the way up both the front and the back.

On the runway, most of these designer did not restrain themselves to the classic aviator jacket, but they deviated to anywhere from Christopher Bailey’s oversized and cropped looks for Burberry Prorsum with giant-collared shearlings and buckles, Phillip Lim’s mixed textures, Giles’ exaggerated collar to even the added fringe and embellishments of Blumarine’s collection. I read somewhere that the aviator jacket was this season’s motorcycle jacket from seasons past, but I sometimes find it hard to distinguish between the two. Regardless, leather anything was huge this past season and specially outerwear, as some have called Fall 2010 the most coat-centric season in a long while, so I’m just including different variations of it that are similar to the aviator theme. This is by no means an extensive or complete selection.

And now for the lace-up boot, these are some that stood out to me.

I have to add something here that I found pretty cool. Not only did Jill Stuart feature lots of lace-up boots in this collection, but also this last look above (far right), a full-body aviator suit, resembling the ones Hilary Swank wears throughout Amelia; here is an example.

Aviator (2004) Miramax Films, Warner Bros. Pictures – Sandy Powell, Costume Designer – Martin Scorsese, Director.

Amelia (2009) Fox Searchlight Pictures - Costume Designer, Kasi Walicka Maimone | Director, Mira Nair.

Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian (2009) 20th Century Fox Film Corporation – Marlene Stewart, Costume Designer – Shawn Levy, Director.

All runway photos courtesy of Style.com

© 2011 - 2015, Louise Junker.