Fighting For Fashion

Lady with a Cause This dress is perfect for any event. The color is divine and the shiny buttons dress it up. Dress by Laundry by Design, $186, from Runway Boutique on South Main. Brown shirred hooded and belted poncho with mink trim, $1295, from The Fur Vault at Macy's Oak Court. Green woven bag by Big Buddha, $90, gold hoops by K Kyle, $62, brown leather booties with ruffle by Me Too, $109; all from More Therapy in Chickasaw Oaks.

Photography by Chad Mellon
Fashion Editor Melissa Ellis 
Fashion Styled by Augusta Campbell
Hair by Mary McNair
Makeup by Emily Oliva

2010 Fall fashion has something for everyone: super feminine looks with full-skirted dresses and frilly details; menswear influences visible through precisely tailored and pinstriped pantsuits; oodles of bohemian layering; the rocker chic look (even if you aren't in a band); lace; and fur—both real and faux. Another fall aesthetic that local retailers are stocking is military. After weeks of searching for looks, it became clear that most stores have some form of military-influenced fashion on their racks. Though it may sound daunting, relax—this trend is much easier to wear than you may think. The colors are appealing (think olive greens, khakis and metallics), and basic staples, like jackets or boots, are all you need to incorporate this fun trend into your wardrobe.

For the October issue, we were granted special permission to photograph inside the massive Art Deco Sears Crosstown building, which sits prominently in the heart of Midtown Memphis. Most locals know of this building for a variety of reasons. It is one of the city's most important architectural structures in existence today, with a history that helps define Memphis throughout several past decades. Built in 1927 as a ten-story, 1.45 million-square-foot structure to house the retail and catalog shipping giant, Sears, the regional location eventually closed its doors in 1990 and has since remained vacant. The building's combination of immensity and structural interest created the perfect backdrop for our shoot: a guide to wearing this season's military trend.