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Think of Chanel and one envisions prim, ladylike boucle suit jackets and skirts. And that’s just what they got at Chanel’s Paris couture show, where plaids in every color strutted down the runway. But the effect was less ladies-who-lunch and more youthful, thanks to shorter (as in, where are her bottoms?) lengths and shiny black leggings underneath. Many ultra-short dresses and tops came with a black patent belt wrapped around them and very mod round necklines, reminiscent of the coats Valentino showed. Feathers adorned the flapper-chic black and gray dresses, while longer gowns featured metallic trimming and shredded sleeves and hems, ala ’70s-era Cher. Some gowns were definitely too avant garde, looking like they’d collided with a disco ostrich, but the shorter black dresses and the final white gowns - which had just the lightest touch of feathers and ruffles - are on my wish list.

Runway photos are at www.style.com.

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