Answer Angel: The real lowdown on runway fashion trends

Dear Answer Angel Ellen: I’ve been saving up this question until the runway shows in New York and in Europe ended. I compiled a list of questionable fashion trends I saw on the internet and in magazines that I, for some reason, keep subscribing to. I want to get your take on some of the styles and trends I’m wondering about. In no particular order:

— Platform HIGH-heel shoes

— Oversize blazers/jackets

— Raggedy unfinished hems on skirts and dresses

— Black is IN

— Pink is the new black

— Super chunky-soled boots

— Lexi J.

Dear Lexi: For the vast majority of us, those runway shows, well, we’re not the target audience. They are the showcase for styles taken to extremes. They will be “adjusted” (watered down) for those of us who can’t spend thousands on a single outfit. So when they make it to stores and sites where real people shop, the clothing will be more wearable. Plus, our eyes will have acclimated to the trends and won’t seem quite as bizarre. Now, to take you questions one at a time.

— Platform heels? Those 4-6 inchers are ridiculous and virtually unwearable. Plus they look like a broken ankle just waiting to happen.

— Oversize jackets might be sold as the latest “roomy silhouette” of the season, but do not be swayed. They look like you raided your hefty grandpa’s closet and seem interesting only on famous models and celebs (if that).

— Ragged hems: These garments appear to be victims of an attack by someone in scissors frenzy. Miu Miu’s teensy pleated skirt with the inside of the pockets hanging below the ragged hem? OK for Nicole Kidman (on the cover of Vanity Fair). Not meant for post-puberty women in the real world.

— Black clothes? They never went out of style. Every list of wardrobe basics for decades has included a couple black items — pants, a blazer, a moto jacket, a Little Black Dress. Nothing new here.

— Pink! A bright T-shirt, cami or button-up blouse in an eye-popping color never goes out of style. Wear it with your black basics. Bright turquoise, citron yellow and such also work.

— Chunky boots. These come and go. I wore them a couple decades ago and now wish I hadn’t donated them. Just don’t pop for designers’ $$ versions. You’ll find plenty of options for under $100, for instance Zaynsia Chelsea platform ankle boots (amazon.com, $49.99).

Dear Answer Angel Ellen: A few years ago, you listed some products that you said worked well to “shrink” or “disguise” eye bags. At the time, I didn’t have eye bags, but now I do — UGH! Can you help me please?

— Betsy G.

Dear Betsy: Under-eye bags are often genetic. I haven’t yet found a product that actually shrinks them (but I welcome recommendations). You can minimize their prominence with the right concealer. My current fave is Maybelline’s Instant Age Rewind Eraser Multi-Use Concealer (the name itself is a huge overpromise). It’s a wand that dabs on with a little sponge, but use sparingly and pat in thoroughly (drugstores, $8.80-$10.99).

Reader Rants

Lisa gripes, “Why do stores like Marshalls, T.J. Maxx, etc., ruin socks by punching labels and price tags through the socks? I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had to return socks that have holes in them from the plastic tags they punch into the socks. It seems to me that there should be a better way.”

And this related complaint from Patty E.: “Why oh why do clothing companies sew the end of the plastic tag into an enclosed seam making it nearly impossible to remove the end but leaving it in there to scratch you for all of eternity? I just spent 15 minutes on one and will now have a frayed collar as a result. Ugh and grrrr.”

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