Plastic

The times they are a-changing – in fashion, at least. Designers are increasingly seeing clothes as a carapace to protect women. This season, Dolce & Gabbana gave them monstrous armadillo hips, and John Galliano provided them with articulated clothing that is, to all intents, body armour.

Alongside these sharp, hard-edged fantasies of space-age women, we are witnessing a plastic revolution, in which PVC, rubber and patent leather are used in place of traditional materials such as wool and cotton. For several seasons, these materials – uncomfortable, sweaty and impractical – were seen as little more than a designer whim to brighten up the catwalk, but they are starting to be sold on the high street.

High-tech and futuristic, they are modern reruns of the 1960s skinny-mini, with simple shapes and scant decorations that allow the quality of the fabric to shine out. And it does, sometimes with a pearlised glow, occasionally with a high-gloss shimmer and frequently as mesh, wire, rivets, bolts and even big silver stones.

To many women, these materials will appear alien, but the fashion pioneers among you are already trying them. Why? Plastic may not be as comfortable as cashmere, or as expensive as leather, but this sleek, shiny, colourful material makes the wearer feel instantly modern. Try it and see.

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