Francesca Steele
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It is not a requirement of rock stars that they dress well. Unlike the Hollywood world of supersized handbags and Rachel Zoe-inspired ensembles, a musician can get away with - even gain kudos for - tattoos, mismatched outfits and beehive hairdos. If the rock star in question is Rod Stewart he can sport spandex and leopard-print leggings and still manage to pull Penny Lancaster.
Perhaps it is no surprise, then, that the 63-year-old icon of anti-fashion has his own clothing range. Intrepid reporters for The Independent and the Daily Express have trawled the merchandise section of Stewart's official website to reveal T-shirts, tracksuits, babies' bibs and the “official panties” - which bear the singer's name, love-hearts and his hit-song slogan Isn't it Romantic?
What better way to emulate your favourite rock star than to wear his name emblazoned across your crotch, after all?
Oddly, the pants, which appear in the sale section at £2.50, do not specify whether they are for a man or a woman. They are, however, available only in a large size.
The baby's bib will appeal to Stewart fans who wish to pass on their musical taste to their offspring, bearing the lyrics “You're in my heart, you're in my soul”. Stewart's pride in his Scottish heritage is also evident throughout the range: the zip-up tracksuit tops, which sell for £35, feature the lion rampant, while his T-shirts are flecked with tartan and Argyle checks.
Stewart may have joined the ranks of other celebrities-cum-fashion designers such as Victoria Beckham, Justin Timberlake and the rapper Eminem, but he will have to solicit the advice of his daughter, 28-year-old Kimberly, who has her own fashion label - Pinky Star Fish - if he hopes to make it. The shiny black pants, which look rather unsupportive and uncomfortable, were described by the stylist and fashion journalist Caroline Phipps-Urch as “hideous”.
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