For every trend this season, there is an antidote. Clean lines - and ruffles.
Dark shades - and pinks, yellows, camels and periwinkles. Curved,
Fifties-coutureinspired silhouettes - and straight lines. On the whole they
don't merely coexist, they seem to mesh seamlessly with one another. What
unites them is an emphasis on shape and shapeliness after several seasons of
smocks. This is geometry as fun.
Cocoon
A progression from puffballs and bell-shaped sleeves, the cocoon distils the
curves of the past few years into a dramatic yet pared-down statement.
On the catwalk it had most impact in dresses and coats. In real life, a jacket
that ends on or just below the waist will be easier to carry off on all but
those with supermodel proportions, and have just as strong an effect.
Long-term investment potential: This might have all the hallmarks of a
one-season trend but, as we have seen over the past few years, designers
tend to stick with strong shapes for several seasons, refining them as they
go. Buy into this one early (in a neutral colour) and you could be wearing
it for a long time to come. Alternatively, buy it in a vibrant colour for
maximum visibility, wear it all winter, lay it to rest and bring it out of
retirement in a year or two.
Wear with: Straight 7/8-length trousers or slim skirts and blocky shoes.
Military
There are enough gloomy forecasts around, so maybe it's best not to read
anything too profound into the return of military after a relatively short
interval (in some women's style vernacular the language of engagement never
went away). Let's just take it as read that the enduring appeal of
military-style tailoring (for we are not talking of combat details or
camouflage prints here) lies in its flattering practicality.
The pugilistic greatcoat may be the most obvious place to incorporate military
touches - serried rows of buttons, epaulettes, piping, etc - and that's
precisely where some designers did start. But who needs the obvious? A cute
knit with brass buttons (try Joseph) or a neat, endlessly useful little
waistcoat (Camilla and Marc on netaporter.com) is more interesting.
Long-term investment potential: Endless. Military has become a bona fide
classic.
Wear with: Strong but simple accessories, a poloneck, chunky gold jewellery,
patent shoes. Otherwise, team with a dress (note: it should be sleeveless -
it's the way forward with this winter's dresses).
Trousers
There are a lot of them about: straightlegged, curved-legged, wide-legged,
drainpipes, high-waisted. The common denominator: they all end at the ankle
(the 7/8th-length), the better to show off a high heel with a concealed
platform or a cut-away shoe-boot. They certainly solve the dilemma of what
to wear if you can't face this winter's calf-length skirts.
Long-term investment potential: Excellent. Trousers haven't been this
fashionable for years - and once we familiarise ourselves with how easy they
make life, we'll be sticking with them for a while to come.
Wear with: Jackets and knits with peplums for a masculine/feminine take -
Joseph has a good selection. The higher the waist, the neater and shorter
the jacket needs to be. Alternatively, team them with a ruffled shirt or
kimono/half-sleeved top, or with one of the new tunic dresses for a new take
on the trouser suit.
Colour with colour
Instead of sticking with the tried-and-tested formula of mixing colour with
black, try experimenting with a more artistic approach. Take inspiration
from Marni's acid yellow, dusky pink, camel and periwinkle combination, or
put forest green with berry and mustard. Navy is as much a staple as black.
Shapes have become more brutally architectural - so colour not only works, it
improves the overall effect.
Long-term investment potential: Infinite. Colours that suit you stay in style.
Wear with: Grey. Yes, even though it's a neutral, it's allowed in the mix.
There's a lot of it around again. Note the sleeveless waistcoat-coat: winter
2008's new hybrid.
Moderate minimalism
Lines are cleaner, tailoring is back and sharper, more linear; buttons and
fastenings are absent or concealed - but this is not a straight replay of
Nineties minimalism. For one thing, shapes are more extravagant and clothes
are cut to fold and slouch gracefully about the body rather than stretch
across it like taut tubes. Clever layering - a sleeveless cape-coat over a
cropped, collarless jacket over a longer jumper over a skirt or a pair of
trousers - creates an interesting statement in the way that patterns did a
year ago.
Long-term investment potential: Sound. Individually, these are pieces that
won't date and can be incorporated into other looks.
Wear with: Flamboyance. Whereas Nineties minimalism was severe and abstemious,
this incarnation requires chunky shoes and, on occasions, even chunkier -
sometimes baroque - jewellery. If you're wearing a simple poloneck, try it
with wide trousers and huge chandelier earrings for a look that is
understated yet strong.
Mellow drama
The flip side to moderate minimalism is this season's focus on tartans,
checks, sequins, tweeds, Gothic influences, peplumed jackets, lace, shaggy
coats and gilet-coats, more jewellery than we have seen since Ivana Trump
first opened her jewellery box on the QVC channel, and even ruffles -
although these are mainly reserved for shirts. For maximalists, these
components can be mixed and matched to weave whimsical stories about British
heritage or Bohemia. For those with latent minimalist tendencies, strict
editing is called for.
Long-term investment potential: Chose pieces that you love - these are
keepers, especially pieces with interesting textures and the gorgeous
ruffled chiffon shirts (see Alexander McQueen, Marni, Alberta Ferretti or
Jigsaw).
Wear with: Individuality. Either aim for a fashionista pile-up or buy one
piece to rev up a pared-down approach.
Checklist: Autumn/Winter 2008
1. High-waisted, 7/8th-length trousers. Try: Whistles.
2. Cropped jacket or blazer. Before buying, try it on with a pair of the
above. You'll find that what complemented hipsters may not work with the new
geometry. Try: Jigsaw.
3. Military or wrap coat or one with slit short sleeves for layering. Try:
French Connection.
4. Concealed platform shoes or ankle boots - we're over bondage - and a pair
of flats. Try: Office and Kurt Geiger.
5. Polonecks and other fine knits for layering and tucking into high waists.
Try: Pure Cashmere and Hoss Intropia.
6. A leather jacket - biker style. Wear it with classic, simple pieces for
extra edge. Try:Topshop.
7. A rococo-style necklace. Try: Mikey.
8. A narrow belt to thread through the loops of those high-waisted trousers.
Try: Gap.
9. Longer-length skirts - either pencil-shaped or slightly gathered at the
waist are the newest. If you can't bear calf or ankle-length, don't worry,
knee-length refuses to die and there are even some minis. Try: Zara.
10. A fitted or semi-fitted sleeveless dress: this winter's sophisticated
antidote to the put-it-away or give-it-away smock dress. Try: M&S
Limited and Jigsaw.
