Rock chicks, now is your moment
Last Updated:
12:01am BST 27/08/2008
Leather pants are making a big comeback this autumn, so now is the time to unleash your inner grunge goddess, says Alice BB
Leather trousers. What do they mean to you? A chance to release your inner rock chick, or a look that should be left to Hells Angels? It's time to decide, because they're staging a massive comeback this season. At the top end, McQueen, Preen, Temperley and Givenchy are giving us their take on the leather stride - and the high street has been quick to follow. Even M&S has done a version, at £99.
Above, Alice BB works her 'grunge luxe' look in: leather zip-back leggings, £150, Topshop; 0845 121 4519,
Topshop.com. Mohair and nylon wrap cardigan, £270; charcoal jersey tank, £110; beige jersey tank, £110, all Rick Owens. Crystal and brass-link necklace, £305, Aris Geldis, all available at Feathers, Knightsbridge, London SW1; 020 7589 5802. Leather biker boots, £325, Hogan, at Joseph; 020 7590 6200,
Joseph.co.uk."They're set to be the hit of the winter," says Jenny Dyas, buyer at London boutique Browns Focus. "They tie in nicely with this season's goth and grunge trends."
Hard-wearing and long-lasting, leather pants make good recession wear. The last time they were big news was during the early 1990s, which was when I first fell in love with them. I was in my late teens and my friends and I, trying to emulate grunge gods Kurt Cobain and Kate Moss, wore them with tour T-shirts and beaten-up Converse sneakers. I've worn them ever since, whether they've been in or out of fashion - so much so that the label (I've long forgotten where I bought them) has worn away.
This time round, some designers - including Marc Jacobs for both his own line and his Louis Vuitton collection - are pushing a loose leather slack, but I'm not convinced. Flappy cow hide wrapped round your pins is cumbersome and unflattering. No, the look to go for is tight-fitting skin on skin, which is unquestionably alluring.
Pippa Holt, fashion features associate at Vogue, agrees. "Keep the silhouette long and lean," she says. "Wear them skinny with a tunic top cinched in at the waist by a thin belt. Or for a soft-goth look, pair them with Jaeger London's black fringed cape [£280;
jaeger.co.uk]. If you're wearing them in the evening, take inspiration from Ricardo Tisci at Givenchy and add gold chain necklaces and a jacket."
My favourite pairs include Christopher Kane's mid-rise waist versions (£795;
Brownsfashion.com) and Topshop's skinny pair, with a button detail at the ankle (£95;
topshop.com). Tighter still are the ultra-skinny trousers by British designer Joanna Sykes's eponymous new label (£438;
matchesfashion.com).
But if you're young and svelte, and want an even edgier look, don't hold back; go for full-on leather leggings, or "treggings" - a legging-trouser hybrid. "Harvey Nichols has bought into leather trousers across the board this season," says buying director Averyl Oates. "But our most popular pairs so far are the 'spray-on' Les Chiffoniers treggings [£513] that have graced the legs of the über-cool, including Juliette Lewis and Mary-Kate Olsen." Topshop's versions - which fasten with a zip - strike me as good value at £150, and I can't wait to heave on a pair.
"Leather trousers should always have a rock edge," says stylist Emily Barnes. "The rock wardrobe is their heritage. So wearing them with heels in an Abigail's Party way can look really Sloaney and uncool."
However,
if you are wedded to the lift of a heel, Holt suggests adding a chunky ankle boot. Both Nicholas Kirkwood and Jonathan Kelsey for Mulberry have made good sturdy pairs for this winter.
The over-30s should leave the rock T-shirts and grubby Converse to teenagers, though. This winter, I'll be working my leather strides into "grunge luxe", wearing them with a beaten-up boot (by Chloé or French label Zadig & Voltaire), but tempering the look with soft textures - sheer layers, lace or cosy knits.
If you're a newcomer to the leather game, half the battle is pitching the right attitude, which should be neither self-conscious nor over-confident: aim for nonchalance. The other trick is simply to forget about them, because wearing leather trousers is a bit like walking a tightrope. Whatever you do, don't look down or you'll give yourself one helluva fright.
TIPS FOR STRIDING OUT IN LEATHER
• Unless you're a biker, never ever do double leather (trousers and jacket).
• Don't wear leather trousers in any colour but black. You don't have to stick to black tops and shoes, though, so try tan, grey, or navy. Unless you have the skin tone of Agyness Deyn, don't team leathers with white or red.
• Consider your reference: is it the ultimate rock chick Alison Mosshart from the Kills, or good-girl-gone-bad Sandy from Grease? Just make sure you give Madame Whiplash a wide berth.
• Keep a balance between hard and soft, boyish and girly. At last year's Met Ball, Kate Moss softened her leather trousers and mannish jacket with a soft camisole.
• Beware the absence of pockets on leggings, which can lead to an unflattering expanse of shiny bum. Choose skinny pairs like Christopher Kane's, which have carefully positioned back pockets to avoid this.
• Vegans needn't miss out. Notify (£290;
theshopatbluebird.com), Goldsign (£1,200; at Harvey Nichols; 020 7235 5000) and Guess (£110;
guess.com) have all done "pleather" leather-effect jeans.
Picture of Alice BB by Jeff Gilbert
Hair and make-up by Jane Alexandra Foster at Models 1 using Estée Lauder
Stylist: Phong Luu
