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flaunt the imperfection
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Ten ways to exude sense and sensuality
Last Updated: 12:01am BST 20/08/2008
Designers have taken the economic climate to heart, and grown-up, functional - but certainly not dull - clothes are the inspiring result, says Sarah Mower
I always find there's something bracing about the arrival of a little austerity in fashion. It's good for reductionists, the sensible and the grown-up - all of which I admit to being, at the risk of sounding dull. But ha! This autumn, we're anything but.
P is for: Peacoats, which were shown on the a/w catwalks of Bottega VenetaThe season we're contemplating looks like a veritable field day for those of us who don't regard "classic" as a synonym for boring; who like to change our appearances in small yet wickedly effective increments; and who enjoy nothing more than focusing on sharp, economical purchases while ignoring all nonsense trends strewn in our paths.
This, in other words, is the season that will sort the women from the girls.
It's a pity that it's taken such a terrible dive in the economy to lasso most designers back from their stampede into frivolity and force them to produce more useful, serious content. But having to imagine what would appeal this season while we were back in the first twinges of the sub-prime crisis has done them the power of good.
So what we're seeing on the rails now is measured, grown-up, curvaceous, functionally considered design - with the odd invigorating flash of something different. Which is what proves a designer's worth in the first place, I'd say.
That tiny "now" imperative - the slit of the skirt just so, the height of the boot, the way to wear the hair or carry the bag - is, of course, what keeps us entranced with fashion, rather than mere clothes. And this season, those details carry real weight - so it makes sense to do a bit of homework before rushing to purchase.
You might just have the damn thing in your wardrobe or jewellery box already. Or you could make something look right with just the smallest tweak - thus concentrating your money on a couple of really new, ideally multipurpose possessions that will lift your whole look.
P IS FOR…
Studying autumn's looks requires learning - or re-learning - some fashion terms; many of which happen to begin with a P.
Parure: a jewellery set comprised of a matching necklace and cuffs - the perfect thing to spark up a plain dress or top. But never with earrings.
Pointy stilettos: these are what make curvy dresses look new. And they're an elegant step away from the recent stompin' orthopaedics.
Pencil skirts: a critical drop in the hemline to two inches below the knee has taken place; a crucial difference to last year's thigh-flashing skirts and dresses. You can wear boots with this look, but the pointy shoe tweaks the hip-hugging narrow skirt (perhaps part of a dress) to a stunningly sexy Fifties silhouette.
Peacoats: these double-breasted jackets are timeless, transitional pieces to wear through the seasons. They complement the new, long-line dresses and wide or skinny trousers, and they do casual with jeans.
Peg-tops: these pleat-front trousers are at their most extreme in the Eighties', banana-shaped versions. In others, they are simple slouch pants.
Peplum: a panel that juts out at the hip on a nipped-waist jacket or dress. The doublet-like detail of the jacket is part of the cool goth sub-theme; on a dress, it becomes a minimal "pannier" (a side hoop).
telegraph.co.uk
Last Updated: 12:01am BST 20/08/2008
Designers have taken the economic climate to heart, and grown-up, functional - but certainly not dull - clothes are the inspiring result, says Sarah Mower
I always find there's something bracing about the arrival of a little austerity in fashion. It's good for reductionists, the sensible and the grown-up - all of which I admit to being, at the risk of sounding dull. But ha! This autumn, we're anything but.
P is for: Peacoats, which were shown on the a/w catwalks of Bottega VenetaThe season we're contemplating looks like a veritable field day for those of us who don't regard "classic" as a synonym for boring; who like to change our appearances in small yet wickedly effective increments; and who enjoy nothing more than focusing on sharp, economical purchases while ignoring all nonsense trends strewn in our paths.
This, in other words, is the season that will sort the women from the girls.
It's a pity that it's taken such a terrible dive in the economy to lasso most designers back from their stampede into frivolity and force them to produce more useful, serious content. But having to imagine what would appeal this season while we were back in the first twinges of the sub-prime crisis has done them the power of good.
So what we're seeing on the rails now is measured, grown-up, curvaceous, functionally considered design - with the odd invigorating flash of something different. Which is what proves a designer's worth in the first place, I'd say.
That tiny "now" imperative - the slit of the skirt just so, the height of the boot, the way to wear the hair or carry the bag - is, of course, what keeps us entranced with fashion, rather than mere clothes. And this season, those details carry real weight - so it makes sense to do a bit of homework before rushing to purchase.
You might just have the damn thing in your wardrobe or jewellery box already. Or you could make something look right with just the smallest tweak - thus concentrating your money on a couple of really new, ideally multipurpose possessions that will lift your whole look.
P IS FOR…
Studying autumn's looks requires learning - or re-learning - some fashion terms; many of which happen to begin with a P.
Parure: a jewellery set comprised of a matching necklace and cuffs - the perfect thing to spark up a plain dress or top. But never with earrings.
Pointy stilettos: these are what make curvy dresses look new. And they're an elegant step away from the recent stompin' orthopaedics.
Pencil skirts: a critical drop in the hemline to two inches below the knee has taken place; a crucial difference to last year's thigh-flashing skirts and dresses. You can wear boots with this look, but the pointy shoe tweaks the hip-hugging narrow skirt (perhaps part of a dress) to a stunningly sexy Fifties silhouette.
Peacoats: these double-breasted jackets are timeless, transitional pieces to wear through the seasons. They complement the new, long-line dresses and wide or skinny trousers, and they do casual with jeans.
Peg-tops: these pleat-front trousers are at their most extreme in the Eighties', banana-shaped versions. In others, they are simple slouch pants.
Peplum: a panel that juts out at the hip on a nipped-waist jacket or dress. The doublet-like detail of the jacket is part of the cool goth sub-theme; on a dress, it becomes a minimal "pannier" (a side hoop).
telegraph.co.uk
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black polyester/viscose dress, £85, French Connection; 0844 557 3285
