Who doesn’t need a classic camel coat? Still available from Jaeger in sizes 8-18 and now at an almost affordable £249 (down from £499), but probably best if you are tall.
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Kate Reardon – A Very British Entry
Despite taking pride in being an increasingly inclusive and non-judgmental society, it seems we Brits have an obsession with class – yes, still.
It’s one that the BBC has gratuitously exploited this autumn with a series of fascinating documentaries about the inner workings of The Tatler: a magazine which serves the gilded upper strata of British society and chronicles their comings-and-goings (Posh People: Inside Tatler, BBC2).
The star of this show is the polished and fresh-faced editor Kate Reardon (46) who by sleight of career gives the impression that custodianship of an iconic British magazine has just dropped in her lap while she sits on and stifles a powerhouse CV that includes a number of ‘youngest-evers’ at Conde Nast both in NY and London. A veritable broiling crucible from which to have popped out on top. Hello!
Always impeccably turned out, she makes an interesting study, Ms Reardon. If you are currently slobbing around in your jim-jams, waiting on New Year and looking for a sartorial shove I’d recommend you catch up with Kate on the iPlayer!
Break the Internet Monica Bellucci!
The best news this week – universally welcomed in our household – is that Monica Bellucci will play one of Daniel Craig’s love interests in ‘Spectre’, the next instalment in the Bond franchise.
The lovely Monica holds poll position on the Editor’s freebie list, but I’m still celebrating … because Monica is 50!
At 28 years old, the average Bond Girl is 14 years younger than the average Bond, but this time round Craig (46) will have an age-appropriate playmate, so I can’t refuse this new addition to the Role Model page!
Winter Coats
I am a big fan of Marks and Spencer. As with any long-term relationship we’ve had our ups and downs, even the odd trial separation; but I always end up coming back.
One of the reasons I like M&S is that every season they produce a handful of products which, dressed up with smart accessories and paired with higher-end product, punch well above their weight. Items that look like designer product but cost a fraction of the price.
Here is a current example (also available in petite).
Now, we don’t know each other very well yet, but I am going to have to ask you to trust me here. I know it doesn’t present brilliantly in this photo but it really is very stylish, with lovely heavy wool. It looks great undone, just hanging open. Screw up your eyes and imagine it over a black or grey turtleneck and slim pants: it looks like multiples of its £149 price tag, and it has a timeless appeal.
A bit more of-the-moment is this fabulous “ombre” black/white faux fur – it looks great in the flesh too:
And finally, how about an on-trend bottle green coat. The M&S Best of British range has this classic collarless coat:
Very cosy, especially when topped off with a warm scarf – a worthy rival for Hobbs’ coat of the season, which comes with built-in scarf:
Hooray for Helen!
Hooray for the happy news that Dame Helen Mirren is the new face of L’Oreal!
At 69 years old, she says “I am not gorgeous, I never was, but I was always OK-looking and I’m keen to stay that way.” This article in the Guardian describes her as “genuine, intelligent and glamorous, with looks that seem only to improve with the passing of time” and celebrates with a round-up of some of the other over-50s who are promoting cosmetics companies: Julianne Moore and Jane Fonda have worked with L’Oreal, Charlotte Rampling and Tilda Swinton with Nars, Susan Sarandon with Revlon, and Jessica Lange with Marc Jacobs.
Dame Helen isn’t a classic beauty but women like her make being older aspirational. Not long ago even the world’s most beautiful women found themselves becoming invisible at 40. Maybe, just maybe, the tide is finally turning.
‘In Your Prime, Older, Wiser, Happier’
Those of you who don’t venture past The Times Online paywall won’t have seen Anne Ashworth’s review of fellow columnist India Knight‘s new book, which she describes as ‘a route map for the midlifer woman’.
The book attempts to provide long overdue guidance for middle-aged women – a customer segment that has been largely overlooked by an industry which is too busy bestowing advice on their daughters. As Ashworth says, it is positively perverse that this advice dries up just when it’s needed the most.
The breadth of this advice is ambitious, covering health, exercise, beauty, families, menopause – and clothing. The only missing element, in Ashworth’s opinion, is financial guidance on pensions, savings, etc.
I have downloaded a copy and will report back in due course!
The Festive Season
Yes I know it’s tastelessly early.
I did think of playing journalistic chicken and waiting for someone else to mention it first, but one thing that growing older teaches you is that preparation is what it’s all about. (Yes I know, there’s inspiration and perspiration too…)
Only eight weeks from now we’ll be welcoming 2015, and between now and then you’re going to have to scrub up and Go Out several times. Some of my wish-list garments are already thin on the ground and, while it’s tempting to try to save some money by holding my nerve and waiting for the Pre-Christmas Sales, I know that by the time discounted product becomes an option I’ll be otherwise engaged, finding last-minute presents, and shopping for food.
So here’s my Fantasy Festive Fashion League 2014.
I do like a bit of lamé, and this gold skirt from Net-a-Porter is beautiful – a real talking point. Styled here with a black silk shirt and accessories, the skirt is clearly the HERO piece in this ensemble (see HIERARCHY on the RULES page for more on this subject).
This skirt from Coast is a mid-market alternative:
It works well with this good value silk shirt from And Other Stories, where you will also find plain, button-front silk shirts in black.
If you prefer to keep the focus up top, then Hobbs has another lamé option…
… which would look great teamed with a fitted and flared maxi skirt, for example this from Coast:
Alternatively, you could opt for palazzo pants like these bargain chiffon pants from Marks and Spencer:
These are the overall winners of this post. Made from a double layer of synthetic chiffon (opaque through the body but slightly diaphanous at the margins), they are cut well so that they lie flat, and are sensuous and fluid in movement. At £35 you really can’t go wrong. They don’t look great in the video – or in the photos! – as they are a bit short for the model, but they are available in longer lengths. I’d wear them with flats to ensure generous length and a little bit of drape.
Spend your savings on a fat belt to cinch the waist – for example this beautiful, minimal piece from Sportmax:
Hierarchy
As you know, I try to take a scientific approach to dressing, employing the Design Principles (see Rules page) when combining elements to create an outfit. This festive season I am putting the spotlight on the principle of HIERARCHY.
The rule of HIERARCHY says that the parts of an outfit should vary in dominance; the ‘hero’ (most important) item should be differentiated from the subservient (secondary and supporting) pieces.
The supporting pieces help your hero item to stand out and shine more brightly in contrast. And the result is DRAMA.
Here’s the Net-a-Porter image that inspired this thought. So inspired me, I have to confess, that this quite incredible skirt by Malene Birger is already hanging in my wardrobe.
My ankles aren’t my strongest feature (the Editor says I’m only perfect from the knees up) so I’ll be combining the skirt with last season’s Zanotti suede boots
as well as a v-neck cashmere sweater (not unlike the one pictured).
Net-a-Porter’s stylist has left their model (in the picture above) otherwise unadorned. Nothing else is permitted to compete with that glorious skirt. I’ll allow myself a little bit of Elsa Peretti for Tiffany,
or some Georg Jensen. White metal, obviously, to sit quietly with the cool grey hues.
The star in this production is the skirt; the best supporting award is shared by the jumper and the boots. They both have soft matt surfaces that provide the perfect background texture for the glitter of the sparkly sequins.
Repetition, repetition, repetition…
Today I’m excited about the Design Principle REPETITION. The reason is that I’ve found a great combination that demonstrates how the ‘whole is greater than the sum of the parts’.
Take a look at these Cos earrings (shown front, back and side)
And imagine wearing them with this Marks and Spencer coat:
They are nice earrings (Cos sells minimalist jewellery with great impact), and the coat is nice too… but when you put them together you’ll look like a really well-designed package!
It’s about creating a rhythm to your appearance: evidence of a sophisticated intelligence at play.
So, if you have a garment with an original design detail, try to combine this with other elements that repeat or reference that detail. In this case the close proximity of the two parts (by which I mean that your ears are near your neck!) and the distinct roles/provenance of the parts, reinforces the visual game you are playing.
Careless abandon can be a great look if executed with flair, but using Design Principles to style your wardrobe is generally the best strategy if you are a bit older. A young woman who is too prescriptively dressed can appear a bit staid, whereas for you and me this approach to assembling outfits results in a look that is really together and impressive – the sophisticated woman raised up to her full height!
A caveat: it is really important not to start adding in other bits of jewellery. The clear pattern of repetition will be diluted by the introduction of other items not in the same vein. Keep it simple; keep the focus is on our ‘trick’.
innermutton.com 