GRUNGE IS ALL GROWN UP...

FROM THE CATWALK TO YOUR WARDROBE… GRACE CAHILL ON THE FASHION FIXES THAT WORK IN THE REAL WORLD

Let’s talk about one of this season’s edgier trends: to paraphrase designer and long-time advocate of grunge Marc Jacobs, it’s a hippied romantic version of punk. The antithesis to glamour, it’s a sort of sweet disorder in one’s clothes. Like me, you probably think of Kate Moss, Courtney Love or Drew Barrymore circa Poison Ivy. I could hazard a guess that if you were teenager when Nirvana or Pearl Jam were at their peak then it’s a look that might make you smile with nostalgia, but it probably won’t inspire you to channel dodgycoloured Doc Marten boots, distressed plaid and/or safety pins ever again. Once the sartorial stuff of angsty, anti-establishment teens, it still makes me think of 1990s charity shop staples and yet here I am waxing lyrical on autumn/winter’s far chicer, grown-up version.

To be honest I’m as baffled as you – but that’s fashion for you, always teetering on the past for new inspiration. Elements of the look have been bubbling among designer collections for the last few seasons. Hedi Slimane kick-started a significant revival with his mashups of sloppy cardigans, plaid shirts and sparkly dresses accessorised with fishnets and biker boots during his rein at Yves Saint Laurent; while in November last year, Jacobs himself recreated his infamous 1992 collection for Perry Ellis that he subsequently got fired for after sending supermodels Naomi Campbell and Helena Christensen out in flannel shirts and beanie hats.

But it’s this season’s romantic, ladylike take on grit that has changed everything. Take Maria Grazia Chiuri’s check blanketshawls and plaid jackets slung over sleek leather skirts at Dior, Miuccia Prada’s combat boots teamed with black kick-hem lace dresses or Sarah Burton’s sleek studded leather trench coats with choker necklaces and embellished boots at Alexander McQueen. On the high street, both Whistles and Joseph have taken elements of grunge and re-imagined them in slick parkas and coats in buttery colours that grown-up women can wear to the office rather than with tangled hair at a music gig. At Zara, & Other Stories and H&M, and brands like Maje in Brown Thomas, slinky slip dresses in bias cuts, plaids, checks, chunky boots and oversized ponchos and jackets and are all filtering though collections in a blend of camouflage and metallic mixed with luxurious cashmere.

Often it’s about injecting a single element and contrasting it with a sharper slice of tailoring to make the trend feel polished and contemporary. There is nothing wrong with a little undoneness but remember there is a fine line between imperfect and sloppy. Think softly structured check trouser suits with brogues, a silky bias-cut skirt and a lace-up boot teamed with a fitted longline blazer or a pair of bad-ass embellished biker boots (Kurt Geiger and Zara both have similar iterations to Prada’s this season) juxtaposed with a floaty midi dress and slouchy tartan sweater.

Remember modern grunge is about a subtle glow, a touch of rebellious romance and gritty low-key glamour (the best kind).

THIS SEASON’S ROMANTIC, LADYLIKE TAKE ON GRIT HAS CHANGED EVERYTHING