Folk heroes

Darkly demure dresses and statement skirts and shoes are the main characters in this fashionable fairy tale says KATIE WRIGHT

DARK, dramatic and decorative, the fairy tale-inspired gowns that hit the AW17 catwalks at Valentino and Simone Rocha were truly breathtaking, and had us wishing summer away so we could pour ourselves into one of these gothic winter wonders.

Clearly, this is a trend that only works in the cooler months – and that’s a good thing.

Never have florals looked so melancholic but been so mood-lifting at the same time, especially since the high street has taken the opulent catwalk aesthetic and translated it into accessible clothes for everyday wear.

Folkloric fashion is as easy as one, two, three. Here’s how to get the look...

1 FOLK DRESSES

The simplest way to try the folk-inspired look is by centring your outfit around a flowing midi or maxi dress in a dark floral print or velvet, adding black tights and ankle boots for a chic daytime look.

To move the trend into evening territory, look for embroidered or lace overlay dresses and swap your boots for suede or velvet court shoes.

2 DECORATIVE SKIRTS

A decorative skirt offers a cosy way to play with the folk trend. Pair a dark embellished skirt with a cable or cashmere knit in creamy colours like oatmeal and fawn, adding tonal opaque tights and suede accessories for a rich texture clash.

3 STATEMENT BOOTS

Folkloric footwear tells its own story – whether that’s ankle boots embroidered with an enchanted forest’s worth of blooms, or super-soft over-the-knee styles, with these babies you’ll be well on the way to your happily-ever-after...

Tiered velour dress £49; Sole Diva Charlotte boots £50, both Simply Be, simplybe. co.uk Miss Selfridge Koko velvet over-theknee boots £65 Tamaris embroidered ankle boots £65, lookagain.co.uk La Redoute floral print folk dress £49; Black ankle-tie...