Stomp into New Year in a power platform!
EVerY now and then, I have a fashion-snap moment with my twenty-something step-daughter.
Once it was an & Other Stories corduroy blazer we’d both bought without the other knowing.
Another time it was Swedish Hasbeens sandals (she may have got those slightly first).
Suffice to say, the snaps are rare and thrilling for me. Apart from the joy of knowing you own something that someone young and fashionsavvy wants to wear, the clothes she buys work. She’s not one of life’s magpie shoppers. If we’re on the same page, then that means I’m onto a Good Thing — a just-what-you-need-to-move-your-wardrobe-on thing.
So, you can imagine my delight when she mentioned she envied some boots a friend had bought, and I’d just tried on those same faux snakeskin platform ankle boots (£270, miista.com). I was punching the air. Not only was that those boots green-lighted, but platforms, too.
If you love platforms, and I do (I’m coming on to why), it’s reassuring to get approval from the generation that doesn’t automatically go into a Ziggy Stardust swoon at the sight of them.
Platforms crop up every now and then, and they’re not always a good idea for those of us who remember them the first time around. They can be tacky and ugly, and the wrong ones will put a hex on a party dress and make you 7ft tall.
But now there are plenty out there that are glamorous without being too overtly glam rock or Spearmint rhino.
THe Miista ones are a case in point. Smart, elegant, different (and cushioned for extra comfort), they’re not a retro buy, but a modern reworking of a 1970s look that feels right for now.
And these smart new platforms are everywhere. On Taylor Swift in the January issue of Vogue (green platform Gucci boots). On Sienna Miller, who was recently spotted wearing purple platform boots (they’ll be Gucci again). even in the latest Me+em catalogue — the label with everywoman clothes for real life. In several shots the model wears chunky Prada platform sandals. On the Grace Wears website (gracewears. london) Grace often wears her signature silk palazzo pants with Zara platforms, too.
The message for now — and for the new year — is that platforms can be a comfortable, practical accompaniment to your regular wardrobe.
There is a 1970s mood in fashion, but forget retro stomping glitter bands, and think leg-lengthening, foot cushioning, chic and easy. It could be an ankle boot, a regular boot, a sandal — whatever floats your boat.
Crucially, the new 2020 platform is not too high or brash, it’s just platform enough to announce that you like to keep your feet in the game.
Before we get onto where to find them, here are some reasons why platforms are a gift to all women (apart from very tall ones), just in case you can’t get the image of Noddy Holder out of your head …
1. They elevate plain or demure outfits into something quirkier and more interesting.
2. They elevate you. They add inches and make wearing a heel much more manageable.
3. They are the comfiest way to wear heels and, since you’re raised above the ground, comfy, full stop.
4. They introduce a note of fun. You don’t expect a platform on a grown-up at the cusp of 2020, and that’s what makes them a good investment.
5. You can wear them with everything. Your this-old-thing dress. A smorgasbord of dandy clothes. Jeans. Palazzo pants. Any length of skirt. A maxi dress. You name it.
So where to go, if not to Gucci, Miu Miu, Prada, or Yves Saint laurent (who have gone mad for platforms)?
The all-rounder black suede sandal, not unlike the Prada ones featured in the Me+em catalogue, is available from & Other Stories (£85, stories.
com). Office has a closed-toe version (£69, office.co.uk).
Black works year-round, as does snake, so H&M’s snakeskin sandal (£59.99, hm.
com) or Topshop’s knee-high boots (£120, topshop.com) are sensible options.
Zara also does a grey snakeprint ankle boot (£ 49.99, zara.
com), albeit too high for most of us.
If ankle boots take your fancy, Topshop does a plain rust pair (£79, topshop.com).
On the whole, it’s better to avoid colours for versatility, but soft green is the exception, and Kate Spade’s green suede sandals (£119, katespade.
co.uk) will see you through wedding season and beyond.