Folk fashion

Nail this top trend with one of these three easy-to-find pieces

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

Dark, dramatic and decorative, the fairytale-inspired gowns that hit the AW17 catwalks at Valentino and Simone Rocha were truly breathtaking, and had us wishing we could pour ourselves into one of these gothic winter wonders. Clearly this is a trend that only works in the months plagued by miserable weather – 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.

– SimplyBe Tiered Velour Dress, £49; Sole Diva Charlotte Boots, £50

– Phase Eight Maylin Embroidered Dress, £120

– La Redoute Floral Print Folk Dress, £49; Black Ankle Tie Leather Heels, £55

– Peacocks Women’s Black Floral Dress, £25

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.

– Fenn Wright Manson Petite Lulu Skirt, £104

– White Stuff Neve Skirt, £125, John Lewis

– Airfield Flared Skirt with Decorative Edging, approx £216.39

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-everafter...

– Tamaris Embroidered Ankle Boots, £65, Look Again

– Simply Be Sole Diva Callie Embroidered Boots, £40

– Miss Selfridge Koko Velvet Over the Knee Boots, £65

Clockwise from bottom left: model wears Phase Eight Maylin Dress; model wears Tiered Velour Dress and Sole Diva Charlotte Over the Knee Boots,from Simply Be; model wears La Redoute Floral Print Folk Dress; Peacocks Women’s Black Floral Dress; Airfield...