Charlie Gowans-eglinton The Passion Shopper
(Finally) embracing this summer’s ruffles
Thanks to the fact that British summertime usually means one or two sweltering weeks, followed by a month of disappointment, investing in a summer wardrobe can seem a waste. Which generally means that, outside of office hours, I’m either in jeans, or a beach dress. Stuck for something to wear to a smart dinner on a warm night last week, I tried on a frilled-hem skirt, without any expectation that it would actually suit me – I’d written off ruffles as milkmaid territory. Said skirt was by French label Sézane, in black silk printed with little red flowers. And – if you’ll forgive me saying so – I think it looked quite nice.
The key to it was the placement of the ruffles – on the hem, nothing sprouting from the sides or resembling a bustle. Frills all over tend to make one’s bottom (OK, my bottom) look enormous, and ruffled tiers call to mind an over-iced wedding cake. Even if you do have the tall, slight figure needed to pull them off, the best case scenario is that you’ll end up looking like a first-rate flamenco dancer, rather than an out of practice one. Certain high street stores, which will remain nameless, have gone overboard on the ruffle trend, and would have you trussed up like a Christmas tree – the neatly frilled skirt is the sartorial voice of reason.
I’m a convert. The ruffled skirt is actually very useful. I’ve worn it with a light wool jumper to the office on a cold day, and with a blouse to dinner on a warm evening. It would do on holiday for dinner al fresco, or even layered over a swimsuit at a beachside bar, and I have every intention of wearing it in winter with knee-high boots and a polo neck.
Wrap styles are particularly versatile: Marks & Spencer’s navy one also comes in a pale blue stripe, which would be lovely on holiday with flat sandals and a white cotton shirt. Slinkier fabrics, like Ganni’s satin and Whistles’s chiffon, are that little bit smarter if you’re after something for cocktail parties or an evening wedding: keep the top half simple – a black or navy silk shirt – and big earrings for balance.
You’ll notice that these are all mid-calf length, which I’d stick to: anything longer would hide your ankles and become blocky, and shorter veers dangerously close to ra-ra territory. This length also means you can wear flats without your hem trailing on the ground, though I’d prefer a stacked-heel sandal with mine.