The Scottish Mail on Sunday - You
Time to dress up again… at last!
I’m thrilled to be starting this exciting new column just as we stand on the cusp of a brighter new world. As we eagerly await the key turning on what has felt like the longest prison sentence, let’s celebrate by throwing off our joy-sapping lockdown uniforms. And let’s make a promise to each other never to mention that heinous word – loungewear – ever again. Loungewear bonfire party, anyone?
During the pandemic, fashion has had to take a back seat.
It’s hard to get too excited about dressing up for yet another trudge around the park or trip to the garden centre. But – fingers and toes crossed – that’s nearly behind us. I have to admit, just the thought of getting dressed uptogotoa restaurant or pub after months of being stuck at home is making me feel euphoric. I cannot wait to be sipping my first cocktail clutching a beloved handbag and wobbling around after being reunited with my heels. I am going to be the girl who never stays home on a Saturday night again. Lunch? Yes! Dinner? Yes! A party? I’m there, I’m there.
With the end of lockdown in sight, there really couldn’t be a better time to start a column dedicated to modern-day chic, packed with carefully curated style advice, tips and shopping picks. However, before we go any further, we need to destroy the biggest myth about chic: that it doesn’t apply to you. Many believe that if you are not anointed at birth by the chic gods – or if you are not a pouty cigarette-smoking Parisian with the latest Chanel bag – you can’t possess this magical quality.
How many of us have sat opposite a friend or acquaintance silently envious of their immaculate style? ‘God, isn’t she just so chic,’ we will say afterwards, with a resigned shrug of the shoulders.
Rather than being something easily attainable, chic is too often seen as impossibly mysterious and sadly destined only for other people. This column will show that, in fact, the opposite is true: any of us can be chic: you just need to know the secrets.
Chic is all about shape and silhouette – those special details that elevate an outfit. There are no distractions. It’s a clever style that tries to deflect attention, yet, in the very act of deflecting attention, you’re actually making people pay more attention.
Clothes have been a passion for me since I was a child. They excite me like the first time you lock eyes with someone and feel that thrill of attraction. Wearing them, feeling them, thinking about them, seeing other people in them, makes me feel utterly happy.
What you wear helps you open your front door every morning and tell the world who you are. It’s your armour to deal with whatever reality throws at us. I hope you enjoy this column as much as I will enjoy writing it.
You can follow me on Instagram @thestylistandthewardrobe
Any of us can be chic: you just need to know the secrets