What’s making me purr right now
I think cats are winning in this life. That might seem like an odd opening sentence for a fashion column but bear with me.
If you scroll through social media reels these days, it’s predominantly cats acting cute, getting one over on a dopey dog or cuddling up to sleep with their BFF – the family pooch or rabbit (I’ve even seen a parrot). Hell, some cats on Instagram are practically talking now. I kid you not.
Racking up millions of views and reams of positive comments, cats can do no wrong. As the owner of two – Herbie and Audrey, since you ask – I sometimes wonder whether I should turn my Instagram account over to them and be done with it. Because the weird thing is that while everyone is revering cats, humans are just getting meaner and meaner to each other.
The comments under so many reels – ones with humans just doing human things – now verge on the absolutely vile. But, of course, nobody from Instagram or TikTok bothers to rein it in. It’s a free-for-all, a big playground for bullies. And everyone is incredibly angry, all of the time. Mothers who share their daily routines, getting up early to have some me-time before the school run, attract special abuse.
Naturally, celebrities are getting roasted, too, with nothing about their looks or appearance out of bounds. Gwyneth Paltrow’s revelation that she enjoys bone broth for lunch sent everyone into a furious tailspin. Ditto Jennifer Aniston’s face fillers – did she, didn’t she? Nepo babies – AKA the successful offspring of the rich and famous – are another favourite new target. There are no lows people won’t sink to.
Personally, I find it terrifying that we suddenly live in a world
Safari jackets are having a revival and look ever so stylish for spring
where it’s apparently acceptable to openly abuse one another without consequence.
Meanwhile, back in cat land, everyone is a hero. And in that spirit, my outfit this week is inspired by big cats. I’m thrilled that safari jackets are having a revival – structured, with lots of pockets, they look ever so stylish for spring. I like to team one with my favourite gold jewellery and cream or white trousers and jeans. They also look excellent open over this season’s new maxi denim skirt.
As its name suggests, the safari jacket was intended for use in the African bush, with the term first cropping up in the mid-1930s. But its roots lie in the khaki cotton drill uniforms of the British Army, introduced in 1900 when troops were stationed in South Africa during the Second Boer War.
And these days on social media, it certainly feels like we all need some combat gear.