WIN THE NEW STYLE WARS
As Sam Cam says women should be ‘weaponising’ their wardrobes . . .
HOW do you weaponise your wardrobe? That has been the question on every woman’s lips this week, after Samantha Cameron shared her tips for deploying fashion to maximum effect with the readers of a Sunday newspaper. ‘It is easy to be jealous of men, who can just get up every day and put on a uniform,’ she writes. ‘But at the same time, men don’t have as much room to weaponise their wardrobe as women do — we have colour, pattern and shapes at our disposal. How we dress can have a real impact in a situation.’
She goes on to praise the style choices of Michelle Obama and Theresa May and shares some of the drawbacks of being a ‘woman on the world stage’, including the time she had to ‘ wrestle a bra off some poor member of Dave’s team’ and her paranoia that people might be able to see her cellulite.
She talks about military- style planning. Travelling to the u.S. on official business, her ‘people’ had to contact Obama’s ‘people’ to make sure there were no clashes. Imagine that: style Armageddon. No wonder Isabel Spearman, Samantha’s aide at No 10, was awarded an OBE in David Cameron’s resignation honours.
Samantha always had a pretty decent sense of style. In Downing Street she simply took it to another level, creating a defined look and using her expertise and public platform to create and launch her own clothing line, Cefinn, this February.
Powerful women have always used fashion as a means of asserting themselves. From Princess Diana’s ‘revenge dress’ to Hillary Clinton’s look-at-meI’m-a- serious-politician trouser suits via pretty much every memorable woman ever, clothes have long been one of the most effective forms of nonverbal communication — one available to the half of the human race which has all too often been denied a voice.
ANDas we’ve seen time and again, the right outfit can transform a woman’s career prospects —whatever her ambition. Think of Liz Hurley and her safety pin dress. Look at Theresa May, lately transformed from Home Counties humdrum into fashion thoroughbred. She now deploys her sartorial arsenal to great effect, be it a flash of yellow on a victory coat or the sharpest of mourning suits to denounce acts of terror on the steps of No 10.
Of course in feminist circles it used to be considered impossibly patronising to comment on a woman’s attire — in some quarters it still is. But as more and more women take on high-profile roles in an increasingly visual environment, fashion and feminism cannot but meet half-way.
Women are reclaiming previously sexist items of clothing and deploying them for their own ends. The high heel, once a symbol of male oppression, is now a way for women to intimidate and dominate in the boardroom. The same is true of bodycon dresses and sleeveless tops that serve to show off rock-hard upper arms and meticulously honed abs.
For those of us who have little or no interest in fashion, all this can be very tiring. If my wardrobe were a weapon, it would probably be one of those very old, rusty World War II bombs that sometimes turn up in people’s back gardens. Out of date and largely inoffensive, but occasionally disastrous.
Although by no means a ‘woman on the world stage’ I am occasionally required to scrub up for this or that TV or public appearance. My strategy is not so much one of weaponisation as seeking to fight an effective rearguard action. I can’t pretend I’m always victorious; but I do have one or two sure-fire suggestions . . .
SARAH’S STYLE TIPS
1 Concerning shapewear. Don’t. We all love it, or at least the idea of it. But the fat has to go somewhere. And unless you never sweat and never eat ( in which case you don’t need shapewear in the first place), you will end up hot, uncomfortable and possibly with a third boob.
2 Buy the correct size. There’s no shame in being a bit overweight. What is a shame, however, is being photographed in something too small. It doesn’t matter how much you love it, or how fashionable the designer is, you’ll look like a sausage.
3 TRUST in an old friend. Every woman has something in her wardrobe that may not be the latest thing, but which works and makes her feel great. Far better to wear that for the 900th time than something bought for the sake of it. Confidence is nine-tenths of the battle.
4 ACCESSORIES are your friends. Sam Cam wore expensive belts over inexpensive dresses, and it made all the difference. get a good handbag, a couple of silk scarves and some eye-catching jewellery. you can turn any old rag into a triumph.
5 WEAR things that behave themselves. I remember Cherie Blair being photographed in some diaphanous ensemble that probably looked wonderful in the shop but when exposed to the elements made her look like a galleon in full sail. Avoid jackets that flap open, buttons that come undone, skirts that fly apart and heels that get caught in drains.
6 Try to avoid black. I have looked my worst in photos when wearing black. In my head it looks slimming and sophisticated. In reality it looks drab and draining.
7 HAVE as few moving parts as possible. Nothing that dangles, jangles or can catch in a car door. They look sloppy and scatty.
8 INVEST in a smart, threequarter length jacket. They serve a multitude of purposes and are great when you need to look instantly smart. I have one I bought from gerard Darel in a sale years ago. It never fails me.
9 DON’T be afraid to show character. A flash of individuality creates interest and shows you own your look. It’s nice to have a bit of story to an outfit — if nothing else, it can provide a talking point in an awkward situation. Try a pair of vintage earrings, a cocktail ring, or a beautiful print.
10 WEAR comfy shoes. you can’t conquer the world if you’re thinking about how much your feet hurt.