How to dress now? Follow Chanel’s code

FOR WHAT MIGHT be the closing chapter of its virtual show book, Chanel travelled south to Carrières de Lumières, a former quarry in Les Baux-de-provence, to stage its latest cruise collection. Virginie Viard was inspired by 1960’s Testament Of Orpheus, a Jean Cocteau film where, in one scene, a man with a black horse’s head descends into the white surroundings of Carrières de Lumières. This contrast in colour was her starting point. ‘The simplicity, the precision and the poetry of Cocteau’s film made me want to create a very clean collection, with a very distinct two-tone, made up of bright white and deep black,’ said Virginie. What followed was a collection filled with ideas to inspire the way we dress now.

THE NEW TROUSER SUIT

As offices reopen, the trouser suit is set to regain its status as the ultimate work uniform. But according to Chanel, there’s a fresh silhouette in town, and what it involves is a rebalancing act of sorts. Your tuxedo blazer should be on the shrunken side, while your trousers should be both highwaisted and wide-legged. If we could borrow this exact version, that would be grand.

FISHNETS ARE BACK

First Lady Jill Biden was raked over the coals by conservatives for her fishnet tights (which weren’t, in fact, fishnets, just patterned hosiery). But if she was looking for a fashion backer, she should have got in touch with Virginie. Almost every model wore a pair of black or white fishnets with cropped tailoring and feathered party dresses, giving each outfit a kind of ’80s vibe made complete with giant chain-link earrings and metallic Mary-janes. ‘Echoing the extreme modernity of Cocteau’s film, I wanted something quite rock,’ said Virginie.

DIG OUT YOUR HAIR ACCESSORIES

The fascinator is back, thanks to Virginie. In addition to sending models out in pearl hair slides (ever popular right now), she gave them feathered clips that looked very much like an elevated version of the organza flower you had to wear as a teenage bridesmaid. She also respun the prom queen corsage as a delicate petal ring.

WELCOME BACK THE TUBE TOP

We’ve been predicting this for a while, but Chanel has cemented the return of the tube top. Kendall Jenner has already been spotted wearing minimalist versions of the wardrobe staple made famous by Carrie Bradshaw. Virginie showed them with prim pencil skirts and layers of pearls.

AND FINALLY, THE KAFTAN DRESS

Consider it 2021’s answer to the ‘nap dress’ that dominated last year. At Chanel, it was long and languid – perfect for a summer of beach travel (on the green list, of course).