HOW TO DRESS LIKE A GROWN UP
Attention! Military chic to ease you into autumn
SooNEr rather than later, High Street stores will begin touting ‘transitional’ clothing. I find this concept about as enticing as a child finds a ‘Back to School’ range in that it heralds an event which holds no allure for me.
In fact, not only does ‘transitional’ feel all gloomy and here-comeswinter, it also doesn’t make any fashion sense.
First, no one buys new clothes to wear for just a few weeks and, second, on the basis of our capricious weather, the current temperatures could easily last until the January sales.
A far cleverer tack to take at this time of year is to pick out something you can wear now, but which will last long-term. Ideally, for years.
Not so much transitional as universal — and my advice is to make that a lightweight jacket in military khaki.
You may have noticed that there’s an awful lot of military inspiration about.
This summer practically every stylish person I know seems to own a three-quarter-length Army green jacket of some description.
So what makes a greenish coat, slightly on the oversized side, so appealing? In short, — versatility.
I spotted a vast array among the tents and hay bales of Cornwall’s Port Eliot music and arts festival, yet I’ve seen them in the city, too.
They look good over Breton stripes and polo-necks. They work with neon yellow, acid green and faded pink T-shirts and sweatshirts.
They can even look right slipped over this summer’s floral dresses. The khaki coat is also perfect for travelling and can be scrunched up in a bag or shoved into an overhead locker without fear of ruin.
FurTHErMorE, khaki is a suprisingly flattering shade. Neutral enough to work as a backdrop in place of black or grey yet statement enough to be the only colour you need in an outfit.
Neither should you worry about it being too ‘trendy’. While khaki may once have been the preserve of teenagers who shopped in Army surplus stores, it has definitely passed into the mainstream as a bona fide classic.
Back in June when the American designers Creatures of the Wind came to show in London their six floralembroidered Army park as they had everyone talking. The designers told me that the jackets were store-bought Army surplus, to which they’d added flower patterns copied from 16th and 17th century botanical drawings of roses, peonies, daisies, hydrangeas and primroses. The High Street, too, has run with the idea of a military influence subtly manipulated to make it prettier and more feminine.
H&M’s parka with hood (£29.99, hm.com) uses a silky, lightweight fabric while their khaki cargo jacket (£39.99) has embroidery over the shoulders and pretty tassels at the back.
Topshop’s bomber duster coat (£85, topshop.com) is sleek and a deeply flattering midshin length.
In short, the only way you could get this look wrong would be to be too literal about it. So unless you’re planning to sally forth in jackboots and a tin hat, then go ahead and wear khaki your way.
I like the idea of the utilitarian contrasted with the pretty and am planning to update an old Army jacket with some iron-on patches of ferns, poppies and daisies.
However you make this look work for you, I promise you’ll be looking at your khaki jacket in August 2017 and being mighty pleased you bought it.
If it’s a bit frayed of cuff and wash-softened by then, so much the better. In fact, it’s an advantage. An apparent patina of age simply says: ‘What this old thing? Just right for now? I hadn’t noticed.’