Channel your inner geography teacher!
HOW TO DRESS LIKE A GROWN UP
MR LeNNON was my geography teacher. I can’t remember a thing he taught me about sedimentary layers, but I do remember his layers of winter wardrobe.
Rustic, autumnal russets, mustards and browns in a few pairs of trousers on heavy rotation.
It was straight out of the geography teacher handbook, which, since we all understand what dressing ‘like a geography teacher’ means, I have to assume exists.
Mr Lennon had a cracking sense of humour and endless patience, but style cred? Not so much.
Until now. Without warning, geography teacher chic is happening. And it’s largely thanks to the resurgence of their go-to fabric: corduroy.
Much maligned as chunky, frumpy and deeply unsexy, corduroy is enjoying fashion’s love of the ironic ‘so uncool it’s cool’ moment.
Prada was one of the autumn/ winter shows to unveil corduroy suits in a Seventies palette of muddy browns — they also turned up at Marc Jacobs and Mulberry shows, among others.
As a result, our High Street will soon be vibrating with that pleasing ‘swish swoosh’ sound that is the corduroy wearer’s cow bell.
If you ask me, it’s every bit as charmingly ‘autumn’ as running through a huge pile of crisp leaves.
THe trick to doing corduroy 2017-style and swerving any frumpy terrain is simple: add a fresh colour.
The pink trousers by Isabel Marant (£295, harveynichols.
com) are a perfect match for more wintery tones.
But if that price is making you twitch, the pink highwaisted trousers from Mango (£49.99, mango.com) are also great. There is a matching jacket but wearing them together might be taking it a bit too ‘night at the rodeo’.
To emulate the Prada vibe, the £68 flared style from American vintage-inspired brand Free People — which I’m going to go ahead and label ‘geography teacher brown’ — are a great length for trainers.
But when a trend explodes these days, it really explodes and so, of course, corduroy is popping up on everything.
Like the brilliant boots by River Island, a steal at £45
(riverisland.com). Or this season’s ‘it’ hat — a bakerboy style cap in brown cord, strikingly similar to Prada’s design (£16.95, hatsandcaps.co.uk).
And I have to hand it to Zara for its tiny corduroy bag (or, as they’re calling it at zara.com,
a minaudiere) for £29.99. If you thought corduroy couldn’t be sexy, you clearly haven’t seen its retooling in the various mini skirts dotting the High Street.
The burgundy zip-through design from Topshop (£34,
topshop.com) is born to be teamed with flat boots and something leopard print.
And check out the off-white jacket by Uniqlo (£89.90, uniqlo.com).
Besides a steaming hot bath, I can’t imagine anything more comforting to slip into on a chilly winter’s day than the soft, oversized shirt by The Cords & Co (£155, thecords.
co.uk), a label that sells only corduroy clothes.
It’s a rare treat for fashion to decide something practical is also cool, so let’s make the most of the corduroy moment. Mr Lennon, I salute you! n Jo Elvin is the editor in chief of Glamour magazine.