Country couture

According to the AW18 catwalks, boucle is back in fashion. Katie Wright checks it out

It’s fair to say that in fashion, if Alexander Wang is doing something then it’s definitely cool.

The New York Fashion Week wunderkind has such celebrity pulling power that at his AW18 show, Anna Wintour sat next to rapper du jour Cardi B while Kaia Gerber stalked the catwalk, and he’s regularly called up to create custom looks for the likes of Beyonce and Nicki Minaj.

So when Alexander Wang declares that tweed is cool again, you’d better believe it.

That’s right, the fabric traditionally beloved of country bumpkins (and, lest we forget, Madonna circa the midnoughties) has been given a stylish city makeover by Wang, who sent out hot pink tweed mini skirts and oversized black and white jackets as part of the collection.

And he’s not the only one. Oversized tweed coats were a major trend on the autumn catwalks – from monochrome at Marc Jacobs and Calvin Klein, to colourful at Prada and leather-trimmed at Miu Miu.

At London Fashion Week, Matty Bovan based his entire collection on the idea of deconstructing ‘ladylike’ style codes, which meant lot of torn and trashed tweed, but we’re not suggesting you go as far as ripping up a two-piece boucle suit (unless you really want to).

This trend is about rethinking a traditional textile and styling it in a modern way.

As seen on the catwalks, a roomy jacket is a quick win and looks cool paired with faded denim and trainers – mix sporty elements with your tweed to bring it up to date.

Take a leaf out of Wang’s book and try a tweed mini skirt or dress teamed with a roll-neck or body top – frayed detailing adds a punky edge.

For this season at least, Chanel-esque cropped jackets should take a backseat in favour of boxy, tomboyish pieces accessorised with chunky boots and studded leather bags.

And there are plenty of those on the high street. Here’s our pick of the new tweed crop...

1. Marks and Spencer Limited Edition Wool Blend Checked Coat, £99; Autograph Wool Blend Fairisle Print Turtle Neck Jumper, £59.50; Collection Mid Rise Straight Leg Cropped Jeans, £25; Collection Faux Leather Cross Body Bag, £29.50; Autograph Leather Ring Detail Loafers, £65

2. Zara Tweed Jacket with Metallic Thread, £79.99

3. Warehouse Mono Tweed Dress, £49; Black Slinky Rollneck Top, £28; (necklace and boots, stylist’s own)

4. V by Very Petite Boucle Tunic Dress, £45

5. Glamorous Black And Red Tweed Zip Front Mini Skirt, currently reduced to £19 from £27

6. Zara Tweed Jacket with Pearl Beads, £49.99

7. Dorothy Perkins Pink Boucle Shift Dress, currently reduced to £25.60 from £30

8. Kaleidoscope Tweed A-line Skirt, £35

9. Dorothy Perkins Ivory Je Taime Jumper, currently reduced to £12 from £28; Mono Boucle Mini Skirt, currently reduced to £20.80 from £26

10. Next Slant Heel Ankle Boots, £49