Break the rules – and make more of your wardrobe
Iwore a long, neon-pink silk dress with an actual train to breakfast last week. I know. As Dame Maggie Smith in full Lady Violet mode might say: “What’s breakfast?”
It was hosted by the mother and daughter duo behind the lovely new dress label Bernadette. In regards to sartorial rules, all bets were off. Even so, a train seemed a bit full-on for the Tube, but since it’s the only Bernadette dress I own, I tied the train around my waist, popped on a navy jumper and – because it was bucketing down – added biker boots. Hey presto, it became a midi-skirt with a jumper, albeit an exceptionally zingy one – and turns out they actually designed it to be worn two ways.
Versatility is fashion’s renewable new energy. “If you can demonstrate to customers that items can be worn in genuinely different ways that make them multi-purpose and multi-mood then you’re on to a winner,” says Clare Hornby, founder of Me+em, which specialises in flexible options.
Being a label that prides itself on pragmatic style, rather than the more idiosyncratic variety that fashion industry types pride themselves on, Me+em hasn’t gone as far as dresses with trains yet, but it has done well with pleated maxi-skirts with sheer panels that would once have been classified as strictly evening, but which many customers are now happy to wear during the day with trainers.
Of course they are. Maxis used to be a bit hippy/boho, but now seem perfectly effective in the office, especially if you pair them with a smart jumper or blazer.
Rule-busting and genrecrossing have become key components in keeping fresh and youthful. That doesn’t mean jettisoning your carefully cultivated “look” in favour of anarchy and eccentricity – unless you want to. I felt comfortable in neon pink because I also wore one of my trusty navy jumpers. I turned an evening dress into a gorgeous smart skirt and classy knit outfit – and the number of appreciative comments that neon pink drew on a rainsodden day was instructive. That’s another rule busted
– nothing in nature dictates your outfit must match the sky. Here are some rules worth flouting:
Dress for the weather
In terms of warmth, definitely. But don’t surrender to rain and draughts in terms of palette or spirit. White and off the shoulder when it’s 10 degrees? If it works for the Duchess of Cambridge, below… ( just don’t forget a coat). As for that lovely dress you’d planned for Ascot – invest in the right thermals and you’ll be fine.
No leggings, except in the gym
Why waste such useful underpinning? If you’ve been tempted by the kimono trend (a versatile piece that can be worn as a coat, dress or hybrid of the two), but worry about staging your very own Basic
Instinct moment, leggings are the answer. They’ll unlock all kinds of hitherto closedoff categories: skirts with long splits, wrap dresses that are on the skimpy side. Opt for sleek black, or colour coordinate them with your dress or shoes and this can work at even the smartest event.
Prom skirts look twee if you’re over 50
Maybe that’s true if you wear them with kitten heels, but try trainers and a T-shirt and that won’t be a problem. If you’re heading somewhere dressed up, swap in a jacket and heels that could never be described as cute.
Neon brights are limiting
Not if the rest of your wardrobe is a sea of neutrals. A token bright can be a life-raft of cheer and rekindle your tried but tired safety settings.
Save Sunday Best for Sunday
Wanting to keep things special is deeply ingrained in generations of Brits – but that often means they almost never get worn. If you have a beautiful print skirt, dress or trousers, it seems a shame not to squeeze maximum pleasure out of it. Take Next’s lovely silk pyjama pants (far right) – wear them at parties with the matching top. For day, a T-shirt is more realistic – you never want to look as though you’re in fancy dress. As a rule, for casual occasions or the office, stick to one “special” piece.
No denim at weddings
Yes. But, then again… if the denim’s as dainty as MIH jeans, worn with satin mules and a posh blouse… and if the wedding’s on the laid-back side, why not? This is highly personal territory. A relaxed approach could be more youthful and flattering.