Easy chic The look that says ‘I’m not trying too hard’
Dressing down on occasions where you probably should be dressing up has been a fashion tactic among the It-girl set for years now – and you can probably blame one woman for its diffusion into our everyday lives: Céline’s creative director Phoebe Philo.
The fashion designer prompted a revival of Adidas’s Stan Smith trainers when she wore them with a tailored pair of black trousers and chic sweater to take a bow after her autumn 2011 show. The street stylers quickly copied the look and it’s since been a go-to “I’m not trying too hard” look for everyone from Victoria Beckham to Cara Delevingne in the past few years.
As going out for dinner at a restaurant has become a more frequent, less “special” occasion, it’s no surprise that fewer than 25 per cent of us now get dressed up for dinner and trainers have become a key part of the new “easy elegant” look. bought trainers than high-heeled shoes for the first time over the past year. It follows celebrities such as Victoria Beckham hanging up her Christian Louboutin stilettos for trainers, after suffering back pain caused by years of wearing high heels. Chloe Cooper, of John Lewis, said: “Trainers are now a must-have wardrobe item. We have seen extremely high demand for own brand and branded trainers which customers are matching with formal outfits, particularly tailored trousers.” And perhaps, with one in five meals now eaten outside the home, dining out is no longer worth getting dressed up for. Editorial Comment: Page 17