The Scottish Mail on Sunday - You
Why I’ll never tackle the rugby shirt trend
To look perfectly spring-fresh, style this cropped sage-green jacket with a pair of high-waisted trousers and ballet flats.
On the face of it, the trend towards sportswear as daywear should be easy-peasy to follow – who hasn’t got their favourite tracksuit bottoms, after all? If I’m feeling particularly laissez-faire on a Saturday morning I can rock a hoodie inside a blazer, or add a pair of green- or brown-striped Adidas Gazelle trainers (I’m quite a fan of these, not Sambas – see page 11).
I wear tailored trousers with a side stripe – they look ever so chic with a crisp white shirt. I have even stepped out of my comfort zone in white stiff-cotton tracksuit bottoms, paired with a black blazer, after seeing the look at London Fashion Week.
Soon, though, I’d changed back into some real trousers. Why? I felt a bit odd – not quite myself – and thought that it was all a little underwhelming. I normally wear this kind of gear for housework, painting or exercising.
All too often I refuse to take the mental leap and accept sporty as serious clothing. (Which would be a disaster if I lived in the US, where leggings and a hoodie are the daily uniform of choice, accessorised with a takeaway coffee or fresh juice.) Because I just can’t understand the person who chooses to wear gym gear all day but never goes to the actual gym.
This season, the sports-luxe trend has taken an even more sinister style twist: the rugby shirt has been proclaimed the It-top. Some fashionistas expect it to take over from the everyday breton top. Now that’s pushing it for me. However, as a fashion journalist, one needs to do research before casting aspersions. So I took myself off to see green- and blue-striped versions being styled by beautiful young catwalk models and… I thought they looked pretty awful on them. Therefore a 40-plus woman is just going to look ridiculous. No matter what I style it with, a rugby shirt simply isn’t going to make me look cool – more like a superfan wearing her team colours to work.
But, joyfully, there are a few other trends worth engaging with this spring:
The cropped jacket is having a moment – extremely versatile and brilliantly stylish with high-waisted skirts and trousers.
When it comes to jackets and bags, suede is one of the hottest materials.
Cargo trousers (see page 5) are joined by cargo midi and maxi skirts. Opt for one in a heavy cotton for a more chic look.