God I’m hungry. On the count-down to bikini-gate, and that one thought keeps dancing around in my brain waving beef burgers and two chocolate fingers at me.
Despite the crop tops and the very short shorts the shops are taunting me with, there is at least there is one summer trend that mercifully requires you to cover up.
Panamas. It’s a garment with a lot of history, one that’s practical and that can rightfully claim to be a fashion classic. Yes, I’m about to parade those two words out again, sorry- the city pages have their credit crunch, but we fashion writers have ‘investment purchasing’. For the Panama, that’s certainly true.
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Love them or hate them, shorts show no sign of going away and while they send the fear of dread into lots of women, there is a style to suit all shapes and sizes.
If you have never-ending pins, you can pull off most looks but try to make the most of your assets by purchasing some denim hotpants, in the style of Kate Moss. However, beware of wearing them with high heels - flat gladiator sandals look best - and always cover up your chest to avoid flashing too much skin.
Shorts have always been seen as quite casual but teamed with a blazer or cardigan, they look smart and can even be worn to the office provided they are well tailored and not too short.
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So you may usually be on the defensive when told to to zip it - but this summer, it’s a style directive you’ll definitely want to follow. Yes, it’s time to put a zip in it and channel Siouxsie Sioux circa 1977. Zippers are popping up in some pretty unexpected places, and the effect is a tough-chic look almost anyone looks good in. Who’d have though that the humble fastening could this much of a stir?
When edgy punks stormed the catwalks of Spring/Summer ‘09 the key feature on almost every piece was the zip. A slew of celebrity hipsters have embraced the look zipping up in tailored looks with chunky fasteners.
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As we are all by now well aware, the eighties made a colossal comeback on the catwalks for spring/summer 09. But it is one microtrend in particular that captured the hearts of the fashion flock and A-listers alike. Yes, you guessed it: Body con. Short for “body conscious”, this refers to clothing that does exactly what it says on the tin: anything from skintight mini-dresses and mini-skirts, to tight high-waisted leggings and trousers and basically any other garment that makes you, as the name suggests, very conscious of your body - conscious in the sense that you may have missed those body pump gym classes and well now can’t quite eat lunch without busting a seam.
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Moving on from the sombre and dramatic runway looks of last year, designers are opting for a more innovative, daring and colourful palette this season. It should come as no surprise therefore, given the “dare to wear” nature of the season, that the 1980’s is yet again ripe for revival. Designers such as Danielle Scutt went for a trashy and flashy 80s look, and Topshop Unique’s collection looks like it has jumped straight from the set of a Bananarama video with its shoulder pads, boxy tailoring, denim jumpsuits, and candy-coloured motifs.
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Ever since the punk scene was thrown open to tattooed Vice-readers, the emerging metal revival has bubbled up into mainstream and high fashion. This time around, punk comes to subvert long-standing garments like the school blazer and the military jacket with studding and shredding work. Taking cues from Givenchy’s new all-black, chain strewn direction, the leathery wardrobes of models Alice Dellal, Elisa Cummings and Erin Wasson, and the sudden flashes of grit and silver on the runways of Balmain and in the windows of Topshop, it comes as no surprise, therefore, that DIY studding is on the rise. While hardware was once the domain of the Sex Pistols and their Camden Town punks, this season has seen Burberry, Wang, McQueen, Cavalli and Rodarte embellish lashings of leather and lace with gromets, spikes, conical and pyramid studs.
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Move over Dame Shirley Bassey! Fringing has gone beyond curtain trimmings and upholstery, surfacing in a myriad of chic guises on this season’s runways. Yes, this season, fringes are growing on anything and everything: dangling from the hems of skirts, jackets and dresses, embellishing evening gowns and footwear, even trimming bikinis. The burgeoning trend was prominent everywhere on the spring/summer 2009 runways from Alexander McQueen to Alberta Ferretti and Emma Cook to Elie Saab. Come autumn, the trend will still be going strong with designers, including Gucci and Anna Sui, embracing it as part of the folk look. Fringing has now captured the imagination of the British high street as the must-have finishing touch with retailers such as Topshop, Dorothy Perkins, and ASOS all embracing the trend with items that belie their price. Even the A-listers are in on the act, with stars such as Mischa Barton and the Olsen twins inhabiting a West that is sleek rather than wild.
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Convenient (step in, zip up, and go!) and inconvenient (best to have a friend for trips to the bathroom) in equal parts, the jumpsuit is back on our fashion radar. Yes, while we once thought that it took a strongly fashion-forward woman to wear a jumpsuit, it’s now clear that it just takes a smart one. With even the most fervent romper-hater reconsidering their stance, why not bring out your bold side this season with the jumpsuit?
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It’s the naked truth: Birthday suit dressing is officially in vogue. If you’re the colour-shy type and usually live in black during the winter months, this new nude trend is your refreshing spring tonic. This season’s look of sheer romanticism went hand in hand with nude tones. Subtlety was a signature look on the spring/summer ’09 runways, with a set of styles that showcased soft flesh-tone hues and pale and earthy neutrals. Feminine and delicate nude tones in honeydew, blush, sand, camel, coffee or cream are an alluring and sensuous trend this season – and all ooze sophistication. Everyone from Prada and Preen to Derek Lam and Lanvin embraced flesh-toned ensembles and second skin dresses. So, this season, give a nod to the nudes and embrace fashion’s softer side in tones of café au lait.
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9. June 2009
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