Beauty

Trend report: What to wear for AW24



Miu Miu tweed sweater

Shops are back! Cash is cool! Corporate-core is a vibe! It’s like the 2020s never happened lol. Sweats, leggings and Crocs have been demoted and tailoring and tactile tops have regained their position in the corner office for AW24. And with the global slowdown of luxury, we’re also witnessing the demise of loud logos on clothes and accessories. Instead, discreet luxury totes whisper subtle brand codes (the Toteme ‘T’!) and it’s grocery stores and ‘hypebeast snacks’ that are the new entry-level status signifiers. Oh, and high-end lipstick is the eternal ‘affordable luxury’ treat for uncertain times. Because some things never change…

1/ TWEEDY KNITS. There’s no shortage of perfect plain navy, grey, black and greige knits out there. (I know, I own most of them.) But sometimes, you want a bit more. Let’s hear it for the tweedy marl sweater, a subtle way to get colour into your wardrobe if you prefer a melange to a ‘pop’! At the top end: Miu Miu’s upcycled sweaters* (top), this cosy blue Hauren cashmere sweater* from The Row, and Frame’s pastel striped ‘brushed tweed’*. Or more affordable, this asymmetric knit from COS* (below). Alternatively, for a bolder colour statement, I love this delicious leaf green Donegal wool sweater from Toast menswear* (below) or this hand-dyed marmalade marl from Toast womenswear* (below).
COS marl chunky handknit
Toast green men's Donegal sweater
Toast hand dyed marl sweater


2/ PIERPOINT CHIC.
I’m wayyyy late to the ‘Industry’ party and boy, has it been a ride. I’m up to the season three finale but can’t quite bring myself to go in… Anyway, apparently the show has been getting attention for its corpcore styling; think Yas’s silk shirts (below), Harper’s quiet luxe tailoring and Eric’s suave Brioni suits. The interview with Industry’s writers and costume designer on Fashion People is worth a listen. My take? Joseph shirts*, Carven tailoring, crease-front pants from Arket* (below) and slim-fit merino knits from Theory*.
Yasmin Industry style Marisa Abela
Arket crease front trousers


3/ HOSPITALITY MERCH.
Bloomberg recently reported that hotel tote bags are the new bookshop totes, while fashion brands are collaborating with hotels on pyjamas, eye masks and caps as a flex and nostalgic souvenir. Personally, I’m more about the classics – vintage coasters and ashtrays from The Ritz* or Cafe de Flore* available from Chairish. And on the news that 80s triple-A-list hangout Tramp has reopened, I’ve just dusted off my 2000 NYE Tramp commemorative ashtray.
Sporty & Rich x Le Bristol hospitality merch trend 2024
Cafe De Flore merch


4/ COLOUR COMBOS.
Pink and green – not the most autumnal palette but maybe that’s why I like it. It’s a combo I’ve always loved but Prada reignited the flame with its menswear twinset of pea soup green and Pepto Bismol* (below), while Dries did as only Dries can in coral pink and oversize green checks* (below). More subdued, dark brown and blue suddenly seem fresh together, thanks mostly to Tods*, whose overlong tobacco trousers* and double-shirt styling were a favourite runway look and Toteme, whose voluminous cotton poplin shirt* is the perfect shade of cornflower blue. On the knitwear front, Studio Nicholson’s beautifully-proportioned Molve cable knit in espresso is a more sophisticated partner to blue jeans than black or navy.

I’m forever fantasising about cream and white layers. This lends itself to different weights and textures as demonstrated by 3.1 Phillip Lim (below), Hermès (below), or more minimal layers of slouchy cream cricket trousers or white jeans, white rollneck and ivory knit (channelling 90s Helmut Lang, below). Joseph* is my-go to for creamy winter turtlenecks or fine gauge roll necks, while Navygrey’s ‘authentic V-neck’* is just the right weight of chunky for layering over a tissue-thin knit.
Prada AW24
Dries van Noten AW24
Tods AW24
3.1 Phillip Lim AW24
HERMES AW24 Filippo Fior
Helmut Lang by Elfie Semotan


5/ LOGO-LESS BAGS.
One thing to thank the luxury slowdown for: logo-free handbags. The Balenciaga Rodeo* in supple lambskin has a gently worn-in vibe reminiscent of a Cristobal Balenciaga vintage heirloom (below). And Toteme’s ramping up its bag game with its versatile bucket bag* (below) and Mini T Flap* with its discreet embossed T logo (below).
Balenciaga Rodeo bag
Toteme bucket bag
Toteme mini flap discreet logo


6/ HYPEBEAST GROCERS.
I’ve been personally tracking this one for a while. As fashion types cut down on gratuitous spending, they’re investing more on everyday ‘pantry’ staples. Think Single & Fat olive oil (below), Dusty Knuckle sourdough (yep) and cutely packaged butter. From Starbucks ‘aesthetic drinks’ to ridiculous ‘curated fridges’, there’s a desire for the food we consume to be as pretty and status signalling as the clothes we wear. That also means the grocery stores we frequent have now become fashion hot spots for certain gourmet hypebeasts. Erewhon, anybody? As The Future Laboratory reveals in its Food & Drinks Futures 2024-2025 report (sub req) “[pop-up grocers] and other corner stores and bodegas have become purveyors of sustenance that double as social currency”. Instyle has the lowdown.
Single & Fat Olive Oil
Erewhon


7/ ROUGE ALLURE.
While fancy snacks and food staples may be the affordable luxury entrée for new gens, for old Gen X like me, it’s still about the good old ‘Lipstick Effect’. It’s working on me. I’m hankering for a strong red lip having recently appreciated Tilda Swinton having a NARS moment in 1996’s Female Perversions (below) while her bold application of Velvet Ribbon by Lisa Eldridge* in her latest film, The Room Next Door cements her status as a lipstick icon. Typically, the hottest new red on my radar is also the most expensive. Celine’s Rouge Triomphe (below) is a classic red satin, applies like a dream and costs £62 from Celine stores or online.
Tilda Swinton in Female Perversions
Celine Rouge Triomphe red liptick


8/ THE IRL RETAIL REVIVAL.
Are we about to see a fashion retail resurgence? With ecommerce imploding, the FT says we’re craving IRL shopping again. Hence, lengthy queues at The Row’s new Paris outpost and the news that Kate Phelan is the newly installed creative director at Harvey Nichols tasked with ‘brand elevation’. Meanwhile, Lemaire has a lush new Tokyo store (below) and Mouki Mou (my secret sanctuary for IRL retail therapy) has recently opened its new premises, M.II in Chiltern Street (below).
M II Mouki Mou 17 Chiltern Street W1
Lemaire store Tokyo


9/ PONY POWER.
With Jilly Cooper’s Rivals on our screens, it’s no surprise to see an uptick in all things posh and horsey. In fashion that translates to vintage Hermès carrés, horsebit motifs in jewellery*, and of course, the classic riding boot. Go for the amped-up Gucci offering (choose from extra tall riding boot* – below – or short jodhpur boot*) or Decathlon’s synthetic boot. At £19.99 it’s a total steal and a dead ringer for the Harrods ones I used to wear in my 20s – perfect rainwear it has to be said. On the beauty front, it’s all about dressage hair – think show bows – and sensual leather-based fragrances. Perfumer H has nailed it with its Saddle eau de parfum (below) an animalic blend of ‘dirty amber’, orange blossom and musk.
Gucci riding boots by Boo George
Perfumer H saddle


10/ CASH IS COOL.
Let’s hear it for old fashioned values returning to cafes and eateries. New north London foodie bookshop-slash-lunch-spot, The Yellow Bittern is cash-only, reservations by phone (or postcard!) and – gasp – there’s no Instagram account. (Follow owner Hugh Corcoran instead). And over west side, Foreign Exchange News (below) is an Italian-style neighbourhood cafe serving coffee and pastries out front with a currency exchange out back. Cute! Cash – the great equaliser – is welcome and an array of indie magazines is available to buy or browse to give your eyeballs a rest and ease doom scroll fatigue.
Foreign Exchange Cafe


IN OTHER NEWS…

Don’t miss Bella Freud’s clever new podcast, Fashion Neurosis with Bella Freud. Tekla x Auralee did a thing. Immerse yourself in Deborah Turbeville: Photocollage. A Carla Sozzani biography* just dropped. Go see The 80s: Photographing Britain. A cream to warm your hands.

NOW CLICK BELOW TO SHOP THE POST (I MAY EARN A COMMISSION ON THE BASKET VALUE OF ITEMS BOUGHT*)…

WORDS: Disneyrollergirl / Navaz Batliwalla
IMAGES: Miu Miu; COS; Toast x2; Industry; Arket; Sporty & Rich x Le Bristol; Cafe de Flore/Chairish; Prada; Dries van Noten; Tods; 3.1 Phillip Lim; Helmut Lang by Elfie Semotan; Hermès; Balenciaga; Toteme x2; Single & Fat; Erewhon; Female Perversions; Celine; MII; Lemaire; Boo George for Harper’s Bazaar; Perfumer H; Foreign Exchange Cafe
NOTE: Most images are digitally enhanced. Some posts use affiliate links* and PR samples. Please read my privacy and cookies policy here

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On my radar: Marie Marot



Marie Marot

Ok, she’s been on my radar since around 2014, but is Marie Marot on yours? She should be!

This shirt designer is her own best brand ambassador (wait, why isn’t she on Substack?!). Her personal taste is textbook gentlewoman style; in fact, I’m pretty sure she was on my Pinterest board for my book pitch. Think tailored crop pants, Jil Sander or Church’s lace-ups, Charvet socks and – of course – the most beautiful cotton shirts, worn buttoned or unbuttoned. (more…)



The Bally formula



Bally SS25

“Dadaism was about a sense of play, and gentle subversion. What I’m looking for is finding equilibrium between rationality and whimsy.”

Bally was one of my MFW SS25 highlights. This is a masterclass in brand coding, when the pieces themselves are twisted classics rather than wholly avant-garde. Simone Bellotti knows the formula – simple pieces can be given romance, decadence, edginess etc with interesting casting, unexpected hair or makeup, memorable music (Bellotti worked with Swiss artist Aisha Devi on a bespoke soundtrack) and a clever incorporation of house codes.

Thus his new motif, the Swiss cowbell has become a recurring decorative feature on shoes and bags, he is building a recognisable colour palette of cool primaries with neutrals (black, brown), he is owning the Mary Jane, and the leather coat is becoming a new Bally wardrobe staple. (more…)



Ilona Maher for Sports Illustrated



Ilona Maher Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Cover

When I first clocked Olympic rugby player Ilona Maher on TikTok during the 2020 Olympics, I thought, ‘this girl needs an Allure cover!’ Not just for her gorgeous looks and penchant for a red lip, but for her overall feelgood vibes and body positivity. (more…)