Is it time for turn-up jeans again?




I must say, I felt terribly pleased with myself a few months ago when I unearthed a barely-worn pair of (ahem) Hobbs biker boots circa 2003 from the forgotten depths of my wardrobe. It made a welcome change from the Converse-and-jeans rut I’d unwittingly got myself into. When you spend your days haring around London from one appointment to another in all sorts of weather you can’t really cut it in 4-inch Chloe heels.

Biker boots feel fantastically practical and protective, yet rebelliously cool at the same time. What I have noticed is I’ve been turning up my (straight-legged Nudie) jeans oh-so-slightly in order to show off the buckle, as without that essential detail I could be wearing any old generic work boot. Which makes me wonder, as the biker girl look takes off – witness all the leather jackets and biker boots in magazines and stores from Gap to Burberry –will we see a return to turn-up jeans? Last time we had the turn-up trend it was all about showing off the selvedge seam on your limited edition, uber-rare Japanese denim jeans, and the time before that it was the eighties-copies-the-fifties look channelling Marlon Brando in The Wild One.

As someone who will always champion the androgynous look over anything overtly sexy, I reckon this one’s a goer. After the boyfriend jeans and the high-waisted flare, let’s welcome back the straight-leg turn-up. Keep the turn-up small to elongate the leg and as with any masculine-inspired look, remember to factor in loose, flowy hair, a generous application of eyeliner and a good swipe of lipgloss.

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D & G in ‘quite nice collection’ shock!







I’ve only just managed to start trawling through the hundreds of catwalk pictures on Vogue.com from the recent spring-summer 08 shows and…what’s this…good-taste clothes from D & G? The show presents a decidedly cool summer student look, all layered sweatshirts with pushed-up sleeves, seventies denim, ethereal dresses and gladiator sandals, a far cry from the usual in-ya-face racy fare we expect from Vicky Beckham’s favourite Latin twosome. Combined with the minimalist make-up and straight good-girl hair, this collection could almost have come from the wholesome runway of Chloe in the Phobe Philo days.

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Just add tights




Could the end of seasonal dressing be nigh? Recent reports suggest that US designers and retailers have been consulting climatologists to decide whether in the future we will still be wearing coats in November and shorts in July.

This has been a long time coming. Who doesn’t roll their eyes at the end of each season when retailers yet again bemoan poor sales in coats due to a mild winter or swimwear due to a washout summer? The problem is that global warming has resulted in spring starting earlier and autumn starting later which means that the majority of the year simply isn’t particularly hot or cold. But the fashion industry relies on seasonal change, if only to get us in the spending mood. We’re used to thinking that August means getting ready for an entirely new change of wardrobe, trends n all, even though in these days of layering there’s no reason why our summer clothes can’t be reconfigured for winter too (just add tights – nice thick grey ones – and boots).

The question is what do we do about it? Designers are already in on the act with their pre-fall and pre-spring collections. They give us something new to buy every few months so we feel like we’re updating our wardrobes even if it’s not a proper seasonal change. And savvy designers like Giorgio Armani, Theory and Tory Burch are using lightweight knits, cotton-wool mixes and synthetics like microfibre all year round. In any case, the instant gratification of the internet also means that catwalk shows have less influence over fashion than they used to. Streetstyle blogs are the new trendsetters and they don’t rely on seasons as much as personal interpretation.

I say stick with the layering. Layering means you can be more creative and mix things up, and you can wear your favourite things longer instead of packing them away for months at a time. Plus winter clothes are damn tiring. Enough with the coats, jumpers and padded jackets, just the thought of the weight of them makes me want to pack myself away for the entire season.

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I doubt if anyone’s interested but…






…a few pics of Kate Moss’s Christmas collection for TopShop have found their way on to the Daily Mail website. The collection is previewed in the latest issue of ID which also features Moss on its cover. It’s all fairly predictable stuff apart from the lace capelet in the cover shot which is rather tasty but probably not by Miss Moss. Interestingly, the snaps are styled with sheer black stockings. While I think the collection looks uninspiring, I am feeling a return to sheer hosiery and stockings in the not-too-distant future. (PS, the platinum hair is a wig.)

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