FASHION GOES TORY???

Guest Post by George Langford (Glitterbird)
aka the NEW Fashion Junior at Large

Fashion and politics don't always mix, but it seems that Mr Cameron's recent arrival at Number 10 has had a significant effect on the style set. It may be 20 years since the Conservatives were last in power, but it has taken about 20 minutes for two very Tory garments to become essential fashion items for young cool scenesters everywhere. The Barbour jacket and straw boater hat, previously the uniform of public schoolboys and huntin', shootin' country folk, are now two of this summer's must-have items.

       The Barbour "Bedale" jacket £179 from www.barbourbymail.co.uk

Barbour is an authentic, family owned British brand, which has long been the favoured supplier of outdoor garments to such style doyennes as the Duchess of Cornwall and the Queen.

 HRH Princess Royal showing the cool kids how it is done back in 1988!

The extremely Conservative, upper class jackets are traditionally dark forest green with a tartan lining and particularly pongy waterproof wax coating - so why on earth have they suddenly become fashionable?

This trend has been a slow-burning phenomenon of the power of street style - without any involvement by the brand itself, these jackets have fast become the only outerwear to be seen in, and if you aren't sporting one at a festival this summer, you might as well not have bothered going. Over the last three years, the Shoreditch set have embraced these chunky, hard wearing coats, and Barbour-fever has quickly spread across the rest of the UK.

Boys are rocking the 'Hackney Farmer' look, and smartening up their t-shirts and skinnies by slinging on a wax jacket, whilst girls are teaming theirs with floaty mini dresses and chunky boots for a surprisingly practical festival outfit.  Most bright young things are snapping up second hand Barbours at bargain prices - a brand new one can set you back around £200. However Barbour are quickly producing new styles to keep up with the fickle tastes of the festival crowd - wearing last years model is almost as bad as wearing some neon Wayfarer sunglasses (quelle horreur!). Alexa, Pixie Geldof et al were all wearing their Barbour "Bedale" see below and above at last weekend's Isle of Wight festival, so this trend ain't going nowhere (for this summer at least.) The other Barbour style storming up the popularity charts is the "Antique Coastal Durham".

 Alexa Chung at the Isle of Wight festival in her Bedale

The Antique Coastal Durham, £199.95 from barbourbymail.co.uk

To get the genuine, country-fied Barbour look, have a look at Oxfam's vintage selection here or get a brand new one from BarbourByMail.
 

Also making a comeback is the straw boater hat, which has quickly usurped all other styles to be the headwear of choice. Boaters were usually only seen on the heads of very, very posh public schoolboys - they have been regulation accessories at Harrow and Eton for hundreds of years. Apart from a once yearly outing at the (also very posh) Henley regatta, boaters had been consigned to the fashion skip.

Public schoolboys at Henley

A minor celebrity called Lady Gaga wore one last year and kick started the boater revolution - now these cute, easy to wear hats are all over the high street and on the heads of many a style maven.

Gaga in 2009, looking fairly normal, wearing a boater

 CherryBlossomGirl's best pal and fellow blogger, Louise, at Paris Fashion Week. http://www.misspandora.fr/

They are infinitely more chic than the trilby and cowboy styles that seem to reappear every summer, perhaps because they are remain true to a traditional design, just like the Barbour jackets. Gabrielle Chanel originally made boaters fashionable back in the early 1900s - and anything that was good enough for Coco is good enough for me. I bought my own boater from the Angel's Vintage sale way back in March, much to the ridicule of my peers, but look who is laughing now...

If you want to buy your very own boater, check out the Urban Outfitters version here or this classic style from Albertus Swanepoel at Net-a-porter.

Perhaps this move towards traditional British heritage garments is some sort of ironic protest against the Conservative government - a subversive sartorial mockery of the class divide. Wearing a Barbour or a boater is no longer the sole territory of Home Counties residents - everyone is at it! Young, old, 'have' or 'have not', it doesn't matter anymore. Wear your countryside garments with pride and the knowledge that you know you are being ironic, even if no-one else does.

(Images: Wayne Tippet, Rex, Peter Stigter)

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THERES SOMETHING ABOUT 1962

Posted by Fashion Editor at Large

Jean Shrimpton in an Italian Vogue edition from 1962

At the end of the shows I was busy compiling my trend report as usual when the 60's trend came up on my radar. It was done best at the Parisian House of Rochas, designed by Marco Zanini, but  Balenciaga, Prada and Giles had a go too. It got me to wondering what exact moment of the 1960's had inspired the look, and mulled over who the muse might be. Jean Shrimpton? Jackie Kennedy? Brigitte Bardot? None of them felt right and I couldn't pin it down. It's here I have to hand it to the British High Street design teams and buyers. They know how to spin a trend and give it the shape they want for their customer base. On the way they sometimes manage make a trend ten times better than it seemed on the catwalk.

The 60's trend is a case in point. My Eureka moment hit at Urban Outfitters when I became enthralled by their Cambridge Satchel link-up (below), the shearling lined hiking bootees, the Harris tweed satchel collaboration, and the cute way they paired flecky grandad cardigans, plaid shirts, kilts, and yet more satchels. It was then I knew who the muse was for this whole darn trend... here she is...

Carey Mulligan just before she meets her man in An Education, set in 1962 

Cambridge Satchel

 

 

Urban Outfitters gets inspiration from Carey Mulligan in An Education and the English university style of the early 60's

New Look AW10

TopShop AW10

Lynn Barber: the real thing. I LOVE this book.

Of course, the film is set in 1962. Turns out this is the same year Tom Ford's film A Single Man is set. This put me on a trail for other significant cultural events from 1962 and following a a sixty minute journey through the Web I feel totally inspired.

Don't so many guys have this look today? Julieanne Moore could make each Rochas AW10 look her own.

A FEW THINGS OTHER THINGS ABOUT 1962:

YSL launches

The beautiful Yves Saint Laurent in 1962

Bob Dylan first album

 Francoise Hardy is (in my opinion) the sexiest woman in the world in 1962

These photgraphs are taken:

Photo credits: FEAL, Photobucket

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'INVESTMENT' - FASHION SPEAK FOR GUILT-FREE SHOPPING! YESSS!

Posted by Fashion Junior at Large

I love this time of year. Not just because of the milder weather and longer lighter days but because it's one of those rare periods when you don't have to feel guilty about shopping. A complete wardrobe overhaul can be justified as an 'investment' for the season ahead. I've got my eye on these little 'investments' this spring:

(From top left)

1. Laser cut waterfall fronted leather jacket, ASOS, £120. I got this last week and I can't tell you how zzzexy and expensive it looks. Leather is sticking around as a major trend for AW as well, which makes it an even better investment.
2. Floral print leggings by Hermione De Paula, Browns, £120. Since seeing her first stand alone show this season and meeting Hermione herself backstage I've become a big fan. The girl knows how to make a great print.
3. Lace up suede ankle boot, Urban Outfitters, £55. Urban is one of the first places I head to for shoes. These navy booties with cream laces are high on my wish list.
4. 'Bad Bunny' jumper, French Connection, £45. 'Bad Bunny' must be the best garment name ever! Why is the bunny bad I wonder? This looks like a nice low-key Sunday afternoon in the pub jumper to me.
5. Jersey maxi dress, Full Circle, £50. Forget floaty bohemian long-length dresses, it's all about the jersey maxi this season.
6. Blush summer dress, Hoss Intropia, £171. Gorgeous on-trend colour and a shape that works whatever the occasion. I intend to picnic in this little dress come summer. Check out the new Hoss Intropia store in Covent Garden for impeccable service and lots more demure dress options.
7. Backless mule, River Island, £44.99. I never thought I'd see the day I wanted another clog (the last time I wore one I was 9. It was patent lime green. Hot huh?) but lo, that day is here. I love this clog's Fashion Junior friendly price as well.
8. Cats eye sunglasses by Luella, ASOS, £68. Not quite as amazing as the Alexander Wang ones, but a pretty close second. Cats eye is obviously the shape of choice for the season. A good 'investment' wouldn't you agree?

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GET THE PARIS LOOK

Posted by Fashion Junior at Large

Some of us didn't make it to Paris Fashion Week - namely me. But that's fine - reading show reports on Style.com is just as good as being there right?...(sob!)

Well happily I've found an injection of Parisian style right here, on the great British highstreet. Urban Outfitters is having a bit of a love affair with French brands at the moment: Sessun, Le Mont St Michel, American Retro, Surface to Air, Vanessa Bruno Athe and IRO. Joy!

Je t'aime this sheer, nude blouse and leather shorts (£300). Bang on the money for summer. 

Surface to Air is kind of the French version of ACNE - a Paris based creative collective whose talents span film, photography, graphic design, music and, of course, fashion. The brand has also launched a 12 piece capsule collection by Kings of Leon, who I am utterly besotted with. Buy it here.

How much do you want to be wearing this come June? 

IRO is another brand sprung from multi-talented designers. The Bitton brothers come from a music background originally but branched into fashion because 'It lets everyone be loved'. Awwww bless.

I'm sure you're probably familiar with the misleadingly named American Retro. This season the French design duo were inspired by rockabilly music, American motorcycle clubs and 90s underground fashion culture. Expect signature classics with an edge, like this little black 'retro dot clash' dress.

All the above are available to buy from www.urbanoutfitters.co.uk. Get clicking mon amie!

Also, just for the hell of it, I thought I'd post this clip from the film Paris Je T'aime. If you haven't seen it I highly recommend. It's kind if an artsy movie comprised of multiple short stories about life and love in Paris. In this tale Elijah Wood has a run in with a sexy vampire on a darkened bridge. Oh my!

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