JFS STYLE

The sight of seas of discounted shoulder-padded, tarty sequin dresses in shops brings on acute attacks of the bah-humbug in me. Fast fashion and overhyped luxury products are equally - and doubly – unattractive when retailers give up pretending they’ve been able to flog them at full price.

What you see at this fag-end of the decade is a full display of the fear and stupidity of store buyers who have become wildly out of step with what we want to wear, and I feel brutal about this. Retailers mournfully tell us how they’re “up against it” in the recession, but blaming the economy sounds increasingly like a lame excuse. There’s “tough” trading – competing to sell tacky party-wear at rock-bottom prices – and then there’s failure to interpret the new mindset or to develop products that build a loyal following because they actually perform.
Much of the high street and many of the luxury brands who became so complacent during the boom are guilty of both. So, a piece of advice: what’s coming next is a phase where inspired pragmatism in design is going to win through.

I’ve felt this all year, because the most thrilling discoveries I’ve made have all been clothes, accessories and beauty products that are so functional, durable and replenishable that they underpin my way of life.

It says something about the pathetic state of play that finding a bra that fits, jeans that flatter and shoes that are comfortable feel like major achievements. If even I, as a fashion editor, find it difficult to buy such things, then I reckon more or less everyone must be in the same boat. Here, then, is a list of my year-end favourite useful things to seek out, plus a few tips about designers, shops and trends that are actually on the right track.

1 Uniqlo jeans If I’m being honest, I can’t give Uniqlo an unconditional rave, but I do admire the way it works at basics. Its jeans are cut better than more expensive brands and have the rare property of suiting grown-ups and teenagers. Yes, it has a peculiar range of colours and, although this is the fashion equivalent of blasphemy, I was underwhelmed by its +J line, designed by Jil Sander, launched this year. Yet, I’m living in Uniqlo’s skinny black cords and have complimented 40-plus friends for their denims. It turns out that we’re all buying jeans in the same place. At about £25, they’re worth buying in bulk.

2 Tezenis bras My hatred of the slutty, padded, underwired bras that have spread through every high-street retailer has driven me to despair. Rescue has arrived in the form of this inexpensive Italian brand which does the soft, simple everyday triangle bras Calvin Klein used to do and M&S has long since given up on. They come in lots of colours and cost less than £10.

3 Martin Margiela Replica trainers It was a near-tragedy for me when Margiela left the company this year, but here’s one consolation: the company will keep producing the Replica Seventies Austrian leather trainers that first appeared in 2002. They are men’s, but the smallest size fits women. I bought a white pair five years ago, on the grounds that they’re unobtrusive and cool – though I didn’t know how cool until guys started to stop me and ask where they’re from. They last for years, are super-comfortable and win you credibility wherever you go.

4 Phoebe Philo’s Celine I mention Philo’s arrival at this French label as a sign that something sensible yet chic, is on horizon at the start of a new decade. Philo says she wants to pioneer a daytime wardrobe rather than contribute to the glut of cocktail wear. It’s only her first season, but she’s so influential I predict that her ideas will bring other designers to their senses.

5 Batiste Dry Shampoo The delightful thing about the return of this arcane hairstyling product is that it’s happening without any hype. Part of the fun is that you have to search hidden-away bottom shelves to locate a range which looks as if it was designed when David Cassidy and the Osmonds were in the charts. Better still, it costs under £5 and is made in Lancashire.

6 Elnett hairspray I love the fact that my granny used this hairspray and that I see it backstage at every show – proof that it’s still the best around, and cheaper than salon imitations.

7 Long skirts Short skirts are “in” for spring, so go against the grain and wear long. It’s both avant-garde and classy to abstain from showing your legs in a season of micro-minis. Long was in evidence last summer and I predict that it will persist in a slim, sinuous way (as exemplified by Haider Ackermann) as an elegant stance against the slapper dress.

8 Kitten heels Shock: walkable shoes are back. That the arrival of small heels at Marni, Missoni and Louis Vuitton should cause such a controversy is a gauge of the insane extremes fashion has indulged in for the last five years. To me, it’s another refreshing sign that the new sensibility – sensible chic – will gain momentum as the avant-garde escape from ugly, crippling platforms. About time, too.

9 Utility-wear This catwalk code name for anything that looks related to camping, hiking or Army surplus is another signal that the excesses of the Noughties could be coming to a halt. Of course, the last thing a rational shopper would want is a fancied-up, fashion imitation of authentic utility clothing. The purchase of the real thing – a plain khaki army shirt – or a near-relation from Gap, delivers a nod towards a key daywear look in the most economical way for about £30.

Prêt-à-rapporter by Sarah Mower: say goodbye to tacky - comfortable and practical are the new watchwords in fashion.

http://jfsstyle.blogspot.com

Share

http://video2be.com

'The sight of tarty sequin dresses brings on the bah-humbugs in me'

JFS STYLE

Labels

1 Step Guide To Find The Best Hotel Rates
	Compare all top travel sites at once at HotelsCombined