Christopher Raeburn explored with thick, knee high
wooly socks encased in chunky military boots and a rather regimented palette of
khaki, camel, chocolate, mocha and nude, with hints of a dark burgundy red. I
was also delighted to spot a muff or two; these furry companions are yet
awaiting a full revival but in the last few years we have seen them slowly
creeping back into fashion. Though 21st Century mufflers hardly display
proportions fit for the Duchess of Devonshire or Anna Karenina (no Keira
Knightley pattern intended), I am hopeful that soon an 'elbows in' muff will
arrive in high street shops just in time for that frosty 7am December
horse-drawn carriage ride to the office.
A mixture of brocade, tweed and tartan clad bodies
balancing carefully perched tall black fur hats, akin to the Royal Guard
busby's, swayed down the runway at Daks. Again using a similar palette with
soft browns, beiges, nudes and greens (with a notable addition of a sharp
metallic gold), the collection has a strong British military feel. The presence
of so much fur in amongst trench coats with epaulettes and lines of shiny gold
buttons however, seemed to give it an Eastern European undertone, as if each model
had been bestowed with one blow of cold, cloudy breath from the Red Square
before being launched into an erratic ballet across the catwalk.
Corduroy.
How do we feel about this? For me, the idea of corduroy has always been met
with a wrinkled nose and the initial picture of 'that jacket my granddad
wears,' but Margaret Howell's collection was rife with it; matching corduroy
suits, entire corduroy trench coats... even a corduroy pencil skirt. The
feminine cut of all these garments gave the fabric a completely different look,
and Margaret Howell's version comes not only in the standard golden toffee hue
but also in a smooth chocolate brown. Paired with thick woven tweed, red tartan
or a hint of houndstooth, this collection was all British. The palate, together
with buckled shoes and fleece-lined aviator jackets also maintained our
military feel.
The corduroy trousers I am wearing in this photo
were custom made to imitate the uniform of the Women's Land Army for my use
during WW II re-enactments which I attend throughout the year. I'm still a
little uncertain about this fabric and so I definitely wouldn't wear these when
popping out to the shops (not to mention they have quite a funny shape),
but when I tucked in a khaki military-style blouse and strapped myself
into heavily buckled brown boots, I found myself warming slightly to corduroy.
Who knows, perhaps in the form of neat little shorts or a cropped blazer jacket
paired with a soft white shirt and aviator sunglasses, this shimmering fabric
may become a 'granddaughter thing...'
