Bare midriffs anyone? Culottes? Fluorescent shearling? These, my friends, are what they call natty trends. They normally originate with a wild card – a headliner – then someone remarkably famous wears them and all of a sudden, the next thing we know, Mary from finance is giving the wedge trainer a go.
Take leather – very easy if done in moderation, I’m sure we can all agree. Now, step out of the box a little – try on a pair of leather trousers, an unexpected pleated skirt, a dress? Not so confident now, are we? The problem is that most leather is actually rather difficult to wear. It’s not the kindest of fabrics, if you think about it. It certainly doesn’t apologise for being an obvious “fattist”; let’s face it, one has to be fairly slim to nail the look. Who are we kidding? One has to be, well, I hate to say it, a little bit skinny. Leather, generally speaking, makes even the most boyish of figures appear bigger. I suppose that we’re quite literally adding an extra layer of hide, so to speak, so keep an eye on how things look from the back.
Secondly, there’s the whole age-appropriate conundrum – no one who is more than the age of 30 really wants to look like they are “with the band” – there’s nothing worse than an ageing groupie.
The trick, like many looks, is not to see too much of it: three-quarter-length skirts and trousers are often more flattering than most full-length pieces, as are cropped jackets and three-quarter-length sleeves – it’s all about breaking up a solid line.
Instead of getting into head-to-toe mode, temper your shiny leather legs with a simple, crisp white shirt, plus flat, studded loafers and minimal jewellery. Think oversized jumpers in a fine knit or a long-sleeved, striped cotton T-shirt. Basically, look out for anything that doesn’t scream “Hey, look at me” because, in leather, the rest of you will.
A longish linen-mix jacket over a plain, good-quality cotton T-shirt will add a much-needed dose of elegance to a slightly tougher look than most of us would normally attempt.
Try mixing your fabrics: a leather sleeve detail or a trim can add a touch of glamour to your look while making it much easier to wear through the day. Experiment with a touch of colour, too, which will steer you well away from the old sweaty rocker mood. There are some fabulous, subtle and beautiful shades of pink, navy, maroon and grey on the rails, but invest in quality – the irony being that although leather is a luxury purchase, it can often appear cheap.
The beauty of leather is that it will improve with age, so if you have access to good-quality vintage stores, it’s well worth it. If you have to buy new, there are ways of giving the garment a more lived-in appearance. To break in a jacket or trousers, firstly make sure that the leather is strong enough – if it’s particularly soft, take it easy by starting with water, which will soften up the leather and allow it to stretch and crease to mould to the body; a damp cloth will work best and simply build on layer by layer for effect.
I hope that you don’t feel like I’m trying to deter you with all of this. Some of you will indeed look ever so cool in that Jim Morrison manner, or a bit Patti Smith-esque. But I’ll be frank: most of us (including myself) won’t, so make sure that a good old dose of self-awareness allows you to choose your camp carefully.
[ ktrotter@thenational.ae ]
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