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CENTRESPREAD: Frump-free fashion
by Riazat Butt25/ 4/2005
CHARLES and Camilla's wedding was two weeks ago and life has
moved on since then, however their nuptials have made a lasting
impression but not for reasons that republicans and royalists would
have you believe.
For all the talk of constitutional crises and spectres looming over
Windsor there was only thing that mattered and that was what the
guests wore to the blessing.
Nowhere is a woman more exposed and therefore vulnerable than at a
social occasion, whether it's a barbecue, christening or, in this
case, a wedding.
So style experts drooled over Camilla's outfits - I predict a rush
on full-length silk frocks with matching coats - but the pundits
were more critical about other ensembles, especially those worn by
Women of a Certain Age because it was implied that they Should Know
Better.
Fashion rules change dramatically for the over-40s lady because
where some things - such as cheese and wine - get better with age.
Alas the human body doesn't. What a woman gains in wisdom, she
loses in elasticity and firmness.
So there is a small but crucial difference between appearing
youthful and looking like mutton dressed as lamb. Thankfully, most
of the mature female guests at the blessing erred on the side of
caution and observed some common fashion rules.
Skirts were on the knee, or slightly below, and jackets were of the
single-breasted variety to avoid an unflattering boxy look.
There was accessorising too, with hats and handbags, and upper arms
and the décolletage were covered up with wraps.
The theme was better to be safe than sorry, a mindset commonly
adopted by mature ladies.
Clothes featured on these pages are aimed at the more mature lady
and the outfits are stylish enough - but not so trendy that they
mark the wearer out as a fashion victim.
Dresses are cut on the bias and fall below the knee, revealing a
toned pair of calves and ankles are visible. Scarves can be used to
draw attention away from any sagging or creping while cute cropped
trousers, teamed with flats, are a nod to youth and retro Fifties
style.
That fashion fallback - jeans with a smart jacket - is upgraded
with the help of a boucle jacket.
Marie Connolly, who is in her fifties, works as a personal shopper
at Harvey Nichols. Most of her clients at the designer emporium
tend to be ladies aged 40 and over.
She says: "I've worked as a personal shopper for about seven years.
I love clothes and I'm very much into fashion.
"Mature ladies find it hard to create a look they're happy with
because everything seems to be geared towards high fashion and the
youth market.
"Mature ladies want a fashionable look but when they go shopping
there isn't much out there for them. So they play it safe and keep
to the same style rather than experimenting and developing their
own personal style.
She adds: "It's about confidence. Add some glamour or go for
vintage mixed with classic. Try classic with a twist. Clothes don't
have to be expensive to be good. American magazines are very good
at putting looks together for every age group.
"It's not just about the clothes. Grooming is essential for that
grown-up, sophisticated look. Always have good hair and good nails
and invest in a good handbag and shoes.
"The mature woman has a lot going for her," she jokes.
"She has a lifestyle of fashion mistakes she can learn from."
Clothes and accessories from the Lowry Outlet Mall - 0161 848 1840
or
www.lowrydesigneroutlet.com
Model, Sue Coulter, from PHA Models - 0161 273 4444 or
www.pha-agency.co.uk
Profile: Flic Everett
THE beauty of Manchester is that, when it comes to shopping,
there's something for everyone. There's the unaffordable luxury of
King Street and Exchange Square, the quirky chic of Afflecks Palace
and the knowing cool of the fashion markets.
Throwing herself into this mêlée is Flic Everett, a girl about town
who could teach Sarah Jessica Parker and Sienna Miller a thing or
two about eclectic fashion.
Flic, 34, is the proprietor of a pretty and witty Aladdin's cave of
affordable vintage clothing called Rags to Bitches (see what she
did there?) that sits cheek by jowl in the understated glamour of
the Northern Quarter.
But it's not just a shop, oh no. There are Tarot readings and free
fairy cakes baked by Flic's mum. Cute.
Flic says: "I was walking down the street one day and all of a
sudden it came to me, like a Damascene conversion, that I should
sell vintage clothing. I've always worn it and I love it. When
school friends were wearing Wham T-shirts I was wearing a 50s
twin-set. I wanted to be a designer or stylist when I was young but
I got sucked into writing."
The shop opened in March this year and business is brisk. Her
customers include students and ladies in their 40s and 50s looking
for something a bit different. Flic won't say where she gets the
clothes from but concedes that successful vintage hunting is about
"keeping your eyes open".
She and husband Simon, who works alongside her, frequent car boot
sales, auctions and antique markets.
Items flying off the rails include T-shirts with "Snack Whore -
Will Work for Cake" and "Daddy, what was the Hacienda?" written on
them.
"There's no excitement in stocking other people's stuff. What I
enjoy is finding things. It's like a treasure hunt. The trick to
wearing vintage is to mix it with seasonal trends, stuff that's in
fashion, or you run the risk of looking like you're in
costume.
"We currently stock a fabulous Laura Ashley dress from the 1970s.
It's high-necked, very prairie chic, very now.
"Some vintage clothing is very small so we sell lots of accessories
too and that's another way to make your look more individual. We've
been selling lots of hats recently."
Me and my clothes
AIMEE Blinkhorn, 22, is studying fashion marketing at Manchester
Metropolitan University. She works on the second floor of
Selfridges Exchange Square, selling ladies contemporary fashion,
and she likes to keep her style simple and individual.
She says: "Some clothes in Selfridges are expensive but the basics,
such as the jeans, are fantastic value. I do some shopping here
because I get a discount but I do quite bit on the High Street too
because I'm on a budget.
"Some months I won't spend anything and other months I'll go
completely overboard.
"I've just come back from New York and I bought a pair of designer
jeans for £195. I don't know how much they'd be in this country but
they'd be a lot more I guess.
"Because I'm surrounded by Selfridges stuff when I go out to Top
Shop I see things that look the same but are half the price. I'm
not into bling. My style is quite simple and feminine and I would
rather have a few really nice pieces than lots of clothes that are
just OK.
"The style in Manchester is very mixed. Some people follow
whatever's in the magazines but there are lots of people who look
different from everyone else. That's what I try to be like.
"I really like the trends for summer 2005 but what I find is that
it's everywhere and everyone's wearing the same stuff. So that
makes me think that I don't want those clothes.
"I try to accessorise what I wear with nice jewellery and handbags
to try and make my style stand out."
Aimee, who likes designers such as Stella McCartney and Alexander
McQueen, says that she would like to shop in vintage stores and
markets in Manchester but doesn't know where to look. She adds that
other cities have more independent retailers.
"Leeds has lots of boutiques and small shops but Manchester just
has big stores."
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