Cut the crop

                                         Proenza Schouler


The days when 'crop top' brought to mind 90s high-school films and undignified nights out on girly summer escapades are long gone. I wouldn't have seen it coming, but it appears that crop tops can actually be done with stylish flair. It's something about the way they end so abruptly that looks so 'cool': as if you couldn't be bothered to wait for the finished product, pulling it over your head fresh from the sewing machine. 

                                           Reed Krakoff

But crop tops done properly also have that sleek, contemporary refinement about them. In fact, if your wardrobe were a living room, the crop top would be the modern, low-lying Scandinavian-inspired coffee table at the centre of it: modest and unassuming, but controls all the proportions of the grander scheme. Their minimal stitching, marginal detailing, and negligibly tailored shape give them that edge of understatement that rules the world of 21st Century unisex fashion. In one word, crop tops at their best embody minimalism - quite literally. And there is only one rule for translating it from chic catwalk androgyny into office appropriate wear: meet the midriff with a high waist.

Il est midi

On most days, a well-fitted pencil skirt will do. I’ll wriggle into it and suck my tummy in, as I stuff the dangling remains of whatever blouse I pick that morning in to my neatly drawn waist. Et voila! – a fantastical hourglass silhouette emerges, no matter what body shape you in actual fact are, and no matter what naughtiness you gorged on the night before. And the best part is, that when your flaring curves are out and paired with an elegant pair of heels, your legs actually look quite long and chiseled!

But sometimes, …sometimes I just don’t feel like being ‘leggy’. Sometimes, the thought of framing my womanly hips as I strut towards the coffee machine, or of wiggling my skirt-hugging bum in peoples faces as I ascend the escalators of the London underground just does not appeal to me. And this occasion calls for a ‘midi’.

A midi?! A skirt that chops your shins in half and has men questioning your newly assumed librarian attire? In truth, on arriving in to work in my swaddling black midi, my gay male friend wittily reminded me that it wasn’t Sunday yet and that I might want to reserve my outfit for mass. But whilst I am sticking to my guns about my favourite new work garment, this season’s trend couldn’t lie further from the stereotype. This Fendi number for instance screams youthful excitement, whilst channeling that floating elegance that a lengthy skirt will bring.

And that’s the thing about a midi – you don’t need to pack away your femininity when ditching sexy. Some of my favourite midis this year are all about the touch. A delicate fabric, or a soft pleat can instantly transform a traditionally frigid-looking skirt in to a whimsical fantasy. And such is the case for Christopher Kane’s take that combines virtually shapeless pieces in to a gentle and elusively appealing guise.

And finally, would it be anything more than a flash-in-the-pan trend without the Burberry seal of approval? I am utterly enamored with the idea of floating fabrics below the knee as Autumn calls and the cold starts to creep in. From Burberry English lace, to Derek Lam American leather, the possibilities for the turning of the seasons are endless…

3 Pops of Spring

 If your work lifestyle is anything like mine, Spring doesn’t naturally coat your life in glowing relaxation with the promise of the Summer. No, no, no. For some unearthly reason, every time the sun bursts through the clouds like a rare invitation to linger outside, an angry deadline or a meeting grabs me by the scruff of the neck and drags me back to the office.

My only consolation is in the little things that leave me with a sunny smile. Here are three Spring-inspired trends that add just a pop of life to even the longest and dullest of days…

1.   ‘Le Parc Print’ by Bimba Y Lola

One unavoidable trend this season has got to be the ethnic print, or as my boyfriend calls it ‘Aztec cool’. There is an incredible ‘off the beaten track’ bite to any item with that characteristic black on bold pattern (even when you know it’s highstreet or designer!) I am personally besotted with this Bimba Y Lola ‘Le Parc Print’ special. It’s somewhere between the South American continent and 1960s geometry. Pair it up with an airy, oversized shirt and you’re good to go.

2.     ‘Hampshire’ by Hemsley London

I came across this London born and bred brand at Fashion Week this year. It’s a perfect example of how the Best of British is constantly evolving and transforming with up-and-coming talent. The Hampshire is a minimal beauty, combining off-white-painted calf leather, chrome plating and a pair of distinctive white racing stripes. It’s on my wish list.

3.     Decoltissimo Patent by Christian Louboutin

I am mad about block colour – especially when it props up quite unexpectedly. When I first lay eyes on these beautiful teal heels, I imagined a complete cream number accompanying it. What cheers ‘Spring’ more than a basic palette with a shot of the most joyful tone of the season?

Corporate Culottes

When culottes first made their comeback on the catwalks, I imagined a short-lived celebration in the world of androgynous, futuristic fashion. They do have that trendy 'recycled' vibe - like you've just chopped off your grandfather's old summer bests just above your ankles, and drowned yourself in them, your torso just about peeking over above the waist. But this year's collections, both SS and AW, have proved just how diverse and truly wearable these knee-breachers can be, and most importantly that they can be worn at the office for an effortlessly brushed-up appeal. I am completely sold on Proenza Schouler's chic transformation of the genderless cut, as well as Alexander Wang's slightly more tailored interpretation. Wangling them in to my mid-season work wardrobe may just be the easiest thing in the world. 

Leather Goods @LFW

Leather will always cast an effortless ruggedness. But we tend to forget that it's viciously versatile too. It is both lust and luxury, erotica and elegance, naughty and natural...

                                  FELDER FELDER                                                Daks

                       Haizhen Wang                                           Amanda Wakeley

                                    Tom Ford                                                       Mulberry

Melted Metal @LFW

There's something deeply toxic about an unrefined metal shine. It has an alluring futuristic luster, cast in the looming mould of the industrial revolution. In one word, it's avant-garde.

        

                         SIMONGAO                                                 Matthew Williamson

                    Huishan Zhang                                       Jean-Pierre Braganza

                         Mary Katrantzou                                               Topshop Unique