







Photo: fashionising.com





















Take the boho look. Think it died a death two years ago along with Sienna's cowboy boots and floppy hat? Oh no siree, it's alive and dancing in the hills of Notting, Ibiza and Somerset. The colourful threads favoured by the likes of Jacquetta Wheeler and Joss Stone are still being lovingly produced by those designers that are never far from a Pantone colour chart.
Pushing 30 but still sporting 'witty' slogan tees like Luella's 'Geek' and Henry Holland's 'Cause Me Pain, Hedi Slimane'? Oh dear, you're the Girl Who Won't Grow Up. Ditto if you can't resist the lure of Karen Walker's girly-grunge layers and Alice McCall's good-girl-bad-girl prom chic. While everyone else is buying armfuls of Christopher Kane-esque corset dresses and anticipating the revival of Azzedine Alaia's stretch tube dresses, you're reliving your youth in an '80s haze of XXXL nu-rave tees accessorised with Ray-Bans' white Wayfarers.
To you, fashion is not just about what to wear in the morning. It's not about trends and it's certainly not about which It Bag the latest WAG is swinging from her arm. God, no. You take fashion - sorry, design - very seriously indeed. If it's not Prada, Marni or Balenciaga then, frankly, you're not interested. Fashion to you is about the feeling, the spirit of the clothes and the language they express. There's nothing you like more than a nice smattering of Arts and Crafts Bakelite jewelery, a difficult colour palette and a challenging silhouette. It keeps the riff-raff out.
Some people call it tarty, but you prefer to call it 'being in touch with your feminine side'. There's nothing you like more than something short, tight and eye-wateringly bright. You know you're not perfect, but that won't stop you flaunting what you have got. Whether it's Dolce & Gabbana's mini corset dress or a vintage Tom Ford-era Gucci gown slashed to there, dressing to impress is a no-brainer for you.
Much as you love the spectacle of a Galliano or a McQueen, when it comes to what you actually wear, you can't beat the class and elegance of the new young Americans. Since the arrival of these darlings of the Upper East society set –Proenza Schouler, Derek Lam, Behnaz Sarafpour and Phillip Lim – you've been in high-end heaven. At last you can do cutting-edge fashion without looking like a diehard try-hard. Begone those 'edgy' Prada colours and Chloé geek-dresses, now you can dress like a woman with an inkling of style-savvy while keeping within your comfort zone.
You're a woman, not a girl and you like that to be reflected in the outfits you wear. That's why you plump for Burberry, Chloé and Ralph Lauren when you're feeling casual and Valentino, Chanel and Caroline Herrera when you're doing the white-tie circuit. Some may call it predictable, but you prefer to call it clever. You know if you follow these safe-players you won't appear on any worst-dressed lists.



