I have totally nicked this look. Is that bad? Oh, come on: everyone does it. But still, if you are one of the (many) catwalk show attendees who were rocking a classic cotton shirt tucked into a full, below-the-knee skirt at last month’s collections and are now looking at me and thinking, “Hey, bitch stole my look!” I apologise. I’m so busted.
But imitation is the sincerest, etc. This look is eye-catching, without being ridiculous. (Well, that’s how it looks when you do it right. That’s how Natalie Massenet looks in it. I did say imitation.) The line between eye-catching and ridiculous is one that many fashion attendees try to walk. And while in real life it’s not a line you’d want to push for every day, it is a useful look to be able to work on those days when you have to be noticed. All you need is the simplest shirt, in classic blue or white, a few buttons undone, and a full, midi-length skirt that springs from the waist. (If you don’t have such a skirt, get one. It’s a Thing.) The contrast between the shirt (masculine, boardroom) and the skirt (ultra-feminine, ballroom) makes it bold, but the classicism of each piece and the demure silhouette makes it grownup, rather than silly.
When done right, the look is ladylike, but not without inner steel. (The woman wearing this look would never, ever say, “Bitch stole my look”, but she would think it.) The inner steel part is important, because without it the look is, as a colleague nailed it, “Testino-era Diana”, which is not what we’re after. The shirt has to be cotton, not silk. You must not turn up the collar. And I’m sure you wouldn’t dream of wearing pearls… Just checking. Add a chunky man’s watch instead. Roll up the sleeves and undo a couple of buttons to just above the bra line, otherwise it’s a bit religious-order. And while a classic court feels the obvious choice with this hemline – there’s not a lot of leg on show, so you need to lengthen those calves – it’s better with a strappier, more foxy shoe.
It’s a bit grand, this look. A bit Debo Devonshire. But as feminine power dressing, it has more charm than the now-standard hourglass-shift-dress look. There are even pockets in this skirt deep enough for your phone. And that’s the sort of thing that matters in the real world.
Shirt, £65, americanapparel.net. Skirt, £250, by House of Holland, from net-a-porter.com. Shoes, £398, uk.stuartweitzman.com.
• Jess wears shirt, £65, americanapparel.net. Skirt, £250, by House of Holland, from net-a-porter.com. Shoes, £398, uk.stuartweitzman.com.
Hair and makeup: Sharon Ive at Carol Hayes Management.
