Posted by Fashion Junior at Large.
Next up on our menu of FW11 trend reports is Heritage- think blue-blood, aristocracy, crumbling stately homes and wholesome country pursuits. This trend encompasses a lady in two very different, but equally glamorous and elegant guises. In the first, she is hunting, riding and shooting thus requiring riding coats with practical elbow patches, a warm polo neck and some jodhpurs. When the horses are stabled and the guns stored, the skirts come out, but are still tweed-centric, and the addition of a decorative silk shirt transforms the gutsy equestrian to Lady of the Manor. This is our muse.
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| Celine's riding inspired opening look for FW11(Image from catwalking.com) |
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| Margaret Howell FW11 |
Two women who sum up this trend are Wallis Simpson and The Queen (we are very sorry Your Majesty, to mention your name in the same sentence as a woman's we can imagine you are not mad keen on but fashion needs must). The Queen is the ultimate country pursuits poster lady, always resplendant in custom made riding jacket and neatly knotted silk scarf. Even at 85, recent pictures show she is still able to pull off this look with aplomb.
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| A young Princess Elizabeth riding with her sister, Princess Margaret (Image from telegraph..co.uk) |
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| Softened with a silk scarf. A lesson for Ronald Reagan from The Queen (Image from wikipedia) |
There is a great deal of buzz surrounding Wallis Simpson at the moment. Most notably, Madonna is preparing to release her biopic W.E which examines the life of the woman who remains somewhat of an enigma; there is still great intrigue surrounding her relationship with Edward VIII and the reason why he would choose this woman over the God, country and duty he had been brought up to believe in. Sartorially, Wallis represents our archetypal Lady of the Manor. A legendary hostess, Wallis always dressed exactly as the occasion demanded and her look was invariably accessorised with a cigarette.
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| Wallis with Edward. Her suit is ladylike AND tweedy (Image from englishtap.com) |
Let's not forget that not so long ago, Madonna herself developed quite an obsession with all that is English and Aristocratic. She rode, she shot, she had the Gloucestershire acres and she wore the tweeds. The manifestations in her look and lifestyle may have now worn off, but her involvement in W.E indicates that something of this story had a great resonance for her. To celebrate the film,
Vanity Fair's September Issue features a shoot with the actors playing Edward and Wallis, James D'Arcy and Andrea Riseborough respectively. Arianne Phillips has done a sterling job collaborating with the likes of Dior, Dunhill and Stephen Jones to create bespoke pieces for the shoot. Very handy too that they also provide perfect inspiration the Heritage look.
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| Lady of the Manor does evening in Dior and Cartier (Image from www.fashionista.com) |
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| Andrea Riseborough wears a brilliant Dior twist on tweed (Image from www.fashionista.com) |
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| Dashing (Image from www.fashionista.com) |
So those are the muses... How did the catwalks do it? Here are some of our favourites.
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| A careful concoction of tweed, elegance and modernity at YSL (Image from catwalking.com) |
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| Gucci. Perfect for Afternoon Tea. The stole adds glamour and keeps you warm in blustery big houses! (Image from catwalking.com) |
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| Tweed, deconstructed. Modern day Girl of the Manor at Erdem (Image from catwalking.com) |
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| Mulberry make it modern with crinkly socks and long hair (catwalking.com) |
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| Celine's Pre-Fall collection pre-empts this trend. The trench is a good transition alternative to full on tweed (Image from style.com) |
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| Celine makes riding the tube as elegant as riding a stallion. (Image from style.com) |
Now, do it yourself. As we have previously said, don't take these things too literally otherwise you may end up looking like a walking anachronism. That said, I have been fantasising about my own riding coat from Savile Row and some custom made riding boots. Equestrians and Ladies of the Manor alike are all well catered for. Here is our curation of what's available NOW.
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