Fashion tips, in black and white

No one ever said that fashion was inclusive – or, if they did, they were most certainly lying. It only takes a quick look at a catwalk, or an editorial in a glossy magazine, or at the models in a lookbook to know that, at its very core, fashion is an elite sport, designed to be enjoyed by those among us with the most of everything: money, youth, beauty.

The same can be said for the trends that we are presented with, season after season, as being the “must-haves”. Tropical florals, which hat flatter only the skin tones of those who summer in Bali; bare midriffs, for th ose whose idea of work is an hour with their personal trainer; harem pants, for, well, nobody.

This all explains why the resurgence of monochrome as a strong, stylish and, crucially, wearable trend for spring/summer 2013 i s so welcome, and not just by fashion insiders. Black and white is a trend that can be enjoyed by anyone: young or old, fat or thin, on a blowout or on a budget.

The trick of monochrome is that there is no trick. There are no instructions, there are no dos and there are no don’t s. Wear your monochromes all together, or not at all; mix with colour, with metallic or with patterns. Wear in your twenties and in your sixties, and feel free to borrow from your mother, or from your daughter.

Just enjoy it – because next season we’re bound to be back to bare midriffs and more rules than you can shake a black and white stick at.