Transitional trends

Credit cards at the ready? From the swinging sixties to the new pencil-thin midi skirt, CIARA ELLIOTTpicks the multitasking pieces which work for now and that you will still be wearing into the new season

Androgyny

Sharp tailoring and dressy menswear for women are back on our style radars for autumn. With fedoras, box jackets and carrot-shape trousers all over the shops for summer (and mostly marked down in the sales now), this is definitely an easy look to buy into. Cummerbands, silk ties and shiny shoes are also all key items to look out for, with checks, velvet, silk and glitzy disco materials all in the mix to create that sexy glam party look. Get shopping now – or you could just plunder the wardrobe of the man in your life and get it all for free.

Polka dot

Designers from Marc Jacobs and Diane von Furstenberg to Paul Smith and Alber Elbaz for Lanvin all went dotty for spots for the new season, and you will too, once you get used to their versatile appeal. Think of them as the new Breton stripes of seasons past and wear them chic and simple in monochrome colourways or mix them up with colour, print and graphic and prepare to make a statement. Whether you do the subtle 1940s thing or clash them up head-to-toe like a 1980s popstar, this is a trend that will run and run.

Swinging 60s

Primary brights, strong Mondrian-like graphics and monochrome bring the 1960s to life again for the new season. While for autumn it will be all about knee-high boots and ladylike handbags (beehive hair, big lashes and frosted lips optional), you can flash-forward now by hunting for key new wardrobe additions that suit the high-summer mood. Look for shapes such as A-line tunic dresses, mini skirts and sloped-shoulder jackets, and earn extra fashion points for Bakelite jewellery and killer kitten heels. If you buy one thing now for winter it should be the perfect pea coat. It’s time to get swinging again.

Midi skirts

The ladylike look continues apace for the coming season so if you haven’t yet mastered the art of the midi skirt, now is the time to revisit. Whether you go for swing, A-line or pencil, the trick to looking more fab than drab is to wear it with polished separates which are key to the 1940s look coming through now. From pussybow blouses to elegant T-bar shoes, long gloves and hats and pearls. There is also a new emphasis on the shoulder with the hour-glass silhouette accentuated by a silm belt or cinched-in dress or jacket. Think old-style Hollywood glam for the modern-day woman.

Lace

Okay, so there is nothing particularly exciting about heralding the return of lace (we saw it all last year, you say; been there, done that, even bought the Kate Middleton-inspired coloured lace dress). But on the other hand, how great is it to know that you probably already have some perfectly good items in your wardrobe that you can pull out, dust off and look like you’ve done a lot of new-season shopping (even if it is only early August and funds are at a complete zero). The designers and fashion editors all call it a nod to the dark, the gothic and the fetish. We just call it credit-crunch friendly. Hurrah!

Russet & Orange

Time was when brown and orange were just about the hippest colours on the Pantone wheel, and this season we’re going back to basics with a blend of these autumnal shades pervading just about every item of clothing and accessory available. Hermès and Jaeger did head-to-toe russets and oranges, while others such as Prada and Balenciaga went for details on collars and belts. Get this one right and you’ve truly mastered a tricky trend. Take this look from Acne as an example: grungey jumper, deconstructed belted skirt and shiny loafers make up a new cool. One to be studied carefully and approached with care.