Forties Fever

Marc Jacobs 

Jean Paul Gaultier 

My friends will vouch for the fact that I have never really dressed like a lady. I can’t think of a single skirt, worn frequently, which reaches my knees and I often realise, when it is too late and the wind has already blown, that what I am attempting to class as a dress is really a long tunic (once again I apologise to the passengers on the 146 bus). So why am I so attracted to the forties nostalgia trend on the Autumn/ Winter catwalks?

To put it simply, the likes of Donna Karan, Marc Jacobs and Gucci delivered sex kittens wrapped up in modesty. Beneath the knee length pencil skirts, pearls and fur was the feminine silhouette in all its glory; a reminder it doesn’t take a bare midriff, mini skirt or cleavage to catch a man’s eye. As a girl with the body of a gangly boy who has clearly never entered a gym, I am filled with excitement at how this trend can find an hourglass upon your person whether one is naturally there or not!

 Ralph Lauren

Donna Karan

Tea-dresses have never really been my thing but if you are partial, look to Miu Miu’s oriental blossom and swallow pieces for inspiration. For me, it was all about Donna Karan's tailored pieces in muted shades, Marc Jacobs figure hugging pencil skirts and Gucci's deep burgundy lips. I have already been routing through my wardrobe to try and recreate a forties look and resurrect a few items.

The grey skirt is from a suit I wore for sixth-form (as soon as it is on, I am reminded it is not suitable attire for running for a bus) and may have cheated slightly by adding a purple ribbon to an old warehouse turtle neck top to create a pussycat bow effect. Despite tottering rather than sauntering in them, I am still in love with my Minnie Mouse heels and didn’t really want to add another colour to the look so they work well with the top for block colouring. The belt breaks up the colours and dark racing green is a good shade for the winter months (check out Ralph Lauren’s racing green evening gown for true forties glamour).

The lipstick is Olay’s 589 Metro Maroon. I never really wore colour on my lips, choosing to go all out on the eyes but, since my friend confirmed it was bordering on panda rather than smouldering, I am experimenting. Today’s look was inspired byPat McGrath’s screen sirens at Gucci with deep lips and simple eyes.  I did avoid the make-up artist’s cloggy lash effect though; not sure about you but spider eyes have always been used to compliment a Croydon facelift in my area.

So in conclusion, I am learning less can certainly be more in terms of the amount of skin on show. This autumn, the forties style is all about ‘look but don’t touch’; ‘yes the woman is there but you can admire my clothing first!’