Why hello there...
Winter is officially in full swing. After some teasingly mild temperatures, the mercury has now dropped. A biting chill waits to greet you as you step out onto the street, causing you to wince, soggy crinkly leaves line every pavement edge, and the evenings now seem to take up most of our waking hours. Drain!
I’ll admit it- I hate Winter- not so much the cold but the sheer lack of light. Waking up to grey weather doesn’t make me want to spring out of bed, but i’ve had a lot to do recently since I’m working from home so its quite nice to be busy whilst the wind makes the bare tree branches sway as I look on, warm and cosy through my window.
I’ve got to hand it to Winter though, whilst it might be pretty shite, you get to wear more clothes! That’s the main plus. And obviously dressing gowns. But that’s about it.
Unless you’ve been living under some sort of rock for the past month or so, no, make that a boulder, you may have noticed that tartan is very, very ‘in’.
Now, I don’t condone slavishly following whatever’s trendy, but to me, tartan is a wardrobe staple. It’s earned its stripes (heh) from heritage check of honour, to the adopted uniform staple of the punk movement, which in turn inspired designers such as Vivienne Westwood to pick up on the street-trend for the masses.
It’s a sort of neutral to me, much like leopard print. An all black outfit with a slither of striking red check is always in fashion. Tartan doesn’t have to reference punk, or grunge for that matter. If you forget about the usual suspects such as mini kilts or washed out plaid shirts, tartan can be classic and stylish, even preppy and smart, after all, tartan was picked up by the anti establishment youth of the late 70s as a tongue-in-cheek middle-finger-up to public school uniforms and upper class hunting and formal wear!
Think of the Clueless girls mixing tartan checks with acid bright V-necks and crisp shirts, you wouldn’t catch them in a mosh pit.
However you choose to wear the so called trend, make sure to have fun with it!
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| Model - Lonnie Beckley
Take a look at this Welsh Tweed cape I picked up from Canterbury’s age concern charity shop. It sounds weird but I hardly ever spend more than £5 on one item from a chazza, but a Winter coat is often the most expensive item of a girl’s wardrobe, and usually takes a lot of planning, shopping around and saving up for! After all, in the coldest months, a coat is worn daily.. You could wear any old rags underneath if your coat puts the work in! For £7, this buy was a no-brainer.
It’s a 60s garment in heavy Welsh wool, made up of two pieces, a waistcoat and a cape that pops on top, leaving your arms free but your body super warm and toasty. The oversized collar and hand pockets give it that full-on swinging sixties vibe and I can only imagine it’s original owner teaming it with opaque tights over a mini-dress with a to die for beehive hairstyle...ahhh those were the days!
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The catwalk fully embraced tartan this fall, and this Celine coat is a modern take on my 1960s bargain. The exaggerated semi circle curve of the sleeves echo the classic cape silhouette, and the contrasting checks give the coat a new 21st century dimension.
Notice how no under garments are visible in this striking look, and paired with dark tights and boots, the coat stands alone with no competition. Not a safety pin or a beanie hat in sight! If you keep the rest of your outfit simple and understated, tartan is classic, and never out of fashion.
This Zara number in the shops now is pretty reasonabe at £59.99, as i’ve seen some high street coats with price tags that would make your eyes water! It bares a pretty noticable resemblance to my vintage Age Concern find, with the added bonus that mine is not available to the mass market! Take that corporate oppression!
Let me level with you... if you’re reading this and still haven’t tried your luck routing through charity shops, I would suggest that now is the time to take the plunge and give it a go. As I mentioned, a coat is the most expensive and most worn garment of the whole year, it’s your most exterior layer to the elements whilst you’re outdoors- whether it be Christmas shopping to stepping out on the town for festive drinks!
It’s a lot of responsibility for one humble piece to take on, so why not buy a small selection second- hand rather than one straight out of the factory! That being said, I would never buy a coat that had seen too much of the harsh weather in its former life...Wooly bobbles can be removed but I would steer away myself, unless it was really cool and worth a bit of TLC! My only exception to this rule was in the shape of a gorgeous 1960s beauty I unearthed in a dusty old vintage shop in Belfast. Funnily enough it was tartan, in a deliciously sickly shade of orange. The cold synthetic lining was tattered, meaning my pockets went as deep as the hem (handy for some), and I remember being over the moon to discover an ancient train ticket between the fabric, along with a crumpled up Refreshers sweetie wrapper! Ahhh. I just love the thought of my clothes having a former life!
Back to reality... I would suggest trying on something you wouldn’t normally go for if you were investing in an expensive piece you plan to wear for many winters to come... Whilst you’re bargain buying, why not try on a colourful coat? It’s so nice to see a flash of bright red, pink or even yellow, standing out in a sea of grey and black overcoats. Wearing a bright colour is also proven to lift your mood! Wahayyyy!
Fur coats often pop up in charity shops, and are well worth the extra money. A neutral coloured fur, whether faux or real, can dramatically transform the tone of your outfit, giving your Saturday night party dress an extra boost of glamour! We all know that sometimes a boring coat can drag your evening outfit down, but this is Canterbury, not Cardiff, and hobbling home with your arms tightly wrapped around your goose pimpled arms is naaaaat cool. Shivering c’est pas chic! Fur is your wing-woman. Look like a movie star AND keep warm! A lot better than one of those insulated foil blankets provided by our loyal Street Pastors. If your heart is set on a vintage fur this year, I would highly recommend checking out Canterbury’s Courtyard Bazaar just off the high street in an, er,,courtyard. It’s held bi-monthly, (next one is this Saturday 23rd November!). Go and find Miranda and her selection of beautiful coats at amazing prices, you will not be disappointed!
Remember to be adventurous and step out of your comfort zone! Try on styles you’re not familiar with- this could be the winter you switch your conservative navy pea coat for an eye popping pink number, totally on trend this season if you dare! Or if you’re a die-hard parka gal, why not shock your friends by rocking up in a ladylike belted number, great for accentuating (or creating...) curves, can be funked up for daytime with jeans and converse yet smart enough to wear in the evenings with heels for fun time!
And if you discover you’re not too fond of your new (old) purchase, you can always re-donate the item if you decide it’s not the one for you. That’s what the Jumblist Movement is all about- happy re-loving!
And on a last note...in the most un-patronising way ever, if you’ve had your fill of last year’s coat, why not donate it to charity? Apart from the old “out with the old...” ethos, (which is so good for the soul...), you’ll feel like a smashing good human for it. New, warm coats can be costly, especially for families on a tight budget. Donated coats are always really appreciated. Think of it as your good deed of the season, share a bit of Christmas spirit and have a good look round the rails while you’re there!
Happy hunting....
