Key events
That’s all, folks!
Jess Cartner-Morley
That was so much fun! Thanks for all the great questions. Love that we covered everything from Oscar Wilde and Andy Burnham to synthetic fibres and the future of the French Tuck. You guys are the best, a pleasure to chat with you so come say hi if you see me in the wild!
Does fashion week matter now?
InJoch asks: Do fashion weeks actually matter anymore? Why do we care what the top designers are saying/doing? Don’t people just wear whatever they want now?
Jess:
Fashion weeks matter as much as ever but for totally different reasons. The power that designers once had to highhandedly dictate a new hemline or a colour of the season doesn’t exist any more. Fashion is a much more fluid ecosystem but fashion week is where all the power players come together. Not just designers and editors but the fashion-leading celebrities sitting in the front row, the models with huge social media followings posting from backstage, the influencers showing off their street style looks. It is still where shifts in style are seen first and articulated most clearly.
How do you feel about the waste created by the industry?
Louisa9515 asks: Is your line of work now considered to be on a par with encouraging us to buy plastic? I know you include vintage items, but the older I get the more I’m saddened by the waste created by the industry.
lieslwhite asks: Do we really need to constantly push buying more clothes to be fashionable? There are already more than enough excess clothes on the planet. Could we have some articles on how to modify existing clothes, learn to sew, shop sustainably etc?
Jess:
This is a tough problem that we talk about all the time on the fashion desk and the catastrophic climate we have seen this summer has underscored how huge and urgent fashion’s overproduction problem is.
Taking sustainability seriously is expensive for brands, and the ones that do make a real effort with proper supply chain management, responsible textile choice, and designing for circularity find it so hard to compete on price with the brands that churn out cheap product at scale. The industry needs to change at a structural level and that requires legislation and political will.
But I believe it is better to celebrate fashion and style than to disparage them – to encourage thinking about clothes as meaningful rather than disposable. We always try to champion shopping your own wardrobe. I’ve just looked down and realised that the blouse I’m wearing today is one I bought when I was pregnant with my son, who is now 24. I don’t think of it as old, I think of it as a treasure.
How do you rate Burnham’s casual look?
CordTrousers asks: Is the Andy Burnham casual look any good? In my opinion it could use some work, he only wears black and navy but I’m pleased he supports British business.
Jess:
He’s a well-dressed man and his style is very intentional. It is Centrist Dad, but with a tilt away from the posh/establishment/smug signifiers of the previous decade of politicians – quarterzip sweaters, gilets – toward a look that is more smart-proletarian than smart-casual. The Harrington jacket is a bit post-punk. It works because it feels authentic. I think it’s brilliant that he’s promoting British-made fashion and taking the industry seriously. Any plan to revive British high streets needs to include fashion.
French tuck … is it now officially out?
DukeApricot asks: French tuck … is it now officially out or is it still in?
Jess:
You’ve read my mind. This is the subject of a column I’ve just written for one of the upcoming issues of Saturday. Watch this space!
What are the rules for wearing accessories?
WhyNot23 asks: Accessories but jewellery in particular – I can’t do it, I just don’t understand how long necklaces should be or how many to wear at once, whether they should go under or over clothes, or how people wear bracelets to the office (how can you type without annoying everyone else with the clacking on the desk)? What are the rules please?
Jess:
OK listen up, because there is just one rule here. Look in the mirror. That’s the trick. Quite often I get dressed and I don’t know whether I want to wear a short necklace or a long necklace or earrings (or all of the above) until I hold them up against my outfit in front of a full length mirror. Your eye will tell you what works. Trust yourself! I am with you on the clacking bracelets, so I don’t wear those. I do enjoy wearing rings though, because unlike necklaces and earrings which are out of your eyeline, you get to see them all day.
What would be your perfect uniform for a fashion Groundhog Day?
Blammy asks: If you were a 59-year-old woman, 5ft 7in, size 14 and had to live in fashion Groundhog Day what would your perfect uniform be? Just one complete outfit … It needs to be fashionable, comfortable when sitting, flattering when standing, contemporary without trying too hard, and suitable for real life.
Jess:
This would be my idea of a nightmare … I love getting dressed according to my mood. But if you twisted my arm I’d say – dark trousers with a front pleat, loafers, a good belt, a silk blouse, a wool blazer and some good earrings. Jenna Lyons, ex-creative director of J Crew, is my style icon here.
Shouldn’t shoes always be comfortable?
Simother asks: Shouldn’t there always be an aspect of comfort and functionality in wearing shoes? It doesn’t make sense to me to wear shoes that hurt your feet and/ or make it impossible to take a walk.
Jess:
Absolutely right there should! Wearing uncomfortable shoes ‘for the look’ backfires anyway, because nobody looks chic when they are hobbling and grumpy. There is definitely an argument for investment in properly made shoes … I have never regretted splashing out on my Gucci loafers. But there are also comfortable shoes to be found on the high street – I always keep an eye on M&S and on Dune.
Why can you only get XL and petite sizes online?
patchwork19 asks: I am a size 22 and forced to buy online. White Stuff, Fat Face, Seasalt and Marks & Spencer no longer stock sizes above 18 or 20 or conversely the petite range in high street shops. How many women are being denied a proper shopping experience?
Indigohippo asks: What would it take for in-person high street shopping to make a comeback? Shop staff seem keen to direct you online instead (‘we don’t have that size/colour in the stockroom, try the website’, ‘sorry that size/length is only online, we don’t carry it in store’). Is the more serendipitous experience of wandering in and seeing what you like dead? How do you think this affects quality and fabrics when you can’t inspect before you press buy?
Jess:
I agree! So demoralising. I was in a high street store recently and the staff looked genuinely startled when I approached to ask them a question. It makes shopping feel so soulless – the rise of self-checkout doesn’t help either! It is not fair that women who wear the smallest or largest sizes often don’t get the opportunity to try things on in a changing room – particularly when we know that returns are a major contributor to fashion’s environmental impact.
How can a 50 year old man dress to impress?
TeeDubyaBee asks: Is there a surefire sartorial way for a gentleman approaching 50 to impress the world, with minimal effort? Asking for a friend.
Jess:
A straight-leg chino in navy or beige (try Cos or Ralph Lauren Polo); a good quality T-shirt (Sunspel, Arket, or James Perse) and a chore jacket always works.
How do you make fashion less ‘snobby’?
eamonmcc asks: You are good at ‘de-snobbing’ fashion. Is that because of a conscious effort on your part?
Jess:
Thanks! I appreciate that. I don’t think snobbery has anything whatsoever to do with dressing well. The classiest people I know are those who have beautiful taste but zero snobbery.
