Gingham & Gucci

If I try and picture what my mum used to wear back in my schooldays, I think it was something close to a checked shirt, blue straight -leg jeans and some kind of post-80s buckled belt cinched right round the waist. So maybe the apple doesn’t fall that far from the tree after all… I once read an interview with Alexa Chung who described how a childhood spent in jodhpurs and riding boots is responsible for her signature leggy silhouettes today as its what she naturally feels most comfortable in. I too am a big believer in the aesthetics of your youth creeping through to the present and dictating in some small way how you dress as a fully fledged grown-up, a concept you’ll already have picked up on from my blog posts I reckon. Ok so we (thankfully) might have realised that bright pink hoodies, jersey RaRa skirts and buffalo shoes (just me?) are never a good idea, but what we did see as a good idea in our formative years might just stick with us for many years to come.

I saw so many Levis 501s, oversized grandpa shirts and bomber jackets on my older sisters and their mates throughout the 90s, its no wonder I still gravitate towards these kind of shapes today. Likewise being the youngest and getting to watch the likes of Dirty Dancing, Pretty Woman, Thelma & Louise and Risky Business before the tender age of ten no doubt eternally brainwashed me to love denim cut-offs, muscle-tees and Rayban Wayfarers. And come to think of it, raise many an awkward question in the car the next day… “Mum, what’s a ‘hooker’?”.

I’ve been seeing the 80s slowly returning, both on the catwalk and the street, and it seems to have subconsciously filtered into my shopping basket with the combination of these two pieces. My penchant for monochrome gingham is well versed (case in point here) and while it can at first seem a little twee and prairie girl, with the right fit of denim, boots and black accents, it’s the ideal statement print for serial down dressers. The power of a great belt is nothing new and this Gucci classic is one of the most potent out there. Team it with nothing more than great black jeans and a striped t-shirt and you instantly appear to be winning at life. Another reason I love accessories like this is they make buying into a favourite brand that bit more accessible. Whereas a bag or a pair of shoes might be out of reach financially, an amazing belt is doable and lasts far longer than other more ‘it’ items. When it comes to working out cost per wear, I guarantee a beautiful belt like this will feel like pocket money after its 100th outing.

Gingham Shirt | Isabel Marant Etoile at Luisa Via Roma
Belt | Gucci
Jeans | Vintage Levis via Reformation
Coat | Maje (similar here and here)
Gold Necklaces | Lucy Williams X Missoma
Zodiac pendant | Catherine Zoraida
Boots | Tony Bianco
Sunglasses | Celine
Clutch bag | Mulberry 

Ph. by Frances Davison