Fashion

Corduroy, Two Ways

October 16, 2017

Cords having a bit of a moment, which you’re probably aware of if you’ve opened a magazine lately or follow one of us low life fashion bloggers on instagram. We’re dripping in the stuff it seems. To me, everytime corduroy comes back around, I’m thrilled thanks to its 70s connotations (my favourite decade for threads) and the fact it takes me right back to the year 2003 when I first started going out out with my fake id in tow and a pale blue cord blazer I put over everything. Never explain, never apologise….

Anywho, I like to think this season’s foray back into corduroy is slightly better than then but who knows, maybe I’ll be sarcastically referring to the autumn of 2017 in years to come. But for now, I love the stuff and there’s so much of it on the high street and by favourite designers to play around with. Fist up, the cord jacket. Personally, I like these done up right to the neck with the colour turned up, or open over a black turtle neck or slogan tee. Personally, I’m always up for an alternative to my leather biker or cropped suede jacket at this time of year and cord is 100% doing just that for me. I’ve been buying mine a little roomier to allow for knits and layers as it gets colder too. Right now I have this one from Mango, and a sandier coloured one from Urban Outfitters (plus a matching pair of cord trousers) which both do different things. I love the raw, cut hem on this one and the slightly lighter, more streamlined cord that would work just as well in L.A as it would in London. I kind of like playing up to the 70s detective vibes with country club check trousers and red boots to save from being in anyway waspy or prim.

At Paris fashion week, there were more than a few citings of the pale pink Celine cords but for me, these Isabel Marant rose-coloured babies are slightly more on the doable side of investment pieces. I’m only going to splash on Celine if I’m wearing it forevs whereas these feel like an indulgence but they’re already earning their keep in terms of cost per wear. These are fitted with a kick flare so flattering for a smaller person like myself but if you have legs up to my armpits, I love cords worn 90s style; long, slouchy and widely tapered all the way the down. The kind of things we wore at school in the early 00s that soaked up the rain and looked revolting. So maybe avoid on rainy days….

I’ve had a few questions on my instagram after posting these about how to style these so here goes. Up until not, I’ve liked wearing these with my leather jacket or a tweed-ish blazer with a bit of red in it like my Sandro one to pull out the pink. I also love them with a tonal pale pink kit (big and oversized) or a big, chunky cable knit cardigan over a white t-shirt. I think they’ll work well under a long, oversized tweed coat too when it gets cooler or a sheepskin number if you want to go all out and be like Kate Hudson in Almost Famous. I really like the hole pink-meet-red thing so I’ve been wearing these primarily with my Ayede patent boots but any red boots or patent black would love amazing too.

Essentially cord is something to have fun with, to not take too seriously. It’s comfortable, warm and feels cool and nostalgic all at once.