Since childhood I have associated fringing with cowgirls – and yet I like it. Does that make me a bad person?
Far be it from Frock Advisor to judge – and now that you mention it, early memories of Calamity Jane swooshing through the Midwest are certainly strongly implanted. But we would say this: fringing good, cowboy boot bad.
Doris Day’s suede chaps weren’t the only fringing in town. The vaudeville stage of the time was teaming with high-kicking showgirls in feathers and fringing, demonstrating the multiple applications of this peculiarly sexual adornment. Fast-forward to the 1990s, and lingerie purveyor Agent Provocateur had kickstarted a return to old-school dark sexiness, including copious amounts of satin, feathers and, of course, fringing.
But unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past couple of years, you’ll know that fringing reached its frenzied peak in the 1920s, circa
The Great Gatsby
. So why did it look so good? One word: movement.
Style mavens who understand drama understand its relationship to movement, best demonstrated in Priscilla Queen of the Desert , with the train to end all trains. (This also serves as a warning of how easy it is to go overboard!) The wild abandon of hedonistic dance and merriment is expressed in the whistling movement of silk fringing through the air. And is there a more qualified hedonist than Kate Moss in a metallic fringed evening jacket to contemporise the look?
But for a stealth mastery of the fringe, look no further than Tim Ryan, one of Ireland’s most talented design exports. Ryan’s hot pink and black confections for this season are ankle ticklers that hit all the right notes. He sells his magnificent designs to the world’s style queens through the prestigious Browns boutique in London and on Avenue32.com, but those in the know will recognise the label from Marion Cuddy’s pop-up shop at the Powerscourt Townhouse Centre in Dublin.
Is there such a thing as a capsulewardrobe of bags?
Women and bags – what a dysfunctional relationship. We buy multiples of the same design, overfill, overspend and project our aspirations on to a piece of leather and some hardware. We’ve come out the other side of an It Bag dictatorship and yet we still love our bags. Why? Because your handbag will always fit you. So, to your question: does a capsule bag wardrobe exist? Of course it does.
We’re not suggesting a matching suite of leather goods, but certainly a collection of bags that will see you through the gamut of your life’s needs.
First things first: the everyday bag. A tote, to carry the assorted ephemera of a woman’s life. The strap should be long enough to sit on the shoulder and wide enough to carry the load. Don’t burden us with fiddly locks and fastenings: this is a quick in and out job, like the perfect heist. Ana Faye’s Sinead bag €239, from Kilkenny Shop, in grey, is fun and practical.
Secondly: the lady bag. A clutch or mini-bag to bring to dinner or out to lunch. Off-duty and unencumbered, it should have just enough room for the basics, which are individual to every woman. Pick any colour you like for this one, as mismatching is as cute if not cuter then matching. We like Lisa Ryder’s Hazy Blue Days clutch, €240, at Marion Cuddy, Powerscourt Townhouse Centre.
Next up, it’s the overnight. Don’t let the side down on this one, it’s important. You want to be able to hand this to the porter with pride. It doesn’t have to be Louis Vuitton, but it should fit with your overall aesthetic and not look like you borrowed it from your dad. If you’re really serious, you could make an investment with Pauric Sweeney’s classic overnight bag, €1,700, pauricsweeney.com.
The overshoulder bag is the most contentious. Purists will fight this as a pedestrian response, whereas reactionary trendistes will see this as the new wave, along with backpacks, which we refuse to entertain at this point. We prefer this electric blue satchel, €90, from Scout on Smock Alley, designed to put a smile on your face.
For more advice, and to preregister for the app go to frockadvisor.com
