When I wore skinny jeans back in the ‘80s, they were high in the rise, tight, but without stretch because the fabric technology back then was less advanced. The denim wasn’t that soft either. Sometimes I’d have to roll around on the bed to get them on. They were uncomfortable, especially when I sat down. I remember liking my high rise, pleated, paperbag waist jeans a heck of a lot more because they were roomier all over, although tapered on the legs.

Skinny jeans disappeared when relaxed straight legs, boyfriend styles, and bootcuts became all the rage. About fourteen years ago, they made a comeback. This time round they had a mid or low rise thanks to some ‘90s influence, AND a bit of stretch thanks to evolving fabric technology. Adding 2% spandex to denim was revolutionary, making them instantly more comfortable. After decades of wearing flared and wider jeans silhouettes, skinny jeans were quite the sleek change. I remember resisting them when they made their comeback, thinking this time round that they were unflattering. But before long, I got used to the silhouette all over again. I then wore skinny jeans almost exclusively for a long time.

The skinny jeans that came back fourteen years ago were very different to the skinny jeans of today. As the years went by, skinny jeans became stretchier, softer, higher in the rise, and a lot more snug. They used to create a tailored fit, but now they are more body-con. Many give leggings a run for their money. The skinny jeans of even a decade ago are what we call straight legs today. I’m not sure why skinnies evolved this way, but my guess is it’s part of fashion’s trend towards extreme comfort. Skinny jeans today, although very snug, are comfortable because they are soft and stretchy. They also work well tucked into tall boots.

If you’re after a pair of skinny jeans that aren’t so tight, look for a pair of straight leg jeans with rise measurements that are to your liking. Today’s straight legs will make you feel sleek without the cling on the upper and lower legs. They will look tailored instead of body-con, and be “your skinnies”. Relaxed straight legs are much roomier in the legs and have a ‘90s appeal. They can look equally great, but might not be as sleek as you’d like.

Over to you. What do you think of the evolution of skinny jeans?

• H&M and ’90s jeans brand Lee are launching a size-inclusive, sustainable denim collection.
• Black-owned fashion label Telfar has won the Fashion Design of 2020 award from London’s Design Museum for its vegan-leather, gender neutral shopping bag.
• Topshop’s flagship store in London has closed its doors for good.
• Satya Paul, the Indian fashion designer who invented the modern sari and pioneered the ‘trouser sari’, has died at the age of 79.
• Levi’s is collaborating with Target on a denim-inspired home goods collection.
• Refinery29 reports that cabincore is this season’s trending aesthetic.
• A study from beauty company Sephora found that racial profiling leads minorities to shop online rather than in stores.
• The New York Times and Esquire have coined ‘hate-wear’ and ‘sadwear’ as terms for the ways people are expressing their pandemic frustration through clothes.
• Activewear brand Athleta is branching out into sleepwear.
• Nancye Radmin, a pioneer of plus-size fashion who for two decades ran an upscale chain of stores that served a group of women who had otherwise been overlooked by high fashion, has passed away at age 82.
• The Guardian explains why pink is the ‘statement-making’ hair colour trend of the pandemic.
• Dove is introducing its first-ever refillable deodorant.

Fun Fashion Quote

This quote from critical care nurse Marianne Merza on not saving clothing items to wear for good only made me smile:

“In the past, I’ve kept pieces in my closet, holding out for the right occasion, but since this year has been so grueling, I’ve been trying to create special moments for myself. This dress is something I’d now wear on a walk around my neighborhood. It’s such a special dress, but what am I waiting for? I’m going to wear it to Trader Joe’s!”

Winter tweed skirts are woven, woolly, warm, and worn in colder weather. They are typically a mix of flecked colours, but come in plaids and checks too. You’ll find them in all sorts of colours, but neutral versions are most popular. 

Tweed skirts are sometimes considered formal, overly classic, and constricting. I beg to differ, because as with many things in fashion and style, the devil is in the details. If you add the right support act to an item, you can effectively change its vibe.

I found some tweed skirt outfits that have a wonderfully relaxed and modern vibe to them. Only one of them is a pencil skirt, which is the most constricting silhouette. For a more comfortable silhouette, choose A-lines and flares. The outfits show fine-gauge and chunky knitwear as tops to keep out the chill, but feel free to add a blouse or shirt if that’s more your thing. Choose any colour palette, and use these looks as a guide to create your own versions.

1. Sporty Luxe

This is my favourite of the four because it looks elegant, practical, comfortable and crisp. If I put the jacket on properly, add a crossbody bag, nude-for-me hosiery, and stitch up the front vent a little so that it’s less open, I could run around town doing errands in this look with Yorkie Sam in tow. On that note, combine an A-line tweed skirt with a roomy pullover. Personally, I love the knee-covering length of this skirt, but you can go shorter. Semi-tuck the pullover, or wear it untucked. Complete the look with sneakers and a jacket or coat. I like the way the white sneakers and top match, thereby pulling the look together. The casual pullover and sneakers relax the skirt.

2. Kilted and Pattern Mixed

Combine a kilt with a pullover that picks up a colour in the pattern of the kilt. Add a patterned scarf in the same colour palette as the kilt. The scarf needn’t be another plaid or check. It can be any pattern as long as the colours are similar to the rest of the outfit. Add hosiery, boots and topper that work with the outfit. I don’t fancy the heaviness of the navy opaques and boots styled with this outfit. I’d have gone for something lighter and cream boots. That said, topping off the outfit with a navy coat would balance out the heaviness. The casual pullover and scarf relax the skirt.

3. Black Support Act

Adding a black support act to a tweed skirt that contains black in the pattern is usually a home run. Here, this black and white tweed mini has been combined with a black and white checked cropped pullover that simply looks like a smaller scale of the pattern of the skirt. But you can substitute with a solid black top to match black hosiery, and flat tall or short black boots. Throw in a bag, coat or jacket that works with the pattern of the skirt. The flat riding boots and chunky pullover relax the skirt. These types of mini tweed skirts look sensational on some of my petite clients.

4. Casual Elegance

This is the dressiest option. Combine a long flared tweed skirt with a very roomy pullover that picks up a colour in the pattern of the skirt. Semi-tuck it to create some structure by hinting at a waistline. The black belt here is part of the skirt, and matches the black boots. The tailored heeled booties amp up the dressiness of the outfit. Black hosiery and pumps, or tailored tall boots could work too. You can top off an oversized pullover with a ruana, cape, or poncho. The extreme slouch of the chunky pullover relaxes the skirt. Add jewellery, watch and eyewear as desired.

We add colour to our hair in all sorts of ways. We can go lighter, darker, or richer than our natural colour. We can change the colour completely, cover the grey, or throw in a rainbow look just for fun. It is a personal decision. We simply have to weigh up the pros against the cons of the time, effort, and expense involved, and decide what suits us best.

For many of us, one consequence of the pandemic is that we can’t have our hair coloured as often as we did before. As a result, our natural hair colour has been coming through. Pre-COVID, I had a partial foil of platinum highlights added to my hair every six weeks. When the pandemic struck I went without for four and half months. My hair is naturally blonde without any grey, so the grow-out was reasonably subtle.

As soon as I felt comfortable having my hair re-highlighted, I did just that. I’m still not having it coloured as often as I used to, but I’m adding the platinum blonde bits when I can because, to my eye, it’s more flattering with my complexion. It’s dyed to the colour it used to be naturally when I lived in a sunny Mediterranean climate and my hair was bleached naturally by the sun. Since living in grey Seattle, my hair has gotten darker and I don’t like it as much.

Personally, I’m not embracing the natural colour of my hair just yet, but plan to do so when I go grey. I fancy the idea of a natural silver pixie at some point, and am looking forward to it. On the other hand, some of my friends and clients have taken the opportunity during the pandemic to stop colouring their hair alltogether. Many have opted to let the grey come through, hang in there with the grow-out, and embrace their natural colour. This means saying goodbye to the time and expense of root touch-ups every three weeks, which I imagine to be quite liberating.

Over to you. I’m curious to know whether the pandemic has made you feel like embracing the natural colour of your hair more permanently, or at least for a while.