Buy and Hold: Part Two, Wearing heritage clothing

Some women are wary of heritage clothing because they fear looking dated or frumpy. It's true that ill-fitting clothing from no discernible decade, in dull, safe colours will not spark joy, let alone mild content.

"It's a classic, you can't go wrong!" is one of the Eternal Sales Pitches. But we want classic with wit; otherwise it's eternally boring.  

I've found inspiration in features about women published in The Gentlewoman; a model looks good in anything, but real bodies are autobiographies, not fashion fiction. This is the American-British chef Ruth Rogers, in a delicious blue cotton corduroy coat by Prada.

From The Gentlewoman No. 24, Autumn/Winter 2021

The styling sorts into two camps: twisted to introduce a fresh note (usually mixed with streetwear or architectural contemporary items), or timeless, a sharp, traditional interpretation. 

Twisted styles the classic with a current acccent to create an interesting juxtaposition. 

Hermès, courting younger customers, have long done this with scarves; for example, knotting two to form a crossbody bag, slung over an anorak.

Another example: Wide, cropped trousers with a wheat and red J&M Davidson crew-neck cardigan. Note the white boots, another current touch. 

An ecru cashmere hoodie by the impeccable Akris is worn with a white midi skirt and slides; it's not necessary to unzip to your midriff, but the proportions are fresher than wearing it with, say, classic trousers:

Timeless, the other path to working with heritage clothing, does not mean nothing has changed since you carried change for the pay phone. Wearing it with pleasure today is a matter of proportion (or fit) and accessories.

Here's about the most "timeless" item imaginable, the Burberry trench, worn with perfectly-fitted ankle jeans, an immaculate white tee and sharp loafers. And, posing in Paris helps.

 

 

Another heritage staple: the twinset. (They have their very own post here.)

Timeless: A twinset by Eric Bompard, worn with black jeans. (Shown: the classic cardigan worn with the short-sleeved crew, in Autumn White.) The jeans take them into 2022.

Akris again, this time presenting a classic ribbed wool cardigan with flared trousers. The quality of the clothing supports the timeless approach.

Isn't that a tart green? The easiest way avoid the stuck-in-amber look for timeless outfits is to choose a non-neutral colour for one of the pieces, and pair it with complimentary colours rather than precise coordination. 

Though blazer and shirt cuts change every decade or sooner, sweater styles such as roll or v-necks do not, nor do simply-cut skirts and most trousers—and fortunately it's an all-lengths millenium, so far. Here's an example from Eric Bompard, now claiming heritage status after 37 years in business. This is their classic rollneck in "Horizon". Note the difference between one in, say, camel.   

  

The waxed-cotton field jacket is as heritage as the House of Windsor, and about as long-lived. Here, the Barbour "Montgomery" jacket as shown on the site, with a roll-neck and skinny jeans—a monochromatic look that still works, and definitely timeless.

Here's the idea of adding colour: the field jacket spiked with red Hunter wellies and a tartan shirt— everything is still timeless, but the colour adds energy. I would skip the chunky chain, which looks like fake gold.

To review the difference between twisted and timeless, here's a twisted Barbour-and-wellies: Alexa Chung in a Smiths tee shirt and vinyl trousers (ideal for sponging off festival mud).

Much of the time, though, you can let fine heritage clothes exude their inherent calm. If I owned a tweed coat like this (maker unknown), I'd let it be, as she has:

Photo: The Sartorialist

A cheapie classic like an H&M tennis sweater is a waste of money. A guideline for buying: the more classic the item, the more quality of fabric and construction count. When women captivated by trends tire of their heritage pieces, they send them elsewhere to live out their days, so have a look at secondhand.  

When you find your treasure treat it with respect—keep moths or other pests (and teenagers who discovered that vintage Pringle is indeed cool )—away, and enjoy years of wear.