Colourful characters in fashion

Money can’t buy you style …

Style is about being just a little bit different - and it also has a lot to do with expressing your true personality. Don’t feel you have to conform to what anyone else is wearing (though it's probably best to follow your office dress code, especially in these market conditions).









Celebrities are often fashion victims because their clothes are invariably chosen for them by others – like personal assistants or well intentioned friends. Not everyone has Patricia Field as their stylist and hapless celebrity fashion victims are always turning up on the pages of trashy tabloid magazines with their clothes wearing them rather than the other way round.

Of course, there are also seasoned style queens, like legendary American fashion designer Mary McFadden, left, who I accidentally stumbled upon at private party in London recently. Illustrating the irrelevance of age vs. style, Ms McFadden still cuts the mustard in this floaty and folksy ethnic silk ensemble. In Mary’s case it appears perfectly effortless, but there’s much more to being a colourful character and showing true style than you might think: it helps if you have a natural flair for fashion and there's a real art to mixing colour.





The curiously colourful and very arty Yasmina (who you’ll be seeing more of later) definitely isn’t afraid to stand out from the crowd and express her preference for bold acid colours and accessories – all done in a highly creative way and resulting in a quirky, but seriously cool look.





Less colourful, but still characterful is one of the outfits I feel most comfortable in – it’s an amazing vintage Zandra Rhodes silk chiffon cactus print dress - though perhaps the vintage Dior sunglasses from ShopCurious make me look a tad Dame Edna-ish…The shoes are interesting: they’re actually Miu Miu from the mid 1990s, but d'you think their design might have been inspired by the work of a famous English cobbler?



I salute Beth Ditto, seen here at the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition Preview in June, for her stylish, brightly coloured clothing, even though she doesn't conform to the media image of bodily perfection. This magical mauve number, accessorized with a simple statement necklace, a crisp bobbed haircut and 1970s glam-rock inspired makeup simply oozes authentic taste and style.











Being confident with your appearance and your individual sense of style is one of the keys to looking and feeling great, whatever your gender, age or size. And having the odd imperfection can be a great advantage – after all, you don’t want to look the same as everyone else.

Do you?