5:10 AM
Trupasko
f there is one item of clothing guaranteed to make a woman feel ladylike this season, it is the pencil skirt. Sleek, slimline, and a shortcut to the sexiest of sashays, it is the linchpin of a Forties fashion resurgence set to put the genteel back on the fashion map.
Much of the credit for its return must go to the woman for whom God created hip-hugging skirts. Joan Holloway, the feisty flame-haired secretary played by Christina Hendricks in the hit series, Mad Men , has inspired designers and female shoppers alike to embrace a quintessentially refined working wardrobe, paired with, where possible, a smoking-hot set of curves.
The fashion world has long found this ladylike look impossible to resist, from Marc Jacobs at Louis Vuitton, who squeezed supermodels into teeny corsets and big skirts last autumn, to Donna Karan, Frida Giannini at Gucci and Jean Paul Gaultier, who have played out their love of the hourglass this season to produce simultaneously strong and feminine silhouettes that hark back to the curves of such Hollywood greats as Marilyn Monroe, Ava Gardner and Rita Hayworth.
As Sarah Shotton, creative director at Agent Provocateur, the most decadent of lingerie labels, says: "The global success of Mad Men promoted this look within the media, but, really, the hourglass silhouette has always been - and always will be - attractive to both men and women because it is healthy, sexy and alluring."
Key pieces for this season's take on the ladylike include neatly tailored jackets nipped in at the waist and delicate tea dresses peppered with spriggy prints. Then there are the all-important glamorous accoutrements: the silver-screen fur tippets laced around lapels; the silky pussybow blouses against alabaster skin; and the louche leather gloves masking a pair of delicate wrists.
The high street has also followed the designer lead: Banana Republic has created a limited-edition collection in honour of Mad Men , which arrives in store this month, while Topshop has injected Hollywood glamour into the ladylike proceedings, courtesy of midi-length little black dresses lined with faux chinchilla cuffs and wraps - oh so Ginger Rogers.
But what exactly is it that makes this look the one reliable - and repeated - refrain in fashion's complex musical score? According to the British menswear designer Patrick Grant, tailoring is a powerful weapon in a woman's arsenal. "It has transformational power over the wearer, and equal, if not greater, power over the beholder."
He adds: "Maybe it's a throwback to the domineering school ma'am, maybe it's the lingering legacy of the Iron Lady, but men find themselves weakened by a woman in tailored clothes." Although Margaret Thatcher may be an uneasy style icon for many to reconcile, a look to make men wither is rather difficult to resist.
"Suave sophistication has never seemed more appropriate, and is a good reflection of the times," agrees designer Antonio Berardi, whose autumn/winter 2011 show was replete with femme fatales decked in sensual and close-fitting cocktail dresses. "Perhaps women have been a little lax of late with the etiquette of dressing, never considering the right underpinnings, the perfect stocking, shoe or the contents of their handbags. This was a prerequisite for my parents' generation; I remember fondly both of them hankering over the correct hankie."
As fashion pulls up its proverbial stockings this season, it has reassessed the values of strong and considered femininity. "The Forties silhouette is a more concealed and demure look for the woman," says designer Jonathan Saunders, who drew inspiration from the Forties American photographer, Paul Outerbridge, to produce neat belted waists and sleek midi-skirts in a palette of rich colour for autumn.
"After summer's colourful and playful direction, a more strict, sexy silhouette feels new. I think the customer is looking to find value in what she buys and is happy to invest in special pieces when they make her feel sophisticated."
Fortunately, such ladylike sophistication can be conjured up with relative ease and is flattering to almost all - another reason for its unswerving popularity.
Most dresses can transform into an hourglass simply with the addition of a high-waisted belt. Hemlines are falling further below the knee with each new season, which encourages the wearing of heels to elongate the leg. A fur shrug, be it real or faux, slung across the shoulders of a jacket can instantly inject a bit of Forties Dietrich finesse. And the resilience of the trend for bright red lipstick takes this whole look from the dowdy to the downright dazzling with one quick application.
But the best thing about ladylike is that the office can be a fashion playground for women to shine and silhouettes to sizzle. For proof, just take one look at Joan.
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