Looking forward to it?

We shall soon be saying goodbye to 2008 and welcoming in 2009, so the time has come for me to make the obligatory predictions for the coming 12 months.

This task is always tricky, but given the unforeseen nature of the ‘facelift’ the high street has suffered in 2008, the job has become even harder. One thing that is almost certain, however, is that we will be saying farewell to more shops, but what has not been so well publicised is the difficulties certain brands may also face.

The availability of labels that may in themselves be solid going concerns could well be limited by the fact that the stores they supply are financially insecure. If, as some people have suggested, fashion brands do become more like cash-and-carry businesses, only producing items at short demand from retailers, then their ability to produce clothes of real quality may as a consequence be reduced.

Photo: Manu Mohan

All is not lost, though, as 2009 looks like it will be the year in which the value of clothes will be scrutinised more than ever before (for more on this, see the linked Times article). With more collaborations between designers and our favourite high street shops (Matthew Williamson is next up at H&M) and the credit crunch doing a fine job in some cases of separating the wheat from the chaff, I expect the new year to have more and more people hankering after what this blog is aimed at promoting: well-made, unfussy clothes at affordable prices.

Collaborative skills

Hot on the heels of announcing the introduction of Hollister to London, I am pleased to report that another stylish collection which won’t have you crying over your next credit card statement is almost upon us – and it’s arriving in familiar packaging.

H&M announced a while ago that it was collaborating which Japanese whizz-kids Comme des Garcons, and the results of that collaboration will be available both in the UK (in flagship stores nationwide) and in the US (in New York, Chicago and California) from 13 November.

The collection can be viewed at on the H&M website, but essentially what to expect is a good lot of forward-thinking fashion at very reasonable high street prices. CdG’s general style is well-cut, simple clothing with a twist, and looking at the stuff that’s available we defy anybody not to latch onto at least one must-have item.

With that in mind, get there early and expect a scrum – this is one instance in which style doesn’t come that easy.

Photo: Dubes Sonego

Simple Simon

One of the main reasons I started this blog was to formulate a solution to the inherent problem with being a dedicated follower of fashion: your outfits quickly turn into things you wouldn’t even want to wash the car in.

The route to avoiding this happening is simple – as in, keeping it simple. Choosing a great array of basics is a sure-fire way of retaining year-in, year-out style, something that was recognised in a recent Indepedent Weekend Magazine article.

I guess a life without logos might be difficult to imagine if you’ve walked down the high street recently, but “stealth luxury” or not, my view is that there are some great affordable options out there to be snapped up. The article mentions a favourite of mine, Uniqlo, whose merino wool sweaters (like the one pictured below) are selling like hot-cakes.

Photo: Richard

Does the same apply to jeans? Well I suppose they have always been free of obvious branding (the Levi’s Red Tab and Diesel pocket patch have certainly wormed their way into our consciousness, but they’re hardly in Henley’s league), but H&M have adopted a rather subtle way of branding-without-branding by introducing the “&” sign to their denim collection.

Photo: Richard

Understatement – now that’s never gone out of fashion.