GROWING OLD DISGRACEFULLY

If the old saying is true - you know: one is a sighting, two is a coincidence, three's a trend - then it is very likely next season you will be raiding your granny's wardrobe for her very best sheepskin-lined slippers.

Or perhaps not. But with three brands erring towards pensioner chic in their spring/summer and resort collections, it's fun to speculate what we'll all be like when we're sixty-four, and counting. Going to collect our pensions in pink tutus and turquoise eye shadow, with faded tattoos and saggy piercing holes... or conforming to the polyester pleat norm?

Fam Irvoll was my first sighting with No Thank You, Mr Botox. Ditching plastic surgery and fillers in favour of growing old disgracefully in flatform slippers, Fam's candy-bright spring/summer 2012 collection is like our good Queen Elizabeth on acid. Grannies are appliquéd onto chests and a knit dress features a glamorous fox-fur wearer.. totally politically incorrect nowadays, but does Granny care? Erm, nope. She's going to wear what she likes, when she likes, and you young oiks can stick it.

You can read a fantastic review of the Fam Irvoll collection at Intrinsically Florrie's magical blog.


The coincidence was Sister by Sibling S/S13. Featuring delicate lace doily facemasks, twinsets, and their signature intarsia knitwear in oversized, psychedelic patterns, the entire collection was inspired by Poly Styrene of the X-Ray Spex - who pioneered granny clothing waaay before Alexa Chung even clapped eyes on a penny loafer.


Finally cementing the trend is Wildfox Resort's 2013 lookbook, Granny's Closet. I am sure you all know by now how I feel about Wildfox, but I really think this time Kim Gordon has surpassed herself. I'm totally drawn in by the rich old lady-wot-lunches, dressed head-to-toe in pastels, knitting furiously whilst fueled by gin. The whole lookbook has a touch of melancholy about it however: echoing the way it feels having lived a full and exciting life, now being somewhat lonely and isolated up in a huge Bel Air mansion, shunned by younger family members who only visit for their Christmas and birthday presents, and the odd Werther's Original.

Still, it's hard to be sad for too long when you're wearing Wildfox, and models Nyasha and Mila look like they're having the time of their lives in the glamorous house.

This collection is a tribute to granny and her perfectly mismatched style, her love of cats, jewels, travels and gardening, her hair that she never cuts, the old mansion she bought in the 90’s with the last of her savings, her big glasses she always wears to brunch, and that grandma spirit we all know and adore.

See the entire lookbook on the Wildfox blog.

Will you still need me, will you still feed me

When I'm sixty-four?