A quick glance at social media might fool you into thinking that everyone in London was wearing ra-ra skirts and bootleg brat merch this week, but not all the party girls were bumpin’ that with Charli xcx (and Caroline Polachek and Robyn) at The 02. In fact, the festive juggernaut has been a markedly more muted affair than the tidal wave of sequins we’re led to believe typically engulfs the capital come winter. Three of the chicest events easing Vogue editors into the swing of things – Victoria Beckham’s festive cocktail to celebrate 10 years of her Dover Street store, Kate Moss’s Zara collection launch dinner at Oswald’s, and The Lightroom’s premiere of Vogue: Inventing the Runway – all suggested that suiting is, in fact, the best wardrobe decision you can make during the chintziest season of all.
Beckham, who told us she is “quite… specific” when it comes to curating every aspect of Christmas, pledged allegiance to her own label’s relaxed tuxedos; Cate Blanchett has relied on friends, like Haider Ackermann, for immaculately-cut, pale and interesting tailoring; Rosemary Ferguson and Bella Freud leaned into the vibe of their vintage gems with brogues and ties; and the new model guard, such as Giselle Norman, Celina Ralph and Kai-Isaiah Jamal, also gave off that nonchalant, androgynous air we’d all like to emulate when wearing a tee and pressed pinstriped separates. Think: Charlotte Rampling meets Lauren Hutton with a pinch of Led Zeppelin for good measure (all inspirations on Moss’s Zara moodboard FYI), and you’re there.
Admittedly, not everyone has Tom Ford’s number on speed dial (like Cate, who bowled around The Lightroom arm in arm with her designer BFFs), but most mere mortals do have access to a failsafe blazer that delivers shoulders-back, head-up confidence the moment you slip it on with, say, a pair of baggy jeans and some crystal-studded Jimmy Choos. Vogue’s editor-at-large Sarah Harris took her denim to Dover Street to clink glasses with VB while looking effortlessly polished care of some louche tailoring up top, while head of editorial Chioma Nnadi made a strong case for teaming a smart suit jacket with an exquisite embellished skirt for the best of both worlds. Breaking away from full looks is no bad thing.
Interestingly, the jury still seems to be out on the oversized, ’80s-inspired suits that made waves on the most recent runways. While US fashion plates, such as Rihanna and Hailey Bieber, were quick to subscribe to Anthony Vacarello’s swaggering Saint Laurent aesthetic, the mood on home soil is more cautious when it comes to buttoning up and buckling in for the champagne-fuelled weeks ahead. Take Moss, whose partywear mantra – “black, always black” – has never failed her. The super, whose debut Zara capsule inspired by her archive launches on 30 November, framed one of the flapper-esque beaded dresses from the new edit with a pair of louche black trousers to avoid looking too “done”. “These are things that I would have worn when I was 18 and that I would still wear now at 50,” she said of the quintessentially Kate pieces, including sure-to-sell-out leopard blazers and patent jackets. The subtext: December dressing does not require a complete personality overhaul just because you’ve been invited to a members bar.
“I love good tailoring,” said Beckham, who was in her element sipping a smoky marg while a sheer lace bodysuit peeped from underneath her tux. “I never like anything too complicated, I always like quite a simple but strong silhouette.” In the haze between Black Friday and Boxing Day, we leave you her best advice, which no amount of panic sale purchases or partywear trend dispatches (yes, we know skorts and one-legged pants are also “in”) can beat: “You don’t want to look like you’re trying too hard.” A classic suit is the best blank canvas for every bold decision that comes thereafter, sometimes you just need a voice of reason – or several of the fashion fairy godmothers navigating party season in London – to remind you.
