When I went to London a few weeks ago, I spent a couple of hours one afternoon people-watching in front of Somerset House. After a little while an older lady approached me. She had accidentally walked into the courtyard and was wondering what all the commotion was about, why all these people were posing for pictures. “Are they trying to be discovered as models.” No, I said. But they are hoping that someone discovers their style.
I indeed saw some very noticable outfits that day, styles that are fantastic to look at in the context of fashion week, where the show in front of the tents has become nearly as important as what’s being shown on the runway inside. Styles that you couldn’t take seriously in everyday life. I saw people in neon cycling shorts. I saw dresses that you could have mistaken for tops. I saw an unbelievable amount of feathers. I saw one editor in double denim and a pair of purple trekking sandals – trekking sandals! – and she actually looked great.
And even with all of that going on, what stayed with me the most was something very simple: Almost every woman I saw wore her blazer or jacket perched on her shoulders. A nice little touch, I thought, that also works in real life.
Well, sort of.
As easy as it looks, wearing a jacket like that is quite complicated. You shrug your shoulders, it falls off. You are constantly readjusting how it sits. You’re forever trying to find a way to carry your handbag that isn’t awkward. So why not just put the jacket on? If you asked me, I’d say: Because there’s something charming about it. It reminds me of those summer evenings, when it starts getting a little bit cooler. The man you’re with takes his jacket of and puts it around your shoulders. You can still feel the warmth of his skin on you and it makes you feel instantly sheltered.
And I feel that’s how a jacket like Kathrin’s should be worn. Because this jacket? It’s part of an original Le Smoking from Yves Saint Laurent from the 70s that was handed down to Kathrin by a very nice colleague (a VERY nice colleague). A great piece of fashion that protects you a little bit against reality.
