High Street Pick of the Week - The 2011 Style File

This is the second in the 2011 series of building your wardrobe from recommended items from the high street. Of course if you are not in the UK many of the brands featured will be replicated around the globe in differing regional retailers but lots of the items I will pick no doubt will be available on the internet on global sites.

Last week wide leg jeans were selected and someone asked me to contextualise the basis of the wardrobe. It was a good question although a little difficult to answer preciously as I fearfully of being too prescriptive and not enabling you to be creative.

What probably more useful is to know what I imagine it to be. Because you can challenge my perspective and but your spin on it. I know I'm not thinking of baroque or gothic overtones when I choose items, but say you love crosses and black nail varnish, you could wear the wide leg jeans with a long sleeve grey t-shirt and accessorise with black nails and a gothic cross. I love the cut and looks of the 1930s and 1970s butyou might prefer the 1940s oe 1950s. I love Barbara Streisand's costumes in The Way We Were and I love the Italian chic of Antonioni's L'Eclisse. You will have your favourite looks from films. I much prefer the voluptuous excess of Dolce & Gabanna to the chic minimalism of Celine but of course you might prefer Celine to D&G. I hope with the style file to offer items that you can interpret and wear with the way you'd imagine the items being worn.

What the 2011 style file series offers is a reference for you in respect of building a great workable mix and match wardrobe. I will keep things fairly simple but hope that some items will be wonderful additions.

So back to this weeks pick.


You do need a great versatile skirt and the pencil or sheath skirt is the one regardless of body shape or size. This one is from Zara at £39.99 but you can find one almost anywhere. The reason I've picked this item now and not a top, is that the current crop of sheath skirts are in the right length, make the proportions correct so you can wear them more successfully. Once again it will be the type of top and the accessories you choose that will adjust any misgivings you may have.

You can wear this skirt with a plain white tee, or a completely over the top ruffled shirt. All you have to do is adjust how you compose the look. If you wearing a white t-shirt then hair scraped back in a bun with red lipstick and white plimsolls is a big step away from wearing it with a red almost flamenco style shirt and fishnets and heels. See versatility!