Red letter day

If there’s one thing that fashion is rather fond of doing, it is turning itself on its head, serving up the unexpected and presenting it in a way that suddenly seems ... well, quite normal and acceptable.

So it is with the colour red. Now, usually, this is what some of us like to don for the festive season, or for red letter days, when we feel that making an impact is in order – a wedding or an anniversary celebration or some other occasion when we are determined, this time, not to blend into the background.

Then there is red’s recurring role as a winter building block classic, that trusty red wool skirt or jacket you can bring out each October, or that still fabulous red tweed coat to team with boots and trilby.

But hey – what’s this? It is spring and the red stuff is suddenly, inexplicably, all around us.

This is curious, not least because so much of the prevailing fashion for this spring and summer is characterised by white and by neutrals, by zingy but light and bright pastel shades, by minimalism and air and clarity.

In among all this, we have red, like the serpent in the Garden of Eden, tempting, hissing “look at me, for I am rich and tasty, come try me”.

Try indeed, for there are some beautiful pieces in red out there on the High Street and from the online stores, crossing all the trends and acting as both accent and main base colour.

To be fair, there are always red shift dresses around, because there will always be women who consider them to be part of their signature wardrobe, so they are there, available, and still looking natty, to team with white jacket or blue cropped cardigan.

But why not be a little more adventurous in your red dress choice, since there is such opportunity to do so at the moment?

Look for red tunics, especially a loose and relaxed look that almost blends into a prom dress, with pleated or gathered skirt, but not too tight about the waist and bodice, often in a silky fabric and often also with bordering and embellishment of some kind. Or perhaps a retro 1930s/40s draped style in a jersey fabric, for a sophisticated take?

With holidays in mind, a red maxi dress can never be a bad idea, while a red sun dress in cotton will take you anywhere looking practically perfect. Both accessorise so well with beads and bling and either leather or metallic sandals for gorgeously glamorous paradise looks.

Separates too are making a surprising spring appearance, so look out for a well cut, simple, red jacket in a shade of red that suits your colouring and skin tone. This is especially important for tops, in particular those you wear outside – take the jacket or jumper or cardi into real daylight and hold it up against your face. You’ll regret it if you don’t.

Twitter: @yorkshirefashQ