Resort to the rescue

WHATEVER you choose to call it, the spring resort trend is perhaps the most enduring fashion theme of all time – and with good reason.

“Resort” is the preferred term, but it can also be known as “cruise”, “pre-spring”, “pre-collection” and also as “nautical”, because the traditional design details of sailor-style dressing have always lent much to the trend. It’s a little old-fashioned now to dress head-to-toe in nautical style – no one wants to look like a Wren or rear admiral, unless they are taking part in an “all-aboard retro night” (which sounds fun; let me know if you hear of any such events), so take care teaming, say, a navy pencil skirt with a navy blazer.

What has made resort wear so enduring is its adaptability, the way in which it dove-tails in with newer, brasher or more exotic trends, even enhancing them and making them more wearable.

And this is how it all started, back in the early days of big cruise ship travel, beginning at the start of the 20th century, when wealthy men and women would take off around the world to warmer climes and so would require structured but lightweight wardrobe staples to take with them, but which they would then mix in with clothes and accessories bought on their travels, when the ship docked for sight-seeing.

So it is that resort wear is characterised by linen, cotton and silk separates in nautical colours of blue, red and white, plus cream and black, mixed in with mediterranean, tropical and South American colours and prints, to create the relaxed and wearable smart/casual trend that we still adore today.

In times gone by, resort wear would be targeted only at rich travellers, and high-end designers still take care they don’t miss this important and lucrative market.

But it’s a trend for everyone now, of all ages, all pockets and both sexes. The High Street has long embraced resort wear as a very handy transitional trend, bridging that tricky gap between the depths of winter and the first glimpses of spring and offering fresh yet classic colours and stripes to both cheer and comfort us as we look forward to warmer times to come – and indeed many of us do take off for the sun if we can.

It helps that the trend is one that embraces layering, allowing warmer knits, jerseys and trench coats to be mixed in with trend-led colour and print. This means it’s easy to use your existing basic wardrobe, perhaps a blazer and skinny jeans or wide-leg trousers, and then experiment with the new spring offerings as they come in. This season, look out for exotic floral print tops with a South American influence, for example, and the new bold block colours of acid yellow, vibrant orange and pea green, or the new fondant pastels, and maybe a flash of silver.

Twitter: @yorkshirefashQ