SPRING FASHION 2020 This season, we’re embracing

SLOW START This year, clothing works best when it has meaning behind it, reconnecting with artisan skills or celebrating slow fashion, a rejection of throwaway culture. Here local shops, designers and fashion gurus pick their personal favourite items for our spring style special

So here we go again. It’s no longer quite so dark as we leave the offi ce, and though we’re still reaching for the woolies each morning – and will be doing so for a while, let’s be honest – we’re also starting to think about the less buttoned up freedom that comes with warmer weather style. So what should we be wearing this spring and summer? Truth is, in this every-trend-at-once, anything goes era, drawing hard-and-fast rules and pithy suggestions is harder than ever – but we’re going to give it a go anyway, with the help of a selection of Bath fashion gurus. Turns out the ’70s are still in (but the ’90s are too); graphic polka dots and fl uoro neon highlights are everywhere; and we’re seeing more waistcoats, feathers, bra-tops and even hot pants than we have for a while.

But above all these specifi cs, one thing is clear: a sort of quirky, relaxed, home-made quality continues to look much more appealing and of-the-moment than anything too slickly luxurious or factory made. We’re talking sustainability, we’re talking authenticity, we’re talking vintage and recycled and artisan heirloom techniques. Most of all, we’re talking slow fashion, better made – perhaps more expensive – pieces where the hand of the creator can actively be seen, and which we’ll keep and wear for decades, not just a season or two.

And if a piece has genuine eco-cred, as opposed to just looking like it might, all the better…

Trend: Sustainable THE B TEAM “This dress is by Baujken,” says Nickie Davies of Kilver Court, the designer shopping village out at Shepton Mallet, “and usually retails at £139 – but we sell it at Kilver for £97.30. We love these guys, in part because of their admirable sustainability policy – they donate 10 per cent of their profi ts to charity, and are part of the global B Corp family that encompasses 3,000 businesses committed to balancing purpose with profi t. That means, for instance, that they’re legally required to consider the impact of their decisions on their workers, customers, suppliers, community, and the environment – Patagonia and Innocent Drinks are also part of it. Baujken is all about slow fashion, using ecofriendly fabrics, making the sustainable attributes of each product clear, and they do most styles in sizes up to 18. And if you eventually wear out your Baukjen item, you can send it back to them to be sustainably recycled – they’ll pay the postage.” For more, www.kilvercourt.com

Trend: Beach to bar ONE LOVE “We’re proud to now stock the Australian brand One Season,” says Alison Townshend of Sassy & Boo, the small West Country fashion shop chain with a boutique at 9 Bartlett Street. “This perfect, 100 per cent natural fi bre dress comes in stunning colours to take you from the beach to the bar this summer – and even out to dinner afterwards. This is a very on trend brand, looking to materials like the fi nest Indian cotton in exclusive prints and stunning colours to create breezy dresses, kaftans and throw over pieces.” For more, www. sassyandboo.co.uk

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Trend: Luxe sportswear NO SWEAT “These new leggings are the perfect fi t, with a high-rise waistband that’s supportive without digging in,” says Alys Wikmark of Lululemon, the infl uential cult workout brand with a new store about to open on Southgate Place. “The ultra-breathable fabric is engineered to feel soft on the outside while being cool and sleek next to the skin, and they’re also ultra-fast-drying – just what I need for a sweaty workout.” Made of a proprietary fabric called Everlux, which knits Lycra with wicking yarns that pull sweat away from your body and helps it evaporate, the Wunder Train High-Rise Tight comes at £88. For more, lululemon.co.uk

Trend: Capsule wardrobe LET IT SNOW “One of my favourite pieces this year is this classic pinafore dress in a fun pinstripe fabric,” says Snow, the creative force behind back-to-basics slow fashion clothing company Bibico, with its only shop on Bartlett Street. “It’s a chic and simple piece, and to me represents the epitome of a capsule wardrobe. It’s certainly a dress to encourage multiple wears, either paired with a long T-shirt and a cardigan at the beginning of the season, or worn solo when the days get warmer.” Made of a soft linen/cotton mix, and designed here in Bath by Snow but produced by a Fairtrade Cooperative in India, it’s just £69. For more, bibico.co.uk

Trend: Kitten heels CAT CHASER “The kitten heel is seeing a real revival in 2020,” says Debbie Spiller of DuoBoots at 33 Milsom Street. “Seen both on celebrities and the fashion catwalks, it’s more formal than fl ats and boasts leg-lengthening qualities without hindering comfort levels, all making its newfound popularity unsurprising. Somerton is our stand-out kitten heel for SS20, a modern take on the Chelsea boot, featuring a pointed toe, piped edging and an elasticated side panel.” Now you’ve found it, all you have to pick is your preferred colour: red suede or white-and-black hair leather. For more, www.duoboots.com

Trend: Artisan-made BLACK AND BLUE Blackhorse Lane Ateliers is one of those small-scale artisan clothing makers. True lovers of indigo dye, premium selvedge, organic raw denim and old-school heritage construction techniques, they call themselves “London’s only craft jeans maker”, and have now collaborated with Toast on a high-profi le capsule collection, reinterpreting two traditional Toast styles – the denim workwear jacket and cropped jeans – in Blackhorse Lane’s rope-dyed double indigo denim. These are both available now, but Blackhorse Lane Ateliers x Toast is no one-shot deal, and new styles will be added for AW2020.

“Blackhorse Lane Ateliers work out of a renovated 1920s factory, and have a strong focus on social and environmental sustainability, and quality craftsmanship,” says Laura Shippey, head of design at Toast. “Each item is made using slow fashion techniques, with a pair of jeans taking, on average, four hours to make. They were founded as an antidote to fast fashion, and we’re proud to support garments that are traditionally made in the UK.” For more, www.toa.st/uk

Trend: Easy wearing EARN YOUR STRIPES Devizes-based indie fashion boutique Spirit has long shown a commitment to tracking down interesting, less ‘High Street’ styles, such as this boldly striped dress from Lolly’s Laundry of Copenhagen, creators of light and airy basics, often in vivid colours. (That said, LL founderdesigner Kamilla Byriel likes an edgier rock chick look too, which she renders in the likes of leathers – having another moment – and animal prints, which never stopped having one, it seems.) “This piece is a little more nautical than that,” says Spirit’s Rose Webster, “but if the stripes aren’t for you, they do solid colours, flower prints and so-on-trend polka dots too.” For more, www.spiritfashion.co.uk

Family jewellery manufacturers Est 1979

Trend: Slow fashion SILK STALKINGS This is Waller & Wood’s Geraldine coat (£795), made of painted doupion silk – that’s a deliberately irregular type of silk created when threads from two or more cocoons are spun together – and worn with an Annie Beardsley bangle from the Ledger Stones collection, inspired by the texture and almost lost inscriptions on the floor of Bath Abbey, virtually next door to their shop on Abbey Green. “The coat’s silvery-grey, and is my take on motherof-the-bride that would be perfect for an upcoming wedding, but can also be worn many, many times after the event,” says Carole Waller. “My firm belief is that right now we need special clothes that withstand trend, can be worn lots of ways – formally or casually – and will stay in our wardrobes for a long time. They are not cheap – but they are original and made right here, in very small numbers, and will last you for many years.” For more, www.wallerandwood.co.uk

32 I BATH LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk PHOTO BY EGLE VASI

Trend: Colour pop SCARF FACE

“After such a dark and grey winter, Pookie Blezard – the head creative at UK company Pazuki – captures glorious languid summer days in her beautiful riotous and

colourful garments and scarves,” says Angela Haddrell of Uber, the eclectic, vaguely Alpinethemed clothing shop on

Margaret’s Buildings, which stocks them. “These scarves are a perfect example of wafting around a blooming summer garden with a gin and tonic, allowing yourself to become part of that magical garden. They bring zing and vibrancy to any spring wardrobe.” For more, www.uberview.co.uk Trend: Colour pop SCARF FACE

“After such a dark and grey winter, Pookie Blezard – the head creative at UK company Pazuki – captures glorious languid summer days in her beautiful riotous and

colourful garments and scarves,” says Angela Haddrell of Uber,

Trend: No borders HOOKED ON CLASSICS Increasingly popular Copenhagen brand NN07 is a new arrival at Maze – the well-established and much-loved men and women’s clothing store at 19 Green Street – and is already getting loads of attention, says their Hannah Holloway. “They describe themselves as an open-minded brand with no borders – the ‘NN’ actually stands for No Nationality – and this Kim jacket, being both breathable and waterproof, scores as high on performance as it does on style.” Robust and practical, NN07 is a great place to look for neutral jeans, casual shirts, jackets and knits that are classic but in no way boring. For more, www.mazeclothing.co.uk

Trend: Local makers TOP HAT This amazing occasion wear piece is from the current ‘for hire’ collection at Nancy Rose, the Walcot Street hat specialist, and features their popular button base design in an on-trend pallet of saff ron yellow handmade fl owers on a chive green silk base. “You can check it out in the store we share with Sumptuous Designerwear, ” Nancy says, “and by wearing this you’ll be supporting slow fashion ethics, and independent, local designer/ makers on the high street.” For more, www.nancyrosehats.com