Gingham the perfect feminine fabric

Selma Blair wears a blue Marc Jacobs gingham creation. Picture / Reuters

Think of gingham worn by anyone over the age of 11 and don't be surprised when fairly sinister images spring to mind. As sported by the not-so-young Judy Garland playing Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz, and 40s movie star Doris Day, gingham check is not a fabric that sits easily with the post-pubescent.

Then there's the barrage of cheap French restaurant jokes that any prospective gingham-wearing woman, or indeed man, may have to contend with. Pity the poor soul innocently stepping out in red gingham tablecloth, sorry, shirt, of a morning who has failed to predict this particular onslaught.

Did Comme des Garcons designer Rei Kawakubo have such concerns in mind when she used pretty pink gingham for her spring/summer collection? It's unlikely. The monosyllabic fashion deity will say only that she used gingham because "I like it".

Given her far-from-typical treatment of the textile, however, and the fact that she has since claimed her collection was inspired by "the strength of a ballerina's muscles", the end result may not unreasonably be considered a characteristically powerful subversion of the mother of all feminine cliches. If gingham is girlish, after all, then pink gingham is pure sugar and spice - even if it is whip-stitched into shape.

This is not the first time Kawakubo has worked with a fabric so unlikely it's not far short of perverse. Comme des Garcons devotees will no doubt remember the "body meets dress, dress meets body" collection which caused an outrage when it was first shown. Here was clothing featuring huge padded bumps at shoulder and hip which served only to emphasise the parts that most women would rather keep hidden. Many "does my bum look big in this?" jokes duly ensued. Typically unfazed, Kawakubo still insists this was one of her finest moments.

This time around, the designer's use of gingham couldn't be more timely. For a woman who claims to be uninterested in anything as mundane as a passing trend, she always has her finger firmly on fashion's pulse. After all, this season is a celebration of every feminine stereotype imaginable - from sequins and bows to frills and fine lace.

Kawakubo's pink gingham balloon skirt, however, is rather less obvious than a hemline weighed down by waterfall ruffles, say, or a cocktail dress scattered with sparkle. Instead, this shows the world that clothing can be unashamedly pretty while still being interesting; fresh-faced without inciting a politically correct riot.

For all the complexity of this design, there is a sweetness to the circular silhouette that suits gingham's artlessness down to the ground.

Cast aside any thoughts of the aforementioned fashion aberrations, then, and think instead of the utilitarian chic of a Claire McCardell "popover" dress, the cheap and cheerful embodiment of female emancipation as crafted by the godmother of the American sportswear tradition back in 1942. This was produced either in denim or men's shirting, including gingham, and retailed at the princely sum of US$6.95.

The unadorned simplicity of McCardell's designs seems very much in evidence in collections by Hussein Chalayan, Stella McCartney, Ronit Zilkha and, most prominently, Emma Cook this season providing a welcome respite for the over-embellishment that otherwise continues to loom large.

For those who don't mind flaunting the youthful side of their nature this summer, Marc Jacobs' gingham sundresses in pastel blue, yellow and pink will no doubt stop the traffic. Less unashamedly childlike is the designer's knitted reinterpretation of gingham check in the form of a fitted sweater which is more sorority chic than straight from the nursery. Closer to home, Jessica Ogden exploits gingham for its girlish qualities too.

But are you woman enough to wear a red gingham tiered skirt and matching off-the-shoulder top this summer?

- INDEPENDENT