KEY POINTS:
You see someone across a crowded room. You're sure you've met them before but you can't remember where and, hang on, they look a little different anyway. Is it really them? Should you go up and say hello?
Well, a lot of us might be feeling that way
about some of this summer's fashion. There's something familiar about it - but it's not like any of the more obvious retro looks we've been wearing over the past few seasons. It can't easily be defined as hippie, boho, or punk, 50s, 60s or 80s.
Instead, designers seem to be trying to move away from those direct inspirations and this is the result - a fusion of looks from various eras that results in a whole new look.
Which is why we took a couple of the garments you've been mulling over, looked into their genealogy and worked out what they had been up to for the past few decades. Because you never know, you might miss out on an old familiar friend from wardrobes past.
HIGH-WAISTED PANTS
Why then?
Because Katharine Hepburn made them so look so good. In the 1940s, those pants Hepburn was wearing were considered very masculine - it was possibly one of the first examples of power dressing for strong, emancipated women.
High waists were also popular during the 70s and even part of the 80s but that was because people didn't know how flattering lower-waisted, boot-leg cuts could be. So don't get it wrong, this look is Hepburn's, not some disco-dancing hippies.
Why now?
A high waist and a high pocket can make your legs look longer and your butt perkier. And a well-constructed high waist can act like a tummy tamer. But some modern gals don't like this because you do need a fairly slim waist to pull off this look.
As well, the elegant 40s styling of Hepburn's look has mated with a slightly hippie-ish looking 70s jean and they've had a love child, the wide-legged, high-waisted jean.
This summer?
Forget the high-waisted denims Kate Moss wore. The easiest way to pull off this look is a la Hepburn.
If it suits your figure, this could be a classic investment piece, a pair of tailored trousers you never regret. You do need to get the proportion right; a formal top tucked in or a casual top belted. So try a few on to get the fit just right - waist high, not too long and the trousers loose all the way down so you're in that sweet spot between two sizes too big and fitting. Don't be afraid to spend some serious cash on getting the perfect wide-legged pants. If this is your look, it's a keeper.
THE CLUTCH
Why then?
Because in the early 1800s a lady needed to carry her smelling salts, a handkerchief and some rice paper with which to dab any shiny spots on her face. Some of these - called reticules - looked very much like the clutches of today, and were the early ancestors of today's handbags.
Over time, the bags women carried got bigger and smaller according to the vagaries of fashion, and eventually diversification crept in, creating different bags for different tasks. There were shopping bags, formal afternoon bags for making calls on other ladies, and evening bags.
With them came another forerunner of the clutch, the pocketbook, which was basically a flat purse folded over like an envelope with pockets for various items and which usually matched one's outfit. But the clutch's most recent moment of glory - until now - was during World War II, when everything was rationed and therefore smaller and bags became smaller too.
Why now?
The clutch is the hot handbag of the most recent runway shows in Paris, London and Milan. It's probably a reaction to the various, silly It bag frenzies we've been subjected to over the past few seasons. Maybe it's also because those starving starlets look ridiculous carrying monolithic handbags that virtually dwarf their tiny frames.
The biggest difference between the clutch of yesteryear and this year's is that the wee beast doesn't have to match your outfit perfectly. And nor does it have to be strictly ladylike - the modern clutch can be everything from streamlined and masculine, closer to the original pocketbook shape, to diamond studded, feathered or embroidered for cocktail parties.
This summer?
Um, hang on, where do the phone, the BlackBerry, the iPod, the huge sunglasses and the lip balm go? Never mind. While not exactly practical, such pretty pieces of accessory architecture are hard to resist. And there's also something delightfully old-fashioned and ladylike about them.
The best advice may be to find yourself one that doesn't cost you your credit card limit, maybe in a vintage store, and then you can have fun with the idea at upcoming Christmas and New Year parties.
EMPIRE LINE
Why then?
Because the ladies of the First Napoleonic Empire thought it looked cute. Yes, the great-granny of the empire line dresses that seem to be everywhere this spring was a graceful white slip of a thing, gathered under the breasts and falling to the feet of those who wore it. "Very Greco-Roman empire, darling," they probably said to Josephine Bonaparte, who was a big fan.
The empire line was a very French fashion adopted by the British in the early 1800s (it was called Regency style there) but it was out of favour again by the 1820s when wasp waists and full skirts became trendy.
Most recently, the style was popular in the 1960s - couturier Cristobal Balenciaga was famous for his empire line revival in 1959. And one fashion sociologist suggests the loose empire line look often followed a period of stricter, more corseted clothing as it reflected looser social mores.
Why now?
Obviously designers of today's empire line are channelling the 60s rather than anything Napoleonic and, unfettered by social conventions, they can do all sorts of things with it, translating it to smocks, tops, dresses and mini skirts.
The main reason it's still here after several seasons: It's a flattering look for almost everyone, and still has that slightly relaxed, bohemian undertone.
This summer?
The empire line can do all sorts of wonders, emphasising the chest, skimming the waist and elongating the body. And while the mid-length empire-line dress-cum-top over jeans is making some of us yawn, a frock that ends just above the knee or a shorter top is still popular.
THE SHIFT DRESS
Why then?
In the 1920s, it was a symbol of the democratisation of fashion, the rejection of conservative, constrictive and feminine dress ... and some jolly good times for the flappers.
The original flapper dress was a straight, shapeless shift, worn short and accompanied by short hair, jazz music and a rebellious attitude. It wasn't particularly feminine - the French originally called this style "garconne".
Two world wars and a depression put paid to such high spirits, and it wasn't until 1957 when French designer Hubert Givenchy designed a dress called the sack for his Paris collection, that the shift made a comeback.
Another fashion house, Courreges experimented with the waistless shape, others such as Pucci printed on it and Mary Quant picked it up and popularised it. Which is why every good 60s girl was giving her wardrobe a short shift.
Why now?
The shift is here because of its distant cousins, the empire line and baby doll-style dress. These have been popular with women of all shapes and sizes but they're looking a little dated. So the good old shift is stepping into the breach. It's a simplified version that does the same, flattering, job but in a slightly more grown-up, sleek way.
This summer?
Don't be frightened of the shift. Hanging straight down from the shoulders it has the same effect as your favourite empire line smock, defining the good bits and just skimming the worrying areas. Once again, finding the right fit is important and like those high-waisted trousers this is a classic, disguised as a trend. Find the right one and you'll keep it forever.
THE PENCIL SKIRT
Why then?
Because when she was a passenger of the Wright brothers, on some of the first airplanes, adventurous American Mrs Hart Berg had to tie her skirts together just below the knees to keep them from flying up and exposing her in mid-air. Katharine Wright, the brothers' sister, did the same when she flew with them.
And although long skirts had been becoming progressively tighter since the 1880s, some believe French fashion designer Paul Poiret took inspiration from these early frequent flyers when he came up with the hobble skirt around 1913. The skirt was named because, well, you couldn't really walk in the silly thing. Not surprisingly the trend was short-lived.
Then in the 1950s, when everyone was sick of utilitarian war-time styles, there was a desire to return to glamour and the hourglass figure. A shorter version of the hobble skirt arrived and was named the pencil skirt simply because of its long, straight shape.
Why now?
The hour-glass effect comes straight off the international runways, where, for the winter collections, a lot of designers channelled the retro movie heroines of old. And it's also around because it works with today's more flowing tops - if you're going to have volume on top, you need to balance that with a slimming look below and pencil skirts are the girlish version of skinny leg pants.
This summer?
High-waisted pencil skirts are the trendiest of the trendy, and often give a great mix of 80s and 60s styling - but be aware, they're also a little more difficult to wear.
