Stripped bare

Non-colour by Stella McCartney. Photo / AP

Beige. It doesn't sound very sexy does it? For me it conjures up images of a bland, monotonous woman in nana panties doing her washing on a Friday night. Or Susan Boyle, pre-makeover, singing I Dream A Dream in her beige lace dress. Not that Susan Boyle is bland; she is in fact rather amazing. But read anything about her and you are pretty much guaranteed to also read some writer's judgement on her bushy eyebrows and "frumpy" beige dress. But beige does not have to be frumpy, people! In fact, just like Susan Boyle with that little hip swing, I think beige can be rather saucy.

There are of course the obvious connections that I must point out for the less fashionably intellectual among us. Beige is a nude tone, nude equals being naked, naked conjures up thoughts of sex, which makes people feel sexy. It's a subtle sexiness, but you can see connection.

Several of Miuccia Prada's recent Miu Miu collections have had a special kind of sexually charged feel to them, with dresses and coats in various neutral shades. Nude was also the hue of choice for Stella McCartney's Spring 2009 collection, with relaxed cafe au lait coloured suits, dresses and pants clashing prettily against whites and blues. Giambattista Valli's collection from the same season featured full-skirted dresses in shades of minimalist non-colour. Kate Sylvester's newest range shown at Rosemount Australian Fashion Week last week featured pieces in various neutral shades worn together. Carine Roitfeld was photographed at Paris Fashion Week wearing a simple flesh-toned top with a denim skirt and jacket; yes it looked like she wasn't wearing anything under her jacket, but that was the point.

Sheer fabrics are a sister trend to this neutral look, but you're far less likely to flash a nipple with a beige frock or shirt.

The obvious concern with the non-colour is that it can wash out even the most glorious of complexions, but preventing this is simple: go lighter or darker than your skin tone. See, easy?

You can wear it with white or black, as well as teaming it with a nice bold bright; but right now the most, for want of a better word, "on-trend" way to wear it is beige on beige.

If you're still unconvinced and thinking it's all rather insipid, there are far simpler ways to bring it into your wardrobe. The accessory route is the easiest - tan shoes that elongate the leg, a neutral handbag that will go with almost everything, and er, that's about it really. My favourite right now is beige nail polish, which appeared on the runways recently at Giambattista Valli, Nina Ricci and Karen Walker.

It's incredibly pretty and looks like a colour a posh Park Avenue Princess would pick for her weekly manicure. It's nice to know that sometimes less is more.