POOR Camilla. Even when the Duchess of Rothesay gets it right, she's still accused of getting it wrong. In Scotland with Prince Charles to open the new head office of Walkers Shortbread in Aberlour last week, the Duchess chose to wear a stylish red c
oat with a tartan collar, designed by Roy Allen. But it wasn't the first time she'd worn it. Or the second. Or even the third. Nope, the coat was making its fourth public appearance, after being debuted in 2005, when the Duchess and her husband came to Scotland for their honeymoon.
The tabloids, predictably, had a field day, rooting out old pictures of Camilla in her coat (worn, once again, with the same accessories – a pearl necklace, a perky red hat trimmed with pheasant feathers and a matching tartan shawl), and cattily remarked that she must be "very fond" of it. But was the Duchess actually making a fashion boo-boo? Not at all. In fact, she was right on trend.
"It's a great idea to invest in a few wardrobe classics," says Kevin Stewart, the in-store stylist at Harvey Nichols Edinburgh. "Invest in a couple of good pieces and they'll last you for years; you won't have to keep buying. You're economising while buying into a luxury brand. And if you buy something in a style that's classic, it won't date and you'll be able to wear it for ever."
Indeed this appeared to be Camilla's take on the coat as well. Questioned on the burning issue, a royal source said: "She likes the coat and doesn't see the point of buying something new every time she steps out in public."
Fair enough. Apart from anything else, says Scotsman fashion columnist John Davidson, Camilla is tapping into a very traditional notion of what constitutes fashion in the House of Windsor. "What's interesting about Camilla wearing the same old stuff all the time is that it's about dressing in a way that is deemed to be appropriate and has a sense of frugality about it," he says.
"She's on the same wavelength as a lot of women of her age and class, (to whom] what matters is that sense of appropriateness of occasion, but also about never looking flashy. She wants to look tidy, as do many others of her generation. They don't like to look in any way gauche or unnecessarily stylish."
All of which is understandable, particularly in today's thrifty climate, which has seen the rapid rise of something fashion magazines are already dubbing "recession chic". This notion suggests that's it's not only financially sensible to hang on to an outfit, it's actually rather trendy.
Stewart adds: "We find more often nowadays that if someone comes in looking for something really fabulous it's because they want to keep it for ever. They'll hold on to it, pop it into the back of the wardrobe and then bring it back out again and accessorise it differently. Every time they wear it someone will say, 'You look amazing in that.' In a way, it's economising."
But in order to look amazing in what is essentially an old outfit, you have to choose your classics carefully. Davidson says it's an exact science and a difficult one to get the hang of.
"It should be something that has lasting design integrity – something that's amazingly, beautifully designed, like a Hermès bag, a Kelly or a Birkin, or something more ladylike, like a Chanel handbag," says Stewart. "There's a reason certain items become enduring fashion icons and it's because they're truly exceptional. The best thing to do is never buy into something that's just a seasonal trend. Buy it because it fits you and you look and feel good in it. Then you can vary your accessories to make it look on-trend or even retrospective."
Even if a designer house changes hands – like Tom Ford, recently at Gucci and now at Yves Saint Laurent – Stewart says you can still find those originals: "Every design house has a few traditional classics that they've always had, and remain true to the original brand."
When it comes to this season, Stewart recommends a couple of items from the latest Dolce & Gabbana collection, made in organza, which have potential to become design classics in ten years' time. He also cites the latest Chloé collection as having a timeless quality that makes it collectable.
It's still a difficult prediction to make, though. "Something like the Furstenberg wrap dress – that's always going to be with us because it's a classic," says Davidson. "But identifying a dress that's around now that's going to be a classic of the future is very hard."
One thing is certain: the current phase of conspicuous consumption seems to be coming to an end, to the great disappointment of WAGs everywhere, no doubt.
"I think there's going to be a move away from fast, disposable fashion," says Davidson. "That constant consumption which we've been seeing on the high street has got to slow down – it's ludicrous. Nobody has the cupboard space for it all and we're all trying to waste less. It's going to stop, and soon." As for Camilla and her favourite coat, it looks like a relationship that still has plenty of mileage in it.
'I could never bear to throw it away'•
ANNETTE LAMB, press manager for Harvey Nichols Edinburgh, owns a classic Chanel handbag"THE bag was a gift from friends. They asked me if I wanted one for Christmas, and I really thought they were joking. I couldn't believe it when this Chanel parcel arrived in the post. That was eight years ago and since then it has been everywhere with me – all over the world.
"It's a very classic style: big and black with two handles – a chain link and a leather strap in the middle. The first time I took it out I went to this nightclub in Edinburgh and it got stuck to the floor with black gunge on it. Fortunately, it cleaned off.
"It's had a few more glamorous outings since then. I took it on a flight to Milan once and found myself sitting behind Eric Clapton. The air hostesses kept offering him Champagne, but he doesn't drink, so they offered it to us instead. I found out on that flight that my bag can hold eight mini-bottles of Champagne!
"It's an incredibly versatile bag. I can wear it with jeans, I can take it to Sainsbury's to do the shopping, but I can also wear it with a dress or a good suit. I was in Chinatown in New York with my husband a few years ago and took it out with me. He kept saying I was going to get mugged for having it with me but instead, this Chinese man from one of the fake leather shops came running out and said, 'Your bag is real Chanel, isn't it?' I said 'yes' and he said, 'Nice bag,' and went back in to his shop.
"I always get lots of compliments when I take it out with me. It makes you feel great to have one good piece in your wardrobe; it gives you a real boost to be able to bring it out and wear it. You know people are thinking, 'Ooh, look at that.' The quality of the leather is amazing. It feels like touching silk, and it's such a classic design that it'll never go out of style.
"I'm not very good at throwing things out. I've also got a Bruce Oldfield suit in my wardrobe, which I bought 20 years ago. It's beautiful – a really unique piece. It doesn't fit me now but it'll always have a place in my wardrobe.
"The bag has seen better days. The handles are broken and I need to take them in to be repaired. Once I've had them fixed, though, I'll be taking it out again because otherwise it's in pretty good shape. I could never bear to throw it away."
The full article contains 1399 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
