By Bibby Sowray

Fashion can be schizophrenic to say the least. It tells us to follow trends in order to be fashionable and ‘of the moment’, yet style icons are ordinarily those who stick to classic pieces. This schizophrenia runs through many factors, but in particular, location. Attitudes towards style and fashion, and the extent to which they can alter, are completely dependent upon location. For example, what one would deem acceptable attire to sit on the sofa and watch Eastenders in the comfort of their own home will most probably be the polar opposite of what they deem acceptable to wear to work. Similarly what one would wear in the city, and what one would wear in the country are, most likely, entirely contradictory.

Being in the countryside should be like stepping inside a Tim Walker photograph. There should be grand country piles, blossoming meadows, gloriously hazy sunlight and vintage cars winding through country roads. Wellington boots are worn with flower-sprigged tea dresses, chunky knit jumpers, a Barbour jacket that holds that ever-familiar waxy scent and perhaps a tatty tweed flat cap jauntily upon the head. If mud splatters up the backs of legs it doesn’t matter and the brushing of hair seems insignificant, after all there are more important things to tend to, like collecting the eggs from the hen house and milking the cows. Being in the city should be like stepping into Helmut Newton’s iconic photo of Yves Saint Laurent’s Le Smoking. Chic and sophisticated with a palette of black, navy and grey with a touch of crisp white. Damp, grubby tarmac glittering in the glare of fluorescent street lamps and the muggy air filled with the remnants of too many people and too many cars. Dressing for practicality is the name of the game in the city – it’s hot on the underground but cold in the air-conditioned offices and shops so layers are essential. Footwear is somewhat a minefield, too delicate and you are ill equipped to pound the concrete pavements and too heavy you risk overheating. However, this Autumn/Winter tweed, the country stalwart, has an urban twist, perfectly combining the cosiness of the countryside with the practicality of city wear. Slate and concrete grey hues form heavy belted overcoats, trenches and neat pencil skirts perfect for a winter wardrobe. Wear chunky tweed blazers over pretty party dresses and thick tights to make the look less Queen-y. Best of all, tweed is incredibly practical, will keep you insulated and relax a stricter look.

Being in the countryside is an opportunity to escape from trends, but, oddly enough, it is also an aspirational trend in itself. The freedom of the countryside allows us to relax our fashion morals, wear whatever we like and forego the tedious grooming of the usual morning routine, and who wouldn’t want that?  It is a luxury to be able to be as relaxed about attire as you can be in the country and it evokes an innocence that city dressing simply can’t with its tailored formality. Living life in a Tim Walker-esque situation can only ever be a good thing and as Oscar Wilde said “Anyone can be good in the country”.