Q. I’d like to invest in a great new jacket for spring, one that will form the backbone of my wardrobe, but I’m not quite sure what style to go for. What trends are hot this season and where can I find them at an affordable price?
A. The latest fashion offensive taking the high street by storm is the military jacket. From cute cropped numbers to mac and military mixes, this is the coming season's must-have. Play it safe with traditional black or navy, but to secure your style gold star for spring choose khaki and tan hues.
For spring 2010, Balmain went into the fashion battle with a palette of sand, olive, khaki and camouflage prints paving the way for the latest Mad Max meets military trend. The high street is set to be crammed with safari jackets to camouflage prints as military styling is one of spring/summer's key trends.
Warehouse is going back to its roots with its latest collection of utility style jackets. Dominated by khaki, grey and sandy tones, fabrics are washed, laundered, and worn in. And the likes of Evans, Marks and Spencer, New Look, Next and River Island are all stocking military styles – all at a great price.
Jackets in nude, off-white or beige are also this spring's unlikely trend. I never thought I would want or need a nude coloured jacket. But that was before the new ranges started to arrive in the stores. And, odd though it might seem - particularly if you've spent a lifetime avoiding beige - a flesh-coloured jacket suddenly looks very appealing.
The look was spotted at Stella McCartney's spring show with a raft of oversized jackets, loose fitting trousers and jersey vest tops in palest blush peach.
The nude jacket is surprisingly multi-purpose: wear it with a dress or pencil skirt for work, or with jeans and a T-shirt for a more casual look. Topshop's style, with nipped-in waist and three quarter length sleeves, is perfect. Nude and its equally fashionable counterpart, 'blush' (a pinkywhite), look best over black, but layering different shades of pale in one outfit also works.
