The Traditional British Wardrobe via Kitty Ferreira

Posted on March 20, 2014 at 6:39 pm by Angela Okhumoya / News, Trends / 2 Comments

Vivienne Westwood

British style is a paradox! It is classic, unfussy yet cutting-edge and shocking. The British public has traditionally always had a disdain for extravagance and eccentricity when it comes to clothes. It is a vulgarity to spend astronomical amounts of money on fancy clothes; there are better things to spend money on, this was the mentality of the typical Brit pre-1920s and this idea still lingers today.

A survey commissioned by the British Fashion Council in 1989 found that, the British consumer is far less likely than their European counterpart to spend money on clothes by renowned fashion designers. At the Time, total designer and diffusion sales in Britain had an annual value of £265 million, while the equivalent figures for their European counterparts, Italy and France were £1.85 billion and £1.4 billion respectively.

‘In Britain buying expensive clothes is a vice. Where the French expect quality, the British suspect a rip-off. Where the Italians demand luxury, the British see vulgarity. Where the Japanese consume labels, we diagnose insanity. And where Americans buy clothing to give themselves class, the British argue, “but we have it already!”’ Sarah Mower for Vogue 1991 – British fashion journalist and editor

The punk era of the seventies and the love generation of the sixties decapitated that trend and introduced the world to the modern British youth. Both movements exposed the eccentric, cutting edge ideas simmering underneath the modern British psyche and a new wave of designers like Vivienne Westwood, emerged from that period with designs revering the underground and challenging the establishment.

[L] Defying Convention Alexander McQueen [R] 1900s Traditional British Fashion

British Design today still struggles to prevail on it’s own territory and finds its customer base internationally. But it is changing, women today are more Fashion conscious than they have ever been; Fashion copy prevails in print and online, the independent designer as today a better platform to showcase its work. So what does this mean for brands like Kitty Ferreira?

Kitty Ferreira’s Designs perfectly marries traditional shapes with bold and bright colours created by nature’s very own fruits by eco-dyeing; it appeals to the conservative and eccentric in you.

OFFICE LOOKBOOK

Kitty Ferreira Delice Dress coupled with fitted black Blazer and red-bottomed black High Heels

Insert a bit of colour into a dull workday by incorporating the Kitty Ferreira Delice dress with a nice black blazer and black high heels. A look designed to have your colleagues sneak a peek above their computer screens.

PINUP LOOKBOOK

Kitty Ferreira Twice Shy Skirt coupled with sultry black Leather Bustier and gold High Heels

Be daring with this sexy pin up look, for a night on the town or a special dinner date with your beau. Gold is very much in this season; a very decadent colour coupled with a sexy bustier a la Jean Paul Gaultier, underwear as outerwear, very French, very daring. Caution: only try if you’re not shy and not British! Only joking but be sure to be aware, you will make heads turn.

PRETTY IN PINK LOOKBOOK

Kitty Ferreira Dolly Shirt and Floral Shorts paired with stylish Julian Hakes pink Mojito Metallic Heels

Floral is in this Spring season; make a statement with the Kitty Ferreira Dolly shirt and Floral shorts by pairing them up with these hot pink heels by Julian Hakes, the perfect outfit for Cocktail hour at your local.

Kitty Ferreira is British label seamlessly pairing traditional delicate, understated British style with bold, innovative, colourful design. The British will always be a little conservative with their style, but there will always be designers pushing to challenge those conventions and in the process awakening the eccentric side of the British psyche just a little bit.

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