The Glam Slam Week

Phew, what a week! Unless you’re completely absent from social media/are not related to me/couldn’t give a toss, you will know that this was the week that Novak Jokovic crashed out of Wimbledon, Andy Murray fought on to reach his third Wimbledon final and I finally unleashed my first book ‘Shopped‘ on the world. It is now Saturday and while I am still trying to recover from my launch party – my feet have been moulded into the shape of my very fabulous new shoes since 2am on Friday – Serena Williams is limbering up for her match against Angelique Kerber. It will be Williams’ ninth Wimbledon final and if she wins, her seventh title. You’d think that the novelty might have worn off by now and yet year after year Serena returns more fabulous than the year before – I’m not talking about her tennis of course, although props to that – it’s her Nike outfits that really fascinate me. This year she is clad in a fluttering ensemble perfectly in tune with the frills and femininity currently so popular.

The mighty Serena Williams in Nike

Angelique Kerber in her Adidas lycra

So with the up and down weather we’ve been experiencing in the UK, the unbelievable mess that is the state of the country and the shame of England’s football team, it is hardly surprising that the gleaming whites of the kit and teeth of the tennis tour’s finest, are now gripping the nation. Because for all its tradition, elitism and Ralph Lauren designed staff, the Wimbledon fortnight is a study in that ambiguous dress code that is Smart Casual.

Dress £39 at Miss Selfridge

Skirt reduced to £22.95 at Massimo Dutti

Dress £225 at Reiss

Smart casual is obviously a contradiction in itself and one that owes more to the absurd popularity of the chino than I care to give blog space to. For men it translates simply as a sports jacket and no need for a tie whereas for the ladies it is an instant spiral into panic and a daily set of inner thigh exercises to squeeze into last year’s white trousers. I can’t be bothered with all that preferring to just ignore the casual part of the code and go smart – problem solved.

Jude Law arriving at Wimbledon

Pippa Middleton – predominantly white

We are only in July and the shops are still full of white clothes. Pretty, well cut and affordable clothes pieces which will take you from the Wimbledon final to the school drinks thing. I’m not here to tell you that head to toe white isn’t fraught with dangers – Pimm’s and strawberries are to be avoided at all costs I’m afraid – but if you don’t eat or drink or start fiddling about with fake tan, you can look every bit as slick as Pippa Middleton or Jude Law, both of whom did Wimbledon spectator chic with aplomb this year.

Dress reduced to £80 at Reiss

I’m not going to the Wimbledon final but I have a small child who likes to be dressed in character to watch television so we will be cheering Andy Murray on in our (white) Sunday best in the hope that he wins his second Wimbledon title. And then goes on to sort the country out.

Hat reduced to £4.99 at H&M

Shoes reduced to £85 at Whistles

Shorts £14.99 at H&M

 

My book SHOPPED is published by September Publishing and is available at Waterstones and on Amazon for £8.99