The Witch in your Wardrobe

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Leather gloves £19.99 at Mango

Like Christmas, Hallowe’en arrives earlier every year. Although the full blown American-style Hallowe’en hysteria has taken a good twenty-five years to get here, now we’ve caught up with our friends across the Atlantic our children are wanting costumes far more grotesque than the ghosts or pumpkins we used to dress up as. When I first had my son I remember thinking mini skeleton babygrows were a bit inappropriate, now I am helping said son cover his clothes in pints of blood and googling ‘walking dead make-up’/’does fake blood ever come out’ just to keep up with the one night of the year when we turn a blind eye to minors taking to the streets to beg for sweets. Luckily, our patch is between two screamingly middle class schools meaning every household situated in the middle has little choice other than to embrace 31st October with the kind of enthusiasm and imagination seen in ET and countless other American films, or (and this would be an option for the very few in our area who are blissfully child-free) you could fake your own death.

Tulle dress £39.99 at Reserved.com

Ankle boots £69.99 at Mango

It’s safe to say you can’t avoid All Hallows Eve these days and the fashion industry has reacted accordingly. This year is the first in a long time that black isn’t taking a back seat. It’s definitely back this season whether in the form of shiny vinyl spray on trousers or lace ruffle Victoriana blouses (ooo those two pieces together though – very Adam Ant circa 1982…), pointy boots or velvet dresses. There is no excuse not to unleash your inner Goth on the world come Hallowe’en, and any day either side for that matter. Although I’ve been championing a more school uniformy navy in recent years (yikes, I sound about 92), I’m sorely tempted by many of the fabulous black pieces on the high street and am thinking of breaking my own rules. All in the name of looking witchy. 

Midi dress £55 at Warehouse

Ankle boots £119 at Massimo Dutti

If you don’t fancy the idea of head to toe black then a slash of red lipstick or flash of sparkle at the neck or ears will break it up a bit and keep the look contemporary – nobody wants to really look Goth in 2017 do they… or do they? I always associate that particular fad with split ends and Marlboro Lights in the late ’80s but then I was always far too cheesecake to carry off anything remotely dark and brooding so what do I know.

Jumpsuit £110 at Phase Eight

Earrings £20 at Phase Eight

On the other hand, if black is your thing then this is your season! The Phase Eight jumpsuit and Warehouse dress are simple and yet stylish options and I would pair with nothing more than a pair of the spikiest, witchiest ankle boots you can find. Sock boots are the latest thing and although they may look a bit flash in the pan, I once had something very similar and wore them to death because they were unbelievably comfortable and went with absolutely everything in my wardrobe. A pair in red or purple would probably be equally as useful. The colour pop is still going strong so you could kick two trends with one boot.

Coated skinny trousers £49 at Warehouse

Star body £38 at Top Shop

Fashion’s love affair with stars (my favourite print) continues well into next year so there’s still time to invest in it. Again, the one shoulder body from Top Shop is a two in one trend so you’re getting your money’s worth there too. Failing all that, do your bit on 31st October by digging out those shoulder grazing earrings and novelty tights, switch all the lights off and scare yourself witless watching Jamie Lee Curtis in Halloween. And scoff all those mini bags of Haribo yourself. If I wasn’t being dragged around the streets of Battersea by a seven year old zombie high on sugar that’s exactly what I’d be doing. Happy Hallowe’en lovely readers! xx 

Star bag £29.99 at Zara

Star tights £17 at Calzedonia