Fashion can be the most fickle of things. Styles, materials and ideas that can be wildly popular at one time may swiftly drop out of favour. In some cases, they can be laughed at, rather in the manner that today’s trouser wearers could never imagine donning 70s-style bell bottoms.
However, there are some things that resist the changing tides and winds of fashion and remain popular, due to their exceptional quality, comfort and beautiful appearance. Such things are ideal to wear because you just know that they will still look great and be seen as great a year, five years and ten years later.
For that reason, it may be no surprise that the fashionistas were happy to be seen sporting cashmere clothing at Milan Fashion Week, which was held from February 21st to 27th. This event showcased what the various designers will be offering in their autumn and winter collections for later this year, giving everyone a chance to see ahead of time what is on the way.
Among the items worn by the staff team at Vogue Magazine for the week were a cashmere and cotton hoodie, ideal for braving the cold of the final month of winter, a ribbed cashmere beanie, and a jacquard-knit cashmere rugby sweater. Clearly they had read the room and knew that cashmere is still at fashion’s top table in this, one of the premier shows of the year.
Furthermore, Vogue noted that cashmere is present among some of the prominent trends for 2023. One of these is tonal styling in grey, which it said is set to be a major feature of the autumn fashion ranges of many top designers, like Bottega Veneta, Fendi and Prada. Among the grey items it featured was a Prada wool and cashmere skirt and an Everline cashmere sweater.
Clearly, therefore, cashmere is right in there as a garment the dedicated followers of fashion will be sporting come autumn and winter. But, of course, nobody has to wait that long before wearing it, even if anything warmer to wear will have a little less utility as spring kicks in and brings warmer weather.
Naturally enough, everyone has their own take on Milan Fashion Week and what it all signifies. The Guardian, for example, highlighted Prada’s approach of rejecting the notion that glamour is the only thing that matters in fashion, not how many cashmere items they had on the catwalk.
Indeed, for some, it was the catwalks themselves that were the centre of attention, with Dezeen focusing on everything from Gucci’s avocado green carpet to a pile of condoms.
These sort of things show that the fashion world is often given to somewhat left-field gestures and occasionally eccentric messages. But while sometimes what is seen on catwalks can look a little bit bizarre, Milan tends to focus on real things people will actually wear on the city’s streets and way beyond.
That is why the presence of cashmere displayed by major brands should remind us that not only is it still in fashion, but it offers comfort and style that will be loved this year and every year.
