Report by David Hayes.

Photography by Catwalking.com

You might have thought that your body parts were fixed exactly where they were. Barring major surgery, of course, that your hips would always be below your waist, your chest above, shoulders, two arms at the side, that kind of thing. You are wrong, of course.

Every couple of seasons, fashion rearranges the natural order of things, changing proportions, dropping waists, widening shoulders, generally mucking about with Mother Nature. This season, waists are up, quite literally. The high waist was a strong statement at many shows – usually accompanied with corsetry or clever cutting, to make them look waspishly thin.

Erdem tailored his pretty, floral dresses with a step of wider fabric jutting just below the ribs – like an inbuilt cropped top – that made the nipped-in waists below appear even smaller; Marios Schwab sliced the body in three, with outfits changing fabric on a high waistline and across the hips; and Mary Katrantzou used sculptural pleats, fanning out across the chest and narrowing in to the waist, on her collection of printed party frocks. Elsewhere, designers either puffed out skirts to bell-like proportions (Luella), or used ruffles or origami pleated skirts (Pringle of Scotland). Christopher Kane’s approach was far simpler, but just as effective. His gingham dresses came with built-in, boned corset panels – often in contrast colours – to cinch in a high, positively svelte-looking waistline.
All clever stuff. Let’s hope these looks work just as well in a size 12, when they hit the shops next season.

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