I am feeling a bit cheated by the lack of everyday clothes in the Spring/Summer 2012 prêt-à-porter collections – that is, unless your life revolves around fancy yachts and cocktail parties…

Forgive me if I misunderstood fashion after all these years, but I was under the impression that the ready-to-wear collections were the ‘wearable’ ones and the couture collections were where designers let their imagination run wild and had their true bit of fun producing outrageous, one of a kind pieces so painstakingly – yet skilfully – made that it justified their astronomical prices. Ask couture collector Daphne Guinness.

But after four weeks of non-stop fashion shows where designers - and the odd celebrity aspiring to the title… - have spared no expense to show the world what will be ‘in’ next Spring/Summer, I didn’t actually find as many pieces to include in my everyday wardrobe as in previous years.

There were interesting pieces by some of the emerging talent, so all is not lost. But still, passing on Oscar de la Renta in New York, Armani in Milan or Givenchy in Paris makes me feel like a bit of a heretic…

SS2012 pieces by Oscar de la Renta, Armani, Givenchy
Not quite the clothes to do the school run in
Image source: www.style.com

Is it an age thing? Am I just getting too old (sometimes not old enough!) for some of the clothes? Or is it rather a lifestyle issue? Surely, I can’t be the only 40-something working mum in the world looking for understated luxury, chic yet uncomplicated clothes to make me look and feel fab everyday without having to call Rebekah Roy to sort me out!

Whatever the reason, things seem to have clearly changed from my end and whereas a few years ago I was drawn towards the likes of Gaultier, Kenzo, Moschino and Versace, these days I’m more of a St. John / Nicole Farhi / Max Mara / Maiyet / Trias / Veronique Leroy woman.

SS2012 collections
Clockwise from top left: St. John, Nicole Farhi, Max Mara
Veronique Leroy, Trias, Maiyet
Image source: www.style.com

One thing remains unchanged though: I continue to rely on Caradiaz for the finishing touches, of course!