The Duchess
There are certain phrases that never grow old.
UTTER NONSENSE is one of them.
It has always been one of my favourites. Useful for bad advice, ghastly dinner parties, men explaining wine, and almost anything said before eleven in the morning.
So when our UTTER NONSENSE jumper found its way onto Taylor Swift, I was, naturally, delighted.
Not outwardly delighted, of course. One has standards.
But there is something rather wonderful about seeing a phrase dreamed up in England, embroidered onto Scottish lambswool and knitted here at home, suddenly being worn by one of the most recognisable women in the world.
The jumper itself is quite simple. A proper British knit. Soft, beautifully made and just irreverent enough to stop things becoming too respectable.
Which, I think, is the secret.
Clothes should not try too hard.
They should make you feel wonderful, occasionally make somebody laugh and, ideally, give strangers something to whisper about.
UTTER NONSENSE is the perfect fit.
And while Taylor may have taken it rather further afield than we originally imagined, I still think its natural habitat is somewhere between an English country house, a slightly overlong lunch and a dog asleep somewhere it absolutely shouldn’t be.
Wear it with trousers. Wear it with a silk skirt. Wear it to dinner when everyone else has made far too much effort.
Just never explain it.
That rather ruins the joke.
The Duchess
House of FUND
Eccentric English knitwear. Made in England from pure Scottish lambswool.