As most of us know by the time we hit 31 or thereabouts, getting it right isn't about a slavish adulation to every last hiccup that trips off the catwalk. It's about taking a pause from the cut and thrust of daily dressing to notice what subtle changes, what added extras, what moods have entered the room. And also about what to put out to pasture, there to languish until it next rolls round the great fashion carousel, as it surely will.

So here's where we're at. Open your wardrobe and flick through the hangers and neatly folded piles (hah!) until you come across a pair of slouchy trousers. Preferably in flannel. Or serge. You're looking for something that the fashion press likes to call 'mannish', though the rest of the universe generally opts for the infinitely more conversational 'masculine'. Either way, if you are not in possession of a pair of mannish trousers, pop to the next cupboard (or room, if you're in NW3 or SK9) and steal a pair from your husband/boyfriend/lover/son.

It's a look that's filtering through fast, from Ghost, Vuitton, Comme des Garcons, Ralph Lauren, Jasper Conran - you name it, really. Which means that the greatest change to be wrought on your look this winter is this; you will begin to dress like a bloke. Kate Moss has been doing it for months, which is why we're all about to embark on the odyssey.

Of course, Kate Moss looks petite and neat and fresh and girlie in her slouchy pants, skinny waistcoats, slim T and plain white tennis shoes. Sienna Miller is another leading man-dresser, and does it with a similar aplomb, though somewhat less style.

The great thing is that this look is straightforward, sassy, subtly sexy. But ladies, a word of warning. If you already look like a bloke, then this one is not for you. If you're built like a breeze block, leave well alone. You don't want people coming up to you in the street asking you to take a look at their carburettor or put a monkey on a horse, now, do you?

For ease of reference, i offer the following guide. Once your mannish trousers are on, do you look like (a) Kathrine Hepburn, (b) Coco Chanel or (c) Marlene Dietrich? All good. If, however, you look like Jeffrey Archer, stick to skirts. Of which more, in time, worry not.

Learn more about this author, Lucy Batcher.
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