So Prada’s latest show was all about reviving beautiful fabrics and ‘a confrontation of antiquity’, yadda yadda yadda... But don’t you think there was also a real whiff of Pat Butcher (RIP) about all those clashing prints, patterned jackets and massive earrings?
While we’re unable to confirm that Miuccia kicks back after a busy day designing to watch Eastenders, her collection did lead us to have a mental rummage around Pat’s wardrobe, and do you know what, it’s a goldmine. Think about it, she was a master of mixing prints and was never seen without a pair of bejewelled ear danglers.
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Let’s have a closer look at some of Pat’s best looks that we know are also sitting there waiting to be bought on a high street near you. Addition of a fag and a shifty stare, optional.
Print-on-print
We’ve been singing the praises of the loved-by-Pat leopard coat this week, and we’d heartily recommend you embrace it too. But the real essence of this look is how well she makes two lairy prints work so well together. You’d never miss her in the dark, would you? More is more, in short.
Chelsea Girl floral print shirt, £15 River Island; Ted Baker botanical bloom coat, £229 House of Fraser; tear drop statement earrings, £10 River Island
The animal-print shirt
Rare did a day in the life of Pat go by without her working a shirt into an outfit – hey, she needed some veneer of smartness while she cooked the books at the car lot, but she’d rather have shared a packet of Lovehearts with Peggy than stick with boring grey business attire. Shirt heroes Equipment do this gorgeous leopard print shirt-dress if you want to do a Pat with a pinch of luxe.
Equipment leopard print silk shirt dress, £355 MATCHESFASHION.COM; Decadence earrings, £15 ASOS
The coloured coat
A raspberry-coloured coat is a punchy alternative to winter’s usual black, grey or navy, and Pat knew that a simple faux-fur tippet is an excellent way to shake it up when you get bored come January.
Dark pink coat, £110 River Island; Viyella faux-fur tippet, £49.90 House of Fraser; Chanel flesh and bead earrings, £146.98 Vestiaire Collective
The oversize shirt-dress
Pat liked to keep things loose in a shirt-dress, and while you might not want to pair yours with a woolly waistcoat (hey, don’t judge, maybe it’s chilly in Walford), you’ll thank her for turning you onto this throw-it-on statement piece. In a print, obvs.
Lazy Oaf oversize shirt-dress, £65 ASOS; triangular earrings, £3.99 H&M
The nip-waisted shirt
Pat sure did love a shirt, hey? They do say pick a style uniform and stick with it. Back in her slenderer youth when Pat and Frank ran The Vic (the Easties’ golden years, if you ask us), she knew the power of adding a waist-belt to create hourglass definition.
Oversize shirt with belt, £29.99 Zara; Chevron rhinestone earrings, £3 Forever 21
The party jumper
When comfort’s the name of your style game, and you wear a shirt almost every waking moment, then a razzy jumper makes perfect sense when you’re looking to dress up a bit. Best thing about a statement party jumper is that it’ll feel like the hug you need the morning after the party, too.
Vila leopard print jumper, £25 ASOS; Navette stone drop earrings, £10 Topshop
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This article originally appeared on The Debrief.