Did you see the Boaters fashion collection at the AGM meeting?
Isn’t it to die for?
With an impressive range of gilets, fleeces and polos, it is practical, hard wearing and extremely good value. No wonder they are flying off the shelves.
And we will look the part.
No doubt thoughts are now turning to next year’s Spring and Autumn Collections.
But I do think that future designs would benefit from a woman’s touch.
Navy is a mighty fine colour but, darlings, perhaps a more varied colour palette could be considered. And as we are deep into autumn perhaps the range palette could be extended to include the russet colours of browns, gold and reds to better capture and reflect the hues of the ‘season of mellow mists and fruitfulness’.
I don’t know who designs our range, assuming of course they are designed, but if they seek inspiration on this, let him, and I am sure it is a him, imagine the garb of the trees as they turn from green and leafy to autumn russet.
Or if we don’t like russet colours, what about a range in soft pastels. Like salmon pink. Or sky blue. Or sunlight yellow. The list is endless.
Maybe these lighter colours might feature in the Boaters’ Spring Collection.
It is not just the colour scheme that could be enhanced by adding women to the design team.
Have you seen the tailoring on the range to date?
No? My point exactly..
Shapeless polos, fleeces and gilets may hide a multitude of sins and may suit the shapeless figures of many of us, but they hardly flatter those of us with the physique and cheekbones of a Kate Moss, Elle McPherson or Linda Evangelista.
We could do better. So much better. Our designers need to consider cut and tailoring.
And while we are on this topic, what about extending the range…for men and women?
Hoodies and fleeces and baseball caps are well and good but they are not exactly….how might we say it….at the cutting edge of fashion, and it is quite limiting.
What about a knitwear collection? Or an après sail range? Even trousers and shorts? And not forgetting a branded range of accessories like gloves, scarves and bags.
We could go on.
Maybe instead of an Annual Photography Competition we could have the Boaters Fashion Show with designs from our more arty and fashion-conscious Members.
But let’s just settle for an enhanced range in a wider variety of colours tailored for the modern figure.
And then our crews will be the best dressed on the water, we might not be the best sailors but we will look the part!