Trend alert: What on earth is lampshading?

| Jan 12, 2016

I thought to myself last week that I have heard it all. 'Shoulder robing', 'Canadian Tuxedo' to name just two trends from the last couple of years (the Canadian Tuxedo was adopted by the fashion industry of course) and now we have, in 2016, the mother of all trend names. It's 'lampshading'.

What is it? And who gave it its name? Well, we're not too sure, but we can tell you to what it refers: think volume on top, and fitted on the bottom. The trend stems from celeb land with their love for oversize knits and tunics, with over the knee or knee high boots.

Now this should come with a warning. Or several actually. One, you need to rock some serious heel. And two, it's very much a statement look. But can we mere mortals wear it? I think so, and I've tested it out.

Kourtney Kardashian doing the "lampshade"

Let's start at the bottom. You need a decent pair of over the knee boots and honestly, whether you wear them this way, or over a pair of tights or skinny jeans, they are a good investment right through to next winter.

Dune, €200

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New Look, €54.99

Over the knee boots caused me a lot of angst last season with my big runner calves. It was very hard to find a pair that looked well in terms of fit, didn't bunch at the ankles and remained in place without slipping as I moved. Dune, New Look and Autograph at M&S lead the way with the style that is good for the transitional time of year. The fabrics have good grip, the heels aren't too obscene and they will work with the trend depending on how you want to style it.

Then comes the top, which is a bit trickier. I find that wearing something oversized on top makes me look bigger, so proportion is key. With any style like this, you have to keep the lower half very fitted so that you have shape. If you want to go a bit street style, you can opt for a sweatshirt. I quite like this, as I plan on wearing it with a jegging and the boots for a bit more coverage, or the knit, which let's face it, is a practical item in this Baltic weather. Either way, both work. The main point is that you need to find a style that hits just above the line of the boot, and the narrower the fit the better.

River Island, €60