Spruce up your wardrobe for spring with Wiggy Hindmarch, the designer behind the label fashion insiders love
- Wiggy Kit’s clothes look as good on a 20-year-old as they do on a 70-year-old
- READ MORE: Inside Laura Ashley’s underground bunker: As the British brand celebrates its 70th anniversary, Jenny Wood drops in for a special viewing
Mention the name ‘Hindmarch’ in fashion circles and most people will think of handbag designer Anya. But those who are really in the know will also have her sister-in-law, Wiggy, in their mental rolodex.
Wiggy — who was born Philippa — is the whirlwind behind Wiggy Kit, the hot brand sported at the swishest of school gates and the most chi-chi of parties.
It was a photograph of Carrie Johnson, wearing a £695 Wiggy Kit dress on a date night at a private members’ club in Mayfair with husband Boris last year that really helped the brand take off.
‘I have no idea where she bought it,’ insists Hindmarch. ‘But it was amazing. I have a bit of a Daily Mail addiction and I was scrolling through and I thought: ‘Hang on a second, that looks like my dress!’
‘And then because the Daily Mail is read everywhere, I had friends in Australia and America, calling me to say they’d seen it.’
While it would be easy to assume that Wiggy Hindmarch is a rich girl cliché who floated into fashion design as a hobby career, in fact, she learned her craft the hard way
So what’s the appeal of her label? It’s partly that she’s a designer who seems to really get what women want — most of her designs have sleeves, for instance, because she recognises that this is an area of concern for a lot of women.
But it’s also that she manages to create ultra-flattering and highly wearable styles that feel both on-trend and beyond trends.
While it would be easy to assume that Wiggy is a rich girl cliché who floated into fashion design as a hobby career, in fact, she learned her craft the hard way.
Born in Singapore, Wiggy grew up in Britain, before her family moved to the U.S. when she was 16. She stayed in the UK, boarding at a performing arts school, until she was 18, and a stint with the Royal Ballet followed.
The offer of being a backing dancer for Prince nearly persuaded her to keep performing.
But her sliding-doors moment came when, visiting her family in Rhode Island, she met a boy, stayed in America, and started working at the U.S. shoe brand Cole Haan.
She spent 20 years working in the bits of the fashion industry where you actually get your hands dirty — warehousing, stock counting, pricing — before launching her first collection in 2015 — 11 pieces that could be worn as happily in a Caribbean resort as they could in a London restaurant.
Even if you can’t afford your own Wiggy Kit, you can still buy into her style as, exclusively for Daily Mail readers, we’ve asked Hindmarch to reveal her secrets for giving your wardrobe a flattering update for spring
The brand got bigger when upmarket online store Matches picked up Wiggy Kit, but despite the universal appeal — the relaxed, timeless and uncompromisingly comfortable cuts look as good on a 20-year-old as they do on a 70-year-old — it has remained tantalisingly below the radar.
And even if you can’t afford your own Wiggy Kit, you can still buy into her style as, exclusively for Daily Mail readers, we’ve asked Hindmarch to reveal her secrets for giving your wardrobe a flattering update for spring…
DEEPEN YOUR DECOLLETAGE
I love a deep V-neck — as deep as I can go. I wear a bra in a tone that is a shade darker than my skin, just in case it shows up. If you’re going for a deep neckline, either go really deep, or really wide showing the clavicles. And balance it by covering up elsewhere.
Silk shirt, £69.99, hm.com; print skirt, £495, wiggykit.com; shoes, £39.99, zara.com
EMBRACE THE ELASTIC
An elasticated waistband is really comfortable — but ideally not the whole waistband. Look for pieces with elastic just at the sides to give you flexibility without losing shape or style. It’s about making something fit really well, so that you feel relaxed, not restricted.
Dress, £206.50, meandem. com; and heels, £299, lkbennett.com
BUY SOME STATEMENT JEANS
When you get to more of a middle-aged body, even what seems like quite a cool pair can look mumsy. I’m now buying statement ‘ugly’ jeans and they look great. I like them cropped at the ankle and I like little details, such as cinching at the back, or quite a destroyed finish.
Print blouse, £325, wiggykit.com; flare jeans, £39.50, marksandspencer. com; block-heel shoes, £129, lkbennett.com
CHOOSE YOUR SLEEVES WISELY
Everyone loves sleeves, but playing with the placement of a sleeve on the body of a dress or a top is super important. If it’s a puff sleeve, for example, look for it to be a little further up the shoulder, rather than at the edge, so it makes your body look slimmer at the top.
Silk dress, £695, wiggykit. com; heels, £195, camilla elphick.com
PERFECT YOUR POCKETS
Pockets are practical and make you stand differently — putting your hands in your pockets looks so confident. Placement is important — seek out pockets angled upwards so your waist looks narrower. Watch pockets on hips as they can ruin the line if they gape.
Corduroy jumpsuit, £375, wiggykit.com; heels, £35, schuh.co.uk
RAISE YOUR WAISTLINE
Look for your natural waistline and add a belt there, above the belly. Or go for a waistband slightly higher at the front than the back — it makes legs look longer and your upper body look neater, while giving you more freedom from the waist down.
Floral print dress, £78, jigsaw-online. com; white leather boots, £138, boden. co.uk
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