Sorry, but I want everything from Patou right now

I equal parts want to dress like a sailor and Rocky Balboa.

It feels like a lot of fashion these days is sitting in one of two camps.

On one side, many current styles are clearly conforming to the trend cycle, leaving little room for individuality and, to be honest, leaving me a little bored. On the other side, many are outwardly rejecting the fashion calendar, designing for longevity and maximum wearabillity. This is great from a sustainability perspective, but as a person who loves fashion (not just clothes), it does suck the joy out of fashion somewhat.

Right now, to be blunt, it feels like everything is either a rehash of the cowboy or regency trend, or minimal and made from linen.

So when I was first introduced to Patou only last week, I quickly found myself in a deep Internet hole. The Parisian luxury label has just landed in Australia and as it turns out, it’s the offering I didn’t know I was looking for.

It feels like luxury fashion for real people. The price point is accessible, the styles skirt the boundaries of appropriate (but don’t push them too far), and it’s just the right amount of playful –  Patou is clearly of the belief that fashion should be fun.

There’s enough simplicity for the overarching collection to still deserve the label ‘chic’, but enough exaggeration to warrant the term ‘goddamn delightful’.

To continue (I will), if Patou were a person, it would be a 2020 Carrie Bradshaw if Carrie Bradshaw lived in Paris. It’s slightly boundary-pushing, but awe-inspiring. It’s wearable, but in a compliment-drawing way.

Patou is how I want to dress when we’re on the other side of iso. So in anticipation of its impending yet uncertain arrival, here is everything I’ve screenshotted so far. Bon appétit.

This cotton safari dress

Give me an A-line shift dress and I’ll give you an outfit you can wear any day of the year.  I’ve got a little red shift that I’ve worn more times than I can count (to a friend’s wedding, to work, to lunch), but Patou has taken the basic shift and made it a little bit extra – which, as you’ll learn, is true Patou style. This one plays with geometric lines and looks that much more ~expensive~ but it’s still wearable enough to, you know, wear every day. I’m unsure why it’s called the ‘safari’ shift (possibly those utility-style flaps?) but I’m here for it.

Get it here.

This ruffle hem coat (with detachable ruffle hem!)

You know in early 2000s rom-coms where the protagonist attends an event in just a really nice coat and heels? And you never see what they’re wearing under the coat but the coat alone looks so chic you don’t even care? This is that really nice coat. It earns bonus points because the ruffle hem is detachable, making this possibly the most wearable coat I’ve ever seen. And hopefully soon, possibly the most wearable coat I’ve ever owned.

Get it here.

This entire collaboration with Le Coq Sportif

Maison Patou has marked its foray into footwear with a collection of high-top sneakers inspired by boxing shoes. I wasn’t sure at first, but seeing them styled with almost everything on the Patou website has irreversibly changed my mind. They elevate a simple dress from pretty to objectively cool. The couture-inspired floral embroidery is also a clever touch, given the Maison’s 30-year history as a Parisian fashion house.

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This feather-embellished dress

ICYMI ostrich feathers are huge right now in haute fashion, popping up everywhere from The Attico to Marques Almeida to Alice McCall. Patou is arguably handling the trend with the most finesse, as its silk blend dress offers an understated top half, inviting the wearer to play further with layers. See? Why not dress your OTT ostrich dress down with a denim jacket? It’s tongue-in-cheek, contradictory and brilliant.

Get it here.

This feather-embellished merino wool hat

This is surely a joke, but kudos to Patou for putting out something so ballsy. We need more bravery in fashion these days. The brand’s navy merino wool hat features an ostrich feather embellishment that circles all the way around the face, and is fastened under the chin with a gold-clouted button for extra class. Ideal for anyone wanting to channel their inner Mufasa, but make it chic.

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This oversize knit

It could just be me, but it feels near impossible to find a comfy knit for shlepping around the house that still feels appropriate for a fashion editor to wear on a Zoom conference. Well, I found it. Shoutout to that slight funnel neck for giving this jumper the lift it deserves. Adding to cart as we speak.

Get it here.

These jeans with these gigantic cuffs

I can’t tell if its the A line, the slight pleat, or the overly exaggerated cuff, but you could probably wear these jeans with anything and you’d have an ‘outfit’. Wear them with a polo, a blouse, a skivvy, and the proof is here that they all look very, very chic. These jeans are also giving me slight French sailor vibes, which I can’t quite explain but I’m certainly loving.

Get it here.

This sailor-style denim tunic

While we’re on the sailor analogy, it makes sense to also secretly really love this? I never knew I wanted to spend $750 to dress like a little French sailor boy from the 1950s, but it’s 2020 and a weird time and, for whatever reason, this tunic is speaking to me. 

Get it here.

This oversized-bow mini dress

Is it a dress or is it really just a big bow that you can wear? Who am I to say? All I know is that I’m here for it. If the raspberry pink is a bit much for you, this mini is also served in a demure ‘storm’, which has been described on the Patou website as “dramatic and charming”. I couldn’t agree more.

Get it here.

This balloon-sleeved, bubble-skirted trench

Patou has taken the all-time wardrobe staple, the classic trench, and made it genuinely covetable. I am obsessed with this rendition. It is slightly prairie at the back, adequately feminine at the front and when styled with a slight androgyny (à la this), it levels up to a new tier of cool. As Patou so rightly points out, “trench, it rhymes with French!” which might not be the strongest case for you to purchase, but the fact the bubble skirt is removable could be.

Get it here.

This oversized lambswool coat

The lines! The simplicity! The elegance! I’ve never seen anything quite like it. The outer is also 100 per cent lambswool, so one can only imagine what it’s like to the touch. Much like patting a little lamb, I predict.

Get it here.

This short suit

Short suits are also very in right now, which means, at this point, I’m no longer hugely excited by them. However, Patou’s take on the set has breathed it new life. The shorts edge out at precisely the right angle, just enough to take them out of ‘elevated corporate’ territory and to a place much more playful, much more Patou. The double-breasted jacket also comes in a peach blossom colourway, which is just delightful.

Get it here.

Well, friends, that’s it so far, but believe me, I could climb so much further down the Patou rabbit hole. Instead, I recommend you save me from myself and browse of your own accord here.

patou.com