Blame it on the “Oceans” series of movies. The smart and sexy look of George Clooney and Brad Pitt and Matt Damon in dinner jackets. The cool of Bond, the magnetism of Denzel, the thrill of the good guy turned even better.

Whatever keeps the look going, it is still going with a vengeance. And nothing – but nothing – tops classic good looks.

The little black dress
From Audrey Hepburn to Halle Berry. You notice the woman, not the clothes. But it’s because those clothes are tailored so impeccably, and fit so perfectly, that the woman wearing them stands out. She draws your eye.You might note her small handbag. How her hairstyle frames her face. How her jewellery adds to the elegance. And if you notice her shoes, you notice they keep her firmly on the ground – whether they’re high high heels or kid glove ballet slippers.

So what makes a little black dress a classic?
The appearance of simplicity. Clean lines. Touchable fabrics. And that can mean everything from silk shantung to cashmere. Sleeves that make your every move worth watching. Or sleeveless to make the neckline-to-hemline sweep impossible to ignore. It’s the un-fussy flow of how the dress fits – and how comfortable you are in it.

It can be a wrap dress with an empire waist. It can be a sheathe. It can be collarless or with a tall standing collar. Its role is to offset your beauty, not to steal attention from it.

And it doesn’t have to be black.
Don’t let the word “classic” fool you. Not all classics are black. Nor are they all dresses.

Jeans can be classics. You know the ones. The favourite pair in your closet that you just don’t want to give up. Soft. Wellworn – maybe even faded and a little frayed at the knees, hem or waistline.

They’re easy to wear. They make you look good and feel good. And whether you wear them with a Chanel shirt or a Fruit of the Loom undershirt, it’s the simplicity of the look and the glow they give you that makes them classics.