'Dégradé, where colours are gradually shaded instead of clearly demarcated, is the modern, minimalist version of tie-dye, though few designers would thank me for flagging that up'
Just when you thought stripes were well and truly over, the domino effect of the trend-that-will-not-die lines up yet another victory. Not content with expanding from the breton to the prison to the zebra crossing stripe, not to mention mutating into the chequerboard and noughts-and-crosses graphic, the stripe has found another guise in dégradé.
Naturally, I'm using dégradé in the pretty, French sense of the word. Banish from your mind all thoughts of credit ratings and ickiness, and, as Diana Vreeland would say, think pink: dégradé as in the embroidered ivory lace couture gown that starred in the recent Valentino exhibition at Somerset House, which had a chiffon insert in shades of pink blending from deep raspberry to pale blush.
Dégradé, where colours are gradually shaded instead of clearly demarcated, is the modern, minimalist version of tie-dye, though few designers would thank me for flagging up that association. The fashion industry has a love-hate relationship with any alternative aesthetic. Designers love the idea of going a bit boho (though they can't quite bring themselves to use the word), but when push comes to shove, there is a squeamishness about stepping outside the sanitised, waxed-and-spritzed comfort zone in which fashion exists. Edgy is all very well, but how about we soften those edges a little?
Which is exactly how you get from tie-dye to dégradé. This is edgy, with the edges professionally blended. Tie-dye in the age of Photoshopped flawlessness.
Dégradé should not look as if it was made in your bathroom sink. It needs to look absolutely deliberate, like a stripe, only more unusual, more interesting, more feminine. It works best on a good-quality fabric, so the effect is smooth and creamy, not grainy and blotchy. A Valentino dress might be out of reach, but a bit of dressing up helps: keep accessories sharp and modern, so perhaps a gold hoop earring rather than a beaded dangly one. There is something meltingly summery about dégradé, but that's no excuse for letting it all hang out. Summer, not gap year, is the watchword, folks.
• Jess wears jumper, £290, by Kenzo, from Browns. Trousers, £345, by Stella McCartney, from Matches.Heels, £165, Russell & Bromley.
Photograph: David Newby for the Guardian. Styling: Melanie Wilkinson. Hair and makeup: Dani Richardson using Nars Cosmetics.