Why ‘Demure’ Is So Much More Than Just A TikTok Trend This Season

Whether or not content creator Jools Lebron’s viral TikTok posts on being “very demure” have taken over your social media feeds, we can confirm a decidedly prim and proper mood swept the FW24 runways, too. Back in February, brands from Carven and Ferragamo to Valentino Garavani presented an ultra-elegant, nostalgic aesthetic that is all cinched waists, silky stockings and buttoned-up, crisply ironed shirts.

“There’s definitely an air of ‘lady’ and, dare I say it, a feeling of wanting to dress more demurely – but it feels more individual and more knowing than it has in the past,” says creative consultant and content creator Anna Vitiello, whose wardrobe is an exercise in nailing timeless sophistication for the 2020s. “It’s formal but with an abstract twist.”

With her sophomore collection for Carven, Louise Trotter did exactly this, serving modern riffs on column and hourglass silhouettes from Madame Carven’s 1940s archive. Among the best was a black taffeta midi skirt, paired with leather gloves and kitten-heel slingbacks, and with an off-kilter twist with a loose-fit white blouse that had a back-to-front feel. At Victoria Beckham, sporty zip-front, ski-inspired turtlenecks were tucked into tweed midi skirts; and, for his fourth outing at Ferragamo, Maximilian Davis looked to the 1920s, serving elegantly fringed slip dresses and a dazzling boat-neck floor-length satin gown – which was reminiscent of the divine green dress Keira Knightley wore in Atonement, but in a sleek black.

A crisp shirt paired with a full skirt is the most straightforward way to embrace the polished look. Try tucking Carolina Herrera’s oversized cotton-blend poplin shirt into the brand’s black tiered ruffled silk-gazar midi skirt, as it was on the FW24 runway. Then complete the look with a wide patent belt, slicked-back ponytail and a red lip. A skirt suit is also a one-and-done route to nailing formal but feminine, and this brown wool-blend tweed jacket and mini from Parisian couture house Patou is a versatile wardrobe addition. Pair it with a white cami, Khaite’s ‘Aimee’ clutch and Paris Texas’s white ‘Lydia’ mules for late summer nights, then swap in black tights, Gianvito Rossi’s patent Mary Janes and a fine-knit rollneck when the weather cools. Retro elegance is wonderfully appropriate for the office, too. Try The Row’s black tailored pants with Patou’s polka-dot pussy-bow blouse and Stuart Weitzman’s ‘Benni’ slingback Mary Jane ballet flats for a day in the office. Alternatively, throw on Patou’s polka-dot pussy-bow dress with Aeyde’s ‘Catrina’ snake-effect leather slingback pumps for a client meeting.

For weekend chic, put Audrey Hepburn in Roman Holiday on the mood board, adding a modern twist with preppy slacks and fine knits. Stella McCartney’s white wool-blend twill wide-leg pants will look great with Victoria Beckham’s butter yellow merino wool-blend jersey sweater tucked in – and a little silk Gucci neckerchief tied jauntily askew.

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