Who Sloanes Wins

I'm guilty of buying a Christmas present for my sister, and promptly robbing it back. And it's the ultimate guilty pleasure. The original Sloane Ranger's Handbook came out in 1981 and introduced the worlds of your typical Sloanes - Caroline and Henry - to anyone who cared and it's absolutely hilarious. A Princess Di fan from birth, I read the always entertaining Tatler every month and am partial to a bit of Sloane style myself. A pearl earring here, a silk scarf there - although the overall effect is usually more Princess Anne than Diana Spencer.

The Sloane look is conservative and reassuring - like Sloanes themselves. Never high fashion, thus never out of fashion. It was a major influence for this autumn/winter season. Everywhere you look are the trademarks - tweeds, velvet, high-neck blouses, navy blazers, headscarves - all quintessentially Sloane. Head to Church's for the definitive brogues - solid and long lasting - no high-street knock offs, please - they're against nature and totally gucky, as the Handbook would say. Although she's more likely to be found at Bungalow 8 rather than roaming the Kings Road, with her Barbour jackets and loafers, it seems even our beloved Alexa has succombed to all things Sloane.

My favourite new generation Sloane has to be Henry Conway. Henry claims he doesn't fit into any category in the Sloane Ranger Handbook but crowns himself Queen Sloane. He dresses as a Regency dandy, rocks up to parties in a horse-drawn carriage and wrote a book on the history of knitting. I mean, what's not to love? He's the ultimate Hooray Henry. I must say, I was rather shocked to spot Master Conway at Circus on Friday night looking more low-key than usual. I fret that his new year's resolution might be to tone the Sloane down - come on Conway, we depend on you to keep the Sloane style alive.

D & G A/W 08 - Image from style.com