This month, David Beckham defended his infamous decision to don that night-sky sarong when in France with Victoria Beckham during the 1998 World Cup. ‘I liked that sarong!’ he has protested, with, one hopes, tongue firmly cheek. It was not so much the choice of sarong that caused the outcry – after all, we all go a little exotic with our attire when in warmer climates - more so the curious decision to wear it over a pair of baggy black sweats, as if it were an ornate napkin he had forgotten to untuck from his crotch after eating.
The picture that brought the sarong-saga to the world’s attention shows a young and very blonde looking Becks striding forward in a black vest with his face set in a determined expression, as if resolutely defying the collective cry of horror from fashionistas across the globe. Conversely, Victoria looks stonily down at the pavement, perhaps wishing it to swallow up her, David and the sarong.
That being said, though today regarded as the head of one of the most glamorous families in the world, in the ‘90s and early Noughties, Posh had her own collection of fashion fails. In 2001 she performed at the BBC Radio 1 Big Sunday dressed up as what can only be described as Jack Sparrow’s gothic concubine, and that same year appeared on stage in a red leather jump suit.
From faux pas to theft
These pictures are never going to go away and they must make the present day high-flying designer cringe. Today she is only ever seen looking faultless. And credit where credit is due, it is harder to avoid fashion faux pas in 2015 than it was in the anything-goes-neon-and-Nike Nineties. Today, the lenses of the paparazzi are set and focused to document any tear, stain or artificial item from last season.
Only recently there was a witch-hunt for celebrities wearing fake designer clothes and accessories. Surprisingly, a lot of them were caught out. For whatever reason Louis Vuitton fakes were the most prolific. Amongst the offenders were the likes of the immaculately dressed Kim Kardashian, Jessica Simpson and Jaden Smith. Suffice to say, though most of us mere mortals probably enjoyed a good dollop of Schadenfreude – and indeed, will in the future wear our fake Ray-Bans from Tenerife with a lot less shame – those in the echelons of the fashion world were not impressed. A frosty statement from Louis Vuitton read: ‘Anything unauthentic, whether worn by a famous individual or not, is seriously frowned upon.’
Beckham Bounces Back
David was not amongst those identified by the LV fashion police, and over the last decade has decisively smartened up his image. Who would have believed that a man who sported a Travis Bickle haircut as recently as 2001 would go on to model for H&M, Armani and Calvin Klein? Becks has indeed turned the tables on those who railed against the sarong.
Indeed, Beckham has become as much of a fashion icon as his wife, able to pull off a tailored peak lapel rig as well as a he can a patterned crew-neck sweater. Seamlessly switching between Brooklyn bartender and Bond, Beckham is repeatedly spotted wearing a beautiful Rolex Deep Sea Dweller. Made of a steel and titanium alloy, this self-winding masterpiece is reported to cost as much as $9,000. Those with the cash to splash should ensure have a read of this post, and do not fall into the same trap as Jessica and Jaden and be duped into buying fake items.
For the rest of us, well, they don’t just sell fake Ray-Bans in Tenerife.
