Fashion: Hello Yellow

THE yellow peril approaches… No, I'm not talking about the impending possibility of the Liberal Democrats tearing up the political map of the UK. Nor am I suggesting that Nick Clegg necessarily represents any more of a menace than leaders aligned with other hues of the political spectrum. I'm simply warning you that yellow is insisting that it is in fashion this summer. And for many level-headed women, that's a prospect almost as daunting as the UK's budget deficit.

Right now the likely outcome of the General Election is far from clear. In fashion, however, the results are in. Designers bigged up yellow in their seasonal manifestos, presented on the runways of New York, London, Paris and Milan. And all the brands which let fashion's big ideas loose on the high street have dutifully followed suit. And frock. And, in some cases, cuffs, clutch-bags, and cardigans too.

Forces far greater than Cameron, Brown or Clegg have decreed shades from mellow butter to primary and acid bright must have a place in every well-tended wardrobe. It's not that fashion's global tastemakers are a bunch of Cleggites, spreading a subliminal yet compelling political message through the promotion of the primary colour that represents something other than Conservative or Labour loyalties. No, the real fashion conspiracy is forcing women into a colour choice heralded as chic which is actually about as flattering as calling anyone a bigot.

I once saw Iman, the Somalian supermodel, in a super-sexy canary yellow evening gown by Versace, which was in every sense sensational.

Olive-skinned sexpots such as Gina Lollobrigida and Sophia Loren could also carry off canary if they ever felt inclined. But women of a pasty-faced Celtic complexion generally fare less well in yellow – unless they first do their homework. For, like any politician obliged to toe the party line, fashion's clever followers learn how to look as if they're endorsing the season's big trends without ever making themselves look anything short of fabulous.

Here's the thing: most women rate yellow somewhere between terrifying and unthinkable. But when there's a mood for change in the air, the only thing to do is try the thing that's new. No shade of yellow has the flattery and sophistication of black, the kindness of navy blue, or the entrance-making drama of a great red. Yellow will never seem as subtle as any pastel or neutral shade. But the one thing it certainly has going for it is a sense of novelty and fun.

Yellow seems edgy, daring – and downright dangerous in the wrong hands. But it separates those who won't take fashion risks from those who know that the difference between style and fashion depends on allowing the latter to inform the former. With skilled manipulation, a blast of bright yellow will move the wearer up a notch or three in this summer's style stakes.

Right now, the easiest way to make yellow work is in a combination with white. Hobbs, for example, has a great pleated skirt in bold horizontal bands of yellow and white. Teamed with a simple white shirt and yellow cardigan, it's the sort of preppy look you could imagine finding its way into the wardrobe of Sex and the City's Charlotte.

Yellow certainly figures as one of the season's hottest frock choices. Consider Monsoon's charming rope-tied knee-length number, or Next's flirty short shift in tiny tiers of chiffon. Now that the tailored jacket and dress combination is once again making fashion news, either of these cute frocks could work beautifully under a white jacket. Choose a simple, slightly boyish cotton blazer for everyday wear, or an elegant style in silky crpe fabric for evenings, weddings and Ladies' Day at summer race meetings.

Fashion is certainly losing its fear of colour co-ordination – the laboured partnering once so disarmingly dismissed by the mighty Anna Wintour of American Vogue as "matchy-matchy". But please resist any temptation to complement your yellow frock with yellow shoes. In the unlikely event of finding a canary-bright footwear option that you simply can't resist, I guess you could work it with white trousers or pale jeans. But most yellow dresses can be handsomely accessorised with sandals (gladiator flats, wedge-soled, or high-heeled) from the colour family that runs from nude to tan.

Next's ribbon-sashed basket-weave frock – surely a timely homage to Grace Kelly's signature style – cries out for simple pumps. But Monsoon's rope-tied number is sufficiently feminine to work with Pied a Terre's boyish white-ish flat lacing shoes. In the fashion manifesto of yellow, even the policy on gender divide is not entirely resolved.