THIS summer, all style cognoscenti (otherwise known as fashion victims) will be dressed as though heading out on the hippy trail to Morocco. It's yet another reflection of the current craze for the early 1970s, despite survivors of that era opting for amnesia whenever clothes from the period are recalled. In terms of dress, what's demanded are lots of djellabas, flared hipster pants and psychedelic prints but if all that sounds too lurid for your tastes, there's still a way to participate in the latest outbreak of fashion nostalgia: buy a pair of sandals.
There are always plenty of these around every summer, but only one style will do this year - it must be flat and it has to have a thong which slips between the toes. Ideally, it should also carry the logo of Gucci, a label which has been at the forefront of the 1970s revival and is, therefore, inordinately fashionable just now. A few years ago, wearing a brand label was considered mortifyingly declasse; at the moment, the same act - at least when the logo belongs to Gucci - manages to be simultaneously ironic and respectful.
Slip into a pair of these over the months ahead and you'll immediately be recognised as someone who's au courant with present trends. As if that wasn't gratifying enough, Gucci sandals are made to the highest standards and feel wonderfully comfortable.