Dressing like the ladies from The Hour

After a slow start we are loving the BBC’s The Hour, which is NOT Mad Men, despite the hype, but does feature some lovely clothes. By far the best character is Anna Chancellor as the smart, sharp Lix, an experienced, hard drinking hack who has many of the best lines and is turning out to be a cracking role model for us (ie she’s not 22 and stick like). Her wardrobe consists of slinky silk shirts and wide legged trousers (often high waisted) which allow her to be glamourous and elegant as she dashes around both the newsroom and the dance floor.

How refreshing to have inspiration so early in the season for grown up girls.

It’s an easy look to translate too, as there is a touch of ‘proper British’ late 50s tailored glamour about many of the collections. Equiptment shirts (seen below, left) are currently everyone’s ‘fav’ fashion shirt and have the required soft-slink-factor,  the one we’ve pulled out here is from Net-A-Porter (£230), We also love Jaeger’s Epaulette Blouse (£199) from the new season range, right below, which is a lovely heavy silk and features soft gathers at the wrists and a rounded-off point to the collar, it’s all about soft structure, gathers, silky soft fabrics, pleats and a little ‘tucked in’ volume.

Jaeger also has great trousers in wool crepe with a high-ish waist, we’ve pulled out the Marylebone, in navy (£180) but there are a few on its website that fit the bill.

Equipment shirt £230, left. Jaeger Epaulette blouse £199, right

Jaeger Marylebone trousers £180, left. Marilyn Moore wool jacquard coat £329, right

To wear with the shirts you can opt for a neatly shaped tailored jacket, Lix would probably pull on a trench coat, but  we’re loving the sumptuous Italian wool jacquard cocoon shaped coat from Marilyn Moore’s autumn collection (£329). It’s a fantastic slouchy glam shape, reminiscent of those simple early 60s shapes that is incredibly easy to wear..

It would also work well over the little buttoned up cardigans and tweed pencil skirts that Romola Garai’s character Bel wears. Romola is gorgeous so doesn’t have to try too hard, but her neat look is ageless and gives us something new to do with a cashmere cardigan -tuck it in. We also love the all-one-colour styling, which adds a modern touch, particularly in the jewel box brights Bel is favouring.

Marilyn Moore’s soft Scottish tweed pencil skirts come with tiny front jet pockets, kick inverted box pleats to make walking easier, or with a simple back hem vent on the longer lengths. All have sumptuous, jewel coloured satin linings and range in price from £119 to £139. Marilyn always does great knitwear and has a big collection of button through cardigans and neat sweaters which are fine enough to tuck into skirts, we love the lace front effect Bronte style on the one pictured below (terrible photo, it does match the vibrant colour of te skirt beautifully really, £215- it’s cashmere). Marilyn has also just opened a new store on Richmond Hill, for those who live close. Sadly she hasn’t got a website yet.

Marilyn Moore's Bronte cashmere cardi £215, left. Scottish Tweed skirt in raspberry boucle £139, right

Marilyn Moore's Scottish Tweed skirt with kick pleat, £149

Photos of Anna Chancellor and Romola Garai from The BBC