It may not be seismic but you should be starting to feel a shift in fashion, a certain competitive hardening. No longer happy to settle for the runners-up colour of silver, accessories and jewellery are going for gold.
After decades of being shunned as too loud, too brash, too tarnished by associations with the 1980s, gold is suddenly the colour and metal of the moment.
This jostling for position is partly inspired by the proliferation of "goddess" dresses and the vogue for all things ethnic, both of which call for far a bolder approach to accessories - namely, gold cuffs, armfuls of gold bangles and big rings. Then there is the element of Las Vegas-style excess - the theme for Selfridges' current in-store event - that can be seen in the general enthusiasm among luxury goods houses for gold lizard and crocodile accessories. The result is a dazzling line-up of metallic shoes, bags, belts, and even luggage, for spring. As for jewellery, it is no longer a question of simply loading up with diamonds and white gold: the focus is shifting towards bold, chunky gold in all its tones, including yellow and rose.
Clothes have not escaped the gilded touch. Valentino's molten gold evening column and Chloe's artfully draped gold dress are among the more elegant examples of the genre for summer. Donatella Versace, of course, has always had a thing for gold. "Why don't you. . .wear a gold python gold leather trench over your gym clothes," she suggests in the March edition of US magazine Harper's Bazaar, in a recreation of fashion diva Diana Vreeland's column. Hmmm, why not?
Rather than dismissing this as ridiculous excess, cast an eye over the rest of the fashion world and you might begin to see why some might take the suggestion seriously. For instance, it is very telling that Bottega Veneta, a house known for quiet luxe, now boasts a gold leather trenchcoat in its current collection. And their signature Cabat and Venetia bags, more usually associated with natural-coloured leather, have also been given the gilded touch.
As a benchmark of gold's status this season, the fact that Bottega Veneta has created a Midas-inspired collection is a significant one. And this is not just a
catwalk whim; sales of the house's gold accessories are first class and their metallic gold wallet decorated with grommets has already sold out on Net-a-Porter.com (although it is still available in the boutiques).
One of the easiest ways to buy into the golden trend is with a leather bag, and the bigger the better. There's Tanner Krolle's squashy "Strummer" shoulder bag; while Mulberry is offering limited edition versions of both its "Bayswater" and "Roxy" bags in gold metallic leather; it has also used gold for small leather goods such as passport wallets. "It is a very strong trend," says Vanessa Lunt of Mulberry, who points out that it is "a very subtle, toned-down gold".
But why this passion for gold, and why now? "It has not been in fashion for a long time but it looks great with just about everything," says Lunt. More important, given the return to monochrome clothing projected for autumn, gold adds a glamorous edge to black (and navy and chocolate brown, the season's other key colours).
Speaking of next season, itis worth noting that far from being a flash in the pan, gold is set to gain momentum in the autumn. Prada, for instance, has a selection of bags, and even luggage, in a colour halfway between copper and gold; while Burberry has gold Blackberry and iPod covers in the pipeline. In other words, there is no point in trying to sit this trend out.
But even more significant than the proliferation of gold leather is the fact that accessory "hardware" - the buckles, grommets, rivets and studs on bags and belts - has, for the first time in a long while, shifted in emphasis from silver to gold. Jimmy Choo's "Talita" bag and Celine's white "Boogie" bag are among the many being given some gold edging. And make no mistake, it is on these details that an outfit's "of the moment" worthiness is often judged.
Precious jewellery is the most obvious manifestation of the trend. Cartier, whose recent Baiser du Dragon range with its striking gold pendants threaded on a casual black thong, must take some of the responsibility for making gold look desirable again. And they are not stopping there. Le Panthere de Cartier is a new collection featuring pendants, earrings and rings with panther-head motifs in fearlessly yellow 22-carat gold. "Yellow gold is definitely coming back," says a Cartier spokeswoman. "White gold and platinum have been in fashion for so long that it is time for a change."
Depending on your skin tone, this news could be of concern since yellow gold can look very brash against pale, pinkish skin. But there is always the other big gold story to provide a solution: rose gold. This is a pink, copper-coloured gold that looks more flattering than yellow gold on many people's skin. Cartier is introducing an 18-carat rose gold version of its famous Tank Americaine and Tank Francaise watches this season. And the smaller "Tankissime" style, with its 1940s-inspired bracelet - a new launch this season - also looks particularly tempting in pink gold.
Kenneth Jay Lane's huge gold cuffs suddenly look right, and come in many textures and shapes; while Celine, in deference to the goddess look, has gold-coloured cuffs inlaid with large stones.
If your style is more boho than goddess, Van Peterson offers a down to earth take on gold jewellery with a necklace of satin-finish gold discs threaded onto a thong. Just add your own urn.
And it is worth remembering that gold can be dressed up or down. The rich hippies who patrol the streets of west London are already swapping leather Frye boots and gypsy skirts for gold ballet flats with faded jeans. Other options include Hermes' pale gold espadrilles; J&M Davidson's gold leather belt with grommets and Chloe's beaded cream and gold "bracelet" bag.
But remember that the golden rule is to use this colour lightly. Don't overdo it - gold should be used as an accent, preferably gracing only one accessory at a time.
Don't forget, you can have too much of a gold thing.
