The success of the TV show Rivals has revived interest in British heritage fashion, according to fashion columnist Jess Cartner-Morley writing in the Guardian.
Cartner-Morley says the show's costume designer Ray Holman drew on original 1980s pieces from Dunhill and Mulberry, along with Liberty fabrics, polo uniform nods and waxed coats. The result has brought "the Sloane ranger back into the fashion conversation for the first time in years," she writes.
The broader aesthetic centres on autumn staples: tartan and tweed, chunky knits, waxed jackets and wellies. Cartner-Morley compares the moment to the beret revival sparked by Emily in Paris, but notes this homegrown fantasy is "both more embarrassing and harder to resist." She highlights specific character looks from Rivals, including Cameron's power suits, Taggie's jeans and jumpers, and Valerie's head-to-toe tweed.
She argues British heritage style has long cycled through fashion because it combines practical utility with loaded cultural backstory around class, history and eccentricity, making it "satisfyingly reinventable."