Style Inheritance

SHE'S waiting at the school gates: in toffee tailoring and high-waisted denim, Nova magazine peeking out of her neat tan saddlebag. Her super natural locks bounce in the wind.

Or is she purposefully making her way down the Stella McCartney spring catwalk in an easy button-front A-line skirt, lace cami and Linda cork sandal? Inspired by her late mother, Linda, Stella's clothes' captured the pretty practical feel of the Seventies.

There are wonderful lessons to be learnt from mid Seventies mum stateside and in the UK: the instant rapport between fragile silk blouses under tailoring or a casual suede jacket; no tricks, flattering denim (fit and flare), a skinny glossy lizard belt and the posture-enhancing mid-height sandal. A spritz of Rive Gauche and she was ready to go!

Seventies mum is an attainable heroine - and right now she is defining an inspiring smart-casual look that urban girls want to adopt post the Rick Owens fallout. Think the glossy naturalism of Katherine Ross in Stepford Wives (pre-transformation!), baby blue denim, cork-wedges and a carefully tied silk scarf. Or the golden girl Patti Hansen off-duty (the sophisticate rock-wife), and on (her Seventies campaigns for Chanel and Calvin Klein) - golden skin coordinating with her tonal camel looks. She was one of the first of the supers to launch her own denim line.

Summer holidays comprise perhaps of a workaday cotton smock (try H&M's Garden Party collection), and a simple leather flat (Clarks, Chloe or Margaret Howell). For evening, swoosh past the babysitter in flowing wildflower-scattered silk voile (try Etro), or a maxi wrap dress (Stefano Pilati's white cotton shirtwaister fuses glamour and country innocence). Night or day, wholesomeness is the lodestar of the look. Accessorise with dewy skin, a discreet pinky lip-gloss and swingy Chloe (or Charlie), campaign hair.

Mother certainly knows best. The camel blazers, fluttery blouses, portfolios and neat satchels are investment buys to carry you into next season. It's a look that's upbeat pretty, smart thinking (Seventies mum has a working career), and wearable (with a discreetly sexy vibe), for women who prefer not to think too hard or have the time to think about getting dressed. After all, life is too short to stuff a mushroom.