She's in Fashion

"She's in Fashion"
Single by Suede
from the album Head Music
Released	21 June 1999
Format	CD
Recorded	1999
Genre	Alternative rock
Length	4:53
Label	Nude
Writer(s)	Brett Anderson, Neil Codling
Producer(s)	Steve Osborne, Mick Glossop
Suede singles chronology
"Electricity" (1999) "She's in Fashion" (1999) "Everything Will Flow" (1999)
Music sample "She's in Fashion"

"She's in Fashion" is the second single from the album Head Music by Suede. It was released on 21 June 1999 and Peaked at no 13 on the UK singles chart.^[1]

Background and recording

"She's In Fashion" is a summery pop song, which features a swirling synth line that helps build the song into a dreamy up-tempo track, quite unlike anything the band had previously done. NME said that "She's in Fashion" "Features oriental-type keyboards, and sounds like a cross between pop David Bowie and The Chi-Lites." The song ends with the lyrical coda: "Sunshine blow my mind and the wind blow my brain."^[2] All the songs were produced by Mick Glossop except "She's in Fashion", which was produced by Steve Osborne.

According to Nude Records Saul Galpern, "She's in Fashion" was Suede's biggest radio hit.^[3] "She's in Fashion" has been described as 'the most summery-sounding pop song Suede have recorded,' yet its light feel disguises what proved to be months of heavy production work, several re-recordings and a lot of experimentation.^[4] According to Osborne, the recording process took six months and several studios were used. "It happens quite often that you go on a journey, attempt various things and end up preferring the first thing you did. 'Fashion' was a song that we started in the first week of recording -- but we didn't finish it until the very last week!"^[4]

The video for the title song was directed by Johan Renck, and features lead singer Brett Anderson riding in a car, focusing on a woman who re-appears outside in a different setting with different clothing.

Reception

The song was well received by critics, who welcomed the songs summery sound. Heat called it "Sumptuous and outrageously poppy",^[3] while Select declared it 'Single of the Month', calling it "gloriously shallow pop music."^[5] James Oldham of NME liked the music, saying: "Soused in acoustic guitar'd empathy, with a vaporous keyboard motif inescapably reminiscent of Duran Duran's 'Save A Prayer', 'She's In Fashion' is a balmy, barmy beaut, shimmering grooves turning a blithe eye to the world;" however on the lyrics he considered Anderson to be "waxing lyrical balderdash."^[6]

Track listings

Cassette

1. "She's in Fashion" (Brett Anderson, Neil Codling)
2. "Down (demo)" (Anderson, Richard Oakes)

CD1

1. "She's in Fashion" (Anderson, Codling)
2. "Bored" (Anderson, Oakes)
3. "Pieces of My Mind" (Anderson)

CD2

1. "She's in Fashion" (Anderson, Codling)
2. "Jubilee" (Anderson, Codling)
3. "God's Gift" (Anderson)

References