So hot, it's over

At the end of 1999, when the world teetered on the brink of the new millennium, the leading arbiters of style offered their predictions for the future of fashion.

'I think the new direction will come from people's dreams and hopes,' said Issey Miyake, wistfully. 'The global information flow will render the concept of "trend" obsolete,' added Narciso Rodriguez. 'It will all be down to individual taste.' Christian Lacroix was sure there would be 'a freedom in style' and Paul Smith was convinced that 'individuality will be the most important trend'. They conjured up a vision of a world where no one dictated what taste was, and no one sniggered behind anyone else's back in the bus queue because they didn't like their trousers.

It was a nice thought. But two years on, it's looking increasingly like Miyake, Rodriguez and the rest couldn't have got it more wrong.

Style in 2002 has never been more rigidly defined. Dictatorial and prescriptive, it has nothing to do with individuals expressing themselves, and everything to do with following guidelines. What's more, trends change at such a giddy speed, keeping pace becomes an accomplished act in itself. Yet we can't afford to fall behind - London's never been more inclined to judge those who get it wrong. Welcome to the era of style fascism.

Consider the evidence. The nannyish tones Nigella Lawson employs to deliver her deliciously arbitrary opinions on what makes an accomplished modern woman epitomise the moment. Door whores at Attica and Chinawhite have raised the criteria on entry-level glamour, and taken to throwing out anyone who doesn't meet them, including, in the past, Leonardo DiCaprio (Attica), and Chelsea Clinton (Chinawhite). Self-styled sartorial gurus Trinny Woodall and Susannah Constantine, attack hapless members of the public and destroy their signature look for the titillation of BBC2 viewers, in the extremely popular What Not To Wear. The monthly dictates on housekeeping and entertaining of Rita Konig, interior designer and Vogue's resident style fascist, have proved so compulsive she's landed a book deal on the compilation volumes. And this lot are merely the high-profile pioneers of the movement.

General consensus contends that style fascism is the direct consequence of the democratisation of taste. Style and good taste have traditionally been expensive or obscure, highly inaccessible and thus the property of an elite. But recently, style has been flatpacked and mass produced in Ikea, copied from the catwalk and expertly replicated by the low end of the high street, and so, co-opted by everybody. Today, everyone wants an Eames chair, a Le Corbusier chaise longue, Kate Moss hair. As writer, trend consultant and style commentator Richard Benson says: 'In the past five years, the mainstream has become trendy.'

Those who once considered themselves exceptionally fashionable have discovered that hoi polloi are gaining on them, fast. So they have been forced to raise the bar on taste, fashion and style. Meanwhile, the increasingly well-informed aspiring classes discovered we're hooked on being early adaptors, addicted to cool. We want more trend challenges, more often.

But enough theory. Style fascism might be a dubious business, but it's here, and you might like to know what it expects of you. So, at the time of going to press, the following style-fascist dictates were very much in force?

Style Fascist Rule One It's unforgivably crass to drink a cappuccino a moment after 9.30am. Italians consider cappuccinos a breakfast drink, and wouldn't dream of drinking one afterwards. Espressos, however, are an all-day drink. What's more, 'Coffee should only ever be drunk with white sugar. Brown sugar caramelises and changes the flavour,' says Mike Stocks, head barrista at Carluccio's. 'Price should never be an issue when buying beans. If you pay less than £3 for 500g, you're not going to get a good blend.' Caramel shots and other Starbucks-informed creations are, obviously, not a good move.

Rule Two Cosmopolitans have had their burning moment, and are now over. Generally, cocktails are not a great idea - particularly if you're entertaining at home. Unless you can afford to hire a trained mixologist for the evening, you're probably not going to create anything but a sticky, unpleasant sugary mess. Not chic. On an equally domestic note, ensure that your Le Creuset set is not common orange or blue, but part of the limited-edition cream satin enamelled collection the company produced briefly last year. Not only are they rare, Nigella has these.

Rule Three Beds should only be made up using antique bed linen, because, according to Rita Konig, 'it's cheaper to buy and has already been worn in'. However, it's also prone to rip more readily, so you should ensure that you 'keep your toes well pedicured'. On which subject, London's leading nail guru, Leighton Denny, insists: 'Overlong claws and talons are a no-no - as is nail art on the fingers. You should, however, consider nail art on your toes - rhinestones to match your Jimmy Choos, for example.'

Rule Four Woe betide the man who sends his style-fascist lover flowers that are not from Paula Pryke or Wild At Heart. According to Pryke, 'Our most fashionable combination at the moment is a black ceramic vase by Keith Munro filled with purple vanda orchids.' Pryke is also a fan of chocolate germini (pictured) and fountain grass. Window-box geraniums, meantime, are enjoying a revival. Konig 'cannot think of anything lovelier'.

Rule Five Holiday destinations are a minefield for those pursuing a style-fascist-approved lifestyle. Glen Donovan, director of Earth, private travel agency to the stars, insists: 'Any corporate chain is never going to be fashionable - and that includes all Ritz-Carltons and Four Seasons. Any hotel in OK! or Hello! with someone off Hollyoaks is a no-go area, too. In the Caribbean, there are only around a dozen truly stylish hotels, including Parrot Cay in the Turks & Caicos, and Round Hill in Jamaica, but you can still go wrong here. Even Round Hill staff refer to the main building as "the Barracks".'

Rule Six Needless to say, the association between style fascism and fashion is a particularly close one. The only real way to bypass fashion's style-fascist impulse is to wear beautiful but anonymous designer pieces that are a season-and-a-half old, as opposed to anything that screams Cult Piece Of The Moment. If a trend is extremely hot, buy into it by all means, but remember that the fash fascist's passion for a single item will guarantee it a short shelf life. The more they love a thing, the quicker they'll get over it.

Rule Seven Never replicate a full look direct from the runway. As hippest girl in all London, stylist Camille Bidault-Waddington suggests: 'Never try to look like the catwalk image - you will look like a German fashion editor.'

Rule Eight Don't be too previous. There's nothing more gauche than anticipating a look too early, and shivering/sweating in next season's clothes. Incoming for aspiring style fascists is Shabby Chic, a complete lifestyle movement pioneered by US style icon Rachel Ashwell (and embraced by J-Lo), which celebrates the thrift-shop find, the home-made, and the point at which vintage sensibilities and new designs merge. 'Even opening a dishwasher should be a joyful experience,' writes Ashwell. 'All plates, cups and saucers should be pieces you love to see.'

Inevitably, there are many more examples of style-fascist activity abroad. But before you despair of the hollow, mindlessly slavish, consumer-oriented nature of society, it's worth remembering that style fascism is not necessarily a bad thing. Marketeers are having to work hard to meet our heightened expectations. Which might explain why, for example, Topshop Oxford Circus has found it necessary to replace its carrier bags with highly covetable cloth bags. There's also an economic imperative involved here. The launching and devaluing of trends in quick succession ensures that Londoners consume more quickly and voraciously than ever before. Style fascism is, if nothing else, a recession-diminishing measure.

Anyone still unconvinced by the wisdom of style fascism needs to get a grip, sort out their coffee-making facilities and their nail-art issues, and spend some quality time with Trinny, Susannah, Rita and Nigella. The sooner we're all style fascists, the prettier, sleeker, more fashionable and orderly our lives will be.