This post is by Cait McNamee, a new blogger for the Dec-Jun 11/12 season

Here in the UK we have a rich history of developing new and exciting styles. Over the decades these changes have often been closely related to both social and class factors. While we like to pretend that class isn't as important as it used to be, this is not the case. If anything it is just as important, changing and adapting to a modern environment but still ever present. It is also a huge factor in shaping the way we dress and what we think of the way others dress, whether we realise it or not.

The class and social changes that have occurred in the last century have brought with them many significant sartorial movements that continue to have importance today. From Teddy Boys, to Mods, to Punks, to New Romantics to name but a few. These movements where a reaction to something and as well as having their own soundtrack and certain pivotal characters from Mary Quant to Vivienne Westwood. These movements came with a very specific uniform. When we look back we can identify the era based on shape, style and significant items and it is these features which show up on today's catwalks again and again.

Today we take parts of these styles and mix them together in an attempt to create something new. More than ever designers and retailers look to the past to inspire new ideas or perhaps to convey a message in a new collection. Maybe the original meaning is lost or diluted somewhat but that doesn't mean that the rich tapestry that created them in the first place is any less important. Old styles take on new importance and new meaning, sometimes for a whole different set of people.

It is important to understand where these styles come from. The social context, people who were significant to the movement and even the heritage of certain items. To fully partake in british style one must understand the history and context before they can properly wear it. For us brits it is all about the irony and the clever twist and while we often do this intuitively, knowledge is the key to understanding not just our own style but to appreciate other styles too.

We like humour in our clothes, we are a nation of self-depricators and this comes across in every seemingly random clothing combination we painstakingly construct. It is this fascination with humour and irony that makes us so interested in looking to the past. In postmodern times it is widely thought that everything has been done and nothing truly 'new' can be created. So why not look to the past to inspire our style, maybe by learning from the past we can create something different if not entirely new.

In these columns I will attempt to give you a style run down through the decades, from the early 20th century to modern day. Leave a comment and let me know if there is anything you would like to see included in this series and I will do my best to include it.