I see the phrase "democratisation of fashion" quite a lot. What does it actually mean?

Charlotte, Cambridge

It means that fashion trends are now elected by an open and honest democratic election, Charlotte, during which the various competing trends take part in televised debates, chaired by Anna Wintour, in which each puts forward their reasons for being this season's Must Have. To wit:

Neon: What the people of this country need is brightness. Britain is a grey country, and it has become even greyer under the aegis of the current trend, Victoriana. I say to you that a pop of neon into this nation's wardrobes is just what this nation needs.

Wintour: Equestrian, would you like to respond to that?

Equestrian: Yes I would. While it's fine to indulge in the pie-in-the-sky thinking of which Neon is so fond, let's stick to the facts here. British people don't wear neon. Never have, never will. It's just not practical. While brightness is a nice idea, one has to stay true to the heritage of this country, and that is what I bring to the table. British people will always enjoy paying homage to their past and I will encourage them to do that in a stylish, idealised manner, with tweeds and breeches and smart leather boots. That is what the British people want, that is what they need and that is what I can and will provide.

Wintour: Naval, can you reply to that?

Naval: Absolutely, and I want to thank you, Anna, for giving me the opportunity to present my case. People of Britain, there is no need to choose between these two extremes. There is a third way, and that way is Naval. With me, the British people can experience the joy of colour …

Neon: Only blue, though!

Naval: As I was saying, they can enjoy colour, but not the impractical shades that Neon imposes. Yet I also allow them to revel in their nation's great history. Anna, let's be honest, extremes don't work. Compromises work, and that's what I provide – a compromise, with anchor motifs.

OK, that's not quite true. Sorry, Charlotte, I seem to be feeling a little waggish this morning. But, by golly, wouldn't it be great if it was? What "the democratisation of fashion" actually refers to is the idea that fashion is now available to everyone, and it is a phrase and theory that fashion folk like to bandy about quite a lot, although anyone who has ever seen the price of a Chanel handbag might question the veracity of it. Yes, the high street is better today than it was in, say, 1984. That doesn't actually mean that fashion is truly available to all, any more than Prince William marrying someone who wasn't born into a royal family means that the Windsors are now communists.

It's funny that you should write this particular question from that particular town. Charlotte, because, as merry chance would have it, I recently debated this issue at your local university. The motion was Is Fashion Elitist?, a question I heretofore thought was like asking Is the Sky Blue?, but it turns out that there are some people who think the sky is tartan, including Chinese socialite David Tang, whose belief that fashion is not elitist is apparently undented by the fact that he is best known for pyjamas with a £500 price tag.

Sir David argued, with a great jabbing finger, that Kate Moss – "from Croydon!"– modelling for Mango proves, somehow, that fashion is not elitist. What he did not explain, mind, was how having a skinny, white woman model any brand proves how open-minded and all-embracing the fashion world is. When this was put forward to him, he huffed, ever so democratically: "I rather like that the women are thin, not fat." So that's OK, then!

Sadly, I do not believe that Sir David will read our conversation today, Charlotte, seeing as he summarily dismissed my points on the night as the "usual Guardian garbage", suggesting he is perhaps not such a fan of this esteemed journal (he looks more like a Daily Star man to me). But I think we both know, do we not, that the concept of "the democratisation of fashion" bears about as close a relation to reality as £500 pyjamas.

I would appreciate your advice on distinguishing vintage from plain old.

Carolyn Kirk, by email

Easy: if the item was originally by a posh designer, or is being sold by an overpriced shop in Notting Hill, it is vintage. Anything else is moth-eaten old tat. Glad to be of service.

Post your questions to Hadley Freeman, Ask Hadley, The Guardian, Kings Place, 90 York Way, London N1 9GU. Email ask.hadley@theguardian.com