The it-bag is over or so the fashion world says, this means no flashy name tags on bags but it doesn’t mean that there isn’t a bag everyone wants to have. This Fall it looks like it’s going to be the Proenza Schouler PS11 – this understaded satchel bag is stylish, sexy and spacious enough for all your stuff, however with a price tag of around £1,500 it does have its downsides!
Well rest easy, you won’t have to take out another mortgage to have the ideal handbag for the Autumn/Winter season, the British high street has risen to the challenge set by these edgy designers and you can find funky, stylish satchel bags at almost all shops for the new season, indeed you can even find them on the internet and have your understated ‘designer’ item delivered to your door. Remember that the new ‘it’ bag is all about the style and not about the label. For the ideal choice, I would go with something that’s not on every high street so avoid Topshop, New Look and the like (although they have some great ones in if you want the easy option!) but go for Nica (available at Debenhams), AllSaints or Urban Outfitters so you can get your hands on something that everyone else isn’t carrying! Happy searching
Posted in: Accessories.
This summer’s big hitter and all round easy solution to the ‘what should I wear to….?’ Is the maxi dress, find the perfect one and you won’t have to worry about looking amazing at any event this summer, from festivals to weddings your maxi dress will see you through them in style. However be warned finding that elusive one is not easy. Anyone can wear a maxi dress but nobody can wear any maxi dress. You will need to undertake a dedicated search if you hope to find your perfect one, but it is out there. That’s the beauty of the British high street you can guarantee that it has something for everyone! A good place to start is one of the big department stores because that will give you a good selection of what’s out there. Try Debenhams for a good mix of high street designer lines like Red Herring and Star by Stella McCartney and shop ranges like Topshop and Warehouse. I also like New Look because they have a big range of their own as well as stocking Apricot, Pussycat and AX in the bigger stores, with bargain prices around £30. Once you have found the perfect shape for you, you can also explore some of the internet based options like littlewoods
or as seen on screen, and it all becomes easy from then on! One last tip for maxi dresses don’t be afraid of loud colours and big patterns, they work really well with this style and give you a real flavour of the summer. Good luck with the search!
Posted in: Dresses.
See, I told you those shorts would come in handy eventually! Now that the sunshine is out and the sport season is upon us, sunglasses are not only the ultimate style accessory they are also great for protecting your eyes from the sun when you are going for that Venus Williams serve on the tennis court. The question I always struggle with is whether to invest in a timelessly stylish designer pair which will last me a few years or give in to my urge to follow current trends. The answer is simple, do both! Firstly, invest in a great pair of designer sunnies, these will set you back anything from £150 to £700 depending on how extravagant you are feeling. Remember though, these are for keeps! So look for classic styles and a shape that will suit your face, Selfridges and Harvey Nichols have excellent selections and assistants who will help you pick the right pair. These are great as a staple for you wardrobe for winter sun, driving, skiing and that cheeky February holiday you know you’ll probably be taking!
The next thing to do is to buy a couple of trendy pairs that you can use for everyday wear and to trendy-up an outfit, this season I love these blue ones from M&S, hard to place (they could easily be designer) and really cheap! These ones from Gap are also great and will add a touch of 70s glamour to any outfit.
Have fun and enjoy the sun!
Left £9.50 Marks and Spencer, Right £19.50 Gap
Posted in: Accessories.
Tagged: Gap · Harvey Nichols · Selfridges · Sunglasses
Ok so I know this is probably not the trend you are dying to wear at the moment, especially if you have been witnessing the British weather lately but, when the sun does shine, this is definitely what you will want to be seen because trust me this trend is hot! I mean really who can argue with Balenciaga, Yves Saint Laurent, Prada and actually pretty much every other designer worth their salt! The great news is there are lots of different interpretations of the shorts trend, with some going for short shorts, or even cycling short, to other more easy to wear styles if you aren’t a six foot tall size zero. Some catwalks such as the Hermès show this spring/summer even showed us a variety of styles in the same show. I love these knee length tailored ones which are very work friendly and can be dressed up for the evening. Vogue recommends wearing them with a tailored white shirt, high heel stilettos and a black blazer, I wonder where they got that idea from??? These are not hard to find on the high street try Next, Marks and Spencers and Oasis for some good examples.
The two other styles that I think are also quite wearable are the classic safari style, in the right length these can also be really work friendly and can be worn with flats or heels although heels are always a better option if you need to lengthen your legs a bit! I also like these really cute printed ones from Next ideal for a Saturday lunchtime date and quirky enough to get you noticed, these are really similar to printed styles seen this season at Mulberry and Marc Jacobs but at £25 they are only a fraction of the price. There’s plenty to choose from out there and I can guarantee that there is something for everyone with this trend so have fun finding your perfect pair!
Safari shorts from Mango (£49.90)
Printed shorts from Next £25
Knee lengths at Hermès S/S 10
Short shorts at Hermès S/S 10
Posted in: Shorts.
Tagged: Cycling Shorts · Hermes · Safari Shorts · Shorts · Shorts for Work · Summer style
With the weather getting nicer it is always good to have a few key pieces in your wardrobe which hit a few trends and are multipurpose. New Look has really made my summer with this funky little item, the hareem playsuit, at just £25, not only is it a playsuit which as you’ll know from previous articles is a bit of an obsession of mine it also combines with almost every trend around this summer! I do realise that this outfit combines probably two of the biggest fashion fears for this season, playsuits and hareem pants, but fear not, New Look have been charitable to us mere mortals and the wide belt will accentuate your waist and give you a great shape, whilst the hareem pants end just on your calf making your legs look longer, even in flats.
Combine with a denim jacket and gladiator sandals for a funky daytime look, or dress up with a gorgeous scarf and some jeweled sandals to channel the Dries Van Noten Global Traveler look which has been so hot on the Paris Catwalk this spring/summer. I love these beaded ones by Moda in Pelle available on www.very.co.uk for £45
Posted in: Coats, Womens Clothing.
Tagged: Denim · Hareem Pants · Moda · Playsuit
The new love of my life, or should I say loves of my life are these nifty little rollasole handbag shoes. They totally saved my feet from destruction by stilettos on Saturday night and in a practical sense are really useful for the run to the bus (because you know you’ll be running, not stylishly tottering towards it!) or slipping on to drive home.
The folks at rollasole have thought of everything a girl needs, not only do they come in a cute handbag sized box so you can take them anywhere with you they also provide a handy bag to transport your discarded painful shoes safely home. And you can get them in lots of cute colours, check out the gold and the silver ones which are funky and functional. Starting at just £6.95 they are an absolute bargain and you can even buy them in vending machines in some of the bigger clubs!
And if you want something more permanent to save those tootsies from stiletto destruction, channel these Jimmy Choos at a fraction of the price with these gorgeous red leather ones from Carvela at House of Fraser or these totally funky leopard print ones from Julien Macdonald at Debenhams.
1) Red Carvela pumps from House of Fraser £85
2) Jimmy Choo leopard print flats £250
3) Star by JulienMacdonald at Debenhams, leopard print ballerines £18
Posted in: Shoes.
Tagged: ballerines · Jimmy Choo · leopard print · Rollasole · Shoes
If your spring/summer wardrobe is starting to look all very neutral, khaki and lace then take a page out of Karl Largerfeld’s book and follow the trend which has been on the catwalks of DKNY and Dior this season – Floral. You know you’re safe if Chanel is doing it! But if you are still struggling with the nightmarish thought that if you succumb to this trend you may look like:
A) A five year old girl
B) Your grandmother’s curtains
you can introduce it gently into your collection with these lovely wedges from Rocket Dog, £39.99 they go with jeans, skirts, shorts and can be teamed with plainer items to tone down the look.
Or try copying the Chanel look by combining with some lace, but don’t go over the top or we’re in grandmother curtain territory again! Wedges are a great way to add high and length to your legs without being in the sometime precarious territory of stilettos, they are the ultimate relaxed heel and the next best thing to flats in terms of comfort with the added advantage of making your legs and bum look nicer! However if you want to follow the fashion gurus to the letter, clogs are the way to go. The selection on the high street is still a bit limited but Topshop, always hot on the heels of the designers has got these cute ones in for £80 – team with a floral dress to look like you’ve just stepped out of the Grand Palais.
Posted in: Shoes.
Tagged: Accessories · Chanel · Dior · floral · High Heels · Shoes · Spring Style · Summer Collection · wedges
If there is one thing to remember about spring and transitional weather it is that jackets and cardigans are now your best friends! Unfortunately I have made (imaginary) friends with this AMAZING Balmain jacket. I say unfortunately because it costs almost as much as a small car, and as I have yet to purchase said car, I am about as close to making this jacket my real friend as I am to travelling to meeting Coco Chanel herself! Fortunately the high street has once again come to my rescue with these brilliant alternatives.
Pair these with some leggings or skinny jeans and a long t-shirt, if you want to go all the way Mango, River Island and Topshop stock some ready torn tees or you could just slash your own eighties style! For shoes, you need to get fierce and ankle boots or gladiator sandals are the only way to go. I love these from Dorothy Perkins, £55, which are great for that transitional weather when you are not quite ready to go all out with your toes.
Green Jacket: Marks and Spencer £89
Black Jacket: Red Herring at Debenhams £40
Shoes: Dorothy Perkins £55
Posted in: Coats, Jackets.
Tagged: Blamin · Marks and Spencer · Military Jackets · Skinny Jeans
When the summer comes round I always feel like my going out outfits need a bit of pepping up but I don’t always want to completely start over, if you are in the same situation than some statement pieces can solve that problem in a flash!
If you’re looking to update your party wardrobe with a statement piece that looks like it’s come straight off the catwalks of Milan I suggest you check out the new collection of platform heel at Dune to Spring/Summer. Every pair is bang on trend and will give any party outfit that glamorous edge you are looking for. This pair of Fendi heels comes in at around £500
Now thanks to yours truly, you can get the same look without breaking the bank, I love this pair at only £33 which come in black or grey. I defy you not to be in the mood for a party once you’ve put them on! Have fun!
Posted in: Shoes.
Tagged: Fendi · High Heels · Milan · party outfit · Shoes
I haven’t been blogging for long but give me enough time and you’ll soon realise that I have a slight obsession with jumpsuits and all in ones, I just love them! They are great for going out, for work, for the beach and super comfortable! If I could I would live in jumpsuits, I was so grateful when they reappeared in shops a couple of years ago and I am glad that they are clearly here to stay. A number of designers featured jumpsuits or playsuits in their collections fro Spring/summer 2010 including, Cavalli, D&G, Givenchy and Julian Macdonald. Many high street stores have started bringing them in for this season but it’s early days yet so you would be better off having a look on the internet for the best selection. If you do prefer to buy in store, my current favourite is this cute little playsuit from Accessorize which is pefect to wear over a bikini on the beach, with a cardigan for the british summer or dress up with some heels and funky accessories for a holiday night out. I’m pairing mine with these funky leather sandals from New Look, a holiday bargain at just 12.00!
Posted in: Womens Clothing.
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