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Summer 2011

Summer 2011: The Coolest Workwear for the office

two summer dresses from Mango and Zara that would be great for the office

I’m really excited today as I have just bought myself a new dress to fit into my summer work wear wardrobe for 2011. This summer has been a real struggle for me so far in terms of finding outfits that I can wear to work and still look summery but also work if the weather isn’t great, it’s a difficult compromise! I also always fond it difficult to look very boardroom like in the summer, skirts and flip flops are all well and good but they don’t really put me in the right frame of mind for that big presentation! My beloved white wide legged trousers are great and really chic but don’t work in wet weather so I’ve found an answer in short tapered trousers, I love the selection at Topshop as they do a great cut and a range of different colours including navy blue and a gorgeous silvery grey. I think the answer to your in work fashion worries for this year lie in the revival of the Jackie Onassis look, mid length skirts, silky blouses, and high heels are really the way forward, go for neutrals mixed with bright colours and you’ll keep the summer vibe without losing your boardroom look. Both Mango and Zara do a great selection of work dresses in bright colours, my own new purchase is this Mango 60’s style dress which has a great pattern and bright colours with a skirt that’s just the right length for work. If that’s a bit too patterned for you, you could try this cute little boat neck dress from Zara in a range of bright colours, Jackie O meets 2011, I would probably go with some more imposing heels than those in the picture but you could also pair it with flats for a more casual look. So in summary the solution to your summer work wardrobe dilemma is simple, cropped trousers or sixties dresses and lots of bright colours! At least until we all get to go on a lovely summer holiday and forget all about work for a little while.

 

Festival fashions 2011

Although most of us haven’t made it to Cochella to celebrate the launch of Summer festival season there’s definitely a lot we can take from the styles on display there to inspire our summer festival wardrobe for 2011’s season! Whether you are headed to Glastonbury, V, T in the Park or Bestival, there are a few Summer festival trends you are not going to be able to so without. First of all if your festival going is taking part mostly in the UK the first thing on your mind, and for the safeguard of your wardrobe needs to be mud! Forget anything that even skims the ground, instead go for skinny ankle length jeans, skirts and shorts. I love some of the denim cut offs on the high street at the moment or go budget and chop off an old pair of jeans, that way you get the ideal length for your shape.
Nothing says festival look like a pair of shorts and some wellies! Thank goodness for us, this year they are going to be fun and summery wellies, forget the boring Hunters we’ve all been wearing and say hello to the new range of boots from the makers of the world’s favourite flip flops, yes you heard me right Havaianas are launching a range of festival-tastic wellingtons, available exclusively at Selfridges for the first two weeks (from the 14th April) in a special Festival Pop up store! After that they will also be stocked at Office.
Stay tuned for more great style and festival fashions, next time I’ll tell you all about what top stylists are recommending for festival hair-dos.

Summer fashion styles 2011

some hot Bikini ideas for the beach

Continuing on the theme of hot fashion trends for summer 2011, I am currently desperate for some new swimwear to take with me on holiday and this is where the next look for this summer comes in – prints inspired by nature. This summer it’s all about the florals and animals. These two work really well together or as completely separate trends – my main source of inspiration for creating my beach side look for the imminent holiday is going to be the Diane Von Furstenberg Spring/Summer ’11 catwalk. I love the bold prints she uses and the colours are great mixing brights and neons with black and brown. I love this floral printed bikini called ‘Winter Garden’ but it’s just a bit over my budget at the moment so I’ve scoped out a high street version which is really funky and a bit more pocket friendly – they also do a swimsuit version and it comes in black as well if you feel like you want to stand out a bit more so head to French Connection now and get your hands on one of these ‘cos they’re selling out fast!

 

Summer 2011 trends

Right so I’ve been talking a lot about spring in the last few articles and now that spring is here, as it is in the fashion world it’s time to start thinking about next season and preparing our wardrobes for it! So summer it is! The advent of the warm weather is the best excuse ever to revamp your wardrobe and add just a few more key pieces… in other words: a new season is always a great excuse for a shopping spree! Time to bundle away those woolly jumpers and black dresses, send that coat to the dry cleaner and hide away those big boots, once all that is done say hello to our new trends for this season!

Following in the footsteps of spring, anything 70s and block colour is a good bet. The surprise trend for this season is definitely chic sportswear, traditionally the niche domain of labels such as Lacoste and Sportmax, in the S/S 11 season the likes of Versace, Marni and Nicole Farhi are joining the party. To copy this look, think heels and lycra rather than trackies and trainers! Go for detail, hoods, zips, new fabrics, boy shorts and so on but keep it all very glamorous – try American Apparel for a great source of high street inspiration.

 

 

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