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.

This spring I have decided to be inspired by the likes of Joseph, Fendi  and Dolce and Gabana and go for the 1920s French Riviera look. It’s so sophisticated and looks so effortless. I’ve just bought the cutest little boating style flats to go with my cropped trousers and I already have an Audrey Tatou style jumpsuit (you know that Chanel No5 advert, I bet you’re obsessed with it too! – FYI if you want the real thing, YSL do a lovely jumpsuit circa £1,500). My next purchase after some flowing shirts and silk tops is a pair of Palazzo pants. These wide legged, almost skirt-like trousers are super flattering and feel amazingly luxurious. I can’t quite cope with the idea of patterned pants yet but I love these burnt orange ones from TFNC a steal at £37, bright enough not to be boring but easy enough to wear. This is a difficult style to wear when you aren’t tall so if you aren’t 6 foot tall but more of a modest 5 foot something like I am, ASOS do a Petite version as well so you’re not cleaning the floor with the bottom of your trousers.

If you still think it might not be the style for you but want to try a flattering wider leg trouser in a cool colour, these chestnut-coloured tailored wide legged pants from ASOS will be just the thing to get you on the way to wearing wider legs.

Happy shopping!

This is very exciting for those of us out there who want to look amazing on a budget as these shapes are going to be easier to replicate and channel.

My personal highlights and what I am going to be looking out for when shopping for next a/w are based on two catwalks which I think are going to inspire my collection: Burberry Porsum and Orla Kiely. I love the lego-like colours which appeared on the Burberry catwalk and I will definitely be on the lookout for a new coat in a bright colour to jazz up next winter and keep the sun shining, my model is going to be this bright orange bubble coat, I love the classic Burberry shoulders with this new understated shape, please please please make me one Topshop!

From Orla Kiely I love the cute little dresses, skirt suits, and as always the magic trousers which are back to make our legs look endless! I can’t wait for these to appear in the high street and I am placing my bets on Zara or maybe Mango to come up with some pretty good versions of them. I will also be watching H&M who will no doubt be teaming up with an exciting designer to bring us all the right clothes for a cutting edge understated wardrobe.

Step 1

Start planning and preparation the week prior to your fashion week, scope out the season’s trends, find a couple of looks you fancy trying out and organise some fun social events with friends, colleagues and anyone who will cast an appreciative eye on your efforts.

Step 2

Scope out your wardrobe: what key pieces have you got that could contribute to your looks? What do you need to add in? What items have you got that you haven’t worn in a while (or ever) that you can rejig to fit your looks.

Step 3

This is my favourite step, time to get shopping, but don’t get carried away, check items out online and work out how they fit in to your week’s look book and budget. Then go out and shop till you drop! Make sure you only buy pieces you will wear again but be adventurous, this is a good opportunity to be a bit daring with your wardrobe. And don’t forget accessories, they can make or break a look.

Step 4:

Get a haircut, mani/pedi and facial so you look and feel the part.

Step 5:

Enjoy! Parade your new looks and make the most of your week of fashion experimentation! Note what feels good and what doesn’t and rework your new items to fit into a few different looks so you get maximum use out of them!

After the hectic party season it’s back to work and winter wear for the New Year and I have to say I feel like my work wardrobe needs a bit of jazzing and brightening up, it just seems dull and grey after the sequins and glitter of Christmas. The sales were an ideal opportunity to do this and I have to say I did bag some bargains both in Next and Zara which has made me feel a bit better. But that hasn’t been quite enough for me and with the catwalks shining full of the colours and brightness of the spring summer collections I haven’t been able to resist the pull of some retail therapy to lighten up the dark winter months. I’ve been perusing some of the best high street collections and have found them to be full of great bargains to update your workwear. My favourite spring summer collection is from Next, I am loving their Amalfi range which mixes muted beiges with pinks and yellows to give you a real spring in your step. Check out their great high waisted trousers and block colour dresses which will take you seamlessly from work to wine! I also love the light chiffon blouses making an appearance at Topshop and Newlook, a great way to add some colour and class to you day wear without compromising on coverage if you want to keep warm. This bird print blouse is one of my favourite.

The trick to feeling like spring is finally round the corner really is layering and investing now in those cross season pieces that will carry your wardrobe through till the summer. Now is also the time to start looking out for the inter-season coat or trench that will get you through those cooler spring days and warmer winter ones.

From the affordable to the more purse-straining the internet is a treasure chest of great maternity wear websites, the best of which actually stock some of the celebrity worn items. Indeed,  www.isabellaoliver.com specialises in stocking items worn by your favourite pregnant celebrities such as Gwen Stefani or Ali Larter, the most surprising thing about it is that a lot of their clothing, although probably towards the top end of most people’s budgets is pretty affordable. It would certainly be a treat, but not an unreasonable one!

Another site to try for those bumps out there looking to emulate their favourite celebrities is Seraphine, I have to say this is the one which get the most style kudos from me. Not only can you track down celebrity styles on here but it also has a huge variety of styles and clothing and doesn’t shy away from the more trendy items, allowing mums to be who shop here to be cool and stylish throughout their pregnancy. Many of the other websites stick to classic stylish cuts and colours which are great but don’t necessarily give you that edgy style buzz you’ll get from some of the cooler items on this website. Again the process here are at the higher end of a high street budget but I don’t think you will find this much choice and style anywhere else.

Finally a couple more worth trying which are a bit more budget friendly include JoJoMamanBebe, for the best selection of summer wear and great outfit suggestions; as well as www.Funkybumpmaternity.com for the most affordable range of stylish pregnancy wear.

First of all apologies for the delay in writing I realise it has been a while since I posted a new article and I promise to redeem myself with bringing you plenty of new tips on how to copy catwalk styles with a high street budget. And secondly, no I am not talking about a trip to the desert, I am talking about this autumn’s must have items. These include, capes and anything in any shade of camel, if you can get your hands on a cape in camel like this one from Karen Millen, it’s a bit pricey at £225, but you would be killing two very fashionable birds with one stone.

Karen Millen Cape

If on the other you would like to keep your trends separate, try Zara for some amazing classic ankle length trousers, wear with a white shirt and loafer for the ultimate classic look as seen at Yves St Laurent. As for capes Topshop is your one stop shop for a cosy winter cape, pair with some mid arm length leather or cashmere gloves and you’ll look like you’ve stepped straight out of London Fashion Week!

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

You can get into this look fairly cheap as the website Boohoo.com suggests, a few stripped tops and key accessories teamed up with blacks, reds and grey are a good place to start. I found New Look and absolute saviour for affordable tops, try these for a little ‘soupçon’ of the look in your wardrobe:

Tops

Some fine expamples of the Nautical look

1) Striped Longline Tunic – £16.00
2) Bonjour Paris! Top – £12.00
3) Bow Print Tunic – £20.00

If you’re not quite ready for the full on sailor look but still want to be on trend this seasons, a few key accessories paired with the right colour clothes can go a long way to keeping you stylish yet away from those sometimes scary horizontal stripes. Here are some of my favourite:

Bags

Accessorise with the Nautical theme

1) Nica at Debenhams – £29.00
2) Clarks – £19.99

Shoes

1) Dune – £80.00
2) Miss Selfridges – £15.00
3) Office – £35.00

Accessories

1) Accessorize £5
2) Accessorize £18
3) Accessorize £14

It’s a fun and funky look to play around with so make sure to put your own spin on it and integrate it into your own style. As with everything, you need to make sure you’re comfortable with the look, wear it with confidence and you’ll rock it!