In any case you will completely forget about the last few weeks of neglect when I tell you the exciting news that has prompted me to extract myself from the sunlounger and cast aside my 70s style floppy hat….drum roll….wait for it….J Brand has come to ASOS!! Now, for those of you who don’t know what I am talking about, get with the programme! J Brand is the ultimate skinny jeans, think the Levis 501 of the 2011 girl’s wardrobe, if there is one item of clothing you are going to spend nearly £200 on, then make it a pair of J Brand skinnies or if you have an incurable fear of skinny jeans their new Love Story bell bottom is also a great bet. Trust me this is an investment these jeans will make your ‘derriere’ look like it’s been to the gym 3 times this week already, and every other week for the last 2 years! If you don’t believe me check out their website www.jbrandjeans.com ; I dare you to resist!

Anyway so the great news is that for us who don’t live in the big smoke that is London and don’t have access to a large Selfridges, we can now indulge in J Brand addiction through my favourite shopping website ASOS, they only have a limited collection, but it’s definitely a start! They have opted to stock some of the trademark bright colours as well which is great if you are slightly more adventurous, although with the price of these I would probably advise that if you are only going to buy one pair it would be best to go with a classic investment piece such as some washed-out blue bell bottoms or some black skinnies, rather than the whimsical canary yellow jeans you love this season but will probably hate by next year, trust me I’ve been there! And one last piece of advice, shopping online is great but if you can get to a store and try the jeans on that is definitely the better option, some of the larger House of Frasers also stock them, or if you are headed across the Atlantic to the states this summer make it your holiday mission! Let me know how you get on with yours, I’m saving my pennies for my first pair!

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.

1) Sara Crochet & Pearl Collar Dress – £30

2) ASOS salon Sheer And Solid Godet Silk Maxi Skirt – £65

Your first port of call, as always in a fashion emergency, is probably ASOS.com, always a good call – check out their new ASOS Salon range, which according to their own website ‘takes inspiration from vintage style, with beautiful appliqué finishes, floral shapes and a palette of sugary, ice-cream shades shot through with bold pops of neon colour.

ASOS Salon offers a covetable capsule collection of occasion wear pieces with a ladylike aesthetic’, all I know is that they have gorgeous pieces and pretty dresses, I particularly like this maxi skirt which would stand out at any occasion and will give your look the elegance it needs for a fabulously glamorous prom.

On the other hand if you haven’t blown your savings and you were hoping to invest a large sum of money in your prom dress I would highly recommend you go for an investment piece which will last you for a few years, you can spend a couple of hundred pounds on dresses from high street stores which won’t retain their value, instead head to outnet.com, which I mentioned in my previous post, for good value designer pieces which will be a great investment or search on the ebay fashion outlet where you’ll find discounted Karen Millen, Biba and Fuse by Preen that you can also match to a fabulous pair of designer shoes – all with the thrill of an auction! Ebay offer a handy standard 3-5 day UK deliver with most items shipping within a day or two.

Usually when I go to Sainsbury’s the most exciting things I come back home with are chocolate and wine! But that’s all about to change. I don’t know about you guys but since I’ve seen the new Sainsbury’s advert for their summer range of Tu clothing, I can’t wait for the weekly grocery shop! I am totally in love with the little glimpses we’ve had of their new swimwear collection, particularly this little black and gold Tu bikini, an ideal little number if you are planning a bit of summer partying on the beach, or for a more glam look the purple one piece is as sophisticated as it gets!

The collection doesn’t stop at beachwear, with some key summer pieces like floaty tops, white dresses and maxi-dresses from £20 you don’t have to be going anywhere near a beach to make the most of reasonably-priced supermarket glamour! The only downside to the Tu clothing range is that it isn’t yet available online, so you do have to go to the supermarket to buy it and they don’t always have want you want in stock so use the website to find your nearest store and check their stock.

I didn’t think writing a UK fashion blog would mix well with the fruit and veg aisle but the weekly shop is suddenly sounding much more appealing! As soon as summer comes round, I’ll be hitting the…grocery store for some tasty Tu outfits!

A cute black and gold Bikini from the new summer fashion range
A handy and very 2011 Floral print Kaftan from TU

With all the bank holidays, the Royal Wedding and the summer holidays round the corner, many of you might be planning a little trip to the UK’s capital in the near future. If you are heading to London soon, and you were thinking of doing something a bit different and maybe need some inspiration for the huge shopping trip to Oxford Street you’ve already scheduled in, why not think about taking in one of the many London Fashion Shows or Fashion Exhibitions. There are a few really interesting catwalk events going on in the Big Smoke this year showcasing new designer collections which will inspire you to re-invent your look and your wardrobe! Check out a few of these:

• Made in Clerkenwell: where up and coming designers showcase their new collections. (19th – 22nd May)
• East London Design show: A history of Fashion and Design. (At the Design Museum until 22nd August)
• Enchanted Palace: Kensington Palace is transformed into an enchanted fairy-tale palace in this stunning exhibition which features both fashion shows and unusual installations. (until January 2012)
• London Fashion Week: Following on from the Autumn/Winter Collections at the London fashion shows in February, September’s event will showcase the latest styles created for Spring/Summer 2012. Details of who is appearing and when will be revealed this July and will be announced on the London Fashion Week, official website. (16th-21st September)
• The Clothes Show London: The annual style feast showcasing the latest trends actually takes place outside of the capital at the NEC in Birmingham. As usual there will be big catwalk shows on stage, a peppering of celebrities and the chance to buy some of the fabulous dresses and accessories on display.(December 2nd until the 7th)

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!

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.