Tuesday 19 April 2011

Earn your Stripes.

Horizontal stripes, vertical stripes, diagonal stripes, thick stripes, thin stripes, zebra stripes… you name it, any type of stripe is right for the summer months and the shops are going CRAZY for it.

The stripe is a print feared by most women, for it is renowned “allegedly” to make you look TOO fat or TOO thin; both statements that don’t exactly fill you with confidence and make you want to leap out and try it. But in my opinion if you wear the stripes correctly and confidently, we can all rock this DARING look with style.

General rules state that curvier women should avoid horizontal stripes and that “beanpoles” like me (as quoted by an ever so charming sales assistant in NEXT earlier today) should steer clear of verticals, in fear of looking like a piece of paper or in fact just vanishing in to thin air. Luckily for us, this season on the catwalk literally ANYTHING GOES, from traditional nautical stripes on a fitted blazer to thick bold statement making stripes on a maxi dress.

With stripes it is SO easy to get it SO wrong and end up looking like a deckchair on Brighton Pier, but when you get it right stripes are a super stylish way to get you noticed. Prada is an example of a designer that knows exactly how to create summer stripes in a classy, sophisticated manner. This dress fits the bill perfectly, incorporating a clashing patterned print, outlining the women’s body, letting the stripes speak for themselves and create a gorgeous hourglass silhouette

My favourite catwalk look however is this one by Moschino, who just as the review states manages to create an UBER COOL 80’s saloon style vibe using red, white, blue and of course eye catching stripes.  The attention to detail is genius and if I had my way, everyone would be sporting this blazer…I just LOVE IT.

River Island have come up with a gorgeous maxi dress, incorporating both pastels shades AND block stripes – absorbing this summers trends like a fashion sponge. For as little as £24.99 this stylish number should be making its way in to our holiday wardrobes as soon as pay day comes round.




If the thought of wearing stripes is still a little daunting, then incorporate the trend in to your accessories to jazz up your existing outfits and bring them in to Summer; it could be something as small as a chunky bangle. This canvas bag from H&M, coming in at £15.00 is fabulous for the beach and comes in a variety of BOLD colours, so there really is no excuse not to sport your stripes with style.

Friday 15 April 2011

It's a White Wash.

That’s right the moment has finally come for it to be sociably acceptable to stride out on to the high street in head to toe white and NOT feel as though you should be walking down the aisle instead.


It’s time to crawl out of the darkness and step in to the light. Not so easy huh, trust me I KNOW -being a proud owner of a predominantly black wardrobe myself. However, I am actually REALLY excited about this minimal, yet striking fashion movement and can’t wait to get my hands on the white stuff.

High street brands have been subliminally forewarning  us about this trend for weeks now, by slowly taking baby steps in to introducing us to the concept of pastels. But the time has now come for all discretion to be eliminated and you will notice that all of the main fashion competitors window dispays are adorned with nothing more than WHITE, WHITE, WHITE.

When thinking of white, the word minimal instantly springs to mind and naturally the two go hand in hand, with this refreshing summer shade acting as a blank canvas for us to explore. On the catwalk, Celine has done exactly that and created a simplistic, modern, yet smart collection of bright whites. I particularly love the tailored concept as it tears you away from the stereotypical “angelic” look, that comes with wearing such a pure colour.
 
Popular website, ASOS.com has done their own version of this and I am certainly going to be all over these white shorts when I finally get my hands on some DOLLAH.

My favourite followers however of this seasons "White out" are Dolce and Gabbana; creating feminine and sexy garments that are simply stunning to look at and are full of beautiful detailing that push the boundries of minimalism to their limits.



Sadly, my price range is decidedly less than the above however, I have already made my first "white" purchase in the form of a 60’s style crochet shift dress, from none other than H&M and all for under 20 squid! NOT BAD HEY. So there really is no excuse. If I can do it, we all can…ditch the LBD and I promise you it will be "All White"


 

Friday 8 April 2011

Romance Isn't Dead.

So after years of minimalism taking the drivers seat in the fashion stakes it’s refreshing to see the pretty nudes, sheers and pastel shades that come with this seasons lucky in love trend.
Nick Knight Photography
Admittedly it probably isn’t the most wearable of concepts as I am yet to find someone confident enough to work the catwalk-esque look of sheer shirts (that reveal perhaps a little TOO much flesh and leave little TO the imagination) down the high street; but despite this there really are some beautiful textures and colours to play with and work in to your wardrobe – guaranteed to get you your own Romeo in time for summer.

I particularly love the inclusion of feathers that feature heavily amongst numerous designers’ collections, really capturing the idea of freedom and natural beauty, as well as creating gorgeous shapes and delicate detailing.

This dress by Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen (McQueen WILL be mentioned regularly at any given opportunity as he was a true hero) is beyond stunning and represents romance at its best .
After the recent success of the film The Black Swan, ballet wear has become an essential part of this romantic era, with its delicate colour palette tying in fantastically. Being a dancer myself I am seriously considering digging out the old tutu and satin ribbons and reworking it in to my existing wardrobe.



Pastel and nude shades, ditsy prints and attention to detail are what we should all be looking for and the high street isn’t letting us down. This gorgeous frill playsuit from River Island is bang on trend and all for under £40 – pink isn’t my colour but if this is anything to go by, I could well be a converted woman.

Monday 4 April 2011

Dare to be Bold?

So this spring its time to put black to the back of our wardrobes and plunge in to the world of Technicolor, embracing the bold array of bright colours available to us on the high street.

Admittedly I tend to shy away from anything that screams neon, in fact anything TOO colourful in general but strangely enough I LOVE LOVE LOVE this eye popping trend and it really can be worn by anyone.


The brighter the better and the rule that anything goes definitely ties in well here. I love the way Christian Dior dares to mix both rainbow shades with clashing prints to create a really eccentric look that certainly is a real show stopper.


More on my level though (not being one to want to steal ALL of the attention - although a little is always nice) is the Spring/Summer collection by Jill Sanders; incorporating more minimalist shades such as black…that’s right folks a colour we know we can work well…with a vibrant cocktail of in your face colours, creating an overall more wearable look.



Being a bit of a colour virgin myself this whole prospect of vibrancy is pretty daring, but I have fallen in love with this Topshop skirt dress in a beautiful shade of coral…and at only £42 who can say no (bring on the student loan!). The high street are doing some fantastic colourful creations so there really is no excuse not to experiment and work this trend in your own way.

Take the plunge, open your eyes to spring and taste the rainbow.

So I guess this is where it all starts.

Hello!!

I should probably introduce myself...I'm Amy a fashion student who would most likely be described as a fairly confident, bubbly ball of energy who literally could talk the hind legs off a donkey.
I’m pretty much obsessed with all elements of the fashion industry and this blog – if nothing else, will give me the opportunity to ramble about the things that matter most to me.

It’s all very new –so go easy on me but LETS HAVE IT :)

In the Name of Fashion.