Keep it on the low…

Keep it on the low…

The staple towering, uber sexy ‘high heel’ has taken a serious chop this year, as fashionistas witnessed the saying ‘less is more’ clearly sashaying down the catwalk in the form of beautifully cute ‘low heels.’ The low heel phenomenon has struck our favourite designers; with ultra sexy, and one could say ‘comfortable’ (a rare occurrence in high fashion) creations pouring out of their creative jugs. This summer we see the likes of Chloe, Stella McCartney and Marni take on the equally sexed up ‘low heel’ to create a chic craze.

Key trendsetter Kate Moss, who paved the way for many well known fashion faux pas rocked the ‘socks-in-sandals’ look. The cardinal fashion rule used to be no socks with open toe sandals, but it appears Kate turned that around and now it’s a wanted look. If Kate approves, and Marni (above) makes it look so hot, then we’re certainly not complaining.

Chloe’s swashbuckling pirate take on the gladiator sandal is this season’s
perfect piece for hardening up pretty summer dresses. Soft leather straps
decorated with a rustic buckle, Emmy sandals are available in flats too, but we know
which side were walking on…

Really work the Emmy by teaming the flat versions with white wool stirrup trousers by Chloe, tucked into the sandals and finish off with a beige cape. For the low heel version, we’re loving Chloe girl Hannah MacGibbon’s lambskin leather jumpsuit. Against such neutral colours, the effect of the Emmy sandal is striking.

For the slightly eccentric sister’s on board, if Chloe and Marni’s muted colours aren’t sparky enough, check out Louis Vuitton’s take on the low heel craze. Crazy. The best way to describe the creation from greens verging on ‘sick’ to orange pom poms and zebra prints, LV’s Spring 2010 collection is set to raise the attention factor this season. Team with ultra bright boy shorts, big hair and lots of tassels and fringed accessories.

Fashion often goes back on itself, bringing back what is once shunned. But we stick by the almighty low heel. Comfort and class all squeezed into a 1.5 inch heel? Life is so good without painful soles.

The Utility Trend...

This year, the tired sigh of the military trend quickly turned into a gasp of fresh air, as we saw the likes of Balmain, Burberry Prorsum and Celine take military into a new direction. And with a new direction comes a new name ‘Utility’ is what this season is all about.

The new look is a modern twist on military, with less grunge and more masculine tailoring. The colour palette is of course neutral, but unlike the pretty and romantic style of the other trends, nudes are mixed with khaki and brown for a dirty, industrial effect.

On the catwalk, we saw simple seperates tied together with strong and edgy accessories. Celine showed us how its done at their S/S 2010 show, where layering was truly in effect. The only rule: more is more.

A key piece is the hard-working trench coat, but if you’re really daring, look to Burberry Prorsum for their revolutionary trench-dress. Meanwhile, if you’re going to work this trend properly, you need shorts. As a major key piece in other trends, they won’t be hard to find. Look for oversized pockets, drawstring waists, leather, suede, cargo, zips, buckles and most importantly, turned up hems! Or take inspiration from Loewe and roll those shorts up yourself.

Keep all other layers clean and simple; accessories are priority. Belts are definitely key, we’ve seen them tied, layered and wrapped around twice.
We’ve swapped our handbags for across-body bags, and our delicate heels for chunky wedges. Flat boots laced up to the knee are the casual alternative, like those at Jean Paul Gaultier. And this season we’ve left dainty jewelry behind, it’s all about tough cuffs and leather bangles.

For evening, Balmain have, once again, delivered something which heads straight to the top of our wish list, the embellished blazer. The sequined shoulders add glamour and carry the Utility trend effortlessly into evening.

But if you’re looking to wear Utility in the workplace, take inspiration from Chloe’s S/S 2010 collection, with a masculine tan linen suit.

We are loving this trend and joining the front line, as Utility is set to be the most popular trend this summer.