Next Big Thing: Tea Dresses

It’s always exciting thinking of your next season’s must-have wardrobe staple and I’ve decided that mine will be a printed tea dress, as seen on many catwalks; including  the likes of Jonathan Saunders.  It has been all the rage this season, but the beauty about this dress is that it won’t just be a one-season wonder.  You can still rock it next season as the Autumn/Winter collections will be full of elegant and graceful forties’ silhouettes, and yes, the printed tea dress will be featured again. 

Another beauty about this dress is that it can be worn to most occasions.  Choose the right one and it can take you from lunches to parties; from shopping to nights out. It can be worn solo if the weather is warm with heels or gladiator sandals, or worn under a belted cardigan with tights once it starts to get chilly.  It’s such a versatile dress that you will get a lot of wear out of it and it will always look effortlessly chic.

There are lots of lovely prints to choose from and whatever your budget there will be something to suit you.  The high street has a great variety if you’re looking for a bargain; but many designers have also featured this trend if you want to spend a bit more.  Either way, this dress is an essential item for any girl’s wardrobe and is great for those of us that relish clothes that are always in vogue.

Next Big Thing: Chokers

So chokers are set to be the must have item in your jewellery boxes this coming season. The trend was dominant in all the catwalk shows, best exhibited by Valentino, Giambattista Valli and Moschino.

So we went hunting for the high street equivalents and find the stores which mare selling the trend… 

Topshop has already got an amazing collection. This Stud Metal Torq Necklace (£18.50)  in particular seems very Alexander McQueen! It seems to quite high fashion, so why not indulge yourself?

                    

ASOS is of course not far behind in providing the best trends. We found this ASOS necklace with mixed metal feathers (£25) in contrasting colours which is perfect as it could potentially compliment almost every outfit! 

So we also found this gorgeous Mirriam Collar Necklace (£30) in Accessorize. We can also confirm that the metal trend is very dominant in the jewellery. Be sure to grab the best jewels that you can find soon and be the first to show of the next big trend

Summer trends from Resort 2011 collections

The 2011 resort collections has finally been filtered from their luxurious destinations to the comfort of our computer screens, showing us how chic we can look during are summer getaways. Whether you’re relaxing on a luxurious beach, yacht, or just a day in the city, the designers showed their fun and flirty side, letting us know that lots of colour and prints are the way to go for your perfect summer holiday look.

70’s Revival
Chanel ‘s resort show took us to the sunny shores of St. Tropez, and Karl Lagerfeld’s interpretation of the perfect summer look included billowing kaftan dresses, white pantsuits and crochet dresses;

The collection had a very seventies style feel to it, and the show seemed free-spirited and relaxed, as most of the model walked the runway barefoot. For this summer, bikini tops, tweed jackets and high waisted denim seems to be on Karl Largerfeld’s agenda for summer, and by the look of things 70’s revival is here to stay.

Colour Blocking

Back to the busy, bustling city life of New York City, Yves Saint Laurent creative director ,Stefano Pilati brought his resort collection to the city, and shocked us all with his use of bright colours, prints and figure hugging jumpsuits, which were reminiscent of Yves Saint Laurent earlier work.

High-waisted pants seem to be a common trend this summer, and pairing them with a cute bra top gives the outfit its summer chic look. Bright colours was present a lot within this collection, with sorbet pinks, bright reds and of course Stefano’s favourite colour, Black. This summer, colour-blocking seems to be the way forward, so brighten up your wardrobes with sharp colours and sweet sorbet garments, teaming them with the powerful high waisted shorts or pants.

Minimalistic chic

The minimalistic look is still present this summer, with its clean cut dresses, and pastel and white pantsuits which were seen in 3.1 Phillip Lim resort collection;

This look is timeless, clean and effortless, making a person look the epitome of chic. Phillip Lim’s collection was filled with white and pastel colours, silk jumpsuits, and beige pantsuits. This look is perfect for a day in the city, and the relaxed, chilled look of minimalism leaves you feeling fresh, cool and fabulous.

Graphic Prints

Adding prints to an ensemble is another big trend this summer, seen in many of the resort collections, including Hérve Leger:

The use of prints, gives a different aspect to the famous bandage dresses, making them more fun and funky. The bright colours together with the graphic prints, makes for an eye-catching fun outfit which is sure to give you some summer flare.

Whether you’re wearing a plain white shirt and shorts, high waisted pants and bikini top, or a graphic print dress, make the trend you choose to add to your daywear your own and suitable to your style.

Words by Leah Sinclair

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.