Alexa Chung resort collection

Personally I love adding a pop of colour to a look, and Alexa Chung gives food for thought on this idea in her new Resort Collection. Alexa gives us strappy checked dresses, a gorgeous layered tulle skirt and mixed prints, but the standout trend of the collection? The splashes of red in the footwear (and this emoji inspired dress )! Now, all those of us that follow fashion probably had an inkling that red boots were here to stay throughout SS18, but with it cropping up in resort collections, I’d imagine we can now expect to see them following through into AW19 as well!

The Golden Globes: Best Dressed

Yellow made a big appearance at The Golden Globes- I love how Leslie Mann kept a simple silhouette with this Yellow dress by Kaufman Franco, but added a fun pop of emerald green in her accessories.

I love the simplicity of this Versace gown, and the colour perfectly compliments Amy’s skin tone!

Joanne Froggatt wore a gorgeous gown by Marchesa- I love the pretty and delicate flora detailing.

Here, Kate Beckinsale wears Elie Saab- one of my all time favourite designers! With the perfect amount of glamour and simplicity, this is definitely a dress I would probably gravitate to if I was ever invited to such a huge event (I’ll keep dreaming until then..)

I love florals- and this is as floral as it gets! With floral applique layering and romantic purple tones, Lupita has done it again in the fashion stakes, this time wearing Giambattista Valli.

Reese Witherspoon wowed in a simple, but glamorous dress by Calvin Klein.

According to Vogue…

….we should look to Meryl Streep in the 70’s for AW wardrobe inspiration.

What do you think?

The effortless style of a loose fitted Oxford shirt and long, flowing skirt.

Now & then-we’ve always loved a chunky turtle neck sweater.

An extra long, belted trench coat paired with knee high boots.

The pairing of a checked shirt with an A line skirt looked amazing then, and now.

Dolce & Gabbana say so…

Dolce & Gabbana says:
The Classic White Shirt
Why we agree:  
Who knew this staple wardrobe item could look so good with embellished red hotpants? Granted, it isn’t an everyday look but I’m looking forward to taking the white shirt away from the office!
How to wear:
Okay, so we won’t all be wearing the white shirt in such an extravagant way, but how about taking a tip from Gucci ( sorry, not sorry about the constant Gucci name drop) and wearing this classic piece with an A-line leather mini? I’ve recently bought a burnt orange patent leather look skirt from Primark and I can’t wait to pair it with a crisp white shirt, black tights and over the knee boots or even simple black flats.

Dolce & Gabbana says:
Embellished Jeans
Why we agree:
Could this look a little garish to the untrained eye? Of course, but who really cares when you’ve got jewels all over your jeans? Plus, I love that you could actually make this even more unique with a little DIY, I like this video for inspiration.
How to wear:
Once embellished your jeans can take you from day to night! Keep the rest of the pieces simple though, not everything will work with such a bold pair of jeans!

Dolce & Gabbana says:
Red Roses everywhere
Why we agree:
I’m not sure why you wouldn’t want to wear fresh roses in you hair everyday, but these lovely floral decorations (in hair, on shoes and embroidered onto dresses) add a bold dimension to a pretty, feminine look. Did I mention it reminds me of the Mediterranean sun?
How to wear:
Firstly, put them in your hair! Secondly, embrace the oversized rose print and then if you’re feeling really brave, use them to embellish your accessories.. but not  all together though, I think that might be a little too much…

Dolce & Gabbana Says:
[Almost] Flat Shoes
Why we agree:
Heels always look really glamorous, but let’s face it we all love a good flat shoe because they’re pretty and nearly always comfortable. And look! The D&G versions are still glamorous with all the embellishments and the cute Mary Jane style strap! Now I just need to find a more affordable dupe..
How to wear:
The show was for SS15, but I think they’re a great substitute over the AW period for when it is a little too warm to wear boots. Do as D&G have and wear with loose fit jeans and mini dresses (add tights for the cooler weather

Throwback Thursday: The First Cover of Vogue

The 1st American Vogue-1892

“Celebrating the ceremonial side of life, which attracts the sage, as well as debutante, men of affairs as well as the belle.”

 

 

 

 

The 1st British Vogue-1916

“The time has come to talk of many things, -of shoes and furs and lingerie, and if one flares or clings, and where the waist-line ought to be, and whether hats have wings”

 

 

 

 

The 1st Paris Vogue-1920

An illustration by Helen Dryden of two ‘tennis women’- a celebration of the ‘sport of the moment’.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Quirky Accessories from the High Street!

We’ve seen so many high end designers creating unique, quirky pieces this season, but now we can easily follow the trend without spending hundreds!

Take Away I Phone Case, Paperchase- £6

Lips Cross Body Bag (also available in blue), H! by Henry Holland at Debenhams- £20

Cat Face I Phone Case,H! by Henry Holland at Debenhams- £8

Accessorize, Cara Camera Across Body Bag-£25

Accessorize, Shell Bag-£35

Accessorize, Lemon Across Body Bag– £22

Motivational Messages

Now, I’m all for the funny and quirky slogans emblazoned across tees and sweatshirts, but recently I’ve been loving the more motivational, thought provoking messages, too. Not only are they a little more sophisticated than the usual phrases we’re seeing (although I love these, as well) but I love how versatile they are dressed up or dressed more casually.

Here are a few of my faves 🙂

I’ve recently discovered the streetwear brand ‘Acrylick’– literally all of their items have a motivational meaning or slogan and I love that! My favourite is ‘Only dead fish swim with the current’- okay it is for men (they have a women’s collection, too) but in a small size I think this would look great on us girls too!

I LOVE the message here- it comes from Pharrell Williams’ collab with Uniqlo ‘i am OTHER‘, where he encourages innovation amongst today’s youth!

Okay, we all know I love to talk about Kenzo– here they are promoting the protection of the world’s ocean in a collab with The Blue Marine Foundation! Such a great way to influence their young fashion following!

Christian Dior-Pre SS15

Good news! Judging by the most recent show from Dior (pre SS15), the things we buy for this Spring/Summer will be just as on trend next year, too, which is great for both my bank balance and the lack of wardrobe space I seem to have year on year..

Here are a few pieces from the collection we can take inspiration from:

Dark colours may not be an obvious choice, but we saw it for this Spring from Lanvin, and now Dior have set the standard for darks for SS15, too!

Summer brights, like orange and yellow, were seen on the runway again at this Dior show, but what’s great is orange is also set to be huge through AW14, too! That’s a possible 3 seasons use of the trend!

Mixing of prints looks as if it’ll still be big next Spring/Summer, too!

A hint of the art inspired trend.

Recognise the mesh detailing we’ve seen this year from the Sports Luxe trend?

And what’s new?

Florals are a given, but Dior gave us a more grown up floral to look forward to- oversized and art inspired!

A new boho skirt shape could be round the corner!

 

 

 

Best Dressed: Met Gala 2014

There were so many beautiful gowns at this years Met Gala, but here are just a few of my favourites:

Bee Shaffer in a beautiful Alexander McQueen gown!

Hailee Steinfeld stunned in this ‘New Look’ inspired gown by Prabal Gurung.

It was pretty obvious Dita Von Teese would nail this theme perfectly- how amazing does she look in this Zac Posen dress?

I loved this gorgeous structured dress by Marchesa worn by Karolina Kurkova!

Sarah Jessica Parker looked amazing in an Oscar de la Renta gown that fitted the theme perfectly! The back of the dress was stunning!

Suki Waterhouse kept it classic in this layered Burberry gown.

Charles James: Beyond Fashion

As the latest inspiration for the Met Gala I thought it would be appropriate to take a look at the designs of Charles James, the ‘First American Couturier’. Known for his somewhat hefty dresses (his heaviest dress was 18 pounds) that emphasised a women’s figure, the designer favoured the use of silk, organza and velvet and championed many newer styles, like the strapless dress, Pavlovian Waistband and the Figure Eight skirt, as well as inspiring the New Look that is most often associated with Christian Dior. The designer reworked all of his original designs and is most known for his ball gowns, quilted jackets and fur/embroidery trimmed capes and coats.

So,with all of this said it is pretty clear what kinds of designs we can expect the fashion elite to be wearing at tonight’s Gala- I’m thinking lots of Old Hollywood Glamour, from full skirts to figure hugging dresses!

Here’s a look at some of James’ designs: