Want to know what's in at the moment? Here the 4-1-1- on the latest Fashion Trends, how to wear them, the do's and don'ts....and everything you need to know for looks to L-O-V-E!
Let’s face it girls, the weather has changed, and the holiday season is looming. With that said, you might start getting tearful as you look at your wardrobe because suddenly you are well aware that you may not have much to wear to the office or the office party. Hold those tears back, and don’t fret as I’ve got an Edit from Esprit to truly lift your spirits and make you believe in magic again.
First thing first, whatever you do- do not I repeat DO NOT, reach for any sparkly dress or sequins. This is tacky, and a wardrobe regret that you will not wear again. It also makes for terrible mockery when those office party photos come out afterwards in the New Year. My advice is to get key pieces you can wear again to events- pieces you can dress up or down and wear them to every party and function this holiday season. Here are my top picks this season from high street retailer Esprit- these pieces are at the right price and will make you look like the angel that walks into every room…glowing….
The Jacquard Top: I love jacquard as there is certain sophistication about it if you pair the top or the bottom right and get a good balance going to carry it. My tip is to never wear the whole outfit jacquard- as it is a heavy fabric. It can be aging if you wear the whole outfit in this fabric. Pair this lovely jacquard top from Esprit with a pair of jean jeggings + thigh high boots for easy sophistication. It’s a great piece for a day out at the Christmas fairs and markets, and wear it again to the office Christmas party with a skirt and heels + blazer. True sophistication at a snip at £45.
This mesh skirt in navy is a must have as you can wear it again to just about anything. Wear it in the spring, wear it in the summer, to any party or celebration or just to the office for a conference. It is worth investing in. My top tip is to wear these types of skirts with a body suit. Try any of the bodies at Wolford. Why a body suit? Well as the skirt is rather full at the bottom you want to create a bit more balance and flair with a tighter fitting top. Colours to get the body in would be grey, white or dark brown. There are some very nice bodies also in turtle neck styles to add that touch of winter warmth. Top it all up with a statement necklace to complete the look. At £55 this skirt is a keeper!
Next up is the cosiest piece you could wear for Christmas. I do suggest this one for Christmas Day itself as it is not only cozy but super comfy and you are not too dressed up. Wear with knee socks for a more pulled together but effortless look. I love this piece because it’s hard to find knit dresses that are not body tight fitting. The colour is also great as it matches most skin tones and gives you that soft ‘I’m ready to cuddle’ look. Best of all, feel free to eat that extra mince pie as there’s plenty of space! £69.
Leopard print is a staple of mine and never ever goes out of style. Add a leopard print accessory like this amazing scarf (oh and it's just at a snip compared to the LV ones at £29!) to make the cosy sweater dress even more of a roar-ing success. The best of both worlds- staying warm and looking amazing!!
Last but not least is the blazer a staple must have that will give you that bit of warm around the shoulders or arms for sleeveless dresses. As it is the holiday season it’s a must to try to brighten that serious office look a bit. So go ahead and go for a berry blazer like this. Wear with turtle necks for the office, or with a sparkly top to jazz it up. At £75 it’s the easiest way to give a bit of Christmas spirit in the office.
So go forth my pretties to the office and the office party in confidence and be the belle of the ball…. Xx Beauty
Dresses are the number one go to for a multitude of reasons.
1. You never have to find a matching top like you do for a skirt or a pair of trousers- and worry it doesn't quite match
2. Easy to travel with you can have 1 dress for a 2 or 3 days trip and just change it up by accessorizing- wear with boots to keep it casual, wear ballerina flats to make it fly in the city, or wear heels for the office or to vamp it up!
3. It is piece that is already pulled together- make any dress pop with interesting patterned or coloured tights
And for these and more reasons- I live in dresses...it's a no brainer, but where will you find the best trends for dresses now? Where will you find the ones best for your body shape? No panic. Rather like comparison sites for car insurance like money supermarket there is LYST for all your fashion needs from dresses, to shoes, to accessories. It's a great resource to those who love fashion because it shows you all that you are looking for on the internet with the best price point, and you can directly buy it online as it directs you to where it is selling now!
I love going to LYST because it always will show me the best price for what I'm looking for, with the brand(s) I'm looking for at the best price. In fact, it's my first go to whenever I see anything I like on the high street or in boutiques. I first check in with my LYST. My suggestion this season are a few key trends like denim, lilac colour, and best knitted dresses. Check out my LYST below and start yours now!
First up, is a classic 1950s shape denim dress. This dress look great on curvier figures as well as any figure in general, making anyone and everyone more feminine. It's not easy to find as most denim dresses are cut quite slim or most like long versions of a denim shirt. This dress on Lyst is from PINKO.
Patchwork is definitely on the trend scene at the moment and it looks best (in my opinion) on denim. It's fun, casual, and a great piece to wear for weekends-just going out to the market, for brunch, and even to work on casual fridays to good vibes going for getting weekend ready. This one is from Zara, and you can throw on boots to match. A very fashionable no effort, no brainer!
For those who like something completely different there are now cuts like the 'baby doll' dress. I especially find this one appealing because it's in a light washed out denim fabric. It also has bell fluted sleeves that adds an element of festival fun. The baby doll can make fuller figures look even fuller-so steer away if you are, but it works for more petite and slimmer figures. This one is from ASOS.
Since I saw the injecting colour trend for A/W to be lilac I was rather excited as it is not only one of my favouite colours but also one I look particular best in. The one headache though was when you go search for it online- be it 'google it' or on any other webiste like EBAY the only dresses that come up were bridal dresses.
This is simply not the case on LYST! Another trick was to type into LYST the option: purple dresses and see what comes up in lilac. As always I get lucky on this website and found this great little number to wear for office or day by Liu Jo. Jackpot.
More of a cocktail or dress to wear for a wedding party, but ever so pretty it is hard to pass up this lilac dress found on Lyst from Carven. It has a beautiful gauze that goes over the floral pattern in this light lilac colour that doesn't say: ugly bridesmaid but HELLO! I'm here and looking good in lilac!
Now for when you get really good on LYST and truly appreciate the power of this website, look for specifics. I found this great knit M Missoni dress when I searched for: M Missoni, knitted dress, blue, and up came this beauty!
If you love and know your fashion you an put specific key words of what you are looking for and the site will bring up fanatastic option. Knits are hard dresses to make informed decisions online because you never know how chunky the knit is. Most dependable is to go for famous knits like Missoni....it never goes out of fashion bu keeps you warm all winter!
Sometimes with the website it will bring up brands you have never heard of but will bring up a great shape or colour in what you are looking for. This dress is a good case point of this as I love stone grey, and it looks great on me...but I also like this shape for just the office/keep it casual on weekends with boots or ballet flats. This is from brand-Duffy...and I'm starting to take interest and loving it.....
Ready to make your own dress LYST? Trust me, it becomes a bit of a hobby, but perhaps one of the best fashion tips you can get anywhere!
You can get all the dresses that I've mentioned and featured on this post clicking here.
As the season change and you move from Summer wardrobe to Autumn/Fall wardrobe what should you change first? Well, shoes would be the first and foremost change as soon it will be too cold for sandals and your toes...but don't pull out dull black boots back onto the scene this time of year, as I'm going to introduce a new brand to help you 'step back into the fashion game'.
Meet PHIO MYO (shoes). The brainchild of Creative Director and Designer Laure Wolff. I had the priviledge to meet with Laure this summer at the launch of PHIO MYO's A/W'16 collection. Behind her collections are french design meets italian craftsmanship. I think that this point is to be underlined as sometimes although french shoes are beautiful, they can be uncomfortable, and while italian shoes can be both beautiful and crafted for comfort, they can be well...unaffordable in price point. Rest assured my pretties, that you can get the best of both worlds as a pair of PHIO MYO's are within a range of £150-£250.
The one pair that struck out at me this season was a pair of short booties available in a glittery gold or silver. I remember when Maje had introduced a similar short bootie last year in silver and how I drooled over them..oh-ing and uhming whether I should buy them. This pair by PHIO MYO however, I will not think twice about as instead of being flat or extremely high-heeled they have a tiny kitten heel. If that is not pur-fection enough, these booties will most definitely brighten up the dullest days this Autumn. Don't be afraid to wear them in the day though as they look great with any outfit and sure to get your compliments to put extra spring to your step!
If Silver or Gold is not your think then you might like this pair with silver beads, and lattice or burgundy suede. While it seems a bit more feminine, this pair can be dressed down with a simple trouser and shirt look or denim themes. It's a bit high for me in the heel, but excellent for those who are looking for more of a statement and something outside of the (shoe) box this season.
PHIO MYO shoes are now available at Venise, Daniel Footwear and online at www.phiomyo.com
For us girls it's hard to look good & at the same time have 100% comfort. Well, the good news this season is that comfort has now met high maintenance style in the Sports Luxe trend. Yes, ladies, you can win! What's Sports Luxe? Well, it resembles sports wear, but with a bit more sophistication. Wear culottes made in sweat fabric with high heels, or cigarette trousers with a baggier sweat-like top with ribboned arms. The rule is to wear regular sport-like items with a feminine twist.
This London Fashion Weekend I've discovered the ultimate brand to sport this trend: House of Sunny. The pieces are cut to comfort, and in the sweetest colour palette in nudes, lilacs, and black & white. Best of all, the price point is incredibly accessible starting at £40. You can purchase their pieces online at HOUSE OF SUNNY or at ASOS.
First up, are these lovely culotte trousers made from sweat fabric. I purchased a pair at London Fashion Weekend, and have lived in them since. I like wearing them with a pair of leopard heels + white shirt, or my off shoulder angora sweater. At £60 they are a worthy investment to have for all seasons. This is also a great item to have with you when you're travelling, as you can dress it up or down for meetings to a day of shopping or just to the beach.
While bottoms seem easier to wear than tops with this trend, this is simply not true. I love how House of Sunny is able to turn this loose top into something not baggy but with incredibly sex appeal. Note, the open back and the cuffed sleeves. The perfect pairing to a pair of jeans, or again sweat trousers to add that splash of glamour, £40.
Don't fret if you're not into the wide leg trousers look. House of Sunny has come to the rescue for those who prefer a more fitted look in cigarette trousers. For these you can wear with a pair of trainers to keep it casual, or flat plimsoles in the summer to keep it sweet. Wear with camisole tops, t-shirts, + a pair of heels and you're good to go! £54.
Now with the sports luxe look how do you accessorize? One of the most popular accessory widely seen throughout Fashion Week was fur poms poms. They are on hats, keychains, and even hair ties/ hair bands. At the moment I'm loving wearing this baseball cap with real contrasting white pom by West 22, a new online mini shop. West 22 truly has 'a direction of style' and the hats come not only in an array of colours, but also has the added benefit of having an adjustable band at the back. So if you like to wear your ponytail at the back you can pull it through too! The pom also comes off as it is attached with a snap button, so you take it on or off to adjust your looks too.
Remember in the 80s a cartoon by the name of Rainbow Bright? Her super power was blasting rays of rainbows to defeat her gloomy world doomers. Well, all the colours of the rainbow is here again this SS'16 to blast away any wardrobe blues. The trend has been seen with major designers such as Gucci, Anya Hindmarch, Sonia Tykiel to name a few on the runway this season.
The trend first caught my eye when I received the look book from Monnier Freres and they featured this pair of Salvatore Ferragamo (£605). Wear this pair of high heeled sandals with just about everything. These color bands are super with whites, so be sure to pair them with white trousers, white pencil skits, and white dresses!
For those with deep pockets (or possibly a pot of gold) this option of rainbow mink jacket is perfect to greet SS'16. It will set you back £12,000! But having said that, who wouldn't be super happy to wear this right? In true Anya style, it is happiness in a piece of fashion + statement. I'm constantly going back to the shop to eye it and stroke it.....
Queen of all stripes, Sonia Rykiel, knows how to present this trend in her SS'16 collection from short jackets, to t-shirts and these shorts. Reminiscent of 1970s super cool cuteness, these shorts are to be worn to death this summer! Wear with flat crystal embellished sandals or white high heeled sandals to add extra elements of brightness. These shorts are best to be worn as a set with the matching top, or a lighter colour of the rainbow such as pale yellow, or light blue to bring out the strong statement of shorts themselves. (£395)