Posts Tagged ‘autumn/winter 2010’

22 December 2010: 17:07

Guide to party wear

Here at Style Notes we often try and find ways to feel like a million pounds without actually having to spend a million pounds, particularly now with all the parties happening around us.  So we’ve enlisted the help of House of Fraser personal shopper Diane McCarthy for a helping hand in party season style.  Check out her guide to partywear.

We love the Mawi pieces as seen on the likes of Alexa Chung,  Cheryl Cole and Rihanna, which would give any simple dress that extra wow factor.

Left to right: Tube necklace £350, grecian knot necklace £135, skull necklace £380; all Mawi at House of Fraser

No Comments | Email | Bookmark and Share

16 December 2010: 15:46

Get the look: Jessica Lowndes Metallic dress

 

Photo by Matt Baron/BEI / Rex Features

Wearing a stunning Monique Lhuillier halterneck metallic dress, 90210′s Jessica Lowndes was the latest celebrity to embrace the trend for metallics this season. 

The high street has very kindly brought out their own versions which are perfect for the party season.  Here are three of our favourites which, as luck would have it, are on sale to boot.

Left to right: Princess Helen Dress, £150 £100, French Connection; Metallic Tulip Press, £165 £80, Karen Millen; Luchia Dress, £115 £65, Coast

No Comments | Email | Bookmark and Share

8 December 2010: 10:09

Get the Look: Frozen Diamond

The wintry weather means we’ve certainly got the whole “frozen” look down to a T but red noses and chapped lips are not exactly the way forward.  So when we saw The Make Up Store’s Frozen Diamond collection we thought, ooh, that’s a bit more like it.

The collection - which consists of glosses, shimmers, turquoise and green eyeshadows and eye dusts, glittering shimmers for face and lips – makes for a look which is all pale ice queen with frosted eyes and pink wind-bitten lips and cheeks.


The look calls for porcelain skin with delicate rosy cheeks (so step away from the bronzer).  Mineral microshadows and eye dusts can be used dry or wet for either a subtle or more striking look, combined with the sheen for temples, cheeks and lips.

But the icing on the cake is the Sparkling Diamond, a multifunctional shimmer for lips, eyes and cheeks.  For lips,  finish this look with the lipgloss in ‘frozen’ adding an understated sheen.    Finally, if you want to acheive a real ‘Narnia’ look add their false eyelashes with crystals.

Left to right:  Eyedust in Brilliance and Paragon, £11; High tech lighter, £15; Microshadow in Vertigo, £11

Comment(1) | Email | Bookmark and Share

6 December 2010: 09:00

Give winter the cold shoulder

As the party season approaches one question reigns supreme: to sleeve or not to sleeve.   For the indecisive among us, the answer is simple: we’ll have one of each please!

X Factor beauties Cheryl Cole and Danni Minogue have embraced the peekaboo shoulder look with Cheryl rocking a short gold number last week and Danni wearing a one-shoulder dress, not once, not twice, but five times so far in the finals.

The new LBD

The classic little black dress gets a modern twist with the appearance of ruffles, big bows across one shoulder, or one long sleeve. We love these two which are demure, simple but with enough character to make a party statement.

Left to right: Debut £90, Ben de Lisi ruffle shoulder dress £130, both at Debenhams.

Asymmetry at the office

Not just for party time, update your office look and add with a little bit of an added zest with one of these two neutral-coloured numbers. The two high street dresses add an understated elegance to any office look.  Just make sure you keep a jacket handy in case one shoulder gets a blast of winter air.

Left to right: Beige one shoulder dress, £49.99, River Island; Mink One Shoulder Pleat Dress £40.00 Dorothy Perkins

Maximum effect

The one shouldered maxi is Danni Minogue’s signature look this year favouring a full length asymetrical number over a Cheryl Cole mini.  Whether they’re flamenco or toga inspired dresses these dresses will make for a head-turning look, perfect for a more formal New Year’s Eve shindig.

Left to right: Delilah Maxi Dress,  £275, Coast; Summerso Maxi Dress £120 Monsoon.

No Comments | Email | Bookmark and Share

15 November 2010: 09:00

The strike of midnight

Winter’s drawing ever closer. Days are getting shorter and darkness is descending earlier and earlier. This translates into fashion too. Move on from the early season grey palette and embrace midnight blue this winter.

Midnight blue (or indigo) makes a classy alternative to black or charcoal grey. Look out for gorgeous party dresses -  a refreshing change for an LBD (that’s a little blue dress!) – alongside everyday wardrobe staples.

We reckon nobody does it better than Reiss this season too.  Check out our pick of their midnight blue pieces.

Left to right: Sweetness indigo lace dress, £195; Liberty lace fitted midnight blue dress, £169

Left to right: Fitted Crombie coat, £285; Indigo cape, £275

Left to right: Deep Pacific sheer lace top, £95; Deep Pacific sheer shirt, £79

Comment(1) | Email | Bookmark and Share

11 November 2010: 09:00

Olivia Palermo for Mango

Mango has done it again. The latest celebrity to model their collection is the ever-stylish Olivia Palermo. As if that wasn’t enough to whet our appetite, her gorgeous boyfriend has got in on the act too.

Johannes Huebl and Olivia Palermo have to be one of the most super cute couples around right now, so we have to admire Mango for signing them up to model the winter collection. They follow in the oh-so-sexy footsteps of Hollywood siren and Mango model, Scarlett Johannson who made the AW10 Mango collection all the more desirable.

No Comments | Email | Bookmark and Share

8 November 2010: 10:36

Strictly Fashion Lives

We couldn’t help but notice the eye-catching dress that Tess Daly wore on Sunday night’s Strictly Come Dancing results show. It was none other than the dress from our Fashion Lives AW10 campaign.

This fabulous dress caught our eye back in the summer. The Evangeline feather dress is available from Whistles for £350. We teamed it with an Aviator jacket and shearling-lined boots to give it a more edgy feel. We love the mix of textures – strong, structured leather with fluffy feathers.

Tess wore her dress in a more elegant way and added bold, strappy black heels. In Whistles AW10 campaign, they chose platform sandals and opaque black tights to accompany the dress.

It would make a wonderfully dramatic Christmas party look. How would you wear it?

No Comments | Email | Bookmark and Share

15 October 2010: 09:00

Animal knits

A lot has been said about animal print being a key trend for A/W 2010. It is everywhere. But we’ve noted another animal-related trend – a cuter and quirkier trend than animal print. It’s the animal motif.

Stella McCartney showcased horse print designs on the catwalk and now it’s filtered down to the high street. Cats, dogs, horses, bunny rabbits, birds, sheep, squirrels and even polar bears can be found on new season pieces.

Left to right: Squirrel print jumper, Next £30; Sheep print boyfriend cardigan, River Island £36.99; Alfie dog print jumper, NW3 £79;  Polar bear print cowl neck jumper, Dorothy Perkins £35

There’s a definite retro cool to some of the knitwear in particular. It may be reminiscent of Princess Diana in the early ’80s, but you can mix it with some contemporary pieces to make it so very now. Go for the whole countryside chic look and wear a cute animal jumper with a tweed skirt and thick coloured tights or make it a bit more edgy by teaming it with this season’s leather trousers or skinny jeans.

Is it a hot look or is a geeky step too far for you?


No Comments | Email | Bookmark and Share

12 October 2010: 09:00

A/W 10 style tips

Our Personal Stylist, Anna Moore talks you through the season’s key trends and picks out her favourite pieces from Westfield London stores. She also shares her expert tips on finding the right jeans for your body shape.

Get personal styling advice from Anna Moore. She can help you to find your new season wardrobe and discover which styles suit your shape and your lifestyle. Find out more about the Westfield London personal styling service.

No Comments | Email | Bookmark and Share

1 October 2010: 09:00

The red dress

The Autumn/Winter palette is all so neutral this year – camel, grey and khaki are everywhere. But if you want to liven up your wardrobe with a pop of colour, we reckon your best buy is a red dress.

Everyone’s been talking about Mad Men styling and that has filtered down to the high street. There are lots of shift dresses and tailored styles around. They’re great for flattering your womanly curves.

But it’s all about the detail this season too. Look out for ruffles (great for adding detail and volume if you’re flat-chested), cute bows and gathered pleats for added interest.

Clockwise from top left: Bubble shift dress, Topshop £40; Bow shift dress, Oasis £55; Piper shift dress, Coast £95; Ruffleneck shift dress, Wallis £45

Comment(1) | Email | Bookmark and Share