Posts Tagged ‘french connection’

14 July 2010: 16:28

Style icon: Blake Lively

Looking for some style inspiration for a big occasion this summer? Our Westfield London Personal Stylist, Anna Moore reckons you should look to the stunning Gossip Girl star, Blake Lively.

Anna says: “Everyone will have at least one ‘dress up’ event this summer, whether it’s a wedding or summer ball and Blake Lively does dress up the best!”

“Blake gives good red carpet – in a Grecian style maxi dress or boyfriend blazer and skinnys. She looks super sexy in an achievable way.”

Want to steal Blake’s style? Check out these stylish maxi dresses which would be ideal for a special occasion this summer.

From left to right: Black beaded maxi dress, M&S £39.50; Zola maxi dress, Coast at Debenhams £195; Daniella drape maxi dress, was £110 now £88 at French Connection

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18 June 2010: 09:57

Maxi dresses

Leona Edmiston maxi dress
The maxi dress is not new for this season but it is still a hot property. The long draping dress has become a summer wardrobe staple. Buy one now and you could snap up a bargain in the summer sales.
This candy-striped Cecile maxi by Leona Edmiston is on sale now for £165, down from £275!

Why do we love the maxi?
There are a number of reasons. It’s easy to wear and looks good daytime or evening. Maxis can be dressy or casual. It covers a multitude of sins so you can hide unshaven legs or cover up between waxes! Don’t think you can get away with neglected toenails though. Your toes will still be visible despite the long length dress, so book in that pedicure!
Maxi dresses
Left to right: Faith jersey maxi dress, French Connection £85; Westbourne maxi dress, Monsoon £180; Macrami maxi dress, River Island £29.90.

But you can make major mistakes with a maxi. Some styles can leave you looking like you’re wearing a tent, so avoid maxi dresses which drape you in too much fabric or cinch it in with a wide belt. A hot style this season is the more body-conscious maxi in clingy fabrics. That brings with it more factors to consider, but it is fabulous for showing off your curves.

Team your maxi with gladiator flats or wedge sandals, chunky tribal jewellery and shades.
Floral maxi dresses
Left to right: Bud bandeau maxi, Miss Selfridge at House of Fraser £45; Floral maxi, Gap £49.50; Floral bandeau, Republic £26.99.

Full prices are quoted here, but many sales are on now so look out for them at a discount. Find out details with our summer sales diary

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4 June 2010: 12:45

Totally tropical

Summer’s here and it’s time to get into the holiday spirit. Embrace the sunshine vibe with tropical prints in bright colours.

Bold designs abound right now. Look out for palm trees, tropical flowers and even a parrot or two.

Wear this versatile trend your way. Dress it down with a relaxed printed tee and cute shorts or dress it up with all out glamour. There is a veritable array of bright, floaty dresses around. You can even go for full on shimmer with sequin detail.

You can work this summery look whether you’re heading to the Bahamas or Blackpool, Ibiza or the Isle of Wight. Blast out Club Tropicana, order a cocktail and grab your sunnies.

Tropical prints
Left to right: Floral maxi dress, Next £30; Tropical print halter top, H&M £7.99; Totally Tropical skirt, French Connection £55; Tropical tunic, Coast £75; Print bikini by Pistol, Topshop £45

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26 April 2010: 09:33

How To Wear… Cycling Shorts

The resurrection of the cycling short on this season’s catwalks was, at first sight, quite shocking. After all, the last time cycling shorts were on the fashion agenda, Kylie was dating Michael Hutchence, Take That were in the charts for the first time, and raves were the latest thing. Back then however, the look was sporty – party goers teamed cycling shorts with body-con dresses, oversized baseball jackets and hi-top trainers.

This time around, the look is thankfully much more sophisticated. Louis Vuitton and Prada showed in their Spring/Summer shows that cycling shorts are not as scary as they first seem. In fact, if you think of them as your summer leggings, you’ll suddenly realise a whole new potential in this sporty attire that you never previously recognised!

For a not-too-scary take on the cycling short look, team them with a long-lined vest and boyfriend blazer. Add a pair of fierce heels and you’ve got the perfect night-time look.

L-R: Boyfriend blazer, £20, New Look; Cycling shorts, £10, Warehouse; Sequin vest, £35, Oasis

If you’re a tad braver on the fashion front, why not copy Louis Vuitton and mix up your prints? We love these floral cycling shorts – add a floral dress in similar tones and some cute lace-up shoes and you’re good to go.

L-R: Amelia dress, £60, French Connection; Floral cycling shorts, £12, Topshop; Lace-up shoes, £35, Miss Selfridge

So, will you be fashion forward enough to try the new cycling shorts? Or do you think they should be resigned to the ‘90s? Tell us your comments below now.

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19 April 2010: 09:43

Indulge In Fifties Glamour

The sun is out – well kind of – and it’s time to think of updating your shades for 2010. There are lots of styles still out there such as the ’80s wayfarer or the John Lennon style round sunnies, however, we’ve got our eyes on the new cat eye sunglasses.

Designers such as Alexander Wang and Prada showed their own version of these iconic shades on the catwalk and now the look has filtered down to the high street.

Harking back to the ’50s, these cat eye shades add instant glamour and sophistication to any oufit and are the perfect accessory to all the ladylike pastel shades out there. We’ll certainly be sporting a pair to the fabulous Grace Kelly exhibition at the V&A – we can just see the movie princess wearing these in the South of France!

Unlike some of the wackier sunnie trends (the big round glasses, the bug eye glasses), cat eye shades are really wearable and suit all faces. From the true authentic winged ’50s numbers to the more ’80s looking cat eye, there’s a pair of sunglasses out there that will make you look retro fabulous.

And it’s not just us that have given these winged lovelies a fashionable seal of approval – we’ve spotted the likes of Diane Kruger, Jessica Alba and the oh-so-fashionable Mary-Kate Olsen sporting them.

So if we’ve tempted you to dip your toe into a bit of Fifties glamour, check out our favourite cat’s eye shades available on the high street now!

Top: Two tone sunglasses, £16, Warehouse; Tortoiseshell Rayban sunglasses, £145, Next. Bottom: Brown sunglasses, £30, French Connection; Pink sunglasses, £12, Therapy at House Of Fraser

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18 March 2010: 10:53

Our Top Five Spring Buys

The sun is out, the spring flowers are blooming and we’re in the mood to overhaul our wardrobe. But where to start? With so many new trends and fabulous new clothes out there, it can be hard to know what to buy, so we’re going to make that process easier for you with our top five spring must-haves!

1. A Military Cover-Up
Combat coats are back again on the fashion radar. There are so many different styles out there but as long as it’s khaki, it’s bang on trend for this season. Make sure you team your military cover-up with something super feminine though – such as a floral dress. Top-to-toe military should be left to the Territorial Army!

L-R: Parka, £49.99, River Island; Should detail coat, £85, M&S; Drawstring parka, £65, Topshop

2. A Satchel
It’s time to go back to school for this season’s must-have bag! Satchels are so cool that Mulberry have named one after the queen of cool, Alexa Chung, however, if you can’t afford the A-list price tag, the high street have lots of great alternatives.

L-R: Grey leather satchel, £45, New Look; Two-tone leather satchel, £50, Topshop; Brown satchel, £22, Accessorize

3.  Something Nude
If it isn’t flesh toned, then it just isn’t worth wearing this spring! The easiest way to wear this trend is with a dress – add black opaques until the weather warms up. If you’re not brave enough to go all nude, try an accessory such as a leg-lengthening shoe or nude bag.

L-R: Ruffle vest, £18, Dorothy Perkins; Lace-up shoe, £120, Kurt Geiger; J by Jasper Conran Clutch, £35, Debenhams; Feather dress, £150, Oasis

4.  Shorts
Skirts are still very much on the radar but ’tis the season to go short in shorts. From military inspired to pretty silk numbers, shorts are the perfect go-everywhere number. Team them with a blazer for the office or with a cami style top for a night out.

L-R: Navy shorts, £35, Warehouse; Pink shorts, £29.50, M&S; Military style shorts, £55, French Connection

5. A Mid Heel
We never thought we’d see the return of the ’90s kitten heel, but it’s back. Ditch your 5 inchers for something a little more manageable this season. Don’t stick to boring courts though – go for interesting heels, wooden soles, bright colours and quirky styles.

L-R: Wooden sandal, £40, Aldo; Stud sandal, £85, French Connection; Woven sandal, £65, Office

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10 February 2010: 13:41

We Heart Valentine’s Day!

Whether you’re all loved up or a happy single, there’s no excuse not to wear your heart on your sleeve this Valentine’s Day with the huge array of cute heart products out there.

From cute retro TopShop shorts to sweetheart knits, we can’t guarantee wearing one of these heart lovelies will ensure you true love this Valentine’s Day, but we can ensure you will look very sweet! We’ve picked out our favourites below, but don’t forget to tell us if you’ve spotted some sweet items out there that will be on your heart hit-list.

L-R: Moschino Cheap & Chic heart belt, £145, House Of Fraser; Studded bag, £40, French Connection; Heart corset shorts, £35, Topshop; Enamel earrings, £5, Accessorize; Heart peep toe shoes, £44.99, River Island

L-R: Nude crochet heart top, £15, Dorothy Perkins; Guess heart pendant, £90, Debenhams; Sequinned heart dress, £50, Oasis; Embroidered cardigan, £32, Miss Selfridge; Heart clasp bag, £25, Debenhams

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12 January 2010: 17:10

Get A Spring In Your Step!

We are so over this horrible winter weather so to cheer ourselves up, we’ve been taking a look at the gorgeous shoes heading to the high street this spring and summer.

From hot pink to uber wedges, make sure you snap up one of these trend-setting shoes and let your feet do all the talking… and um, walking! Just click on the images for more details.

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30 December 2009: 11:05

The Best Of The Sales: Top Fashion Picks

The sales are in full swing, so we’re picking the best bargains to be had! Today, we’ve scoured the shops to bring you our top five women’s fashion bargains.

Our pick from Warehouse is this hot pink jacket, which has been reduced from £90 to £50. Pink is the key colour for next season so invest now!

warehouse_sale

If you haven’t already snapped up a dress in the fabric of the season – velvet – then now’s the time to do it! Dorothy Perkins has this lovely petrol blue velvet dress on sale now – and is a bargain £17!
dp_sale

The Kurt Geiger sale is a must for all shoeaholics! Lace-up boots are a big trend this winter and this gorgeous skating-style pair have been massively reduced from £180 to £89.
kurt_geiger_sale

We’ve already spotted the stars wearing embellished knitwear, so we’re going to snap up this beautiful beaded jumper from French Connection, which has been reduced from £110 to £73.
fcuk_sale

We’ve found the perfect party accessory from the Oasis sale. This emerald green sequin bag is just the right size for all your essentials and will add a touch of glamour to any little black dress. Reduced from £35 to £23.
oasis_sale

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