Kara Tointon‘s blush Temperley London dress with jewels was the winner for us in the style stakes at this year’s BAFTA TV Awards and we’ve found this pretty dress from Dorothy Perkins which is just like it! Add a few carefully chosen crystal jewellery items and you’ve got the perfect party or wedding guest outfit.
Dress: £25, Dorothy Perkins; earings: £25, Karen Millen; ring: £14, Monsoon; Encrusted bangle, £75, Karen Millen
Remember when Kelly Osbourne’s look was all moody goth? Not anymore. The little lady has been ticking all the style boxes and no more so than when she stepped out recently looking more Marilyn Monroe than Marilyn Manson.
We love the barbie-doll blonde hair and baby pink against her skull tattoos, studded bag and a look that says: “Mess with me and die.” Miss Osbourne, we applaud you. And when we applaud, we steal.
Here’s how to get Kelly’s look:
Pleated shift dress, Rare at Topshop, £44.00; White Lexis Blazer, LK Bennett, £165; Vintage Henrietta Brooch, Monsoon, £10; Beige platform courts, River Island £64.99; Black Olsen Hoop & stud bag, Mischa Barton at Debenhams £79; Domed Cocktail ring, Jon Richard at Debenhams, £10
While most of us won’t be attending glamorous awards ceremonies and therefore won’t have an excuse to wear a floor-length gown any time soon we figured that we can still take a little red carpet inspiration from the ladies who are.
There was one particular colour that reigned supreme at the Golden Globes on Sunday. We were green with envy (sorry, couldn’t resist such a puntastic opportunity) at Mila Kunis, Angelina Jolie and Catherine Zeta Jones looking so stunning in emerald green dresses.
So while we just can’t find a genuine occasion to wear a ball gown any time soon we’ve picked out a few items to enhance our own outfits with a little nod to Golden Globe glamour.
Clockwise from left: Flute dress £95.00, LK Bennett; Pearlguide intense eyeliner in Teal, £12.50, MAC; Bourgois Paris little round pot eyeshadow in Essential #7, £5.99, Boots; Veena Gold and Green Teardrop earings, £14.00, at Monsoon; Eaten Clutch purse wallet £125, Aspinal of London; Cream eyeshadow in Emerald £7.00, Topshop; Carvela shoes £55, Kurt Geiger.
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.
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!
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.
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
Nothing screams British summer like a floral print. Florals are often thought of as mumsy, conservative and a tad prim. But think again. Flowers are blooming right now and they are bang on trend for summer 2010.
There’s a whole bunch of floral styles around. You’ll find girly, flowing florals for the romantic spirit. Looking for something a bit less chintzy? Go for bold, bright prints which will make an impact.
You’ll find florals in every dress shape from figure-hugging to floaty, so there’s definitely a style to suit you.
Left to right: Pansy print tunic, Monsoon £75; Ditzy zip skirt, Oasis £38; Trollied Dolly Cutie Pie dress, Oliver Bonas £55.
Flowery accessories are everywhere. Blame Carrie Bradshaw and her famous co-star, the corsage. That said, accessories are such an easy way to wear the trend. Go for a statement necklace, dainty earrings, chunky rings or just sling on a printed bag.
It doesn’t end there, beauty brands are hot on the floral trend too. Spritz on a flowery scent – we love the natural fragrances at Jo Malone or Clarins Eau des Jardins. Look out for pretty pinks, corals and other natural shades in make-up too. Don’t think can’t be green-fingered, there are some fabulous green nail polishes around this season. Dig in!
Left to right: Floral print scarf, Gap £16.50; Flower print bangle, Next £8; Enamel flower ring, Miss Selfridge £10; Red Roses cologne, Jo Malone £64 (100ml).
Amid a sea of pastels, nudes and tropical brights, one of the micro trends we spotted on the catwalk this season is yellow! From muted pastel shades to bright canary yellows, adding a touch of this sunshine colour will definitely inject a bit of summer into your new season wardrobe.
At first glance it may seem a difficult colour to wear, but if you’re not brave enough to don a canary yellow dress, which looks amazing on darker or tanned skins, then why not try a soft lemon shade? It’s very on trend – pastels are tres chic don’t you know – and suits blondes and fairer skin. If that still seems too overwhelming, dip your toe in this mellow yellow trend by trying out some yellow accessories. We love Kenneth Cole’s bright yellow tote (below), which will add a touch of summer to any outfit.
To ensure you don’t look like a corn on the cob however, avoid the top-to-toe yellow look and instead break it up with shades of grey or cream. If you’re really daring, you could also try the colour clash – pale yellow looks fab with red, while a bright yellow outfit highlighted with fuchsia pink accessories will definitely get you noticed.
We’ve picked a few of our favourite pieces below – snap them up now and we guarantee you’ll have a bright summer, whatever the weather outside!
L-R: Kenneth Cole bag, £49, House of Fraser; Lemon cutwork skirt, £25, Dorothy Perkins; Dress, £55, Monsoon; Pleat neck top, £14, New Look; Wedge sandals, £85, Carvela
Monsoon have given us a sneak peek of their lovely new lingerie collection and we like what we see! Brit model Rosie Huntington–Whiteley is the face of the collection and she looks even more gorgeous than usual. Famous for her perfect pout, Rosie has recently graced the covers of Vogue, L’Officiel and Wallpaper.
We’d really to snap up every item in this gorgeous new collection but our favourites include Glamour, which has been inspired by the Art Deco era of the 1920s. We love the vintage styling on this range – it’s just so gorgeous and reminds us of something a Hollywood movie star would’ve worn in decades gone by.
Also on our wishlist is the Folklore collection. The ditsy florals are just so on trend for Spring/Summer, so it makes sense to carry on the trend to your lingerie!
This fabulous new range is in shops now with prices starting at £25.
Since the models at the Louis Vuitton Autumn/Winter 2009 catwalk show appeared wearing bunny ears, hair accessories have become oversized. It wasn’t a huge surprise. The last few years have seen a rise in all things oversize – from sunglasses to bags – but these were much easier looks to carry off.
Hair accessories have been popular for a while now with the Blair Waldorf Gossip Girl look being seen sported on many a high street. Now, apart from being able to buy these somewhat tame alice bands, the high street has gone crazy for uber-hair accessories – from bunny ears to huge bows.
L-R: Red Velvet Bow Headband, £6, Miss Selfridge; Nude Bunny Ears, £18, Topshop; Crazy Flora Catwalk Alice Band, £12, Accessorize
This is definitely not a look for the shy and retiring type, however, we think they can definitely add a touch of uniqueness to a boring outfit. Imagine the Topshop bunny ears, above, worn with a simple black playsuit? Or the red bow teamed with a casual blazer and skinny jeans combo? This is one trend we love!
But it’s over to you? What do you think of this latest craze – is it hot? Or most certainly not? Leave your comments now.
Oh there’s so much beautiful sales bounty out there, that we’ve trawled through the tat and found our must-have top five accessory bargains. See you in the queue!
First up is this sparkling statement necklace from Debenhams by Erickson Beamon from the Designers At Debenhams range. It’s perfect for blinging up your NYE outfit and now it’s reduced from £20 to £14, it won’t break the bank either!
If you haven’t already brought your winter woolies, the sale is the perfect time to splurge. The sequins on this Topshop beret elevate it to more than just a woollie hat – snap it up now for just £10.
If you’re a designer diva, now is definitely the time to bag yourself a bargain. We’ve got our eye on this gorgeous Marc by Marc Jacobs bangle watch from House Of Fraser. It’s seriously stylish and has now been reduced from £137 to £109.
Scarves are a great way to update a boring old oufit and they don’t get much more glam than this sequin number from Dorothy Perkins, reduced from £15 to £10.
Inject a touch of vintage style into your wardrobe with this glass tassel belt from Monsoon, which has been reduced by 50% to a bargain £10.
