Posts Tagged ‘new look’

30 August 2010: 09:00

Giles Deacon for New Look

Look he’s done it again! British designer, Giles Deacon has designed another gorgeous collection for New Look. Gold by Giles is in store now. We love designer style at high street prices!

This silver brocade prom dress with its nipped in corset-style top and full skirt has caught our eye. So feminine. So fifties. So want it!

Brocade prom dress, £59.99

Look out also for Mad Men style shift dresses. Team them with cute feminine accessories like a clutch or this season’s kitten heels.

Left to right: Metallic Jacquard shift, £49.99; Black bow kitten heel, £24.99; Silver clutch £16.99; Black tunic shift, £49.99.

Also, look out for bold prints and eye-catching detail like fringing, sequins and lace.

Left to right: Cobweb sequin jersey dress, £29.99; Floral marble print tunic, £44.99

All Gold by Giles for New Look

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23 August 2010: 09:00

Spend or save: skinny cargo pants

The military trend is key for Autumn/Winter and khaki trousers have been spotted across numerous collections. But would you go for the khaki cargos loved by celebs or the high street budget buy?

Left to right: Khaki skinny cargo pants, New Look £25; J Brand Houlihan khaki skinny cargo pants, Donna Ida £245

We’ve lost count of the number of stylish celebs that we’ve spotted wearing J Brand Houlihans - Jessica Alba, Rachel Bilson and Kate Bosworth are just a few of them. The skinny khaki version has been flying off the shelves at Donna Ida. Fear not, they are back in stock now. 

Look out for the new Houlihan in town too. Stealth is the same skinny jean style, but it’s leather. Trust us, it is seriously hot! Us Westfield fashionistas are counting down for their arrival. You’ll find them in Donna Ida too (£300).

But if you’re looking for a more purse-friendly option, check out Next and New Look. Both stores have skinny cargo pants which are rather similar in style to the J Brand Houlihans but at a mere £25.

Skinny cargoes: spend or save?

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24 June 2010: 12:56

Festival chic

It’s that time of year again. Festival season is upon us. With Glastonbury this weekend and Reading/Leeds, Big Chill, Bestival, Latitude and so many more yet to come, it’s time to sort out your festival wardrobe. And now is such a good time to shop with the summer sales in full swing. You could pick up some brilliant bargains!

Right now, the sun is shining and people are smiling. Festival dressing is so much easier when it’s warm and dry. But looking good is made trickier by the camping and festival shower situation. Our advice is to aim for cool, comfy and relaxed styling.

Go for slouchy vest tops teamed with cute shorts or leggings. Add fringed or buckled ankle boots or Gladiator style flat sandals.

Festival fashion

Left to right: Denim boyfriend shorts, Uniqlo £14.99; Felicity Gladiator sandal, Schuh was £29.99 now £20; Festival print vest, Republic £16.99; Mint ticking stripe short, Miss Selfridge at House of Fraser £25; Mai fringe bootee, Office £60 now £30; Black Logan cutout T-shirt, H! by Henry Holland at Debenhams £14.

Work the prairie look with ditsy print dresses and playsuits in florals or checks. Dresses can be long or short but remember that maxis may trail in the mud. Layer it up with a cropped denim jacket, crochet cardigan or relaxed denim shirt. Layers are the secret for festival dressing, you never know when those clouds and chilly breezes are going to come along.

Left to right: Cropped denim jacket, Dorothy Perkins £42; Floral playsuit, Next £20; Paisley print maxi dress, New Look £35 now £28; Denim shirt, Oasis £38 now £20; Cream crochet cropped cardigan, Miss Selfridge at House of Fraser £32.

Embellish and accessorise! Add some sparkle to a simple vest and tee combo with an embellished waistcoat and some tribal jewellery. Load up on chunky bracelets. Top it off with your must-have hat and don’t forget your sunnies and sunscreen.

And if the weather does turn rubbish – it is Britain after all - don’t forget your parka and wellies.
Festival fashion

Left to right: Embellished waistcoat, River Island £24.99; Straw trilby, Next £5.50; Floral printed bangles, Accessorize £10; Black oversized sunglasses, Marks and Spencer £5; Batwing parka, Warehouse £55.

Need more inspiration? Steal Alexa Chung’s festival style!

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28 May 2010: 11:48

Hot heels

I’ve had a bit of a wake up call this week. The sight of Carrie and the girls striding around in their fabulously sexy heels made me look downwards. I’ve become very lazy. I’ve been putting comfort first. My Chanel-style two tone pumps have been worn a little too often.

The sunshine has got me donning sandals. Ok, they might be Gladiator-esque with some serious tribal fringing going on, but they’re still [gulp] flat.

What’s happened to my dedication to style? Where’s my fashion forward step gone?

So this week, I’m bringing sexy back. It’s going to be killer heels all the way. There’ll be no more excuses about tricky London pavements and being kind to my feet. I have stilettoes and I’m going to wear them. SJP, Cheryl Cole, Kylie – I salute you and your commitment to fabulously high footwear.

Be inspired – check out these hot heels
High heels

Left to right: Red Brooke Court, Kurt Geiger £195; Black zip back heel, Jane Norman £35; Nautical heel, Limited Collection M&S £29.95; Peeptoe metallic platform, New Look £30; Violet Shiloh court, LK Bennett £140

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28 April 2010: 16:35

Hot or Not? Crop Tops

Back in the ‘80s, you couldn’t move for crop tops. Madonna flaunted her tummy in cropped lace tops, Yazz went sporty in a cropped vest top, while Bananarama larked about in a uniform of cropped loose T-shirts and ra-ra skirts.

For those of us that lived through the ‘80s, it was one of those trends we were glad to see the back off. After all, unless you had a toned stomach, they really weren’t the easiest look to rock.

Imagine our ‘delight’ then when we clocked a plethora of cropped tops hitting the high street. From cropped logo T-shirts to glammed up lace versions, if you want to be top of the crops, there’s plenty to choose from.

This is one trend however that really should be left to the young – if you remember the craze from the first time around, you should probably leave it alone.

If you do want to persist with the trend, try a bit of double layering and wear your lace cropped top over a white body or, wear a cropped jumper over a long-line vest. There are also some more modestly cropped tops out there (like the floral number from Miss Selfridge, below), which will look great paired with a high waisted denim skirt.

Top to Bottom: Cropped jumper, £7, New Look; Soul Cal California Crop Tee, £14,99, Republic; Lace cropped top, £38, Topshop; Floral cropped top, £35, Miss Selfridge

So, what do you think of the cropped top trend? Is it wearable? And more importantly will you be flashing your abs this summer?

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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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21 April 2010: 09:52

They Call It Mellow Yellow!

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

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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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5 February 2010: 09:30

Pregnancy – It’s The New Fashion!

Is it just us or does there seem to be a whole heap of pregnant celebrities around at that moment? Dannii Minogue, Claudia Schiffer, Denise Van Outen, Amy Adams – it seems if you’re not up the duff, then you’re simply not fashionably in the world of the celebrity.

Now obviously we know babies are more than a fashion accessory, but the latest batch of mums-to-be are blooming, proving that just because you’re pregnant, you don’t have to be unfashionable. From Claudia’s school run casual chic, to Amy and Denise’s red carpet looks, being pregnant hasn’t stopped these gorgeous girls looking great.

Our top tip to keeping fashionable while you’re pregnant? Check out your high street favourites to see if they do a maternity range – TopShop, River Island, New Look, Dorothy Perkins, Next and M&S all have maternity sections, which basically featured slightly adapted versions of their main range.

Also, just try buying a size bigger from your favourite shops? This might not work with trousers but for tops and dresses, especially those made in stretchy, jersey fabrics, it does mean you can carry on being that fashionable yummy mummy without sacrificing on comfort.

The only thing you might have to sacrifice is your heels, but thankfully Spring/Summer sees the return of the kitten heel, which is much more manageable when you’re carrying an extra person.

And with the likes of Claudia as style icons, you’ll be spoilt for inspiration. We just can’t wait to see how Dannii styles up her bump!

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20 January 2010: 17:20

Spring/Summer Preview: New Look

We’re so fed up with wrapping up warm and dealing with the British weather, that we thought we’d start looking ahead to the fashionable delights heading to stores soon!

First up, is New Look. We’ve picked our favourite looks from their Spring/Summer 10 season and we have to say, it’s a corker. From cute pastel dresses to Chanel-inspired jackets, there’s something for everyone in this pretty collection.

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