Posts Tagged ‘next’

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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?


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Categories: Fashion, Hot or Not, Trends

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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Categories: Fashion, Spend Or Save

23 July 2010: 09:00

Utility fashion

Looking for some pieces that will see you through from summer to autumn? You can’t go wrong with a few neutral items that are hot right now and will be holding strong into the new season.

Utility fashion is ideal for summer and makes a change from cute ditsy florals, bold prints and statement maxi dresses. Choose khaki and typical safari tones and team them with simple white or neutral pieces for summer cool.

Cargo pants are the trousers of choice right now. Look out for super skinnies, peg leg and hareem styles. Style them up with some hot heels - platforms, wedges or wooden sole clogs.

Left to right: Utility skinnies, Warehouse £15 now £10; Khaki peg trousers, Dorothy Perkins £28; Khaki zip back hareem pants, Topshop £35.

A simple vest, tee or classic white shirt is the ideal partner.

Left to right: Compact cotton sleeveless Tee, Uniqlo £14.99; Ecru vest, Next £16; Military vest, H! by Henry Holland at Debenhams £16

The utility trend isn’t all about cargo pants though. You’ll find a range of safari-inspired pieces around too. Whilst utility trousers are all about being relaxed and slouched, dresses and skirts  are more structured and tailored.

Left to right: Safari shirtdress, Karen Millen £165; Military skirt, Next £28; Scout dress, Cos £65.

Finish off with chunky jewellery. Gold looks great with these neutral tones.

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Categories: Fashion, Trends

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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Categories: Fashion, Trends

10 June 2010: 10:00

Floral fashion

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.
floral printsLeft 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).

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Categories: Trends

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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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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Categories: Celebrity Style, Trends

1 April 2010: 08:47

Summer Preview: Next

Next have just released a sneak preview of their high summer collection, and we thought we’d share it with you. Yes, we know the weather is bleaker than a storyline on EastEnders, but the thought that spring and summer are on their way is keeping us going.

We can’t wait to ditch the opaques and pull on a ruffle denim dress (£35) with bare legs, and put our heavy winter coats away in favour of a cute floral trench (£45).

There’s something for everyone this summer at Next, including you boys – we’re particularly loving the dapper 3-piece suit. So take a look now and get your summer shopping list started…

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10 March 2010: 09:15

Do The Denim Double!

For years it was the preserve of ageing rockers, but suddenly doubling up on the denim front is tres chic!

From Alexa Chung to Amber Valetta, we’ve spied many an A-lister rocking the double denim trend. Even the boys are getting in on this one, with the likes of Zac Efron sporting a denim duo, so it’s truly a unisex trend. However, it’s a trend to be cautious of. Get it wrong and you risk looking like an extra from a bad ’80s Brat Pack film. Get it right and you’ll be the chicest person in the room – we promise.

The secret to looking more like Alexa and less like Status Quo is to mix and match your shades. A loose pale denim shirt for example looks great teamed with dark denim jeans or jeggings. Or add a light denim biker jacket with a dark denim skirt.

Just remember not to overload on the denim – lay off the denim accessories or you will risk looking like an ’80s reject!

L-R: Baggy shirt, £20, Next; High heeled trainers, £110, Office; Denim jeggings, £18, Dorothy Perkins; Biker jacket, £39.50, M&S; Mini skirt, £20, New Look.

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16 February 2010: 11:34

Spend Or Save? Stripes And Florals

Stripes and florals are two of our favourite things over here at Westfield HQ, so when we saw Stella McCartney’s flower striped dress, we fell instantly in love. It’s one of those perfect trans-seasonal pieces – great with tights now and even better with bare legs and ankle boots once those warmer days arrive. Admittedly at £545, it’s not the bargain of the century, but you do pay for quality.

Imagine our surprise then to find that Next had quickly jumped on the floral/striped bandwagon with their tribute to Stella’s dress. At £35, it’s certainly a lot cheaper but we’re not sure if it’s quite up to Stella’s version? What do you think? Which one would you prefer to buy?

Which wins your vote? The Stella McCartney dress on the left or the Next version on the right?

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