The sun may still be shining and we may still all be donning our summer florals and looking forward to a fabulous bank holiday weekend next week, however, in the fashion world, the seasonal switch took place this week. Summer sale rails were removed from shops and next season’s lines were brought in. Muted hues and autumnal floral prints are in. The 70s are back with wide brimmed hats and bell bottom jeans. Maxi skirts feature hugely as well as asymmetrical hemlines on shorter skirts and dresses. The 50’s influence we’ve seen over the summer remains with gorgeous evening dresses that cinch in at the waist and a full skirt that really flatters feminine curves. Shoes wise, think 70’s platforms or 50’s style thick heels. For warmth go fur (or faux fur if you has morals) and wool lined leather coats. When it comes to accessories, tassels are in, again it’s the 70’s influence playing a part here. But, what about the bling?
No matter what the season or the latest trends there is always room for a bit of bling, and to be honest I think every girl feels better in her outfit if she has something sparkly adorning it. So, what colours to go for? With the muted hues of beige, grey and brown featuring heavily this season alongside strong autumnal colours, reds, oranges, browns and greens. I think there are two key colours to invest in when it comes to jewellery this season. Green and gold. The green will look fabulous with all autumnal shades as well as muted hues, and the gold will lift the muted hues and bring warmth to autumnal reds and browns. So go on…treat yourselves!
I spy a trend ALERT!! No more LBD this season, it’s all about the LWD. Team with gladiator sandals on the days the sun still shines, wear with nude accessories for a relaxed look, team with black jacket and black flats for an instant Channel feel that would be perfect for the office, and wear with black heels and black clutch for a fun evening look. So versatile, so now!
Remember 2 things: 1 – flesh cloured underwear, as white can be see through; and 2, napkins when you eat! You don’t want ketchup ruining the monochrome look you’ve pieced together so carefully.
So go for it ladies, try a new LWD to bring your wardrobe up to date. And of course the other brilliant thing about this trend is, if it doesn’t last or you decide it’s not for you, you can always dye the dress black for the winter! Perfect!
Last week saw the launch of Transport for London’s Barclays Cycle Hire scheme which allows members free use of the bikes for all journeys that take less than 30 minutes. It is, in principle, a great idea to get more people travelling in an eco-friendly way, fewer people clogging up public transport and perhaps one could argue, to get people fitter however, with most bike journeys lasting less than 20 minutes and considering we’ll all be cycling through the London smog, I’m not sure how valid an argument this is. Certainly, it does offer users a lot more freedom than public transport ever could and if the bike belongs to Barclays you won’t need to worry about its maintenance. You will, however, have to pay an annual fee of £45 for the privilege and considering you can pick up a second hand (notably, most likely stolen) bike from Brick Lane market for less than this, I wonder if this new scheme will appeal to all demographics of society. Also worth noting is the fact this scheme unleashes approximately 6,000 inexperienced cyclists onto the London roads, as a cyclist myself I have observed them moving tentatively through the lanes of London traffic; they are borderline dangerous and definitely slow things down.
At Help with Style however, we are less concerned with the success of the scheme or the cost to its users, what is far more interesting is Cyclist Chic! Obviously it goes without saying that safety is important. The roads are dangerous so the first essential accessory is a helmet and the second some high visibility bands round the ankles and arms and on any backpacks, especially at night. Aside from that, my only other rule would be to steer clear of Lycra!
One can have an incredibly romantic view of cycling. I imagine floaty summer dresses billowing in the wind, a couple riding side by side in the summer sun, baguette in the front basket, smiles on faces… After today’s rain though, I am less optimistic that anyone, regardless of the baguette and floaty dress, will be riding in the sun at all this summer. This can mean only one thing: rain coats! This needn’t heed the Cyclist Chic however; there is an array of coloured waterproof jackets out there to put shame to a rubix cube. Webtogs sell a wide variety at really reasonable prices, all of which will go perfectly with the bright colours in your summer wardrobe on the days the weather lets you down. The North Face also does a really cute black women’s jacket, tapered in at the waist for a very flattering shape. Perhaps not quite evening wear but as waterproof jackets go, definitely chic!
This Saturday, Erykah Badu will be performing at the O2 Academy in Brixton, if you haven’t got your tickets yet, too late, the gig has already sold out. Erykah Badu is a pioneer of all things. Music? Of course. Fashion? Undisputedly so.
Badu is well known for her range of crazy hair styles; huge afro wigs, ornate head dresses, at one point she had a shaved head. I like her style because she always stays true to her roots whilst adding a futuristic touch. Perhaps that’s the best way to describe her music too.
Recently she made headlines following the release of her controversial video for the single ‘Window Seat’. The video shows Badu walking through the streets of Washington, shedding her clothes one by one until she is completely naked, bearing the word ‘EVOLVING’ on her back. She walks up to the point where JFK was shot near Dealey Plaza and then collapses as if she too has been shot. Some present at the time voiced their objections saying it was offensive and not performance art. The video was shot guerrilla style in one take, no licenses were applied for and the Police have confirmed that it was not legal but apparently she went without charge.
A poignant message is spoken at the end of the video:
“They play it safe…Are quick to assassinate what they do not understand. They move in packs ingesting more and more fear with every act of hate on one another. They feel most comfortable in groups, less guilt to swallow. They are US! This is what we have become, afraid to respect the individual. A single person within a circumstance can move one to change, to love our self, to EVOLVE.”
This should be applied to how we feel about fashion too, don’t be afraid to be an individual!
A lot of people don’t advocate the use of tights all year round. In fact, in staying abreast of the other fashion blogs out there I have even come across an article debating whether opaque tights can be worn in the summer time at all. I think however, there is a time and a place for tights in every season, especially with the British summertime’s erratic behaviour; they can often get you out of a (excuse the pun) tight spot. How many times have you woken up in the morning expecting it to be a really warm day and then buy lunchtime you’re freezing? All hail footless tights! Perfect for those more like spring time, summer days. Another bonus of course is that the need to shave, wax, epilate, exfoliate, buff, fake tan, and whatever else the beauty magasines would have us believe is a mandatory part of our morning regime to ensure perfect summer pins, is totally removed. One pair of tights can save a lot of time and money and effort.
Only a few days ago whilst we were all enjoying the heat wave in the UK, I saw a girl in Victoria Park wearing barely black see through tights with cute little denim cut off shorts. A look I will definitely be emulating.
In the evenings, when it starts to cool down, I think there is definitely a permanent place for tights in every girl’s summer wardrobe. And why not be slightly adventurous; these awesome Henry Holland for Pretty PollySuspender tights can be bought from Mytights.com for only £12. The cute Betty Boop style looks brilliant on feminine curves and the fact they are not opaque all the way to the top makes them suitable for summer wear.
As seen on the likes of Lily Allen and Frankie from The Saturdays, and also Princess Eugenie! One has to say, well, if it’s good enough for a Princess…
I simply adore this new bracelet from Molly Brown London. It is a modern twist on a classic charm bracelet and has such potential to become a fabulously unique piece of jewellery for the wearer.
The bracelet retails at £95, is made of sterling silver and comes with 3 delicate hearts as part of the chain as well as a silver jelly bean charm. The bracelet is a string of links which allows for great scope to customise it however you like.
Molly Brown London has a huge array of charms, the jelly beans come in every colour under the sun, and really do look like the Jelly Belly kind, ie: good enough to eat. I’m sure we can justify getting one in every colour to perfectly accessorise every outfit in the wardrobe!
There are also initial charms – for a really personal touch, cute Tinkerbelle charms – little balls of pastel pink with a tiny star, hearts which again come in all colours, my personal favourite is a gorgeous fairy charm, so unique I’ve not seen anything like it anywhere else. For the religious amongst us there are Christian crosses and fish and the Jewish Star of David, these would make excellent Christening, Confirmation or Bat Mitzvah presents.
I also like the idea of giving someone the bracelet as a present and then every birthday for the next few years, giving them a new charm to add to it.
The nice thing is, with so many colours, there is something there to suit every taste and there really is the opportunity to chose something incredibly personal and unique.
Of course, if the budget doesn’t stretch to the price tag of the bracelet, you can always just go for one charm on a necklace – less can sometimes be more.
Over the last few weeks World Cup fever has taken over. Living in such a cosmopolitan city like London the hype surrounding each game has been electric. I personally witnessed the Portuguese community out in force on the streets of Stockwell creating a carnival-like atmosphere, heard the sound of Vuvuzelas being blown along the streets of central London, the boos and hisses from fans watching the Ghana v Uruguay penalties and the fateful day that England faced Germany, silence, as pubs up and down the country filled and roads emptied.
Capello can be in our bad books for two reasons this year; firstly for the shocking performance by the English team, yet again a letdown – I also blame the media for making us believe we had a chance in the first place – and secondly, for banning WAGs. By comparison, the World Cup in 2006 in Baden-Baden was a fashion circus, this time round, nothing! As a woman, watching the WAGs strut their stuff in the latest fashions is a World Cup highlight, alongside appreciating incredibly toned thighs and shirt swapping at the end of each game.
Whereas the World Cup has totally out shone Wimbledon in headlines of the back pages of the papers, in the fashion stakes, the TWAGs (Tennis wives and girlfriends) were the front runners. The best way to describe them is ‘polished’. Every one of them oozes classic chic. Tailored jackets, light fabrics and huge sunglasses, all designer labels no doubt, but with high street stores doing great imitation pieces the TWAG look should not be impossible to re-create on a budget. So take inspiration from Kim Spears (Murray’s TWAG) and Xisca Perello (Nadal’s TWAG) apply some St. Tropez bronzing mist or something similar, get yourself a smart summer jacket and some heavy duty shades and start eating strawberries and cream by the bucket load.
If there’s one item I’d like to see come back into fashion, it’s the hat. Remember the old black and white films, when no-one was properly dressed without a hat? I love hats, and wear them all year round. When it’s chilly in winter, I wear them to keep warm, and in the warmer weather I need to protect my head from the sun. They also look good and add a stylish touch to any outfit. Think you don’t suit hats? Think again. Take a browse around the ladies wear shops and try on lots of different styles. You’ll be sure to find something that suits you – maybe a type of hat that you never thought was ‘you’.
Now that summer is here, I’m on the lookout for a trendy yet practical hat to keep cool and help keep the sun off my face. In fact I’d recommend that everyone wears a hat when out in the sun. There is such a vast range of styles available, and you’re sure to find something to suit. So when you pack your case for your holidays, don’t forget to include a hat. A wide-brimmed straw or cotton style will be perfect for the heat, and there are many hats that are designed to fold up, so that they won’t get squashed in your case or bag.
When winter comes round, I love getting out my collection of headwear. There is even more choice than in the summer. I have wool caps, berets in different colours, a floppy 70s vintage hat, a fedora, and fake fur. I’m always on the lookout for more styles and particularly love rooting round vintage stores, where you can be sure of finding something different (who wants to look like everyone else!). So why not join me in the hat revival?
None of us have the perfect figure, and we all have some ‘problem areas’ that we want to do something about. Sometimes this can be solved by simply choosing clothing that flatters or disguises the problem. There may be times, however, when a little more help is called for. This is where shapewear comes in. Shapewear has moved on considerably from the days of hideous girdles, and is now available in much more comfortable and flattering fabrics. It’s certainly a lot less effort than spending hours in the gym!
One of the major areas that women worry about is the tummy. It’s perfectly natural for women to have a rounded tummy – in fact, a flat tum is completely natural, so no need to feel a freak if you’ve got a bit of a belly! But if it makes you self-conscious, there is a wide variety of shapewear on the market to keep that midriff looking good. The famous Spanxbrand’s Magic Knickers are ideal if you want a smooth shape – they’ll sort out that tum and keep the thighs and bottom under control as well!
But what if you don’t want underwear that covers part of the legs? What if you prefer something a little smaller, or it’s only your tummy that needs holding in? Well, now you can even buy a control thong. Unlike a regular thong, this covers the tummy area to keep it nicely flattened, but you still get the benefits of a normal thong. There is no dreaded VPL and the fabric is lightweight.
Another benefit of shapewear is that it can deal with the dreaded muffin top. This is hard to get rid of, so shapewear is the ideal solution. Anything designed to control the tummy will make that muffin top disappear as if by magic. Just make sure that your top is long enough to cover the shapewear. And finally, if you’re going on holiday, don’t worry, you can still enjoy the beach. Just buy yourself a swimsuit with tummy control!
Spring is definitely on it’s way so to celebrate this week I’ve put together my must haves for the new season that will suit most body shapes and sizes. We’re all familiar with the feeling of seeing a new trend, falling in love with it, rushing out to try it on… only to discover it’s the most unflattering and awful trend for your shape no matter how you wear it! Here’s our spring-inspiration for 2010!
This season I’m not even going to mention the word ‘mini shorts’. They look set to make some big appearances this year, but problem is they’re incredibly difficult to pull off for anyone over the age of 15. One trend I am keen to here that should be hanging around is the structured jacket and denim jacket which are flattering for just about everyone and an ideal way to update your spring look with one staple piece.
Patterns and prints are also set to be a big favourite this spring and summer – our tip for a pattern that suits pretty much everyone? Polka Dot! Whether you wear them big and bold in contrasting colours or small and petite in pretty pastels, there’s a polka dot design that’s perfect for you. Outfits with small polka dots on a structured dress or skirt are great for the office, while big bold prints are fabulous for a retro vintage look on a casual summer dress. The bonus? The bold print means your new denim jacket or boyfriend blazer will look great over the top! Wear with flat ballet pumps for daywear and add a pair of heels for evening wear and you’ve got a foolproof summer look.
Accessories
The simplest way to freshen your look for Spring – Summer 2010 is of course by updating your accessories. Oversize bags are still the style for 2010, so if you haven’t got a great size carry all, it’s time to invest. The great thing about bags however is that if you buy a quality one that you love that goes with everything, you don’t need to buy them too often.
If you’re trying to save this season, opt of bold accessories from high street stores with reasonable prices, such as this amazing bangle at plus size fashion retailer Elvi, or these fabulous earrings from Topshop.com:
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RT @MyTights: Everyone is still talking about tan tights - they are officially in this summer! Check out the 2nd @Grazia_Live article ht ... .2010/08/12
