Category Archives: Fashion

Mar 02 0 comments
Accessories, Casual, Denim, Fashion, High Street Fashion, Officewear

Spring and Summer 2010 Fashion Tips

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!

Polka polka!

Spring Clothing

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:

Mar 02 0 comments
Clothes For Occasions, Fashion, Officewear

Building the perfect spring wardrobe

When spring comes difficult decisions have to be made, do you shed the heavy winter coats for a strappy top and sacrifice the warmth? It’s this transitional period that can cause great dilemmas due to the sun being out but it’s still really cold. Transitional dressing is the way to avoid this unpredictable season and make the most of those cold, crisp sunny days.

Start off by checking your wardrobe for any spring clothing that’s already there hidden away at the back. Then separate your heavy winter items from your lighter clothes. White and light pastel shades are these seasons’ colours and go well with the cool weather. Switching fabrics will make a big difference to your wardrobe such as wool to wool blends and silk to cotton. Put a few of your warmer weather outfits back into your wardrobe as well as a warm waterproof coat, if the weather takes a turn for the worst as it can turn very quickly and you don’t want to be stranded with nothing to wear.

Now, it’s all about swapping, changing and accessorising. Thick tights with a tunic instead of wearing it with jeans will give it that spring look and still keep you nice and warm. Pairing a light coloured dress with a few different darker coloured autumn cardigans with keep the outfit looking different, new and fresh plus will have the added bonus of keeping you warm. The same can be done with belts giving the dress a new statement each time it is worn.

Having a spring suit in the closet is an essential; Roman Originals have great new spring additions for a classy neutral look. Suits can be used for all occasions in your spring diary, just by accessorising they can be transformed from business to party and will give a great fresh look.

Meanwhile for those spring parties it is important to have a piece of evening wear which can be time and again.  Try opting for a light coloured dress to reflect the change in temperatures and to brighten up those spring evenings.  Try choosing a classic piece of evening wear which can be combined with a number of different accessories to create a different look each time.  What’s more although spring sees a rise in temperatures it is often still very cold and as such you should always remember to team your choice of evening wear with a cover up of some sort.  Shrugs and boleros are a great choice when it comes to more formal events, whilst cardigans are better suited to more casual settings.

I think the biggest must for the spring are hats. They are a great compliment to most outfits and can be worn throughout the day giving you a chic look and will keep you warm making the transition to summer that bit easier.

Building your spring wardrobe is no easy task and with the credit crunch taking full force buying any new attire can prove expensive. Shops are feeling the strain as much as we are so try shopping online to get some great deals. Make sure you accessorise this spring to get the most out of your clothes, be creative with cool airy colours and enjoy the return of the sun.

Sep 24 0 comments
Fashion, Uncategorized

Outdoors fashion statement

Hiking jackets have never traditionally been thought of as the high of fashion, but things have changed greatly over the last decade. Different designers are looking at new areas as the traditionally less fashionable seek to gain entry into what is now a very lucrative, high margin market.

There aren’t many designer clothes that don’t cost the earth to buy. The price is largely determined by a combination of quality and popularity. North Face jackets can be found at any number of designer stores up and down the country. Imitation is the greatest form of flattery and a number of fakes are starting to appear on eBay. If there wasn’t the demand there in the first place nobody would be producing imitations. Why do you think that you can buy so many fake Gucci sunglasses on foreign holidays? People want to wear Gucci and they also want to wear North Face ski jackets.

All North Face jackets are beautifully stitched and made from the finest material. They then go through the most rigorous testing to ensure that the highest standards are maintained. They help protect us from the harshest of winter downpours as they are waterproof. They are also insulated so definitely help to keep you warm. It is very hard to achieve both of these objectives as achieving complete functionality along with fashion appeal is notoriously difficult. It has, however, been very much achieved here which means that it isn’t at all surprising that the popularity of these jackets has really taken off.

Many Berghaus jackets are now selling for upwards of £100. Whenever a jacket is selling for this price there is going to be a certain prestige that goes with the territory for those who can afford the hefty price tag. The jackets are expensive and sell extremely well which means that they are already a proven fashion statement.

Aug 20 1 comments
Fashion

The Art of Sensible Festivals

When I spend the weekend at a music festivals there are a few essentials that I really can’t do without. The first of these is my Vango tent, although there are cheaper brands of tent I have found that they are less wind resistant than the more expensive ones and, as we all know, festivals can have quite unpredictable weather so it’s better to be safe than sorry. In addition to this, my tent is dark blue – I have found this to be the perfect colour for keeping out the early morning light, after all who wants to be woken up early when they’ve been dancing all night? Also, if you have the space in your rucksack, I have found that a tent flag is invaluable in helping you to relocate your tent on the way back to camp.

Another essential is my tarpaulin groundsheet which I put under my tent. Although it can be quite noisy to walk on I have found that it’s fantastic at stopping the dampness from the ground seeping upwards. Although some tents come with in-built groundsheets, I would definitely recommend investing in a separate one as some of them are of poor quality and allow moisture in. Even if your groundsheet works perfectly doubling it up with a separate groundsheet helps to keep the base of the tent much warmer, a feature that you’ll really appreciate when you’re tucked up in your sleeping bag.

In addition to the extra groundsheet I also take a cheap, inflatable airbed with me, this serves as an extra layer between me and the floor, providing extra comfort and warmth. An inflatable pillow is also worth investing in as it can be purchased relatively cheaply and as it’s inflatable it also means it doesn’t take up too much room in my rucksack – travelling light is a key priority when attending a festival. I also take a lightweight sleeping bag with me, although some people opt for a high tog sleeping bag, personally I go for the cheapest and lightest I can find as it’s always possible to slip some extra clothes on during a really cold night and I also find that, unless you are prepared to spend a lot of money, many of the warmer sleeping bags can be quite bulky.

Rather than taking a camping stove with me, I buy a couple of disposable barbeques and take them with me to cook on. These are much cheap and lighter than camping stoves and in my opinion they do the job just as well. Obviously it’s important to remember to take matches or a couple of lighters with you, as well as a tin opener, a cheap pan or a suitable cooking pot.

When attending festivals, I always try to take quite a few layers of clothes with me. These include a couple of pairs of combat trousers, a few t-shirts and a few cotton tops. These can all be worn overnight if your sleeping bag isn’t very warm. As these types of clothes soak up water quite easily I always make sure that I take a hooded waterproof jacket and a pair of wellies. Sun cream, sunglasses and a sun hat are the other essentials I always pack as the British weather can be unpredictable.

Overall, it’s important to be sensible when considering what to take to a festival. While you don’t want to take too little and have to do without, you also don’t want to take too much and overload yourself. The things that you take to festivals are always at risk of being ruined, lost or even stolen so it’s important not to spend too much when purchasing them. Pack lightly, check you have everything you need and make sure you have clothes that are adaptable to all weathers and you are sure to have a great time.

Apr 18 0 comments
Fashion, Online Shopping

Online retail rigmarole

It’s so easy to sit down at the computer and browse the online fashion sites, much easier than trawling the shops, that’s for sure. It’s all there at your fingertips, every size, and every colour, zoom in, zoom out, then pop it in the basket. It’s all so convenient; it’s even delivered to your door.

Herein lies the problem. It arrives, you excitedly open the package and immediately try it on. It doesn’t fit right, hang right or look right, the colour isn’t you and if you were in a shop you would have immediately rejected it on so many levels. Then you have got to get it sent back when you can find the time and wait two weeks until your money comes back.

If its lotions and potions or jewellery then online works for me but clothes and shoes I prefer the old fashioned method.

Mar 24 0 comments
Designer Clothes, Fashion

Buy online or in the shop?

Shopping on a Saturday is my weekly cardio! However, recently I’ve started to shop more online. Although going shopping with the girls on a Saturday can be enjoyable, browsing through the shops and trying on clothes that you can’t really afford, it can also be a nightmare day out!

Firstly you have to get into town which involves either getting public transport (usually running late!) or driving and having to find a car parking space. Then you have all the other shoppers to contend with. Gangs of teenagers, mums with prams and just generally people getting in your way! Then, if you finally make it into any of the shops you have to try on the clothes on in a small changing cubical with unflattering light and then spend 10 minutes in a queue to buy them!

So what’s the alternative? Sit in front of the computer with a cup of tea and have a look at your favourite shops website. You can see all the lines they have available even if their not in your local store. You can even look at shops that you don’t have locally and exclusive online only shops. Of course the only problem with shopping online is that you don’t have the opportunity to try before you buy. However, when you do get the clothes delivered you can try them on in the comfort of your own home, with your whole wardrobe available to see what else your new top goes with!

I’m not completely converted to online shopping yet though. Waiting 3-5 days for something to be delivered sometimes just isn’t quick enough! If I’m going out that night and I’m having the usual dilemma of so many clothes yet nothing to wear, then a quick trip into town means that a couple of hours later I have a new outfit!