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Trend Alert: The kitten heel

kitten-heels

The killer heel, ladies and gentlemen, is officially dead. Once the average heel height on New Bond Street, in London’s chichi Mayfair was around six inches. Something had to give and we can all thank our lucky stars that it wasn’t our backs! No wonder then that this summer we’ve been witnessing something of a backlash in fashion terms. Dubbed the ‘petite stiletto’ or the ‘new kitten heel‘ you can personally hold designer ssuch as Mrs Prada, Karl Lagerfeld at Chanel (thank you for those amazing clogs, Karl!) and the Missoni clan responsible.

On the high street the offering has never looked so good. I am splashing out this summer on some uber cute kitten heels that are easy to walk in and still look super chic for my working wardrobe. These white snakeskin ones from LK Bennett are perfect. They have a fashion edge, whilst the heel height and round toes makes them practical for everyday too.

For a night out a sexy take on the kitten heel is just the ticket. That way there can be plenty of dancing on the menu, without you needing to take your shoes off at the end of the night! Check out these disco diva silver strappy sandals from Barratts. It’s certainly a shoe in this season!

Kitten heels featured: White snakeskin heels LK Bennett and Silver strappy kitten heel sandals Barratts

Trend Alert: Bright lights, big city

bright-makeup-spring

Bright bold colours on eyes, lips and cheeks were a key make-up trend for this Spring/Summer. From the bold pink coral eye colour taken right up to the brows at Giles to the flash of electric blue on the eyes worn proud as a peacock plume at Luella. The eye-poppingly bright colours are definitely a British thing.

The poster girl for the look in New York is new Brit IT girl Lois Winstone, sister of Jaime and daughter of Ray Winstone. From her bold coloured eye make-up to glossy red lipstick all teamed with unkempt hair. It’s a fun look that requires playing with colour. Think art-school and play with bold eyeshadow colours. Invest in a palette to experiment with different shades from yellow to deep green and purple. I like this ten-piece collection – the pink is  that shocking pink that looks ever so Eighties on eyes and cheeks!

Urban Decay do some great bright look-at-me colours in their loose pigment eyeshadows. The hilariously-named asphixia is a head-turning violet. Bright red lipstick is a classic of course, but it looks young and fresh worn with bright colours on the eyes. Go for a moisturising formulation, such as Clarins Joli Rouge  to keep it glossy and gorgeous.

Editor’s picks for bold colour makeup: 10 piece eye shadow palette collection £3.19, Urban Decay loose shadow pigment £3.95, and Clarins Joli Rouge lipstick £16.49

Trend Alert: Military

military-trend
Join the fashion frontline with spring’s hottest runway trend. Combat-wearing models stormed the runways at MaxMara, Marc Jacobs, Balmain and Jean Paul Gaultier as officer jackets, brass buttons, epaulettes, khaki trousers and desert-hued separates made up the new model army. Balmain’s war-torn heroines sported shredded t-shirts, some questionably good/bad taste bullet-hole strewn pieces and military-esque jackets with the label’s signature exaggerated shoulder shape.

Meanwhile at MaxMara it was more about chic separates that would work well as front-line staples in the office. Think crisp white shirts, tailored trousers in muted colours and some subtle military detailing. Try these smart yet still on-trend khaki tailored trousers by CC at House of Fraser. The colour is spot-on. Add a black military-inspired leather jacket from Oasis for an urban edge. It’ll be perfect for colder spring days. Finally slip on a pair of this season’s chunky wooden sandals. Fierce.

Editor’s pick for military trend fashions: CC trousers at House of Fraser £85, Black leather jacket Oasis £120, Heidi cork platform sandal KG by Kurt Geiger £120 Liberty

Dare to wear: Lingerie Trend (part two)

This season underwear is influencing our wardrobes in a serious way (well as serious as frothy concoctions of chiffon, lace and silk can ever be). From girlie, blush pink and nude creations edged in lace to slick sportwear-style body-con shapes, your unmentionables have never been so, erm, mentionable! Here’s the second part of my two-part guide on how to add a touch of va va vamp into your Spring wardrobe, while keeping your modesty. Oh la la, it’s time to get the action started…

1. Draping is key to getting this look right. Chiffon overlays and trims work well, whilst pleating and delicate ruffles make for a deliciously feminine look.

2. For an overtly sexy, powerful look combine a black lace body with a sleek tuxedo jacket. This will give a flattering, hourglass shape that screams confidence.

3. Whatever you chose, make sure it fits well and that you feel confident in it. Make sure you’re going to enjoy wearing your oufit as comfort is still key, not matter how trussed-up you might want to be.

4. A pretty lace trimmed dress is a nod to the trend without going too far. This pale grey one from Warehouse looks suitably on-trend, yet is modest enough to work for a summer wedding.

Lace trend fashions featured: Lace trimmed dress £55 Warehouse, Sleeveless lace body £18 La Senza, and LK Bennett tie-waist tuexedo jacket £225 John Lewis

Dare to wear: Lingerie Trend (part one)

lingerie-trend-1
The underwear as outerwear trend was big news on the Spring/Summer 2010 catwalks. From the pointy bras that call to mind Madonna in the Eighties at Jean Paul Gaultier to the jewel-coloured slips and silk nothings at John Galliano’s show for Dior in Paris. Marc Jacobs even suggested we wear our bras over our t-shirts, which may be going a touch too far for most of us. Done right and the lingerie trend is seductive, suggestive and on the elegant side of sexy. Done wrong and you could end up looking, well, rather cheap. So I’ve put together a handy two part guide on how to work the underwear as outerwear trend in the best possible taste. Get ready for a brief encounter!

1. Make like the Givenchy girls and go for neutral colours of pale pinks, ivory, taupe, beige and nude.

2. Look for lace panels, silk and satin fabrics and delicate straps that give a nod to the look without being full-on underwear. This heart-insert lace panel dress at ASOS is perfect.

3. Combine lace-trimmed  teddies and silk camisoles with a sleek pencil skirt and statement earrings for a Fifties starlet effect.

Lingerie Trend products featured: Black silk Delacroix camisole by Kiss Me Deadly £45, Luxury Samantha silk camisole £89 at Julianne, and Heart insert pencil dress £18 ASOS

Shop to watch: Burberry Prorsum

Burberry-Prorsum
This London Fashion week, Burberry Prorsum returned to show at our capital marking a return to British design being taken seriously. Christopher Bailey is the man behind this of course and his delightful body con wrap dresses and iconic trench coats have long been a favourite of the fashion pack. The front row was certainly star studded, as a laid back, cool looking Gwyneth Paltrow and a gold sequinned Emma Watson, nestled alongside an Audrey Hepburn-inpsired Victoria Beckham and statement shoe-clad Liv Tyler.

Christopher Bailey’s cool take on the  line has introduced a contemporary fashion edge to this otherwise classic label. The house’s legendary trenchcoats can be bought in a huge selection of cuts, lengths and wonderful colours. The large flagship store for the brand is on the corner of Conduit Street and New Bond Street and has a great selection from the collection. Online, Matches and Browns have a cool selection, especially in terms of simple shapes with the label’s signature twists and sculpting. Look for neautral colours that will become modern classics, whether in snuggly cashmere or seductive silk.Burberry Prorsum superfine cashmere knit and Burberry Prorsum spaghetti strap silk dress

Dare to wear: Double denim

denim-fashion
Make ours a double! The latest trend to hit the Spring/Summer 2010 catwalks is denim. Now I know we all wear denim anyway and every season it seems like there is a denim trend. But this Spring is different, Ralph Lauren, Stella McCartney and Derek Lam went all out with the blues. That means mixing a denim shirt with a denim A-line skirt or wearing a denim dress with denim platforms. Double trouble!

I am head over heels in love with these denim platform sandals from Lanvin. The stitch detail, peep toe and slingback style makes them perfect to wear now with tights and then on warmer spring days with bare legs and painted toe nails. I’d team them with this cute denim smock dress from New Look. The very short length and peter pan collar give a girlie edge to an outfit that shows a lot of leg! Finally, this classic western shirt at Oasis ticks all the style boxes. Pockets, turn-up cuffs and a light fabric make it a must-have for easy breezy weekend dressing.

Denim featured from top left: Denim platforms £530 Lanvin at Browns, Denim smock dress £25 New Look and Denim shirt £38 Oasis

Hair how to: Perfect fringe (part one)

  • posted March 4th, 2010
  • Beauty

hair-care-products
The fringe has been on the fashion radar for a while now and I can see no signs of this trend becoming old. Pretty much universally flattering, a fringe can draw attention to the eyes, as well as covering any fine lines or wrinkles and giving shape and structure to long hair. No wonder it’s a favourite of so many models!

Spring/Summer 2010 sees the fringe  looking hotter than ever. Here’s some tips and tricks on how to create the ideal sleek and sexy fringe.

1. To keep your fringe behaving itself, make sure it’s in good condition. Dry or damaged hair won’t have that super sleek effect you want. Use a shine-enhancing shampoo, such as Pantene Pro V to get your hair in shape.

2. After rinsing, towel dry the hair and then comb through a small amount of straightening cream. Too much and the fringe will look greasy, so go easy. Try Mop C System Straightening Cream, which smells divine and will protect your hair from hairdryer or straightening iron damage.

3. Blow dry your hair in small sections leaving the fringe until last. Use a paddle brush to lift at the roots and point the hairdryer downwards along the hair shaft. This will give a sleek finish.

Products featured: MOP C System Straightening Cream £11.85, Philip Kingsley paddle brush £17, Pantene Pro V Shampoo £2.27

Feeling ruffled

  • posted February 28th, 2010
  • Fashion

asos-ruffle-dress
One of the key trends for this Spring/Summer is a bevy of frills, flounces and girlie ruffles. Now I know it’s hardly Spring/Summer weather (in fact as I write this I am wearing cashmere) but fashion is all about looking forward and so this is the month to start planning your new season look.

At Paris Fashion Week in particular the models stepped out in a plethora of frothy frills, sculptured pleats and pretty ruffles that went from frou frou to elegant folds and curves. Lanvin showed beautifully constructed one-shoulder dresses with pleats and folds that had an origami-edge. Meanwhile British designer Giles Deacon did ruffles in a tongue-in-cheek Eighties manner, contrasting the flounces with metallic body armour.

For something more purse-friendly that will work for cold Spring days, this Oasis ruffle dress is perfect. The structured shoulders with shoulder-pads inserted is very Balmain, while the teal colour is dark enough to be worn with tights and boots but also fresh enough to feel new-season pretty! Get ready for a frill-ing summer!

Aqua Couture One Shoulder Ruffle Front Dress at ASOS, £90.00

Hair How-to: The side plait

  • posted February 20th, 2010
  • Beauty

hair-accessories
Hip and beautiful young things about town have already started to sport this season’s most lusted-after hair style for Spring/Summer 2010. A round of applause please for the side plait. Seen at all the major designer shows on the catwalk for the new season, it was Alexander Wang’s models that really got the glossy magazine Beauty Editors sitting up and taking notice. Thick and semi-glossy side plaits suddenly looked fresh and modern again. So long as your hair is thick enough and past shoulder length, it’s easy peasy. If you have shorter or thinner hair you can always use clip in temporary hair extensions too.

1. Sweep hair to the side and clip just behind one ear. Don’t worry about making it look too perfect, a few whispy pieces of hair falling around the face looks sweet.

2. Spray with a texture spray, such as KMS Texture Blast for a day-old hair effect. This will also help to hold your style in place, without looking overly ‘done’ or polished.

3. Unclip and plait hair quickly. Secure at the end with a simple rubber band. Alternatively you can add ribbons as the models did at Hermes or try a kitsch polka dot scrunchie for an Eighties feel.

4. Finally spray with a light hold hairspray, like Frederic Fekkai Coiff Sheer Hold and you’re hot to trot.

Products featured: KMS california hairplay texture £14.80, Riders North polka dot scrunchies £4.50 each, Frederic Fekkai Coiff Sheer Hold Hairspray £19.50

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