Further moodboard: Thinking up a new trend.

So continuing on from a previous post: Thinking up a new trend. (click to view) I have started making mini mood boards for more ideas on the trend - kind of like brainstorming for outfits! I have decided to do this for more of a general take on ideas rather than the exact item, price and source etc... but if you want to know where any of the items below are from or how much they are then just leave a comment and I shall get back to you!

The general take on this trend that I am anticipating for 2012 / 2013 is grunge fashion with a hint of Marie Antoinette - Esq: think underwear as outerwear... lots of birds, big hair, smudgy eyeliner, denim, blazers etc. Its still in the making, so bare with me for more ideas coming soon!...

Summer styling

This outfit is the perfect outfit for any divas wanting to walk the high street like its the catwalk they deserve! The neutral colour palette - nude, beige and black flatters any complexion and along with the bright accessorie: the pink clutch and orange nail polish will bring the look to the league of high fashion... at high street prices!

The yellow eye shadow may seem to you a bit much to some of you, but mix it with the tiniest amount of water, and paint it a line (roughly about half a centimetre wide) on your top eyelid, just above the lashes (where you would normally put your eyeliner) for that Spring / Summer cat walk affect!

Chiffon blouse - £16 dressrail.com

faux leather shorts - £18 Jane Norman

Leather boots - £30 H&M

Clutch bag - £16 ASOS

Sunglasses - £5.22 H&M

Yellow eyeshadow - $19 Sephora

Festival Hair ideas: GLITTER NEVER FAILS

ABOUT THE LOOK

So with festival line - ups being released all over the 'net, radio and TV (Music channels etc.) I have been racking my brains with ideas on how to 'fashionize' festival hair.

My first thoughts were plaits, messy top knots, back combed barnets and LOTS of dry shampoo - but these are the choices we have every year as lets face it, its not like you can take your GHDs or curling tongs to Glastonbury!

Then I got thinking - what if we could bring a bit of glits'n glamour to our hair do's this festival season?!

Metallics are set to be a BIG trend for FALL 2011  and we are sure to see fashion guru's world wide picking the trend up and trying it out a few months before it reaches the limelight. Why don't you be one of them?!

As seen in the photo to the right hand side, Jason Wu collaborated the funky trend into his 'sophisticated' runway show. Obviously this hair do is a little bit 'up town' for a festival, but you can get the look right if your prepared to get a little messy. But your in a festival - your going to get messy anyway, so why not do it with a bit of style?

HOW TO GET THE LOOK

You can add this trend to all sorts of hair styles, all you literally need to do is to paint it on - no hair dye, just a bit of gel and glitter.

All you need to do is get your hands on some coloured gel - what colour totally depends on the colour you want the glitter in your hair to be, so if you want gold get some gold hair gel, if you want to be daring get some red... I'm sure you understand.

Your then going to need to get some matching glitter that you can mix into the gel and sprinkle on top... so again the colour of the glitter you want totally depends on the your personal colour preference. 

You then need to style your hair - shove it up in a top knot, tie it in a plait... the choices are endless.
Mix in some glitter with the gel, and then paint it onto your styled hair wherever you want it.
Sprinkle on some more glitter over the top of the gel to get the finished look.

Although Jason Wu used coloured gel - I personally think it would look just as good, if not better with clear gel... and multicoloured glitter?!

Its certainly a look ill be trying out this summer. Its an easy way to add a bit of runway fashion to your everyday summer look... in and out of the festivals.

Kacey denim jumpsuit - how to wear it?

So whilst browsing through the Topshop website I came across as what I would probably describe to be the playsuit of my dreams. Its called the Kacey denim jumpsuit and retails at £52.00. 

I personally thought it would look utterly amazing with these Henry Holland Tights available at Figleaves for only £10! The alphabetical necklaces are available all over the internet (I would suggest ebay if you want a steal rather than a splurge). To finish the 'effortlessly casual' look off - throw your hair up in a large top knot - just like Whitney and Lauren from the Hills. Major tip for top knots: Always keep curby grips at arms reach. You wont regret it.

Watch this space

Elizabeth (LIZZY) OLSEN.

Elizabeth Olsen is younger sister to the fabulous duo Mary Kate & Ashley Olsen. Born February 16, 1989 the young actress began her career when she was only four years old guest starring in her older sister's films: The directors of Mary kate & Ashley and How the west was fun. Having stood in the backdrop of her older siblings fame for years she is about to take centre stage in the family's association towards the acting industry. She has snatched up the lead roles of the films Peace, Love, and Misunderstanding in which she plays a character called Zoe, The silent house in which she plays a character called Sarah (both to be realesed in 2011) and Martha Marcy May Marlene in which she is set to play Martha (To be released in 2012).

Do you think she'll be as good as Mkay and Ashley? Or maybe even better?! Leave your comments below!...

Vogue Itallia against 'thinspiration'

Vogue Itallia have very recently released a campaign against pro anorexia websites. There are surprisingly so many websites that support the eating disorder by logging 'good process' towards loosing weight, logging diaries boasting of their tactics, and even containing forums where sufferers can communicate and support each other along the winding road that in reality leads to serious conditions: worst case scenario being death. 

The growing 'trend' amongst bloggers to do such things is apparently thought of as 'thinspiration'. Vogue Itallia teamed with the Association of eating disorders hoping that together (with Vogue's impact on the fashion industry, media and real women along with the associations knowledge of how eating disorders work and research on how the websites are kept fulled) they will get all such websites and blogs  shut down once and for all. 

I personally think that Vogue Itallia's campaign is nothing short of brilliance, though I can not help but wonder if they're still going to include stick think and unhealthy looking models in their pages. Either way I think it is a really good cause to support.

If you agree or want to find out more, then click on the link below to sign the official online petition for the campaign: 

http://www.vogue.it/en/magazine/petition-against-pro-anorexia-websites

C'mon people- lets help make a difference. 

Festival fashion: How to wear a band T shirt

So, Reading festival lineup and tickets will be available from Monday, March 21st... THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW. I have been so excited that Ive been rapidly snooping around the 'net to find something I think everyone will more or less be wearing to festivals worldwide this year. Would you like to know what I found? I found the band t-shirt. Okay so not a major discovery on the 'new trends' front as band t shirts have been big way before I was even born. But there are in fact new ways to wear it, and I'm going to show you how. 

The t shirt in particular that I found was this over sized Rolling Stones top available for £30 at sugar bullets (an online alternative and pretty funky clothing boutique). It's such a typically 'cool' top, and can be worn in so many different ways - but be warned as there are also ways NOT to wear this top. Lucky for you your eyes will be blinded to the fashion fugitive ways - as I'm going to give you different looks to try out with your band t shirt this year.

 

Look 1 is a very fashionable look for the festival rock chick. Add lots of KOHL eye liner, pop some dry shampoo in your bag, rock the matted 'no care' hair style and you'll certainly make a statement to remember! 

Look 2 is the perfect festival outfit for the pretty grunge / grunge revival chick. My favourite item from this outfit has to be the Hunter wellies - okay, so you may need to save a little to get them, but we ALL should know how essential wellies are for festivals - and these ones can style up any outfit giving them that finished 'grundgey' hint with their biker boot aura. Again remember the dry shampoo (it really is a life saver), and for you I also recommend some eye blinding red lipstick. 

 

Look 3 will suit any pretty denim diva. The sheer lux socks are a steal from American apparel at $15 (approximately £10 in UK)  and will bring the outfit right up to date. Opt for a simple over the shoulder bag - black would be the easy option, as it wont draw too much away from the simplicity of the denim. Throw your hair up in a top knot and attack it with the beautiful butterfly clips as seen in the photo above from: I kick shins. Short hair?! Scruff it up and let these butterflies loose.

So there we have it! The simplest three top ways to wear a band t shirt this festival season. Try them out and experiment a bit with your style. Remember - even the Hollywood diva's get gritty at these events so don't be afraid if you have to grunge it up a little. It works - its called grunge revival, and can really be altered to any look.

BLOGGER OF THE WEEK: Eccentric Behaviour

This week, Typed up thoughts blogger of the week is Shelly Abramovich. She is fourteen and runs a fabulous blog called Eccentric Behaviour. I stumbled across her blog whilst looking through friends of followers and was definitely impressed by what she has accomplished. The look to me shouts out art, culture and fashion. The content is interesting, and it looks so enticing to read. She has a great balance of images and text and overall I believe has a very successful blog. Here is a quick Q & A I had with Shelly.

1/ what made you start blogging?
 I've always loved fashion, music and art, and I always had a thing for books and magazines as well, so I was thinking of combining all that to express myself, and the result = blogging!



Shelly showing off a bit of style!

2/ how long have you been blogging for ?
I've been blogging since I was 9 or 10, but that was just an online diary. Serious blogging started at around September of 2010.

3/ do you have any other blogs going at the moment?
Nope, Eccentric Behavior is my only blog. I have Twitter and Facebook though.

4/ what do you think makes a good blog?
The content. If the content is boring, no one will read your blog. The content has to be well balanced and has to appeal to wide range of audiences, but you still have to have a certain focus on what you're mainly writing about. If it's all pictures, I personally loose interest in the blog. But on the other hand, if it's all text, I get really stressed and I kind of 'need' that visual component to be there as well.

5/ what would you say your favourite blog is at the moment?
My favorite blogs at the moment are Style Rookie and Fashions Religion. (links: www.stylerookieblog.com and www.fashionsreligion.com)

6/ what inspires you to keep blogging?  and what inspires you to write about what you write about?
 I get inspired by... everything really. Just little things in life, a scent of a candle, the color of the sunset, the texture of a designer leather bag, certain influential people. Inspiration is everywhere, it depends on if you see it or not. Those inspirations transform into a mood, and by sort of using that mood - I write, and post pictures, put together an outfit, etc.

7/ have you learnt anything from keeping a blog?
You have to have passion for what you do. And that passion is going to help you move forward, ignore the negativity and pursue what you want to achieve.

8/ what are your interests? e.g. what music / films / hobbies do you like?
Oh wow, well, I have a lot, but I like art (I draw and sketch a lot, I love watercolors), fashion, music, popular culture, movies (drama, action, romantic comedies... I like everything except of horror.), sports (swimming, especially), reading (I'm a bookworm), writing, I love all things nature, and the list goes on and on. :)

9/ what is your favourite fashion trend?
I love bright colors, but well balanced, not over the top. I love everything 60's and 80's. Something bright and funky, well put together but not too dramatic. I'm not a trend follower though, I go by my own mood! Oh, and pastels, I love pastels!

10/ what is your #1 tip for keeping a good blog?
Just be yourself. Sometimes all the things around you pressure you to be someone your not, so you have to overcome that. Know your stuff, and keep a good balance between text and visual components. Try your best, and most importantly love it and be passionate about it - people will see that and love it.

To have a look at Shelly's blog click on the link below:
http://eccentric-behavior.blogspot.com/

To check out other BLOGGER'S of the week visit our blogger of the week page:

Blogger of the week page

(Note that only one blogger per week will be featured as blogger of the week).

Finally... something creative to do

So finally the rest of the fashion industry is beginning to go crocheting mad!... My sisters, my mother and I have all been waiting for this moment since - well since like forever!! Not only is crocheting a lovely hobby to pass some time on the long weekends about to approach us through April think Easter, royal wedding - but crotcheted garments are  also becoming a really fashionable look. Crotchet waistcoats and tshirts are set to be everywhere this spring - and boy am I excited!

Ive already got my crotchet hook out and will be frantically searching the Internet for ideas and patterns tonight! Ill keep you posted, but for now its ten minutes to one in the morning where I am, so I'm afraid I need my beauty sleep.

But as I said - I shall keep you posted on my crocheting plans!

LOVE.THIS.LOOK.

Don't you just love this look! I certainly do! I wont lie as it is not often I really venture my way through Look book... it is actually quite a new thing for me despite the fact its been around ages! Anyway, it took me ages but I finally found something I really really liked:

Basically this girl has her own profile on Look Book (a website made up of photos of real peoples individual styles) and her link is:

http://lookbook.nu/look/1620797-Tuesday-Chill

She's called Nichieme S and she's 24 years old. What else? Oh yeah - she has an utterly devinne style.

She has 20 looks and although they are all quite refreshing, some are better than others, but I particularly adore this look. The clogs - amazing. I myself have a pair of clogs - aviator style, and seeing this look really wants me to learn to walk in them properly!The maxi skirt is actually to die for: it is very

D&G S/S 2011 - Esq  and she has definitely made it work to her advantage.

What do you guys think? Have a look at her looks and let me know!

Do you recognize this face?

Do you recognize the face above? If you don't then you really should update yourself a little more often on the socialites of today's fashion industry! Having appeared on The sisterhood of travelling pants, and hit American TV show Gossip girl, successful actress Blake Lively is now set to become the new face of Chanel. 

I don't really have anything against this. I mean - shes pretty (without being too fake) and there is nothing that annoying about her (apart from her character Sarena on Gossip girl!) but if rumours are true, thousands of billboards and magazines not to mention advertisements on the television will be plastered with another blond, wafer thin role model for the young women of today's day and age to aspire to be.

There are pros and cons to this. I mean as I said - she is pretty without having any major plastic surgery and she is successful. But is she another reason for young girls to try and become 'older' before their time... or even to develop disorders such as anorexia? Yes, I might be acting a bit drastic - but im in a bit of a ranting mood, and someones got to ask the questions right?

What do you think? And what real celebs would you like to see  as the new face of Chanel?!

Exciting news!

So, I may have excitedly hinted that my work was to be published on a  lovely fashion retailers blog this week, but who I hear you ask? Last friday morning, Boden: a clothes retailer company who have been running since 1991, were kind enough to offer to publish my writing.

I was asked to do a short piece on what styles would suit different bodyshapes that I really enjoyed writing, and felt ended up as a nicely written little piece. My mother has always been a fan of Boden, hoarding up dresses and tops from the company. But writing this piece (as well as getting me in the mood for summer) helped opened my eyes to how wearable and stylish the clothes from Boden really are! 

Please have a look at the piece on this link:

http://community.boden.co.uk/boden/blog/2011/03/14/get-shape-savvy-with-bodens-summer-collection/

...and let me know what you think!

I want to get my tuxedo freak on...



Mustache pin £8.99 Etsy



Dress £45 Motel Rocks

Just a little Trend Snippet! ... the tuxedo trend   has been around for a while now, but hasn't really been recognized. Yet it is so effortlessly chic that I really don't know why it hasn't been plummeted onto the runways for FALL 2011. Will it become more popular? We'll see.

90s trends



No copyright intended for readers viewing and
amusment only.

90's fashion gave us Marc Jacobs, Donna Karan DKNY, and Ralph Lauren. We saw globalisation of fashion retailers such as Gap and retail branding became quite a big deal giving us Tommy Hilfiger, Hollister and other 'clubs' people could buy into through style. Re cycling became trendy thus giving us vintage clothing and also the new trend grunge (a mix of hippie and punk: a layered scruffy and messy look). 

The 'less is more' approach that adapted from the minimalist approach to art in the 60s, became a philosophy amongst many fashion gurus and came to describe the basic look of fashion in the 90s: basic colours, basic cuts, basic shapes all became trendy. As you may of guessed the ever lasting argument of whether fashion can be considered as art was probably as well known as Britney Spears in the 90s!

Fashion photographer Corinne Day discovered Kate Moss, and made a point of photographing her as the 16 / 17 year old girl that she was which gave a new 'discoloured' style to fashion photography that has lasted ever since.

All in all the 90s was a good look. (okay, so maybe pretend the platforms and PVC clothing never happened) But come on - over sized shirts, denim, Dr. martens, lip liner and layers... you've simply got to allow it, well... some of it.

Looking back at my childhood in the 90s it was great, but I am a bit disappointed by the fact that I never really got to rock anything other than outfits made from pedal pushers with some form of a spice girls shirt. I'm sure lots of you who were a bit too young to try out the real fashions of the 90s will feel the same. So get out those denim shirts, high waisted shorts, leggings and plimsolls and rock the 90s a century on.

I'm personally thinking denim on denim, just really because I love the look Ralph Lauren created with denim shirts during that era.  If you think you can walk the high street with a hint of 90s grunge, then please don't hesitate to let me know how you've done it, or even to link me up with a photo of yourself I could put on the blog to share with everyone!

Got to laugh a little...

Just a quick post - I was flicking through an issue of Country Living magazine and saw this picture of a sheep: reminds me of a 90's boy band member. Is it just me or does anyone else think he's a bit familiar to Justin Timberlake when he was working his perm back in the days of NSYNC?!

Thinking up a new trend

Sorry its been a few days since my last post bloggers! Ive been a bit busy writing for a certain clothes retailer (more info to come soon... VERY exciting stuff) and thinking up trends for my fashion styling unit at university. The above image is a photograph of a mood board I made up yesterday based on a new trend I have forcasted that I have titled 'The modern day Marie Antoinette':basically Marie Antoinette style crinolines and bustiers meets a bit of grunge... smartened up a bit with blazers.

Okay so this may seem to you a bit of a jumbled idea, but I really think its going to be some sort of a trend by next Autumn. So don't bin your blazers just yet!! 

Anyway the point of this mood board is that I'm going to be conducting a photo shoot on the trend within the next four weeks and needed a little brainwave session. I envision lots of bustiers worn over tshirts, blazers, studs, slips, and short shorts with tights or leggings. Muted tones with tinges of bright colour think orange, green, blue, red, hot pink, fluro yellow.  I have sorted models and a location so all I will need to do now is source the clothes. Have any ideas?! Let me know and leave a comment!

Hair trend forecast: Pink hair

Not a major fan of Gaga recently, arriving to the Brit awards in an egg, giving birth to herself in her latest video - all a tad bit too scary for my liking! I have however surprised myself by going a bit gaga myself for her look on the cover of Vogue magazine march 2011. The cut is a bit short for my personal taste but I still think it looks good.

What drags me to this particular look is the pink hair. Some of you may think its a bit commercial, a bit too lady Gaga or a bit of a joke - and that's okay as you are entitled to your own opinion. I however think its fabulous and what's more is that it has got me thinking how I could pull of the trend in a more wearable fashion (even though I love the all over look, I just don't think its something I could personally pull off). So here goes...

The first look I thought of was the re invented wonder that is dip dying. Re introduced to the fashion runways by Meadham Kirchhoff this spring / summer, dip dying has already become quite a trend. Celebrities such as Peaches Geldoff, Niki Minaj, Ellie Goulding, Fearne Cotton and Alexa Chung have become fans of the technique - and surprisingly, it seems easy enough to do it yourself.

The next look that came into my head was the coloured slice trend. I have had this done before when I was younger and it basically involves gathering 'slices' of underlying hair, possibly bleaching depending on your natural hair colour, painting the dye on and leaving it to dry in tin foil. With great looking results, celebrities such as Avril Lavigne, Rachel McAdams, Lady gaga and Katy Perry have all previously had it done. Although it would look uber fashionable, very now and really alternative to opt for a clashing colours with this style, I personally feel that more muted tones such as seem to carry this look off better for lighter hair, and warmer or darker shades for darker hair. But the fun is all in experimenting - and you could possibly prove me wrong!

For more ideas have a look at Richard Chai's Fall 2011 show where he wowed his audience with an unexpected but utterly brilliant hair look. See if you can figure out what it was...

For now I think I will have a little look about for more ideas (yes I will keep you posted) but the 'slices' seem to be winning me over big time. I have dark hair, but may opt for a slice of a dirty lilac colour to add an edgier look to the pretty and happening trend.

For tips on how to dip dye click on :



To dye streaks / slices of your hair... use the same process but dye slices rather than ends. I.e. make sure your careful and pin away the rest of your hair whilst dying one particular streak / slice of hair - otherwise it could get a bit messy! Need more tips? Visit your hair dresser!! Good luck!

No Photographs or Videos used in this post are intended to breach any forms of copyright, for viewers amusement only.

Clash for a crazy night out

Still not sure how to match your brights?! Good - because they are in fact meant to clash. This would be a perfect outfit for a night out. Note that if you r graced with curves like me then opt for vertical stripes if you can find them as they help lengthen out your silhouette making you appear slimmer. However with this kind of ensemble, the bright colours will carry the eye away from unflattering areas such as the tummy so don't worry if you really want to go for horizontal stripes.

 Tie your hair in a messy top knot & keep in place with curby grips and hairspray - keep your make up to the minimum apart from some kohl eyeliner - yes I am allowing you to go crazy to an extent (a good tip to ensure it doesn't rib off during the night is to keep it at arms reach in your handbag).

Glittering lips

One of the beauty highlights of LFW S/S 2011 was certainly the glittery pouts.

The look was created by using a red benefit lipstick in shade colour Frenched and then carefully dabbing glitter over the top!
Master the look by practising first, and experiment with different colours: think cerise pink and orange.  You may also want to very lightly layer / dab a clear gloss over the finished look to stop the glitter wearing off during the day and night.

Another alternative would be to mix real glitter with clear lip gloss. (edible glitter would leak dye through the gloss whereas real glitter will simply  mix in) Then paint it over your red lips to create the finished look.

Click here to buy yourself some edible glitter perfect for dabbing on luscious looking lips:
Edible glitter selections.

Bananas for that leather Tee!

 

So, my clothes craving today seems to be that I really really really want a leather t-shirt. The Chiffon backed leather t-shirt as seen above will see you flying fashionably through summer and winter into next years spring season if kitted with the right gear. 

The Andy Warhol style earrings were from Punky Pins and I instantly fell in love with them. They add an arty, fun and quirky look to the body con skirt, boots and bag that also make up the outfit. This ensemble would look even more edgy with some orange nail polish and a scruffed up top knot.

Olive oil: For the kitchen or the beauty bag?

 Before we start... yes I know that a blog post about olive oil (on a supposed fashion blog) may seem to you a bit strange. But once you've finished reading, it may be all you talk about yourself.

Like many of you lot I always deny the condition of my hair, saying that there is really nothing wrong with it when the damage is obvious.

A victim of Ghd's, Blow drying, box upon box of hair dye, my hair has been a genuine trooper, but there is only so much one head of hair can take and I think is is safe to say that mine was in definite need of a conditioning mask: It is also safe to say though that no way could I afford one!

I could however easily afford a bottle of olive oil roughly £1.80 from asda. Now hear me out first, olive oil has been a hidden secret in the model industry for fixing damaged hair and maintaining healthy locks... so with not many other options, I thought id try it out.

So, I went and bought myself a bottle,  took it upstairs to the bathroom, and covered my hair in it - just like you would with shampoo. The great thing is that it wont drip, because the oil substance simply sticks to your hair! Think no oily puddles on your bathroom floor.

I decided to leave it in for roughly an hour (it is apparently recommended by some to leave it in for three hours at minimum... but yet again uni work was calling) . To get rid of the oil in my hair i washed it as I would usually, first shampoo: after which I got a bit worried as my hair felt a bit dry, and then conditioner: after which my worries vanished, and it felt softer than it had in a long time.

I dried my hair normally, which for me means a rough blow dry on a medium heat, and true to the rumors the olive oil worked. Silky, soft and briefly repaired, my hair has finally began to loose its damaged status.

So, basically olive oil works as a repair mask for those of you who would like to fix your damaged hair, like a repair mask you should repeat the process on a regular (weekly) basis to get your hair to reach its full potential.

I for one have made olive oil one of my top beauty products - and will be yet again lathering my hair in the stuff  very soon indeed.

Wonder woman takes M.A.C by storm!

M.A.C have finally discovered Wonder Woman. The make up brand recently teamed up with Warner bros to produce the highly anticipated limited edition. Including blush, eye shadow, eyeliner, lip gloss, lipstick, mascara, mineral powder and nail polish, the range has only just been released in M.A.C shops across the country.

The range has a beautiful array of original art work on the product cases which will certainly look amazing in any one's handbag.  M.A.C was founded in 1984 and promises cruelty free beauty to all of its customers.  So the only thing you will be harming when buying a piece from M.A.C's Wonder woman range is your wallet.

Lipsticks from the range only cost £15. Okay so this may seem a lot but M.A.C is up there in the best of make up ranges, you really do get what you pay for. If this isn't enough, then maybe their recycling scheme will entice you?... If you do buy a lipstick from the company, they ask you to keep and return the tube when you've finished - then they will give you another absolutely free! Certainly worth it if you ask me.

For more information on Wonder Woman herself click on:

http://typedupthoughtsicons.blogspot.com/

Nail ART

Day after day I find myself painting my nails with the same boring technique - Ive been forever trying to find something stylish to do with my nails, without having to go and spend about £30 in a nail salon. 

So whilst I was browsing through random you tube channels and I got very excited when I came across a tutorial on how to do the nail marbling technique. This has been so anticipated by many in the fashion industry and has been favoured by top mags such as Elle, Vogue and Instyle.

I don't know who these people are - but thank you! Now we can all get marbling and join the nail art trend that is about to take over.

My fun and flirty floral fetish.

Amongst all the hype to come with one of the latest trends - the rainbow of clashing colours,  it is quite hard to see any other trends on the horizon. But don't panic: Ive recently opened my eyes to a new look about to emerge into the summer. Floral is an obvious must have theme for any summer but this year with thanks to D&G (who went against the colour blocking army) it has once again become a high fashioned trend. 

As you see they mastered the look by teaming slightly contrasting patterns together NOTE TO ALL: This doesn't mean stripes, polka dots and over sized flowers.They are all floral patterns - they just slightly vary in size / colour.

I'm sure you'll be glad to know that this isn't however limited to the fashion runways. Stores across the high street seem to have embraced this trend for all its worth, racking up their rails with floral printed camis, jackets, blouses, skirts, maxi's - basically yes, you name it and they've probably got it. What does this mean? It means that You can get this look right.

If you're a bit apprehensive about dressing from head to toe in the feminine print - then opt for a more minimal approach by going for one printed garment i.e. top, blazer, shorts and team it with some muted bright colours - by this I mean happy summery colours that are very wearable and that will finish the look off nicely.  Take note from the image above.

Erik Hassle

Feeling quite ecletic these last few days I decided to browse my spotify playlists. You know how it is: you make so many playlists for 'different moods' or genres - yet never listen to half of them. Well In one of those particular playlists I came accross an old favourite -

ERIK HASSLE.

Four words for you:

Give.Him.A.Listen... as I promise his voice will be music to your ears.

Vintage shopping? New York? Don't mind if I do...

New York VINTAGE: Service to the likes of Beyonce, VOGUE and
 many more...

Vintage shopping has been in my life now for a couple of years. Its great for getting some unique, good quality and stylish steals.  Normally bagging my bargains in charity shops and car boot sales I was ecstatic to be able to walk into some vintage stores during my time in new york.

The first we visited was New York Vintage on 25th street, Chelsea, New York which happens to be right in the heart of New York's fashion district.

On our first steps into the store, my jaw certainly dropped at the amount of beautiful things to be seen. Bags, jewellery, hats and shoes were scattered about enticingly around the simply gorgeous vintage dresses. The dresses resembled everything I love about past era fashions... there were Audrey Hepburn style, smart and sophisticated pencil dresses next to flamboyant eighties apple green sequined tutu frocks! Fabulous!

The star status of this place was obvious. Prices were sky high and one room was private for celebrity and industry viewing only... and even then by appointment. Along the walls were framed and signed photographs of celebrities who had been there to shop, and other framed photographs of fashion spreads from the likes of Vogue and Harper's Bazaar featuring one off beautiful garments from the store itself.

Although I could not afford anything,  I can not describe how privileged and star struck I still feel even just to have been able to browse around the store.

More to my price range, was the Vintage flea market we attended in the fashion district. Here there were stalls upon stalls of vintage wonders waiting to be sold. Fur gillets, Blazer jackets, jewellery and brogue's to books, records and other collectible items. It was like a dream - and a real eye opener to see just how valued vintage in fashion really is. To my memory it was sort of a cross between a market in south London and the antiques roadshow - maybe with a splash of class and pure fabulousness!

I think the best and busiest stall was Lulu's vintage lovelies. She had a range of vintage clothing for versatile tastes - and she obviously had a love for handbags.

This is where I found the best buy I've probably had in years: a Ralph Lauren, real life leather clutch bag with a matching wallet inside. And guess how much? only $10... which is probably about £8 in the UK. And yes actually- its all genuine.

I really like it - perfect with an off white chiffon dress and knee high socks!! I had a brilliant time vintage shopping in New York - and I would defiantly recommend it to anyone who gets the chance! This really is one of my lovelies - and I know it will be forever treasured along with it's memories.

In need of some vintage inspiration? Visit:
http://www.newyorkvintage.com/