Short shorts....

I was quite against short shorts. To be honest I think I was scarred from last year’s holiday with images of girls who had burnt their bums wearing too skimpy bikini’s during the day then wore shorts with half their bums out showing the sunburn at night- not an attractive sight.

But I’ve joined the dark side! Only on certain terms though. I brought this really cute pair of floral shorts from New Look.

I really love them. Side panels of black break up the bright floral pattern, which means a black vest top will look good as the colour is already in the shorts. I also like that they are high-waisted; so being so short and revealing, it’s not like there is nothing of them.

 

They will certainly be coming on holiday with me.

High-tops Converse

I am an Essex girl and proud, but something I realised today was the closest thing I have to white shoes are white converse!!! Not exactly the Essex stereotype.

Although, I must admit I absolutely love my converse. They are comfortable, practical and go with everything and for me they put a different edge to an outfit. I have the high-tops but still wear them with anything from skinny jeans to dresses and shorts. I brought the white; not only because it goes with everything, its classic and I think it’s a bit classier and feminine- I do like some of the other colours but for me they remind me of children.

Another confession, I do like to be organised and think ahead especially when it comes to outfits- I’ve already decided I will be wearing my lovely converse to the airport in about two weeks, I cannot wait.

You can buy them at quite a lot of places: asos, schuh, office, and JD Sports. 

Blake Lively wearing Zuhair Murad

Actress Blake Lively oozed Hollywood glamour when she wore a Zuhair Murad gown to the premiere of ‘Savages’ this week in Los Angeles. The strapless silk and tulle couture dress was from Zuhair Murad’s Spring/Summer 2012 Collection: Casino Fever.

The dress which flaunted Blake Lively’s figure; had incredible hand embroidered black beading on it. Leaving the stunning dress to do the talking Blake left accessories to a minimum choosing only a gold bracelet. She matched her scarlet red lips with her nails and with her wavy blonde, the Hollywood look was complete- perfect for the red carpet.

Images courtesy of zimbio.com

Joey Bevan

Wednesday June 27, I was lucky enough to meet Joey Bevan- famous fashion designer, hair and fashion stylist, official fashion designer for Britain and Ireland’s Next Top Model 2011 to be honest the list goes on and on.


Image courtesy of joeybevan.com

Despite having achieved so much already, Joey is so down-to-earth, but it’s clear he is very talented and extremely knowledgeable. With a tattoo like 'Reap what you sew' on his forearm it's obvious that Joey does not shy away from work and has worked his socks off to get where he is today and is far from resting on his laurels.

FASHION DESIGNS

His past collections incorporate historical themes giving more character. My favourite has to Fun House of Autumn/winter 2010- it’s exactly that fun! To be honest a lot of people get lost in there way and forget to have fun and enjoy life. The story of this collection is the naughty side of Georgian life- sex, drugs and wealth- just absolutely amazing dresses and what a story for a collection.

Image courtesy of joeybevan.com 

And where Joey has another upper hand is that he is not a fashion designer but a stylist. If a stylist gets to a shoot and doesn’t like one of the outfits, they must work with it or find another; Joey can quite literally make another and he does just that then and there! Hot on recycling, Joey could create something spectacular and suitable for photo-shoots and runways in under 10 minutes, using what most of us would look on as merely junk. 

 

Above: One of Joey's creations; made from carrier bags giving a textured look to the one shoulder dress; cliniched in at the waist by.... sellotape and lots of tit-tape. Something amazing made from something you would have never believed could look like that and made in just ten minutes.

It’s the charismatic appeal, undertone of British heritage in his designs, originality and creative flair in designs that likens him to Alexander McQueen. And this is early in Joey’s career; he is going to reach dizzying heights in the fashion world (and not because he’s designing or wearing super high heels).

See more about Joey Bevan's styling at:

pointedbrownshoes.co.uk

See more about Joey Bevan's fashion designs at:

joeybevan.com

Radio 1's HACKNEY WEEKEND

Unfortunately I did not manage to get any tickets to Radio 1’s Hackney Weekend and I was working! But the style stakes were raised at this festival….

Rita Ora- Day 1

Many critics of Rita’s style at Hackney have compared her trouser and shirt combo to pyjamas. The printed set looked cool and different to the usual shorts or short dresses you see from female artists on stage. I loved the tie-up element to the shirt- one I have never seen a pair of pj’s that have this and two it makes the shirt even more different. Casual chic tick for Rita Ora!

Leona Lewis- Day 1

On home territory, Leona Lewis didn’t fail to impress. Wearing a bold floral patterned chiffon kimono over a back crop bralet and trousers, she looked classy, suitable for a summer festival but with a different edge. Leona kept the outfit simple with bold pink lipstick and topknot.

Florence Welch- Day 2

There’s no surprise Florence Welch (Florence and the Machine) would chose a dramatic dress. She wore Julien MacDonald- a dress from the Autumn/ Winter 2012 collection and with the pleated train the dress billowed causing a dramatic scene. Embellished and lace detail; minus shoes added to the drama.

Lana Del Rey- Day 2

A stark contrast to what she’d wore the day before at the Isle4 of Wight festival, Lana Del Ray chose a short red number. Having gone for more of a causal outfit of denim shorts, fringed tee and wedge trainers; she wore the short dress which had a puffball skirt and black Mary Jane heels for a more sophiscated outfit. Of course the trademark bouffant hair was there too!

Rihanna- Day 2

Being as the concert was in London, Rihanna wore London-based designer Katie Eary. The spring 2012 tee was teamed with amazing Jonathan fishnet shorts which showed off Rihanna’s enviable legs and worn with Nike x Kanye West Air Yeezy II’s trainers. And who could forget those glasses? Well they were Mercura NYC sunglasses!

Jessie J- Day 2

Jessie J proved festival sheek does not have to cost an absolute fortune. A pet hate of mine is people who wear striped jeans or leggings but don’t make sure the stripe is straight so its curves round the leg! Fortunately Jessie J did manage to have her stripes straight- wearing Motel Rocks high-waisted skinnies that are only £48 (well it’s not about the money, money, money) with a coral crop top and finishing the look with a black studded Jeffrey Campbell’s.  

Fearne Cotton

Radio 1 DJ Fearne Cotton went for warm at this festival; although this did not mean her style was sacrificed. Teaming a pair of skinny blue patterned jeans, with a bright orange jumper and an army camouflage jacket she looked festival chic all over. Not only that but extremely practical- a jacket with so many pockets in so handy at a festival.

Reclaim to Wear- Topshop Upcycling

With fashion there is the constant battle about the life cycle of garments and the waste. It’s caused many people to question the life of designer goods and many reactions aiming to create more sustainable fashions. Topshop are the latest to join this trend.

In collaboration with the upclycling brand ‘From Somewhere’, the new range ‘RECLAIM TO WEAR’ makes sustainable, recycling fashionable in true Topshop style.

The small capsule wardrobe is very exclusive; featuring eight products with only 50 of each produced. The collection is made from surplus stock, off-cuts and waste materials that would have been otherwise discarded.

Now that’s a hand-me-down we should all be proud of- you would certainly be able to hold your head high wearing it.

Images courtesy of reclaimtowear.com

Girl Power... Spice Girls style

So I will hold my hands up: I am a nineties child and loved the Spice Girls. And I will admit I think the Viva Forever! musical will be great. It follows the success of Mamma Mia; where the storyline is brought around the greatest hits- very clever!

Back in the day, the Spice Girls had so influence- just think back, who else made Union Jack so popular as a dress or platform trainers so stylish?

Tuesday June 26 saw the girls reunited in the same location where they filmed they video for Wannabe in 1996 and once again they looked stylish. The Spice Girls have certainly grown up and maybe it’s just my childhood self-talking but their Spice names seem to work still:

Victoria Beckham looking sleek and very ‘Posh’, Emma Bunton wearing the shortest dress taking the cute ‘Baby spice’ title, a trendy bob for ‘ginger spice’ Geri Halliwell, although I don’t think ‘scary spice’ or ‘sporty spice’ worked quite as well as their dresses were fairly feminine.

What’s quite obvious though, they’ve got the world talking once again and they looked great… Like girl power could conquer the world… or Piccadilly Theatre in December.

Image courtesy of The mirror.co.uk.

Summer wedge

I apologise for the amount of posts about shoes recently but I do have a soft spot for shoes and with the weather starting to get a little more summery (I know about time too) I couldn’t help but wrote this blog about some amazing summer wedges, so enjoy:

·        PierreHardy, £440. Super high and super colourful although with a pretty super price tag too!

·        Nine West,£105. Floral print updated in this amazing sandal.

·        Asos, £60. Onceagain floral, but ribbon tie up adds a different edge to this wedge.

·        RiverIsland, £55. The perfect summer wedge in yellow, extremely high but hopefully with that platform they will be a little easier to walk in.

Aldo

Aldo have not failed to disappoint a shoe addict.

Mellison

This bright summer wedge is perfect; adding an edge of class to a casual or dressy outfit. Having a few colours in the shoe; it would not be limited to just one outfit or colour to wear and I think they would look great with denim jeans on a summer’s evening when it’s a little more chilly (or during our supposedly summer days).

 

Geradus

Platform, peep-toe, pop of colour what more could you want? This cute shoe would again go with many outfits as the majority of the shoe is cream. They are pretty nice and with that amazing platform the shoe shouldn’t be so hard to walk in considering the height of them.

 

Noriego

This espadrille type wedge is very cute for the summer. It has contrasting materials used in it giving the shoe texture and making it better than any other summer wedge. Tyhe incredibly high wedge, has braided rope and coral leather t o brighten up your shoe wardrobe.

All images courtesy of Aldo.com

Clutch bags

My weakness may be shoes but a girl can never have too many bags as well. And well catching a glimpse at a few of these bags; some bank balances may feel a little weak after too: 
Etro paisley print clutch-

 

At £700 it has a pretty huge price-tag, but I think the black and white clutch is a sure investment matching everything not being a bright colour. It is absolutely lovely just not really fit for the student budget.

Ted Baker envelope clutch-

With Ted Baker having launched its 'Bespoken For' service in its Covent Garden store, the already stylish bags just got even better (I wasn't sure that was possible). The service makes the bags more personal as intials can be engraved on them- what a perfect little gift that shows amazing thought and style!

French Connection Multi coloured weave Betty Clutch-

 

This clutch is not only a little more affordable being reduced to £52 but the yellow colouring makes it a little more summery. Perfect for brightening up a simple outfit or for dressing up a casual outfit- there's always the place you are never sure how dressy to go.

Summertime sunglasses

Optimistic tone is shining through this blog post- just as I hoped the sun would be considering its June. But I live in England and there’s been massive amounts of rainfall causing flooding (despite the numerous hose pipe bans).  However, I cannot help myself so if you wanted a little summertime treat what about some sunnies from when that sun makes an appearance:

·         Ray Ban Original Wayfarer. (Image courtesy of rayban.com/uk).

·         Dolce & Gabbanasunglasses (model 6063- colour 2505/BG).

·         Calvin Klein brown retro sunglasses (image courtesy of River Island).

 

·      Light green retro print RiverIsland sunglasses.

·         Chanel oversized squaresunglasses. Love the pink, coral colour. (Image courtesy of shadestation.co.uk).

Red carpet.. June highlights so far

So far this June, there have already been a few red carpe events and outfits that aren’t disappointing either.

At the MTV Movie awards, Mila Kunis wore A Fendi dress from the pre-autumn/winter 2012- 2013 dress with Jimmy Choo shoes. Despite being incredibly short, the dress was colourful and well-made.

Image courtesy of weloveit

Also at the MTV Movie Awards Emma Watson wore a printed, mini dress with peplum detail by Brood with Tabitha Simmons heels. To be honest from the front I am not a keen but I love the back with the peplum style detail adding more dimension to the design.

 

Image courtesy of fabsugar.com

Actress Mena Suvari chose a floor-length white gown with black embellishment at the waist to an event in California to honour of Shirley MacLaine on June 7. The dress which had tired, ruffled detail to the skirt was a floaty style adding grace to the design.

 

Image courtesy of zimbio.com

Jessie J wowed at the Glamour Awards in a Julien Macdonald dress. The dress had a body suit and then the overlay of crochet, beading and fringing. She teamed it with black Kat Maconie’s Velma boots and a slick updo.

 

Image courtesy of yahoo.com

Jubilee Fashions

 

This amazing image is courtesy of The Daily Mail (dailymail.co.uk). What a spectucular sight- the crowd and fireworks at the Jubilee Concert held at Buckingham Palace.

Being only the second time in history that a British royal has celebrated a diamond jubilee, celebrations filled the country. In many cases fashion was not sacrificed and sophistication, elegance and glamour reined, read on for the fashion highlights of the Jubilee weekend.

The Jubilee concert saw Cheryl Cole perform alongside Gary Barlow to ‘Need you Now’. Cheryl flaunted her envious curves in a strapless, sequined dress by Polish design Ewa Minge with a grey and white fish-tail design. She completed her sophisticated look with a curly updo, heavy eyes and silver jewellery.

Image courtesy of Chronicle live.

Lady Frederick (Sophie Winkleman) looked elegant in a lace trim dress, worn with a three quarter length sleeve coat. Her look was kept clean, minimal and despite being simplistic looked lovely. She accessorised with a cream hat and envelope clutch; styling her hair to the side in a curly style.

Image courtesy of Daily mail.

The Duchess of Cambridge chose to wear Alexander McQueen; the designer of her wedding dress. Kate Middleton wore the custom-made dress of Sarah Burton’s to St Paul’s Cathedral on Tuesday June 5. The long-sleeved, fitted dress that came down to Kate’s knee had a lace-overlay; giving elegance to her outfit and perhaps paying homage to her wedding dress.

 

 

Image courtesy of awomensclub.com

And Her Royal Highness did not fail to impress either. To the thanksgiving service at St Pauls Cathedral on Tuesday, the Queen wore a dress designed by her dress Angela Kelly. The mint ensemble of a crystal studded coat was of silk tulle embroidered with mint green star-shaped flowers and a chiffon drape embellished with Swarovski crystals. The Queen looked elegant wither matching hat.

 

Image courtesy of Daily Mail.

The start of the Jubilee celebrations was the Epsom Derby. To be honest being the town I go to university this seems a little weird, that a large proportion of the monarchy and celebrities went but once again Kate Middleton came up trumps. The Duchess of Cambridge, displayed herlove of the high-street mixing a floaty chiffon Reiss dress with a collar-less Jospeh jacket. The minimal look worked well for Kate- with the simplistic less is more approach to detailing and the white colour scheme made her long pins look even more tanned.

 

Image courtesy of Catwalk queen tv.com

Make-up of royalty... Jubilee eyelashes

Congratulations to Her Majesty on her Diamond Jubilee.

Taking patriotism to the max, royal blue, pillar-box red and pure white have been dazzling the shops recently.  To get into that patriotic trend simply add a British twist to your nails- with navy and red varnish; glittery adds that royal speciality without the expense of Crown jewels.

Or you could go a little more intensely loyal to Britain with ‘Paperself Paper Lashes- London skyline’. The intricate detail of London’s iconic buildings from Tower Bridge to the London Eye on these false eyelashes is quite amazing.  Normally something so wacky and fake I would hate but I happen to think these are pretty cool. The jubilee themed images for Asos’ magazine and editorial named ‘Queen For a Day’ I love; taking Britishness to another level in make-up.

  

 Images courtesy of Asos.

Personally, although I love the design Paperself London skyline lashes aren’t for me- with my luck I would end up gluing my eyes together but you can buy them from the Asos website too! I’ll stick to subtle patriotism (aka Kate Middleton simply wearing an Alexander McQueen red dress) red and blue nails, maybe some red, white or blue clothes and perhaps even a bit of red lippy!

 

Above image courtesy of Paperself Lashes.

Enjoy the rest of the bank holiday weekend.

June Wish-list

It’s June! That’s crazy but summer is here now, time for a new wardrobe. Below are this month’s favourites I am very tempted by despite needing desperately to save:

·         Chain back skater dress- Rare,£52.
·         Mendonsa printed sandals-Aldo, £52.
·         High waisted hotpants-Tosphop, £32.
·         Dress with embellished trim- TFNC Asos, £45.
·         Grey London city print tee- RiverIsland, £15.
·         Stripe cut-out sun dress- Topshop,£38.
·         Embroidered tribal hotpant-Miss Selfride, £32.
·         Petites moody print dress-Miss Selfridge, £42.
·         Hawaii fuschia chiffonsandals- Topshop, £25.

June

It’s June already. That means we are halfway through 2012 already. This year is going too fast but some history in the world of fashion for June includes:

·         Marilyn Monroe born June 1 1926.
·         Rationing for clothing during the second world war, started on Whit Sunday on June 1 1941.
·         Supermodel Heidi Klum born June 1 1973.
·         Cheryl Cole born 30^th June 1983.
·         Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen born June 13 1986.
·         Asos was established in 2000.

Enjoy June, let the summer begin...