Wednesday 29 June 2011

Fight the Fear and Take The Plunge

Anne Hathaway in Prada at Elton John's White Tie and Tiara Ball  shows us the classy way to do cleavage
This week's red carpet roundup hailed a number of brightly coloured dresses, some classy, like Rosie Huntington-Whitley's choices as of late, and some tacky, thanks mainly to the Braxton sisters and the BET Awards, but the most noticeable neckline on all these fab frocks is one that for years has struck fear into the flat-chested fashionista: The Plunge. A tailoring marvel, this trend can look either sophisticated or slutty and there is a very fine line between the two, but i have selected a group of celebs who have mastered the former and as such they will be your Gurus for coming to terms with the gap between your chest, approach with caution ladies and simply stick to these three steps:

1.) Keep all other accessories/hair/shoes to the bare minimum.

2.) Get the fake tan out, if you are going to flash the flesh at least keep it all one colour.

3.) Tit tape is your new best friend, use it excessively if you have to.

Heidi Klum in a cowl necked Michael Kors keeps her hair slicked back and her makeup fresh

Rosie Huntington-Whitely at the London Premiere of the new Transformers film shows off her perfect skin tone

Diane Kruger at the amfAR Gala in Paris in a siren red YSL dress with matching lipstick and nails looks Parisienne Chic 

Saturday 25 June 2011

From High Style to High Street: Prada Edition



There is always one dress every season that causes a fashion frenzy amongst editors and stylists alike, all of them vying to have a particular look on a certain A-lister or a September cover and for S/S 2011 that was the Prada striped cocktail dress that flooded its way down from the white runway onto celebs and covers all over the world. As soon as the 'Seta Lana' dress hit the news stands it also hit the high-street and a medley of 'poor-man's Prada' copycat prints soon followed much to the delight of the more thrifty shopper, here I have charted it's evolution from Prada to Perkins, (Dorothy, that is.)

The original dress on the S/S2011 runway and the tailored version on Hailee at the SAG Awares

A cute copycat version from Dorothy Perkins for £19.99 available at www.dorothyperkins.com 

A Promod maxi dress that would be the perfect for a summer BBQ in the same print as the Prada version

Tuesday 21 June 2011

The 'Gaga' Effect - How Vintage Versace is Making a Comeback...



Whilst her new video for "The Edge of Glory" might not be impressing critics and hardcore fans, certain fierce fashionistas like myself are simply drooling with envy over her vintage Versace wardrobe in the four-minute flick. From leather bondage-style bodysuits to the classic Versace printed shirt she dons at the end of the song, every piece is perfection and with Donatella dressing her for her current promotional tour of Europe you just know that she is going to dig deep into the archives for something special, i can't wait to see what has been hiding in the back of Gianni's old closet...

In the mean time check out some Versace inspired items on the high street at the moment:

Graffiti dress: £14.99 at New Look

Lady Gaga at Toronto this weekend rocking some clashing prints

Yellow Blazer- £55.00 at Topshop

Gaga's now signature blue hair clashes with her lemon yellow jacket but it makes the perfect stage outfit


With H&M just announcing their new collaboration with Versace and a few sneak peeks already hitting the net (check out www.instyle.com) it seems the label has never been more desirable, so start scouring the vintage shops for Versace ladies!

Saturday 18 June 2011

Mini-Trend: Belted Ball-gowns


The very beautiful Claire Danes set fashion tongues waggling at the 2011 SAG Awards when she belted this floral Louis Vuitton number and many bloggers and critics alike noted that it had 'ruined' the feminine dress by cinching the waist with a leather belt straight out of your dads' wardrobe, i begged to differ. I think it brought some much needed attitude to what otherwise was an unimaginative, unmemorable gown compared to the rest of the A-listers to strut down the carpet, (January Jones, anyone?), but she seems to have started a mini-trend of belting up ball-gowns when three times this week a starlet has been spotted with a band around her waist, an instant way to change a dress from drab to fab.

Alicia Keys added spikes to her feathered Givenchy number at the Camden Keep a Child Alive benefit and kept the accessories to a minimum

Diane Kruger added a touch of this seasons hottest accent, coral, to her gorgeous gown at a benefit with boyfriend Joshua Jackson, colour clashing and chic

Hilary Rhoda teamed a very on trend cobalt blue dress with tan accessories and showed off her famous figure in LA this weekend

Wednesday 15 June 2011

Style Hero: Krysten Ritter


This quirky actress is a Zoey Deschenel look-a-like and mimics her geek chic style as well, hiding behind a thick fringe and exuding a kind of 'deer in the headlights' charm on the red carpet, this gorgeous girl has had hit after hit on the red carpet. Silently slipping under the radar for the last few years she has starred in Gilmore Girls, Veronica Mars, Gossip Girl (as Lily Humphry's sister) and the hit film 27 Dresses, but now its time to not only time to shine the light on star status but also her indie-chick style as something for all you fashion followers to emulate, think Alexa Chung meets Florence Welch and be prepared to break out the brogues.

 Ready for summer in a Mink Pink floral dress and cute coral clutch from Sedgwick Krysten looks gorgeously girly

At the Confessions of a Shopaholic premiere in a Sonia by Sonia Rykiel prom dress in a deep purple and metallic accessories 

Arriving at an ELLE party the actress teams her black and white ensemble with a dark lip and dark eyes but still manages to stay feminine 

Sunday 12 June 2011

What to Wear to: A Polo Match

Serena and Blair may have fooled you into thinking they got it right on Gossip Girl with their maxi dresses and Kate Middleton style hats but actually unless it is a formal competition a simple shift dress and some killer heels will keep you looking Polo perfect without getting into ball-gown territory. Less is more my fellow fashionistas, team the following look with some equestrian etiquette and you will be hot to trot: 

These patent shoes have a thick enough heel that you won't be getting stuck in the grass on the playing field! Shoes: £64.99 River Island.

This vintage-inspired clutch is a fun little accessory that will tie the black shoe buckle and gold necklace to the dress, completing the look, Clutch: £6.99, New Look.

This sweet little shift dress in a flattering shade of coral is sophisticated and simple enough to make you stand out from the crowd, but for the right reasons. Dress: £54.99, Zara.

The high-street at it's finest, this gleaming gold choker from H&M gives a simple dress a glamorous accent and keeps the look current. Necklace: £6.99, H&M. 



From Resort to Reality

Here are my personal pics of the best dresses from the Resort 2012 collections hot off the runway and which stunning celebs i would love to see in each look:

This little lilac party dress from the Marc Jacobs Resort collection is flirty, fun and young and should only be seen on...


 Up-and-coming actress Elle Fanning who has so far made all the right choices on the red carpet!


This impeccably tailored dress from The Row's Resort collection is the epitome of class and style and should of course be worn by...


A beautiful lady like Miss Dita Von Teese who would bring this Mad-Men-esque dress to life with her famous curves. 


A dress like this from the Calvin Klein Resort collection would be a unique but flattering choice for someone like...


The Queen of Pop herself, Madonna, who needs to stop raiding her daughters closet and stick to some longer hemlines! 


Only a brave few could carry off this colour palette in a dress from the Chanel Resort collection but if there is one lady who can pull it off...


It has to be the striking Zoe Saldana, this would be the perfect dress for a summer premiere in the Hamptons with its fun colours and tulle underskirt



The Future's Bright... The Future's Burnt Orange...

Emma Stone at the MTV Movie Awards matched her flaming red hair to her accessories and managed to look sophisticated, yet age-appropriate


A little black clutch will always be an investment piece, it goes with anything, it can be elegant enough to team with a ball gown, or simple enough for lunch with the girls, but if you are looking for a blazing hot bag that just screams 'notice me' from you perfectly poised palms then look no further than the orange accessories that are the perfect accent to any outfit, whether its Pucci Prints or Classic Chic (and remember girls, colour-blocking is in), a coral clutch is the ideal companion to any summer style. 

Chelsea Kane made use of the colour-blocking trend with her purple shift dress and orange Giuseppe Zanotti heels

Cameron Diaz contrasts her orange bow bag with a turquoise cocktail ring

Mila Kunis at the Spike TV Choice awards lets her cute coral bag do the talking and adds nude Louboutins to her look.







How to Wear: Monochrome

In contrast to the bright bolds and complicated prints hitting the runways and the red carpet at the moment, a very sophisticated number of celebs (minus Mischa Barton who i'm pretty sure had no idea this was an actual trend) have opted for a classic Black and White look this summer. First the wave of white tuxedos hit the red carpet a la Mila Kunis and then the classic LBD's as seen on Jennifer Aniston and Kourtney Kardashian appeared as they usually do, but eventually some clever stylist in la-la Land realised that the mix of black and white was a chic and clean look for summer and a parade of celebs has been seen in the look ever since.

"But how do i wear the look?" i hear you ask, well, taking my lead from some of my red carpet faves i've decided on three ways to pull of the black and white wonder...

NUMBER 1: The LBD with a white accent

Mischa Barton arriving at a launch in London clashing her LB&WD with some orange wedges

Scarlett Johannsen at the Spike TV Choice Awards makes a simple but elegant statement in this Paul Ka

NUMBER 2: The Feminine Tux

Kirsten Dunst manages to pull off the tuxedo perfectly by adding a slick up-so and some killer stilettos 

Rachel Bilson in Chanel (surprise surprise) at the Chanel 2011 Resort Collection show rocks a tuxedo jacket and leather shorts


NUMBER 3: The Polka Dot

Model-mum Natalia Vodianova looks polished at a charity event in her one-shouldered polka-dot creation by David Koma
Cheryl Cole teams Polka dot shoes with a Polka dot dress at the X-factor auditions in LA with minimal fuss and a low ponytail


Thursday 9 June 2011

Glastonbury Glamour: Fashion for Festivals


New 'It' girl and X-Men actress Zoe Kravitz is my new style inspiration for the summer, every casual 'who me? oh i just threw this on..' look is so achingly cool and bohemian she should be the poster girl for festivals and any hippie-related activities. Whether on the red carpet in a maxi skirt and midi top combo or just on the streets of New York in a vintage find, this girl has got boho dressing down to an art and as such we should all worship at the alter of Kravitz-tianity this summer.

A few of my personal pics for the upcoming festival frivolity: 

Vila cropped waistcoat available at www.asos.com, the only form of lace acceptable this summer

Mango pleated Midi-skirt, teamed with your dad's brown leather belt and a crop top.

ASOS Maxi dress with gorgeous gold detailing has the perfect amount of hippie-chic for the nicer festivals.

This stars and stripes body from ASOS is bang on trend and even Kate Bosworth was seen in the print at Coachella.

Monday 6 June 2011

How NOT to do Louboutin and Leger

What not to wear: Amanda Bynes last night

The MTV Movie Awards had its fair share of the good, the bad, and the hire-a-stylist-now-to-save-your-career, as any awards show but one former teen actress stood out from the rest and not for the reasons a beautiful girl should on the red carpet. Amanda Bynes somehow managed to make a ridiculously expensive dress ( Herve Leger bandage dresses go for $2000 +) and some ferocious Louboutins that only Khloe Kardashian would have the guts to wear, look like an outfit so trashy, even one of the Jersey Shore girls wouldn't be seen dead in it. Top that off with the tacky white bangle straight off the shelf from Forever 21 a randomly placed quilted Chanel clutch and you have possibly the worst creation that has ever been presented on the red carpet.

But do not fear my fashion followers, i have found some celebrities who managed to get this ratio of Louboutin and Leger right, and it is their example that you will need to follow:

Model Chanel Iman at a Victoria's Secret event wearing red with some sexy spiked heels

Hilary Duff at the 2010 Teen Choice Awards picks the perfect accessories

Katy Perry oozes sex appeal in an orange and gold combo of the two labels