Fashion evolves all the time, but there are some things that never change and one of those is how to choose the clothes that will flatter your body shape. Choosing the right style can make all the difference to how you look and feel and give you confidence, below are some things to remember when you next visit a clothes shop.
Pear shaped women have broad hips, a relatively small bust and a pronounced waist. If you fall into this type you should avoid clothes that draw attention to your hips. This includes items such as jackets or trousers that finish at the waist. Select fitted tops to draw attention to your bust and avoid lighter colours on your bottom half as this will accentuate the width. Darker shades and structured cuts are best, while bold tops in eye-catching colours will also draw attention to your upper half.
If you have the classic hourglass figure you should select clothes that show off your curves. Choosing clothes that skim the body, neither too loose nor too tight will flatter your figure. Accessorise with belts or tops that tie at the waist to accentuate your shape. Fitted waist-length jackets and tops will flatter your shape, but avoid shapeless tunics. Pencil skirts and scoop necks are also good choices.
Women who have a boyish figure should show off their slender legs. Choose skirts and dresses that lengthen the appearance of the torso. V-neck shirts or tops with a low collar will draw attention to your neck. Avoid belts, shirts or dresses that gather at the waist. Women with small busts can wear a wide range of tops, backless, strapless or plunge necks will flatter neat proportions.
If you have a round figure with a large bust, narrow hips and a round stomach you can still dress in chic styles. Typically, such women have lean legs and drawing attention to these will be their best bet. Wear tops with a longer neckline, but avoid broad collars or polo necks. Tunics are a good choice, but avoid anything that is tight fitting. Narrow belts that blend with the colour of your outfit are also a good choice. If you have a large bust then a good bra is essential. Avoid tops or dresses that don’t allow you to wear a bra underneath.
Selfridge’s new boutique the Forever Shop which is open from now through to 15 August in the Wonder Room concept store area and it features items that have transcended fashion history to become timeless style staples, which is a refreshing change in these times of throw away fashion.
In the collection you will find something for everyone with inimitable pieces, that even a fashion novice should recognise like the Chanel 2.55 handbag and the quintessentially English Burberry trench to the cult classic, white Converse All Star and Doctor Martin’s black eight hole boot. On top of this you will be able to admire a selection of culture-shaping works of design and literature to ponder, that will give you an insight on how fashion developed.
The pieces in this collection have been handpicked by the best in the fashion business, those who have lent their expertise with this include: Selfridges’ Creative Director, Allannah Weston, British design legend Paul Smith and Elle Decorations Editor-in-Chief, Michelle Ogundehin.
Selfridges’ Creative Director, Allannah Weston, believes now is the right time to host such a store saying “The pieces selected by our curators are the true heirlooms and keepsakes of fashion and design with real longevity and appeal. They are the reference points that are often reinterpreted but never bettered, presented for the first time in one place. We have been talking about bringing together the pieces that define ageless style for a while, and now just seemed the perfect time for our Forever Shop.”
Fashion designer Stella McCartney is set to take over as Addidas’s Olympic Creative Director and will be designing a fashion athletic kit for those taking part in the 2012 games, Stella already designs a best-selling line for the label. A UK adidas official said: ‘This is the ultimate fusion of performance and style,’ at her appointment, Stella’s latest adidas designs include a gorgeous glow in the dark running range, which will be launched soon.
Speaking about her designs that not only look great but are also affordable, Stella said: ‘When you are running in an urban environment, you need to feel safe, when people can see you coming and stand out, especially in winter when it gets dark earlier, but at the same time we used it on a leopard print, so it’s not so masculine and graphic. We also have glow-in-the-dark key rings which have a nice sense of humour, which you can have if you are a man, a woman, or a kid.’
Red carpet fashion is a much-publicised phenomena and each time there is a film premier or awards ceremony the fashion journalists are eager to decide which designers are in favour at the moment and to spot the latest fashion trends among the stars. They are also very keen to highlight the stars that have made a fashion faux pas.
The stars that usually get a good write-up from the fashion editors are those who keep it simple. Male celebrities are usually fairly safe if they turn up in a tuxedo and keep their hair neat, but their female counterparts can come in for a lot of criticism if they do not look absolutely perfect. An overly fussy hairstyle and neckline can take the polish off a look and leave the journalists wondering where the stylist was.
Awards ceremonies tend to show fashion trends; for example, the Oscars ceremony a couple of years ago saw a number of ‘A’ list female stars opt for flesh-coloured dresses. Other years have seen trends for black, silver or red, but it is worth remembering that these trends change very quickly.
Some retailers will see a dress on the red carpet and very quickly bring out a similar item at high street prices, although most people rarely have the occasion to wear them. The designers that are showcased on the red carpet often have their careers made or broken by the clothes that the celebrities wear. It is the perfect opportunity for an unknown designer to become better known and some have become overnight sensations.
Men have it so much easier to women when it comes to fashion choices, and for most this is just fine, it makes it easy to choose what to wear and generally doesn’t require much looking into what’s ‘in’ fashion every season. However there are a number of you guys who seem to be unable to dress with a bit of style, wearing men’s clothing that’s ten years out of date, ill fitting clothes and generally not being able to dress your age.
You don’t have to be a fashion expert to dress smartly all it takes is a bit of common sense and realise that you are no longer a teenager so some things are not suitable to wear anymore. Most of you will spend most of your time when you’re out wearing jeans so you need to make sure they fit properly, you don’t want them sliding down your bottom showing off your not so nice pants, trust me the world does not want to see that. Instead opt for a well fitting pair of straight leg designer jeans, and if they are not snug around the waist pop on a belt, not only will it keep them in place but it also finishes off an outfit.
If you like going out on a night to pubs and clubs you may find that many have a dress code policy, wearing smart dark jeans and a fitted shirt with shoes should stop you from being denied entry but it will also make look much more smart than wearing trainers and a logo t-shirt.
Yves St Laurent is one of the most famous French fashion houses, launched in 1962 by Yves St Laurent and Pierre Bergé. It is now more often referred to by just the initials YSL.
Yves St Laurent has broken new ground in the fashion world on several occasions. It was one of the first luxury designer brands to branch out into ready-to-wear and was one of the first fashion houses to hire black models to take part in the catwalk shows. Amongst the designer’s muses is Catherine Deneuve, the French actress.
The label was bought by Gucci fashion house in 1999, and Tom Ford was brought in to design the ready-to-wear collections, while Yves St Laurent himself concentrated on the haute couture. The couture business closed in 2002 after Yves St Laurent had suffered several years of ill health, and several collections had received negative reviews.
The YSL brand still produces a ready-to-wear collection and also has a very successful cosmetics range. The ready-to-wear designs are produced by Stefano Pilati, and are influenced by French chic.
Yves St Laurent was one of the first lines to produce clothing for women that had been influenced by men’s clothes. The first tuxedo for women was produced by YSL. The brand also popularised the trouser suite and blazer for women. Customers are able to purchase YSL online through the company’s own website. Fans will find that there are items that they can buy online which are not available in the shops.
YSL logo
Picture courtesy of wvfonseca
For women there are a few handy rules and tips to bear in mind when looking for an a perfect designer women’s wear outfit for a wedding, by following these you should be able to find the perfect outfit for the day.
Style
The style of dress you choose can depend on a couple of factors, body shape and body size, you need to remember not everything looks the same on everyone so make sure you choose a dress that flatters your figure not one that accentuates you bad bits.
It’s also helpful to keep in mind for a wedding that you should not go for something OTT you don’t want to be competing with a bride on her big day for attention, you need to go for a look that is subtle and smart, because you will be photographed and no one will want to remember you in a bright garish dress.
A n appropriate dress length also is required, luckily maxi dresses are in this season so if you’re not comfortable bearing your legs you don’t have to, but if you are happy to show some leg just keep in mind not to show too much so avoid miniskirts and mini dresses.
Accessories
Weddings can be a great occasion to wear a hat but this is one area you don’t want to go overboard, remember it’s not Ladies Day at Ascot so some large creation will probably not be appreciated. If hats don’t suit you, you can always opt for a simple fascinator,cute headband or a pretty slide.
If you have some lovely pieces of jewellery then a wedding can be a great place to show them off, especially if you don’t always get much of an opportunity normally, but as with everything else we have mentioned here this is another area not to go over the top in. A simple necklace, diamond earrings and a thin bracelet is all you need to finish off an outfit.
Donna Karan has built up one of the most successful American fashion houses over the last two decades. The brand is synonymous with elegant but practical style, so her clothes are worn by women all over the world.
Donna Karan studied design, but left college without completing her course in order to become an assistant at Anne Klein, a design firm. She became a designer there in 1974 following Klein’s death and won many awards for her work. She helped to launch Anne Klein II in 1983 – a line intended to close the gap between designer items and affordable fashion. The following year she launched Donna Karan New York with a collection aimed at working women.
She specialised in basic wardrobe items that every woman needs. In 1989 she launched DKNY, which offered a designer name at reasonable prices, making it affordable for the working woman who does not earn a six figure salary. Her ‘Essentials’ line added to the success of the brand, offering the consumer a basic collection of items that every wardrobe should have, such as bodysuits, jackets and jeans.
Donna Karan clothes are worn by many famous names including Barbra Streisand and Hillary Clinton, while her menswear collections are favoured by the likes of Richard Gere and Warren Beatty. The fashion collections are supplemented by home furnishings and body care products such as perfume.
There are around 30 Donna Karan boutiques worldwide, with the ready-to-wear collections also being made available in some department stores.
Donna Karan
Picture courtesy of [cipher]
Picked up on last year colour blocking is set to be a big trend again this year, looking at the spring/summer 2010 catwalk trends. Acid brights and garish bold pattern are also a huge trend this year so you can defiantly see that bright colours are defiantly in designer women’s wear.
Colour block
Colour blocking is a separate trend to the bold prints that we have seen flourish this year, as the name suggests you need to go for block colours in the basic hues, red, blue, yellow, pink, green and so on. With this trend experimenting in clashing colours is encouraged to make a statement but do remember to keep it simple, not too many fussy shapes or too many accessories.
Bright tops
If you’re not quite brave enough to clash your colours, try opting for colour blocks in the same tonal family or mix and match colours with white and black.
Accessories
London Fashion Week has much to offer the fashion industry. It is an annual event that is attended by fashion professionals. The venue is Somerset House, with several function rooms being given over to the various shows.
London Fashion Week is part of a fashion marathon, with shows taking place in New York, Paris and Milan too. The weeks follow each other, so the world’s press go from one to another to report on the collections that are being presented. The theatrical approaches of the designers ensure the interest of the rest of the fashion world.
The 2009 event was the 25th anniversary of both the event and the formation of the British Fashion Council. Designers that regularly take part include Caroline Charles, Betty Jackson, Jasper Conran, Vivienne Westwood and Nicole Farhi, amongst others.
The 2010 event ran from 19th to 24th February, when the overall style moved away from the eccentricity of previous years, favouring more elegant designs. The retro feel that some collections have had in the past had also disappeared, and the overall emphasis appeared to be on a more feminine style.
The event was overshadowed by the untimely and tragic death of Alexander McQueen, but the collections that were presented had the desired impact, giving the London week a serious edge that met with the approval of all watching. The front rows of the shows were filled with celebrities like Kate Moss and Elizabeth Hurley. The reviews that followed in the media were probably the most positive they have ever been.
London Fashion Week
Picture courtesy of BitchBuzz