For those who like to keep up on the latest trends and have a passion for designer fashion, sometimes you can end up spending a small fortune to create the looks you want. This is where being an eagle eye bargain hunter comes in handy. Top brands like Diesel, Abercrombie and Fitch, Gio Goi and Firetrap can be pricy, especially their latest collection, but if you keep an eye out you can find some good deals around.
For many fashion savvy shoppers the internet has been a godsend, no longer do you have to traipse around the highstreet looking for a good deal or the best savings, all this can now be done from the comfort of your own home. Online shopping has not only revolutionised peoples shopping habits but it has also brought different fashion to people.
Other plus points of online shopping also includes the ability to quickly be informed about the latest deals, flash sales or voucher codes for money off. Technology has also helped the highstreet too; smartphones give people access to the web on the go so they can easily find stuff online wherever they are. Including places that have deals in the area you’re in and flash sales.
Following your favourite designers, brands and retailers online can also open you up to exclusive offers many places now use Facebook and Twitter to promote their brands and what offers they have on. So if your favourite designer; Miu Miu, brand; Voi or retailer; H&M use social media sites then it’s worth giving them a ‘like’ or ‘follow’ to keep up to date on their deals.
This year we can see men leaning towards a distinctly nautically influenced ‘Preppy Boy’ and distinguished urban gentleman image as a favourite. Designs showcased by Michael Bastian and Dolce and Gabanna on the spring/summer catwalks inspired this trend which has truly taken hold of the UK.
While many designers including Duckie Brown, Zegna and Antonio Azzuolo accentuated their designs by contrasting oranges with blues, Dolce and Gabanna displayed an abundant prominence of the use of layering black on black in their 2011 spring summer collection. Using earthy undertones such as browns, dark greens and greys to accentuate and woven detail reminiscent of fishing nets to finish, the designs were masculine, street ready and on trend with rolled up trousers.
Michael Bastian’s offerings were heavily themed by a sporty, nautical influence with nostalgic undertones. Stripes and plaid in a range of bold colours including blacks, oranges, greys, yellows, greens and brown were used to accentuate his designs.
To create the perfect ensemble for an urban city gent, simply wear a well-tailored, double breasted suit with loafers without socks and roll the jacket sleeves up to the elbow and trousers up to ankle level. If you prefer a modern take on the old fashioned preparatory school look, pairing blazers, full length chinos, tailored shorts and slim fit shirts with soft shoes such as espadrilles and boat shoes worn sockless or a pair of leather sandals, creates an effortlessly high-fashion ensemble.
Men, if the big fashion shows in Paris, New York, Milan and London are any indicator, have found a remarkable new sense of confidence in what they choose to wear. They have also found a refreshing eagerness to express their personality through fashionable and cutting-edge clothing, a situation long familiar to the women. Trendy men’s clothes that combine a sense of fun with comfort and supreme style is the name of the game in men’s fashion this year, after some years of almost seeming intimidated into the traditional staple of smart suits and well-tailored trousers with a subdued range of accessories.
Linen is the fabric of choice in the exclusive ranges, unveiled by the likes of such luminaries as D&G and Armani this season. Linen jackets are the hotcake items, worn loosely with an open linen shirt and skinny tie for a studiously laid back and cool look. Primary colours for the ties and double-breasted jackets for formal affairs, with suede shoes and a leather shoulder bag for a safari look, are recommended.
Jewellery is making a comeback too. This is great news, when you think about how ubiquitous it was until quite recently with both sexes. Women have had it too good in this department for too long. Designers are now lavishing their skills on male jewellery and accessories, to bring out the innate qualities of the clothing.
Sun-weathered linen, in creams and light beige for a slightly uniform look, will see you through this year with no trouble.
Summer has barely begun, but already the fashion experts are weighing in on what will be the hottest trends for next winter. Among the predictions are an emphasis on pleats, real and faux fur, and 1970s elements such as wide legs, bell-bottom pants, and the sheer maxi dress.
Pleats are versatile design elements in that they can be soft and billowing or sharp and precise. Pleats began coming back into vogue with this year’s spring collections, but they will continue into fall designs and the winter collections coming out near the end of 2012. Far more controversial is a return to using real fur. Beginning with the fall collections and continuing into winter, expect to see far more fur clothing on display. Some designers will use faux fur but others are opting for the authentic article.
The 1970s will be fashionable again, as can be seen in some radical alterations to women’s trouser styles. The bell-bottom is in vogue once again now that skinny jeans are almost ubiquitous. Along with bell-bottoms, there is a move toward wider pant legs, and not just at the hem. Expect to see flared pants and loose, comfortable, harem-style pants on the runways come winter.
A final trend is the return to the maxi dress of the 1970s, but this time with a twist: both maxi dresses and maxi skirts will be rendered in sheer textiles that allow light to peek through even while they maintain a heavy weight appropriate for winter fashions.
Who knew bullet bras would ever be popular again? They have been gone for years and appeared to be forgotten, except in old black and white movies. Yet, now people are hunting them with great enthusiasm.
Lingerie is one area where the vintage clothing trend has really come into its own. Whether you buy authentic vintage pieces or detailed replicas of modern manufacture, it seems the demand just keeps growing.
Setting aside the possibility that your lingerie could well be more experienced than you are, what reasons do people give for wanting vintage-style lingerie?
Vintage fashions are apparently sized differently and give you a more flattering fit. Materials tend to be of better quality than their modern counterparts and the fabrics more luxurious. More care was devoted to assembling and finishing of the garments and many have detail/decorative work that simply isn’t available any more.
Finally, there’s the element of fantasy that comes with elegant silk, satin and lace from other eras. All that Victorian and Edwardian repression can give you naughty and rebellious ideas when you lace up a corset or slip into a teddy. Rolling up your stockings to fasten a lacy garter belt feels risqué after living your life in tights.
Really, don’t many of us secretly harbour the desire to own a little something with marabou trim to ‘swan about the boudoir’? You do not have to own a chaise lounge to recline like Jean Harlow or Mae West but it does have that femme fatal mystique…
Keep in mind that lingerie has taken to the streets in recent years. Some pieces team up wonderfully with contemporary fashion; try a lacy satin bed jacket over that bare little sun dress!
A Study in Contradictions for Fall 2011
Catwalks are known for outrageousness, high fashion, and the unexpected. Runways mean many different things to many people. One thing that is rarely ever associated with runway fashion is practicality. This fall, anyone from fashion moguls to busy moms on the go will be able to take designs straight from the runways to the street.
Two of the most practical of the high fashion designers have long been the usual suspects when it comes to wearable fashion. Calvin Klein has always been a brand that is synonymous with simplicity. Their Fall 2011 line falls right in line with that sentiment. Black, gray, camel, and light brown make up the line’s subdued colour palette and the use of texture in lieu of print makes this line one of the season’s most wearable. While the line’s palette may be somewhat dull compared to the polka dots and goldenrod hues of other designers, Calvin Klein makes a statement with perfect swing dresses. Flattering lines make even the simplest piece stunning.
Another winner in the wearable yet fashionable category is no surprise either. Ralph Lauren features dramatic gowns in leather, velvet, and satin with a heavy emphasis on 1920s glamour and Asian inspiration. Like Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren utilizes classic silhouettes and simplicity to make a statement while designing clothes that will not distract from a woman’s natural beauty.
Once over t-shirts with slogans on or comic pictures were normally reserved for the stoner types or band fans showing their allegiance, printed t-shirts were never really in the fashion arena, used more over as advertisement so weren’t really picked up by the mainstream.
However in recent year designers have opted for t shirt printing to add to their collection, usually quirky and whimsical designs that grabbed the attention of those in the fashion world. Many fashion followers picked up and this and thus the trend started and it seems unlikely to stop anytime soon. One reason for its success is that designers also started working in collaboration with charities to produce one off t-shirts at affordable prices that anyone could buy, with proceeds going to charity. Before we knew it many people adorned their charity t-shirts in the droves.
Since then the highstreet has also picked up on this trend, shops lined with every design imaginable really, changing each season as the trends change. It’s strange to think that t-shirt printing has been going on for decades yet has only reached popular levels in the last couple or so. The internet and the media have had a lot to do with it though, designer printed t-shirts seen on the celebs would soon be knocked out by the highstreet with a strikingly similar design, but noted not the same!
It’s not only highstreet clothing retailers getting in on the act many individuals used their own creative skills to come up with their own individual t-shirt designs and use t-shirt printing companies like Adlogo to print their designs onto clothing. For some people what started out as a personal hobby turned into a business which can be quite profitable if people like your designs, so it’s worth a shot if you fancy being a bit of a fashion designer!
The Dresses
The dress is one of the best things about being a woman. There is only one go-to garment that makes a woman feel like a woman. There is a reason that Cinderella, or any other fairy tale princess for that matter, never wore pants. Pants can be quite chic and a skirt can be sexy but nothing captures the essence of a woman like a dress.
There were many dresses worthy of royalty during Fall Fashion Week in Paris. Miu Miu channelled the sexy film sirens of the ‘50s with fitted knee-length dresses mostly in black with gold details. The dresses in this Fall line were focused on defining the waist and emphasizing a woman’s curves.
Alexander McQueen utilized form-fitting structure with a pouf of tulle below the hips. There was a curious fascination with wedding gowns as if to suggest that a certain royal to be might choose to wear one of them in her upcoming nuptials to a certain prince.
Valentino remained well … very Valentino. There was simple feminine sophistication using understated neutrals and body skimming fabrics. The fall line delicately touched on the plaid trend of the season and combined the typically fashion forward print with floral to soften the look. To contrast Valentino’s understated tone, Stella McCartney’s take on Fall included bold polka dots and curve-hugging sheer fabrics and pencil skirts for a look that is a tad on the sexy side.
Cruising Cannes
Karl Lagerfeld knows how to make an entrance. His 2011 Cannes Film Festival arrival was proof that no celebrity is immune to the star power of Chanel. Chanel’s Cruise 2011-2012 line made its debut at the crème de la crème of film festivals while the world’s most famous celebrities sat front and centre.
White satin gowns, palazzo pants, dropped waist dresses and shift dresses adorned with beads and other embellishments, all inspired by ‘20s and ‘30s glamour, did not disappoint. Almost as fabulous as the clothes were the celebrity onlookers such as Blake Lively, Rachel Bilson, Alexa Chung, Vanessa Paradis, and Anna Mouglalis, almost all of whom sported Chanel while on the sidelines.
What is Cruise?
While most are familiar with the twice yearly seasonal lines of Fall/Winter and Spring/Summer, few give much thought to the slightly more ambiguous line that lies somewhere in between. Cruise, also known to some as the Resort Collection or Holiday Travel Collection, is made up of clothing geared toward frequent travellers or someone heading out on holiday to escape the winter cold. Cruise wear is delivered to stores in early November and usually stays in stores until the Spring/Summer lines arrive in March and early April. The mid-season line is particularly attractive to retailers due to an extended shelf life and ample time to sell. As a result, Cruise collections are becoming increasingly important to designers.
Musicians have always had an impact on fashion. Michael Jackson and Prince are two of the kings of flamboyant male fashion styles, having inspired designers all over the world for the last thirty years. However, there is another fashion that is rarely acknowledged but very widely seen. It lurks in the back rooms and smoky bars, and everyone at some point has seen a long haired man dressed head-to-toe in a combination of ripped jeans and a leather jacket.
Denim and leather has become a uniform for rockers and ‘metal-heads’ over the last forty years and its esoteric origins all stem from one man: Robert John Arthur ‘Rob’ Halford of Judas Priest. Inspired by their song ‘Hell Bent for Leather’, Halford once wore a biker jacket covered with metal studs for a gig and the metal ‘uniform’ was instantly born. It was not long before kids all over Britain and America were stitching denim waistcoats onto leather jackets and covering them in studs and badges.
Those kids grew into musicians themselves and so the style was copied by just about every rock band to follow, which helped to cement the classic look it is today. Iconic bands such as Iron Maiden and Metallica owe their style to Rob Halford.
The uniform symbolizes the un-wealthy masses that exist in their own subculture, downtrodden by society, but proud to be part of something larger. Halford himself is now famous to fans for changing his leather trench-coats every few songs.
While being a comparatively small subculture, denim and leather has lived on through the birth and death of many fashion styles and still remains as strong as ever.