Scottish Textiles

Just when it seemed that the skinny jean had hit its zenith and may soon be making an exit, designers such as Calvin Klein are continuing to show this hard to wear trend.  Slim fit trousers present a style challenge to the heavy set or conservative male proving that although the style may be widespread on runways and in fashion magazines, not all trends are right for everyone.  Men are not immune to the desire to keep up with what’s new in fashion, but certain trends require an assessment of one’s body type and personal style before jumping in with both feet.  There are variations within the slim fit trend that will flatter every shape while staying within the main concept.

One of the big pushes this autumn was for slim fit jeans and trousers in a variety of unexpected colours such as bright blue and grey denim.  Some designers pair bright blue slim trousers with a more conservative knee length grey coat to make the look wearable for the masses.  Others show that grey hued denim brings the slim fit pant a more masculine look when paired with sneakers and tee shirts.  Instead of the waif-like models seen on the runways, some designers prove that a man with a more muscular physique can pull off the trend just as well by allowing the skinny jean to compliment a defined pair of legs.

If you’re looking to add some chic daytime pieces to your wardrobe, luxury lightweight knitwear, relaxed fit dresses and statement tops and tees then you can’t go wrong with clothing from Vila. The fashion brand offers clothing for the Adventurous Girl who is not a fashion victim but instead is graceful and fashion conscious. Following fashion trends you can easily pick key pieces out to complete your looks for every season.

Vila clothes have a wide range of shops around Europe including Scandinavia, Netherland, Ireland, Germany, plus they also sell wholesale to customers in Scandinavia, Iceland, Benelux, France, UK, Netherland and Ireland. Here in the UK you can buy Vila clothing from a number of retailers including Republic.

If you like fashion and the freedom what to wear what you want and when to wear it when you want then Vila clothing is for you. Reasonably priced latest trends and key style pieces you can’t go wrong.

Vila clothing

Olympic fever has already gripped the nation and it is not surprising that the up-and-coming London Olympic Games have inspired many of the looks for spring/summer 2012.  At Paris Fashion Week, Givenchy’s Wimbledon-green suit won over the crowd faster than Usain Bolt can sprint his way to medal success, but while sport is the overarching trend on spring/summer menswear, the trend is associated with varying degrees of success.  Turn to designer Dries Van Noten, whose Paris collection consisted of desirable yet minimalist sportswear-inspired looks, for an insight into how this trend can work for the not-so-sporty among us. 

In spring 2012, expect to snap up a sporty parka or mac in navy, wet-look brown or upbeat yellow – perfectly practical for British weather.  Dig out your old rugby shorts and embrace the look envisaged on the catwalks by Margaret Howell.  If you don’t want to be missed or if you get caught in the rain, try a red nylon cape for size, as brought to the table by Martin Margiela.  Perhaps the best way in which to rock the sportswear look – without forking out for a gym membership – is to dust down your old-school footwear.  Think Nike and New Balance – but without the socks.

Olympic Logo

Stand out amidst a sea of LBDs this season is a bold green dress, one of the many favourite colours with designers this season.  Green and other jewel-tones have taken over from the bright colours of summer, blending in with the richness of autumn.  Seen on both daywear and as an alternative to the black dress at night, jewel tones are all set to become the hottest new colours of this autumn.

Bejewelled Glamour

From emerald to citrine, designers have borrowed from a host of warm jewel-inspired colours to create an ensemble that is luxurious and eye-catching.  Ready-to-wear collections were full of glimmering outfits in gold, honey yellow, ruby red and sapphire blue, among others.  Satin materials added an extra bit of vibe to the creations.

The best way to wear this look is to put the dress with accessories like jewelled bags and shoes.  While the mixed-hued look is also popular, more usually seen is the more traditional one colour, worn with a neutral colour like black, camel or grey.  As the dress is the centre of the entire outfit, the accessories will have to be toned down accordingly.

Jewel tones look great on all types of figures and because they feature details like pleating and draping, it is possible with a little experimentation to put together an elegant look by combining a few pieces.

This season make the best of jewel tones and sparkle like a gem at the next cocktail party.

Many businesses are opting for a more casual workplace atmosphere.  Offices everywhere are opting for once a week dress-down days or forgoing formal business attire all together with a daily business casual dress code.  Although the idea behind business casual should make most workers feel more comfortable at the office, this relatively new category of work attire can be confusing.  The lines between casual weekend wear and casual work attire can become blurry.  In a business casual environment, the key is to look professional yet comfortable and approachable. 

When in doubt, it is always wise to refer to the office dress code.  Anything that may be unclear should be discussed with human resources.  One must never take the notion of casual too literally when dressing for the office.  It is important to look neat and professional regardless of what the employee handbook says.  A man should always make sure his clothes are well pressed and in good condition, even in the most casual work settings.  In workplaces that do not allow denim, corduroy, chinos and khakis are always a nice choice.  When in doubt, leave the denim for after work. If one’s place of business does allow denim, it is important to keep other pieces more conservative.  Pairing jeans with a button down shirt or sweater with a blazer and a nice pair of oxfords is casual yet serious enough for the office.

Back in the spotlight and better than ever are pointed-toe shoes, or pumps.  Seen on most runways and sported by the latest trendsetters, this iconic footwear style is back with a bang.  Available in both stiletto and flat modes, the clean lines make them work with a range of different looks and are thus hugely popular.

Always Fashionable

The sexy and sophisticated pointy-toe pumps were famous in the 80s with style divas like Madonna making them a wardrobe essential.  Now that they are back in vogue, retailers are outdoing each other to come up with different versions of this iconic shoe.

The pointed-toe shoe fad since spring this year has remained alive all through summer and is expected to be a part of our wardrobes for a long time.  They can be worn dressed up or down, looking equally good with a sleek black party dress or with cropped pants.  Fashion gurus advise women to keep the look simple by not teaming the shoes with textured or coloured tights and by opting for simple dresses rather than outfits involving lace or texture. 

Designers have brought in several flavours to their pointy-toe pump collections, with many featuring patent leather and animal print stilettos, they also use suede and snakeskin finishes.  The best part about the pointed-toe pumps is that they make your legs appear longer and this is one of the reasons for their popularity.

Grab a few pairs off the shelves this season – going by forecasts, the pointy-toe shoe trend is here to stay.

Get ready to shine this autumn/winter as fashion takes a shiny turn, plenty of sequins and glitter can be found with lots of fringing, embroidery and applique detailing to be found. Designers such as Marc Jacobs, Stella McCartney and Christopher Kane, featured plenty of high shine couture in their runway shows. Perfect for the party season and the highstreet will be adorned with glittering party dresses.

Metallics and glitz are all part and parcel of the party season, however this year there is much more emphasis of this in the fashion world, new fabrics have been used to create high shine looks such as polythene and laminated fabrics in metallic colours such as copper, bronze and gold. Reflection is also important so look out for wet look finishes and plenty of leather and PVC for a sexy, shiny look.

The dazzling fashion isn’t just limited to women’s dresses, Louis Vuitton and Dolce & Gabbana also embraced sequins and glitter, with embezzled cashmere perfect for day to night looks. To make the most of this fashion trend and avoid looking like a Christmas tree you need to follow a few simple rules:

Firstly don’t go head to toe glitz, a pair of sequined trousers or metallic leggings will come in handy for an easy glam night look teamed with a simple blouse. A sequined blazer is also handy to wear with skinny jeans or a simple dress, you don’t have to stick to black though, try on different colours to find one that suits you.

Don’t wear clashing prints and lots of different fabrics, try and keep it as simple as possible for maximum impact. Also if you’re not into that much glitter, why not opt for a plain dress, glitzed up with glittery shoes and bag?

Your sequins don’t just have to be kept for evening wear, a sequined jumper or embellished top can be a great way to dress up your day wear, or you can just add a simple sequined scarf and hat, simple!

Dazzling fashion

When you mention fetish fashion trends to some, images of scantily clad women in leather corsets holding whips and wearing stripper shoes may come to mind, but there is so much more to this than you think.

Although on the catwalks there were some risqué looks and those watching featured (Kate Moss wearing bondage boots and smoking at Louis Vuitton) and (Lady Gaga, being well Lady Gaga at Mugler wearing skin-tight leather) it’s no surprise that this was picked up.

Although its clothing we may not wear fully every day, you can pick parts out of the trend to mix with your everyday wear, such as ripped Firetrap tops, black faux leather trousers and sky high heels worn with skinny jeans, blouses and a LBD will give you a more subtle look.

Corset tops can be quite seductive but also can be quite elegant for evening, worn with trousers or jeans, just make sure there is no muffin top over your jeans and your boobs are suitably contained, because there is a fine line between flashy and trashy and excess skin is it.

Accessories can also give of a fetish hint to what would be a rather plain outfit, look for Gio Goi wide belts, officers caps and lots of black leather, the Kardashian sisters always work the fetish look well, this season they haven’t been seen without their Christian Louboutin black thigh high boots, sexy and subtle although I would guess not the easiest things to get on in a hurry!

Fetish fashion

It has recently been announced that Azzaro, the fashion house and brand based in Paris, has appointed Mathilde Castello Branco as its new creative director.  Branco, who has been the right-hand woman to Lanvin’s Alber Elbaz for the last 10 years, began her fashion career and education at Paris’ École Duperré before moving on to the Atelier Chardon Savard school of fashion.  She then got her first experience in the fashion world by working at Hermès before moving again to Maison Martin Margiela.

The 39 year old Branco will be replacing Vanessa Seward who took over the brand’s direction following the death of Azzaro’s founder, Loris Azzaro, in 2004.  Having been at the helm of Azzaro for seven years, Seward left the label earlier this year after guiding it from near-obscurity to the top of the fashion world and into the wardrobes of some of Hollywood’s best-known A-list celebrities.  Azzaro’s designs can frequently be seen being worn by celebrities such as Natalie Portman, Cameron Diaz, Eva Mendes, Chloe Moretz, Emma Stone and Kristen Stewart.

Branco’s first collection for the brand will be presented for the autumn/winter 2012 season during Paris Fashion Week in March 2012.  It will be both eagerly anticipated as well as heavily scrutinised, but after so long working in the industry it is unlikely that the collection will do anything but impress.

Azzaro

To get the most from each fashion season, it’s good to try and work most trends into your wardrobe. You will find that many top trends each season will cross over and work with each other which will mean you have plenty of clothing options. Picking out parts of trends which suit your style might take a bit of time but the end result will mean you are comfortable in what you wear. So don’t go for a trend if it’s just not you, no matter what you do you won’t feel like you can make it work.

You always have wardrobe staples, classic items which don’t go out of fashion, however each season it’s fun to have a fashion trend update, which means a new men’s jackets, jumpers, shirts and trousers just to mix things up. Fashion forward updates of these each season will keep up on trend and you needn’t splash the cash. The highstreet is great to get a fashion bargain, why would you want to spend a fortune on something that may not be in next season, so it’s better to save here just in case you only get one season out of it.

Other cheap fashion updates can be men’s accessories, hats, scarves and bags can change from season to season so why not give a classic outfit a fashion update with on trend accessories, its simple and affordable. The main thing to remember with clothing that follows fashion trends is to get the most from it so make sure whatever you buy goes with what you already have or what other items you want, so you can make the most out of it.