All that Glitters

Jumper: Mink Pink for Urban Outfitters
Necklace: TopShop
Jeans: TopShop

Top: TopShop
Shoes: Vagabond for Urban Outfitters
Hat: Urban Outfitters

Massive thanks to Kimberley Edwards for helping me with these pictures. It's so nice to not be relying on self timer in my back garden, feeling the judgemental gaze of my neighbours as they wonder what on earth I'm actually doing.

Anyway, this post is focusing on clothes that sparkle. We're starting to enter into the party season, so, naturally, sequins, glitter, silver, gold etc etc are making a firm annual comeback. However, it seems that this year, even casual wear has become subject to the party vibe. There is glitter everywhere.

I have to say, I love it. I think it makes what otherwise could've been a relatively simple outfit that extra bit vibrant, but doesn't take away from a casual look. The tops in the pictures above are two of my favourite buys this year, particularly the Mink Pink cropped jumper. It's so fluffy and cosy! It's also in the Urban Outfitters sale...in case you needed an extra incentive

I've never been into excessive glitter, even for evening wear and nights out...but recently I have definitely started warming to the style. I think when paired with something basic, like jeans or some plain leggings, it looks lush, but maybe I'm not being adventurous enough. I love this dress from Motel Rocks, but I just don't know if I'd ever have the guts to wear it!

But all the sequins are a definite signifier that the Christmas season is soon to arrive...(it's definitely still too early) so maybe it is time to embrace the glitter. I reckon I should revive this little number, I haven't exactly grown much...

Fabulous.

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Knitwear

Jumper: Beyond Retro, Brighton
Jeans: Plenty, at Urban Outfitters
Choker: Urban Outfitters
Necklace: Urban Outfitters 

Amazingly, I am not all in black. I haven't gone as far as wearing bright colours, but you've got to start somewhere.

I love a good vintage knit, and the Autumn/Winter season is the perfect time to bring them out in all their patterned glory. As a little twist, I'm trying out a cropped knit from Beyond Retro in Brighton. I really like the style, it works brilliantly with high waisted jeans to create a casual look that's perfect for the chillier days. Plus, the slight shapelessness gives a sort of Nineties vibe, which, as you're probably more than aware, is a key look at the moment.

I'm probably jumping on the bandwagon a little early, but chunky knitwear is always a staple for Autumn/Winter. The styles tend to remain relatively constant from year to year - a slightly offbeat pattern and a cable knit design are pretty much all you need for the look. And there's no need for it to be expensive. You can grab them from vintage shops, charity shops or even just your dad's wardrobe from the 70s.

I'm so looking forward to stocking up on these knits, they're just easy to throw on and wrap up. I'm especially loving the high-neck styles that are coming in at the moment, they add an element of chic to an otherwise casual style.

Jumper: ASOS

But it's definitely too early for the full-on christmas jumper, September is not the time to start dressing like our pal Colin...

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Cut it Out

Cut Out Blouse: Boohoo.com
Leggings: River Island
Bralet: Urban Outfitters
Boots: Vagabond, Urban Outfitters
Necklace: Urban Outfitters

Continuing my love affair with black and sheer clothing, I instantly fell for this blouse from Boohoo. The cut out shoulder detail and high neckline create a shape that would flatter any body type. It was slightly harder to take the pictures though, as it turns out my skin is the same colour as my standard white backdrop, and the look does require existent and visible shoulders...

The cut out trend is great for the summer-to-autumn transition period. It still shows skin, but only in fragments, suggesting a slow move toward covering up for the new season. Although I prefer the cut out shoulder style, this is not the only way to wear the trend:

The cut-out waist dress is a pretty timeless piece, but has seen a relaunch this summer. Personally, I find it difficult to wear, but that's how I am with most dresses...so I might not be the best the judge. It's tricky to get right. The cut-out detail has to hit the waist at precisely the right point to be flattering and, if that happens, then it can look really good. But, if you're like me and you have never found a waisted dress that actually goes in at your waist (because you're basically too short for that to happen) then it's harder to find a style that works. That's just my experience, however!

Get the trend while you can, before it gets too cold to have any skin on show at all. River Island and Motel have some really nice styles - click the links to have a look! But, while I love the trend, I'll be avoiding any white back drops - I don't want to risk blending in.

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Sports Day

Jacket: Pull and Bear
Leggings: River Island
Sports Bra: La Redoute
Shoes: Nike for Urban Outfitters
Bag: Primark 

I really like this trend for pseudo-sports wear becoming perfectly acceptable daywear, but I do find it strange how, up until quite recently, it was considered the stereotypical look of the 'chav'. Although its origins conjure up images of thirteen year old anarchists causing unadulterated havoc by smoking fags outside the school gates, it's current association is more urban cool.

The trend has been slowly filtering down from the catwalk to the high street, and the now autumn/winter 2014 is set to be a blur of 'go faster' stripes, racer backs and sneakers.

DKNY

Marc by Marc Jacobs

One big bonus about this trend is comfort - it usually centres around leggings, hoodies and trainers, which makes for a nice break from squeezing into skinny jeans and stomping around in clumpy heels. It doesn't have to be figure hugging, it can light and loose, which helps in the hot (ish) weather we're getting.

And if you do fancy going for a jog or hitting the gym, you're already dressed. No excuses...

(I should mention that I found this look hard to accessorise. It turns out that I was just one gold necklace away from Vicky Pollard.)

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The Tapered Trouser

Top: Missguided.com
Trousers: Topshop

Tapered trousers are pretty much my favourite thing right now. They solve so many problems - it's 25 degrees outside and you're just not ready to brave it with a bare leg, but it's far far too hot for jeans...put a pair of these on. They're light, baggy and usually come in floral prints that are perfect for the summer.

There is nothing really new about this trend, aside from its transition from smart to undeniably casual. I'm more used to seeing them as part of a stylish suit on the red carpet than being worn around the city with flip flops and a basic crop.

Kristen Stewart

Tapered trousers work really well on all shapes and sizes. They're not hold-your-breath-and-prepare-not-to-breath style tight, like the jeans and trousers that have dominated fashion in recent years, but also they're not completely shapeless. The high-waisted aspect erodes the appearance of the dreaded muffin-top, whilst the soft gradation from baggy to tighter at the ankle gives the illusion of a flattering leg shape. And they really don't have to be expensive. All the standard high street chains are selling them - New Look is particularly good value.

New Look Tapered Trousers - £17.99

Personally, I'm not so keen on that particular print, but the shape and general idea is definitely there. Plus, I tend to discriminate against bright colours...so I might not be the best judge

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Back to Basics

Dress: Urban Outfitters
Necklace: Urban Outfitters

Summer fashion doesn't have to be all about prints and bold colours. Simple little pieces can work really well too. It's so easy to get lost in trends - which print is in right now? What colour can I wear with it? Is the outfit right for the season? The questions are endless. Sometimes it's easier to just give up and wear a slab of plain grey cotton with arm holes.

And it doesn't look half as bad as it sounds! Shapeless dresses are actually not that unflattering. I've avoided them like the plague for years, thinking that, because I am short, they will inevitably drown me in a sea of fabric. But with a good chunky heel, it really works. And the simplicity works too - really easy to accessorise and achieves a sort of 'effortlessly cool' feel.

It's what I like to call the 'sack' dress - utterly shapeless. Which, I admit, sounds pretty negative...but all it means is that it's casual, perfect for summer day wear.

It doesn't necessarily have to be a dress, simplicity is easily achieved through jeans a plain T, or a neutral coloured skirt and top. For me, less is always more - I'd rather an outfit be under-done rather than overdone. But maybe I'm just playing it safe...

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Big Hat or Tiny Person?

I really love hats, of all kinds, and I am loving that they're everywhere at the moment. Particularly, I love the big floppy hats that are all over the high street shops, and are not always made out of straw, as you'd expect with typical summer beach fashion...

These ones are far more chic. Vogue recently published a list of 22 hats to end  bad hair days forever, whilst remaining  stylish and sophisticated, and the classic big floppy hat - for want of a better name  -was a prominent feature. At the  moment, Topshop are doing some really nice styles for around £25, whilst ASOS also has a wide selection for around £15 - £20.

Hat by Topshop

Hat by ASOS

The only issue I have with this hat trend is that I'm tiny, and I'm not completely sure whether I can pull them off proportionally...plus I do worry that they make me look a little pirate-y...but I'm going to assume that's just me being paranoid! Hats work with all kinds of styles, from bohemian to preppy, and from vintage to entirely modern. They are incredibly versatile.

Vogue has said in the past that hats increase femininity - they change the way we move. We turn slowly, look sideways and pretend to ignore everything around us, giving women everywhere an air of complete and utter confidence. Though, honestly, I think it's more likely that these women are trying to prevent their hat from blowing off in the British winds...it's always a tricky procedure

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Tie-Dye Blue

It's been around for a while now, but tie-dye is blasting at full force this summer. So I picked this little number (above) a few weeks back from Urban Outfitters and have been wearing it whenever possible. It combines two main trends for summer 2014. One being tie-dye, obviously, and the other being the colour blue. According to Harper's Bazaar, these are two unstoppable crazes, especially when put together.

Graham & Spencer Velvet Cami

MiH Jeans Dress

J.Crew Bikini

Tie-dye has moved away from its original 'Hippie' background and is now at the forefront of high street fashion. It's had quite a journey. In the 70's it was seized by the peace adoring, shower ambivalent hippies, but then was reclaimed by 90's grunge.

Now, in the 2010's it's set to be a major player on 2015's resort season. Resort wear (or cruise wear) typically refers to upmarket stores or collections frequented by affluent members of society. Resort stores allow these people to kit themselves out in the latest trends, ready for their winter escape to some island in the tropics, populated solely by the rich and famous. 

But tie-dye is still very present on the British high street. The catwalk hasn't captured it yet!

You can find lush pieces in loads of stores: 

Tie Dye crop
Bone White for Urban Outfitters

Dark Dimension leggings
Yayer.com 

Tie dye/fringe crop
Topshop

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The Oriental Explosion

Yep. That's me on a Brighton rooftop, trying to look calm and collected whilst having internal seizures due to the fact that I'm sitting on an almost-too-thin ledge about 50 feet above the ground.

Anyway, it's meant to suggest the beginning of summer, which means vibrant prints and block colours become standard practice. As summer's answer to Ebenezer Scrooge, I'm not good with colour, and tend to reject it wherever possible. But it can look great, and definitely does show that you're able to welcome the sunny season with arms, that might be slightly burnt, but still remain wide open.

Prints, however, take more care. It's basically impossible to carry off an outfit that includes more than one type of print without looking like a circus attraction. It's better to mix with plain clothes, allowing the print to become the stand-out feature...

...which is why the kimono is so great. They are everywhere right now. In some sort of oriental high-street explosion, the kimono has become the perfect summer cover-up. It's a great way of making a plain outfit a little more suited to the season. An otherwise gloomy black number becomes instantly rejuvenated by the bright colours and floral print.

According to the magazines, the kimono is part of a wider trend that combines western elements with eastern stylistic traditions. Vogue, in Spring/Summer 2013, predicted a "Nouvelle Japonisme" would take hold of the high street in 2014, and this is precisely what has happened. The styles are perfect for the western summer, because they tend to use light fabrics and don't rely too heavily on that classic colour that persistently pervades British fashion in particular - black.

Etro 

Emilio Pucci

Obviously, the catwalk styles are always more extreme than the styles found on the hight street, but the concept is still clear. The trend is not entirely innovative - for years, designers have taken inspiration from the far east and used it in conjunction with western ideas, and it is no coincidence that Tokyo and Beijing are two of the biggest fashion hotspots in the world. But the orient has never hit the British high street as hard as it is hitting it right now.

The oriental explosion brings easy ways of dressing for summer with light materials, bright colours and eccentric prints. They can make a colourful outfit even more colourful, or a a relatively gloomy number at least acceptable for June/July. But I'm going to continue to walk proud in my all black, we'll probably only get sun for a week anyway...

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Wearing Clothes that don't Fit? Welcome to the Nineties Revival

This shirt is miles too big for me.

It is a men's extra large, and I am 5'1. But I love it, and my excuse for wearing it constantly with every outfit possible is that it's 'Nineties' and therefore totally acceptable. Nineties grunge was symbolised by the oversized. Baggy, high waisted jeans, loose shirts and enormous blazers. And it's all coming back. 

Drew Barrymore, Poison Ivy

Bomber Jacket, Urban Outfitters

The high street is encouraging everyone to channel their inner Drew Barrymore, the uncrowned queen of Nineties grunge. Bomber jackets, ripped jeans and accessories such as impossibly round sunglasses, scrunchies and beanies during summer are looming large in most high street chains.

But it's not purely the oversized that pervaded the ill-fitting style of the Nineties. Teeny tiny crop tops, mini dresses and hot pants also made up key elements of the fashion. Think a young Liv Tyler, or classic Kate Moss. Rather than there being an excess of material, there is virtually nothing at all! Again, the crop top has been making a strong comeback, having been back on the high street now for about a year. It's showing no signs of dying out, summer twenty fourteen is set to be filled with high waisted denim hot pants coupled with a basic crop or bralet. 

One of the best things about the Nineties revival is that it need not be expensive. Vintage or charity shops sell these clothes for around half the price of the high street, and, given that accurate sizing was clearly not a priority during this particular fashion era, so meticulously searching for the perfect fit is not an issue. I think the style works best when the oversized is mixed with the undersized...as it were. a loose fitting shirt worn over a skin-tight crop top, for example, or hot pants worn with a baggy sweatshirt. That way, you get the best of both worlds. Plus too much oversized can end up looking a bit sack like, whilst too little can end up looking...well, yeah. 

But the one thing I refuse to get on board with is the excess of denim. So far, this is an aspect of the Nineties revival that is yet to make a comeback...but it's only a matter of time...

ARGH

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The Spring/Summer Subversion

It's that time again. The pastels are in their prime, florals are making their inevitable appearance and bold colours are boldly striding forth - spring/summer fashion is in bloom.

Pastels and bolds are fantastic, if you can pull them off. If you are like me, however, this is not easy to do. Pastel colours and pale skin were not made to co-exist, the combination usually results in an 'I've just got rid of the flu' look... Bold colours can work really well, depending on the undertone to your complexion. For me, red is a no-go, it brings out the pink in my skin and I end up looking like a lobster. 

So I propose black. Yes, it's a wintery colour, but we're British! It rains all the time anyway.

Black is eternally stylish, it never really goes out of fashion. Instead, season by season, it moves in and out of the forefront of colour trends.

But black was definitely present at the twenty-fourteen fashion weeks, and they proved that it doesn't have to be associated with the more 'sombre' seasons.

Take a look at Yves Saint Laurent 'Black Magic' at Paris Fashion Week

It's sophisticated, but not too heavy. It's smart, whilst still emphasising the complexion of both models.

And black is pervading the high street as well. A personal fave of mine are the black dungarees that are making a frequent appearance in the high street shops. Urban Outfitters have some great styles.

These tapered dungarees are great for spring. Their smart/casual style can work for both day and night - the 3/4 length leg would work perfectly with flats for the day time, or with a pair of heeled ankle boots for the evening. Plus, the dungarees can be coupled with something colourful, so if you are one for the pastel trend, the two can be combined. 

But, just because I tend prefer a more casual style, I prefer the classic denim dungaree - which also look great in black. These vintage dungarees are a throwback to 90's fashion, which has been making a huge comeback on the high street over the past year.

The whole 'oversized' look so popular with 90's fashion does risk looking a little sack-like...but the black dungarees add a little 'chic'-ness to the whole look. It's classy, but at the same time oozes that effortless cool that simply says "yeah, I threw this on...I haven't even showered yet, I don't care, I'm too cool to care"

Though it is a fine balance. Unfortunately the dungaree will always be associated with the stereotypical redneck American. So, without careful consideration, it becomes less high-street cool and more Texan farmer...

       ...and no one wants that.

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