Tuesday 31 January 2012

Trending...Pastel Colours

New year, new season, new trends (plus a few of the old favourites of course!) so I decided to do a few get the look pieces encapsulating some of this seasons biggest trends.
To brighten up the cold winter blues I thought I'd start with Pastel colours, think ice creams, spring flowers and sunshine!!

Here's a bit of inspiration...










Ok, I have gone pastel crazy and found a TON of stuff so here goes....





Dresses
Miss Selfridge £32 - Encapsulates the pastel and draping trends while still being quite casual

Miss Selfridge £32 - For those who don't want floaty "pretty pretty"

Topshop £30 - Ladylike glamour, very Chanel!

Topshop £36 - Great for covering up in the cold weather

Topshop £80 - Really stylish, sleek and great shoulder detail.

Tops and Jackets
Miss Selfridge £28 - Great with skinny jeans or smartened at the office

Miss Selfridge £28 - gorgeous sky blue, pair with pastel pink jeans for a bubblegum look

Topshop £24 - This style looks great with skinny jeans and big heels for  sexy evening look

Topshop £30 - Try this over a fitted skirt with a skinny waist belt

Topshop £32 - This would look great with skinny leather trousers/leggings for a great hard/soft contrast.

Topshop £55 - I love the ladylike cut of this, wear with a floaty top and smart chinos

Topshop £45 - Gorgeous draped shape, wear with a fitted black maxi dress underneath or leather trousers for a contrasting look

Trousers, Shorts and Skirts

Topshop £12 - These leggings would look great under a white chiffon shirt for a minimal look

Topshop £28 - You can't beat a pair of chino's! Try a printed leotard and killer heels for an alternative evening look

Topshop £22 - more for summer admittedly but would look great with a loose fitting tee and brogues

Miss Selfridge £22 - Wear with some girly floral tights and  a plain  blouse for a  pretty feminine look

Topshop £32 - love the shimmery effect! A fitted roll neck  would set off this sleek silhouette, or a tweed jacket.

Topshop £32 - LOVE these!!!!! For Gossip Girl style wear with stilettos, blouse and a matching or cute tweed jacket (again!) 

Topshop £40 - Hells and a peplum style top for an evening look, or ballerina flats and a cropped tee for a daytime look

Shoes and Accessories

Miss Selfridge reduced to £4.87 - Great minimalist look

Miss Selfridge reduced to £4.87 - This hair clip is really unusual,  wear in loose hair clipped just behind the ear for a glimpse of colour

Topshop £10 - Cute and ladylike purse :-)

Topshop £16 - Love these retro shades!! Wear with a white shirt and pastel chinos for a Marilyn look

Topshop £16 - Perfect with blue skinny jeans for a preppy look.

Topshop £25 - Again, old school glamour, great with a day dress and pumps, think Olivia Newton John in Grease.

Topshop £36 - Travel in style with this weekend bag!

Topshop £60 - For a more androgynous look wear with tailored straight cut trousers and a shirt or pair with a pretty flirty dress for a contrast

That's it for the pastel styling really enjoyed looking through all the gorgeous colours, hope you enjoyed trawling through the mass of images!! xx

Monday 23 January 2012

Celeb style crush...Blake Lively

It was only a matter of time before I had to do a piece on the gorgeous Blake Lively! Everyone loves her effortless style and she's grown into an international fashion icon since she burst onto the scene in Gossip Girl. I would love to post pictures of her red carpet triumphs but since this is a piece on how to get her look I've gone for an evening look that everyone can imitate for a night out!! Hope you like it...


I LOVE this look on Blake. She has long slim legs so short skirts look great on her and are a great way to show off those pins!! The sequin jacket is a really flattering shape, accentuating her waist and giving the illusion of curvier hips. The detailing on the waist is a nice focal point for the outfit and picks up on the shine of the jacket. I've tried to recreate the look as best I can below...

I know this isn't sequin but I really like the shape. It's really flattering, the nipped in waist and tulip style hem all help to create the illusion of curves for slimmer girls and accentuate the curves of those girls lucky enough to have them!!! Make sure you get it nice and fitted to achieve the right look :-) This blazer is £30 from Miss Selfridge.
To accentuate the nipped in waist and add some detail to lift the black jacket this belt does the trick. It's a great shape and the thickness won't get lost on the jacket the way a skinny belt might. This is £25 from Miss Selfridge.

I know this is technically underwear but with a statement necklace to cover the detailing on the bust this will look great under the blazer. It's higher neckline will provide a good background for a necklace and the fitted style is in keeping with the overall look. This is £22 again from Miss Selfridge.

 Here is an option if you don't want to wear such a tight top, this will look great tucked into the skirt without the blazer too and it will still provide the perfect background for a statement necklace! It is £22 from Miss Selfridge. *Note it has a chiffon back so make sure you wear a pretty bra! Or a nude leotard if you don't want bras on show!*

I really like this piece, not too much diamante going on and the grey stone looks great set in all the gold!! The colours will set off the outfit nicely and liven up the plain top. It will also mean the outfit can work minus the blazer and belt too. Don't be afraid to go big on the bling, you may think the belt and the necklace will look OTT together but the whole look will create a theatrical, embellished feel :-)
I decided to go for a textured skirt similar to Blake's but the beauty of this is you can wear it high on the waist for a shorter look or on the hips if you want to be a bit more covered up! I would recommend wearing it high so the blazer sits over the top of it and you can't see the cream top underneath it to achieve the best look. The focus should be on the belt and if you can see the light top underneath it will ruin the effect. This is £65 from Topshop, I know it's pricey so i've put some more alternatives below...

Alternative and cheaper skirts!!
Great for enhancing hips! £32 from Lipsy

Subtler textured skirt £22 from Miss Selfridge.

Shorts are a great alternative to skirts and these pretty lace shorts are really feminine and these Motel shorts are £38 from Topshop.

For a sexy, outerwear as underwear look try these satin knicker shorts from Miss Selfridge for £28. Dare to bare or add some tights underneath...
£10 - Pretty Polly
Reduced to £6 - Pretty Polly
£6.50 - Pretty Polly
£8 - Pretty Polly

Anyway that's all for this look!! Hope you like it!! If anyone decides to try this please send in pictures, would be great to see some examples of what you put together!!!

xx