SS10 Trend - Denim and Florals

My next trend for the no more wants challenge is more of a micro trend really - denim and florals. Although denims were seen at quite a few of the shows (D & G, Chloe, House of Holland), it is specifically the mix of denim and ditsy floral prints that I wanted to create in this outfit, something similar to the mix seen at the Ralph Lauren show. It is a classic, easy laid back look. Nothing very adventurous, but I think I will probably wear this outfit quite a bit in the summer for those days when I don't have much time to think about my oufit. I also love this blue colour.

Floral Maxi dress (Jigsaw)- charity shop
Denim Jacket (BCBG) - swapped on Posh Swaps Clothes Swapping Website

Tan wedge sandals - Next


catwalk pictures from http://www.style.com/

SS10 Trend - Pattern Mixing

I have been playing around with pattern mixing for a few seasons now, so I was delighted to see so many examples on the catwalk for SS10 that I could use as inspiration. From real clashes to more subtle combinations, I love them all. I think it is something about the busyness of this look that I love. It is also, the perfect trend for my next No more wants challenge as I have plenty of patterned pieces in my wardrobe. I particularly love the pattern mixing at Kenzo, Rodarte and Dolce and Gabanna. I don't think there are any wrongs or rights with pattern mixing and I don't think there is any science to it, it is just a case of try and see.

At Dolce and Gabanna

At Proenza Schouler

At Rodarte

At Marc Jacobs

At Alexander Wang (quite subtle - look at the shoes)

At Dries Van Noten

At Kenzo

At DKNY

As this is such a huge and extensive trend, I had lots of outfits that I was going to make, but as usual I ran out of time, my camera battery ran out and I ended up with just 2 outfits for now - excuses, excuses. I have been dying to try out a combination of polka dots and florals for some time. I am not sure how wearable this outfit is as the polka dot dress has a lining and it is difficult to stop the different layers riding up, but I love the combination of patterns.

Polka Dot Dress - Marks and Spencers

Floral dress - New Look

Shoes - ASOS

Bag - An old cream satin bag decorated with mauve and silver nail varnish

The next outfit was definitely inspired by the mixture of tie dye and plaid/ check at Rodarte. I bleached the black top to get this interesting orange and black effect that reminds me of tie dye. I loved the effect so much, I was tempted to bleach everything in my wardrobe (I didn't luckily).

Top - second hand black top - bleached

dress - Oasis

Tights - Dorothy Perkins

Boots - Topshop

Necklace - present
scarf (tied around waist) - a present
catwalk pictures from http://www.style.com/

Links A La Mode : A Touch of Frivolity

Edited by Retro Chick

It’s been a long time since pay day and this weeks Links à la Mode brings a touch of much needed frivolity as we crawl into the second month of a new decade. Idiosyncratic Style takes Scooby Doo’s Velma as her style inspiration, Dirty Hems is inspired by dolls houses and Ode to Awe shows off her leopard print nails. Want something for nothing? A few Goody Gumdrops has an Aspinall of London bag to giveaway and Retro Chick (that’s me!) has 2 Valentine goodie bags to giveaway worth over £100 each. We’ve also got some great designer interviews and some practical advice.

On a more sober note there’s some timely tips from Sway, Sway, Sway! on how you can continue to donate to Haiti without getting scammed, Shoe Daydreams discusses Tanya Golds “Why I hate Fashion” article and Ventures of Jenn shares her opinions on the body image debate.

Bring on February!

Note from Editor : Please be sure to check out the IFB Conference at NYFW : Evolving Influence

Links à la Mode: January 28th

• 39th and broadway – 5 Questions To Ask Before Beginning a Career in Fashion


• A Few Goody GumDrops – A Few Goody Gumdrops and Aspinal of London are Giving away an ever-so chic and sophisticated beige patterned skin clutch!


• Analogue Chic – Looking good while doing stuff – braving the weather and the commute with a sense of style.


• Bonne Vie – Invest in Quality Denim; featuring How-To Tips from Denim Debutante


• Cafe Fashionista – Style Secrets: Cowboy Boots Made Classy


• Cindy Whitehead – The Modern Snow Bunny


• Denim Debutante – Aeropostale Gives Back with Teens for Jeans Campaign


• dirty hems. – In the Dollhouse – Miniature inspiration and a teeny resulting DIY


• Dramatis Personae – a feature & interview with the designer behind i am dorkas


• Fasshonaburu – I challenge myself to follow my own dress code regulations in order to wow up my day to day ensembles.


• fête à fête – Clarins debuts first certified organic beauty soap


• Idiosyncratic Style – Inspired by the sartorially underrated Velma Dinkley.


• Independent Fashion Bloggers – IFB Presents : Evolving Influence Conference NYFW 2010


• kaKofonie Of si(gh)lenS – Interview with Janeane Marie Ceccanti


• Ode to Awe – I review Minx Nails, plus my glamourous Russian Garnet cocktail ring


• Oranges and Apples – Vintage teenage hair inspiration


• Retro Chick – Valentines Day is on it’s way and Retro Chick has 2 goodie bags worth over £100 each to give away to help you celebrate!


• Shoe Daydreams – Fashion Influences (?)


• Style Eyes Fashion Blog – I have avoided eco and ethical fashion in the past because of the price but I have just discovered it is affordable and stylish.


• Style Symmetry – How to Choose Items at a Clothing Swap Party


• Sway Sway Away! – A passionate plea from a member of the global community to her fashionable brothers and sister: help Haiti!


• THE COVETED – Suzy Menkes, Facehunter, LeMads & The Coveted talk about fashion blogs


• ventures of jenn – on body issues

SS10 trend - neutral/ nude sheer dresses (and socks!)

Next up on No More Wants, the SS10 trend for neutral or nude sheer dresses sometimes with socks. These dresses were just about every where on the catwalk. These are just a few examples but there were plenty more including longer styles, minimalist and full on frothy versions.

At Jonathan Saunders

At Givenchy

At Fendi

At Calvin Klein

At Burberry Prorsum

At Meadham Kirchhoff

And so to the challenge - to create a look for this trend from items in my wardrobe. I have had this chiffon dress for a year or two but have only worn it once or twice. Whilst, I love feminine clothes, there was just something too sugary sweet about this dress. It was also never that practical for the UK weather. Taking inspiration from Meadham Kirchhoff (although I am not sure if I like the collection) and Burberry Prorsum (I love the collection with all my heart), I tried adding a pair of grey knee socks ruched down with a pair of strappy wedge shoes. I also added a vintage/ second hand charcoal grey suit jacket. Funnily enough, I was really worried that this look wouldn't work but I really like it. The dark colours toughened up the sheer, cream frilliness of the dress making it much more wearable for me than just on its own. I think I will definitely be getting a to more wear out of this dress.

Dress - Asos

Jacket - Secondhand

Shoes - Karen Millen

Socks - Peacocks

Necklace - present

Catwalk pictures from http://www.style.com/

Weekly Shopping and Goodies 27/01/10

picture from Being High Maintenance Not Bitchy

A Few Goody Gumdrops is giving away a luscious Lavender Bodycare Set from L'Occitane. Enter to win!

Being High Maintenance, not Bitchy asks: can you tell they're fake? With a pair of Revlon False Lashes

Couture In The City is in love with luxury handbag designer Nyla Noor

Fashion Cents gives you 7 tips for creating a new style in this new year.

Fashion Hippofound quality jewelry at inexpensive prices. Make a spring statement.

Handbag du Jour's haute bag of the week is the Danielle Nicole Sarah Clutch.

Ladybrillemag.com says BabesAboutTown.com is THE place for Hip Mom & Dads!

Princess Dominique wants to doll up your boots with Shewlery Sailor Girl Rope Chain with Anchor Giveaway Enter for a Chance to Win!

Shopping and Info wants pink and white cupcakes for Valentine’s Day and maybe some La Mer skin care for the winter weather.

SomeoneSpoilMe.com gives you ideas on what to give your favorite guy for Valentine's Day!

Style Eyes shows how Eco and Ethical fashion got affordable and very stylish.

StyleMaven is ready for stormy weather in her fur-trimmed and fabulous Sorel Joan of Arctic boots.

The Bare Skinny shows you how the celebs stayed fashionable while helping Haiti.

The Curvy Fashionista fashions a roundup of chic plus sized lingerie right in time for Valentine’s Day!

TheFind Blog is giving away a decadent gift of Patchi chocolates that will impress even the pickiest Valentine! Enter here to win.

What's Haute Magazine is in love with a little stud - the Be & D Memphis Stud Stirrup boots!

Eco and Ethical Fashion Got Affordable

I have long been of the opinion that we should make an effort to live in both an ethical and sustainable way including the clothes that we wear. I have even set up a clothes swap website to help promote the recycling and reuse of clothes. I often rant for some time about second hand clothing being the best option and the ultimate in eco fashion as it has minimal environmental impact but is still affordable. But whilst I often buy second hand or vintage clothing, when I need (or want) new clothes, I have often shied away from Eco fashion and ethical fashion in the form of clothes made from organic, fairtrade, recycled and other sustainable fibres due to the high price and lack of choice.

Things are improving though and there has been a distinct increase in design quality and choice over the last few years. No longer are eco and ethical fashionistas limited to buying organic cotton t shirts and relatively bland leisure wear, there are a steadily growing number of innovative ethical and eco fashion labels.

Renewal Rare Eighties Party Dress £70

Whilst recently researching an article on ethical and eco fashion, it suddenly struck me that eco fashion has become distinctly more affordable with the growth of companies like People Tree and Ascension, even Urban Outfitters stocks a line called Renewal Rare which brings back to life old vintage pieces.

Eley Kishimoto for People Tree Tunic - £48-£64

The People Tree designer collaborations are amazing, with pieces by Eley Kishimoto, Bora Aksu, Richard Nicoll, Karen Nicholl and Jessica Ogden available in all the main sizes in the sale at the moment.

Ascension bamboo Isabel Dress - £28.50

Annie Greenabelle Panelled Pinafore Dress - £29.50

Ascension stocks a number of different labels including Bibico, Karen Cole its own label which includes organic cotton and bamboo clothes produced ethically at price comparable to the mid to high end of the high street (the above two items are in the sale).

The great thing with about ethical and eco fashion is that not only do you get a guilt free conscious but also a really comfortable and well made piece of clothing that is likely to last for years. As gorgeous and affordable as these clothes are, I will be sticking to my shopping ban for now, as buying clothes that you don't really need, however eco friendly the clothes are, is not really sustainable or ethical.

Ten things that make me happy award

Style of a Fashionista gave me this award, which I am very excited about as it is my first ever award. She listed Style Eyes as one of the ten blogs that make her happy. Style of a Fashionista is one my favourite daily reads, I just love her gorgeous photos and very stylish outfits. As part of the award, I need to list 10 things and 10 blogs that make me happy. So here goes:

Cuddles and stories with my 2 gorgeous girls

Saturday nights in front of the telly with Mr Style Eyes

Coffee or food (plus lots of chatting) with my lovely friends

Cooking

Holidays

Shopping

Sunshine

Random acts of kindness

People watching

Anything by or in the sea - sailing, scuba diving, swimming, walking on the beach

and blogs

Reflections of Alice

Sherin and Leia from Hi Fashion

Pink Bow

Knittering

Fashion Daydreams

Gem Fatale

Fabutrash

Cherry Pullinger

Intrinsically Florrie

Lazy Weekend

Have enjoyed a relatively chilled and very enjoyable weekend. Friday night, I went for a curry with my two lovely friends. Saturday cooking and making banana bread with my girls, Saturday noght Mr Style Eyes cooked a meal then we watched a film and Sunday, friends and family over for a some Jamie Oliver 5 hour braised lamb (very delicious). I took the opportunity to get dressed up on Sunday. I picked the brightest pink tights that I own to go with the black dress to show off the lovely flower detail on the hem. I also used the lovely leather and suede obi belt made by Emma of Style to Wear to give the dress a bit more shape.

Dress - Monsoon

tights - not sure

Obi belt - Style to Wear

Shoes - Asos

Eclectic Layering

I was browsing through the new Spring collection on the ASOS website, when I came across a trend described as eclectic layering. I have been experimenting with pattern mixing and layering for some time and was interested to see their take on this look. Unfortunately, they didn't give much in the way of actual examples just lots of different pieces that could be layered in an eclectic way. Their description is 'mixing and matching different influences from heavy reworked denim to soft chiffons and light sweats' They had some very lovely floral pieces that I can really picture as part of a layered ensemble but of course, I am not shopping at the moment and I already have some florals in my wardrobe.

I have however spotted some great versions of eclectic layering on the catwalk which I will be a starting point or inspiration for so many spring and summer outfits. I was tempted to put together an outfit for this trend, but actually there were so many possibilities, it made my head spin. I do however think that eclectic layering will feature in many outfits for other trends as it features so many different trends e.g florals, chiffon, safari, tribal prints, polka dots, stripes, sheers, layering and the so the list goes on..

At Alexander Wang

At Ralph Lauren

At Peter Pilotto

At Paul Smith

At Meadham Kirchkof

At Fendi

At Dolce and Gabbana

At Christopher Kane

At 3.1 Phillip Lim

catwalk pictures from www.style.com

No More Wants Challenge SS10 Trend - Shorts

At Alexander Wang

At Etro

At Rochas

A Matthew Williamson

There seems to be a pair of shorts for just about any occasion for SS10 from evening to tailored and from leather to super short and sporty. I bought myself a pair of navy blue shorts in Topshop last year but I don't think I have worn them once yet. They looked great in the changing room mirror but once I got them home, I went right off them - what is it about changing room mirrors in shops

Anyway with shorts being a big trend and my self imposed shopping ban, I decided to give them another go. I have not been blessed with the longest of limbs and so shorts can be a bit of a challenge of me. But I rolled them up a little bit and took advantage of the cold weather to wear them with tights. Finally I took the opportunity to wear the new Topshop wedges to add a much needed bit of height and length to my legs(wow I almost feel tall). The top also fits in with another major Spring trend and one of my favourites - florals.

Shorts - Topshop

Top - Next (second hand)

Tights - present from my lovely mum (Tesco I think)

Cardigan - Fennwright Manson

Boots - Topshop

Necklace - pressy from my sister

green ribbon - borrowed from a skirt

Catwalk pictures from http://www.style.com/