The simple answer to this question is yes, hats are definitely a must have for this seasons autumn/ winter wardrobe. Hats come in all shapes and sizes, from berets to trilbies, and cloches to caps, and all of them are in fashion at the moment.
Designer Hats
Many designers have produced beautiful hats. For example, Gucci designs wide-brimmed fedoras. Wearing such an item is sure to add a touch of seventies glamour to your outfit. For a forties feel, try Marc Jacobs. Here you will find chin-strapped pillbox caps. If you are after sixties, then it has got to be a beret designed by Burberry.
Hats on the Catwalk
On this season’s catwalk, you can see John Rocha models displaying large hats, giving a slight appearance that they might just fall over from the weight! Lanvin’s models were wearing low hanging black sheriff hats that practically covered their eyes.
Hats in your Wardrobe
If you want to work a hat into your own wardrobe, then the best thing to do is buy a knitted beanie from Missoni. A beanie is chic, but does not compromise practicality.
New season fashions are always exciting it can be fun to see what has made it off the catwalks to the high street and what un/fortunately hasn’t.
Era clothing – Over autumn winter we had 1970’s and 1940’s fashions which were hugely popular, for spring we have 1960’s and 1920’s fashions. Most season designers look to the past and take fashion inspiration from past decades.
The 1960’s trends come from the popularity of the US TV hit Mad Men, many women craving the sensual style which highlights a woman’s figure. Embrace the mod style with Lipsy clothing, keep lengths mini or midi and remember add plenty of colour.
TV also paved the way for 1920’s styles on the catwalk, again popular TV such as Boardwalk Empire and films such as the Great Gatsby re-introduced 1920’s style back into the fashion forefront. Look out for elements of flapper with a modern twist and vintage sporting styles with long shorts teamed with boxy jackets.
Colour trends – This season colour is at the forefront of the fashion trends, keep in mind for spring and early summer; candy colours. Ice cream shades anything sweet light and airy is what you want to work into your wardrobe. Then as we move into summer the tones take a brighter tone, with neon and florescent colours domination in blocks, patterns and prints. Bright and bold is the way to go really for your Republic clothing and perfect for a hot summer.
Every man needs a nice pair of shoes for formal occasions. However, the prospect of having to shine them when they age can be a daunting one. Luckily, shining a pair of nice shoes is not as difficult as it may seem.
A good way to start is by brushing off dirt and dust. This gets rid of a layer of grime that can make shoes look dull and worn. This could include dust, pieces of grass and bits of dirt. Sometimes, a damp cloth may be required to remove all of the dirt. However, the shoe must be bone dry before it is polished as any excess water will not mix with the wax.
After an initial wipe, a seam brush should be used to reach creases and folds that a rag would miss. It is not necessary to brush the shoe hard. However, it should be brushed thoroughly. It is essential to pay close attention to the area in which the shoe and the sole meets as this is where dirt can easily hide.
Next, the shoe needs to be polished. Only a small amount of polish is required. Once placed on the shoe, the polish should be rubbed all over the shoe in a circular motion. It is essential to ensure that all of the leather parts of the shoe are polished. Following application of polish, the shoe should be left to dry for at least ten minutes.
Lastly, the shoe should be buffed. During this stage of the shoe polishing process, it is okay to be rough. The shoe should be visibly shiny and clean upon completion.
Apps are now a popular feature of modern day technology. With such a huge number of people owning ipads, apps are being downloaded frequently. The world of fashion has taken advantage of such advanced technology, with vogue creating their very own app.
The Vogue app was successful at the 2011 Digital Magazine Awards and was awarded the Digital Fashion Magazine of the year. Vogue was up against entries that came from over 20 other countries across the world. The Vogue app was selected to win the award by a judging panel that included CNN International Digital vice president, global manager Peter Bale and Thomson Reuters chairman David Schlesinger.
The judges chose the Vogue app because they were impressed by the art direction, photography and interactive content. Additionally, it works well on the ipad platform. It is said that the design fully utilises the technological platform. Competition was strong, and Vogue was up against apps from Pandora, ASOS.com and Company magazine.
About the App
The app costs just £0.99 to download and includes the full cover story, along with images, video and audio. It is not the full magazine, which is available to buy in hard copy, rather a special edition of the magazine.
There will be future editions of Vogue within the app. These will contain developed content, and users will be able to download issues as they are released.
The app is currently only available for the ipad, because this is the best technological device for it, enabling users a smooth and flawless experience. Vogue are on a mission of creating the app for other platforms, such as ipod touch and Android phones.
A bright start to spring summer with flower power You know when you are heading into the spring/summer fashion season because we start to see the first show of blooms, poking out from between the heavy winter styles. This season we will see, bright and bold flower prints, nothing small and ditzy instead it’s all about the big prints in bright, flashy, in your face colours.
Keep an eye out on the high street with Republic clothing, for the first signs of spring. These will be spring time prints in tonal shades for spring such as the pastel palette with hits of clashing brights. As we head into summer and just in time for our holidays we will see plenty of bright tropical prints moving in mainly thanks to directional designers like Thakoon Panichgul who is a fashion favourite of Anna Wintour’s, so you know its going to be a hit.
You don’t need to worry about co-ordinating your prints, for the past few season it’s been all about clashing and this season is no different, the more prints you have the better, the bigger they are the better and the brighter they are the better. On the catwalks designers such as Mary Katrantzou, Holly Fulton and Duro Olowu opted to show case both floral prints and animal prints which always work in perfect harmony.
To keep up with this trend look for bold print dresses, blouses, skirts and trousers and if you aren’t extrovert enough to go for clashing prints then team with simple crisp white items for summer. If you want to mix your prints then why not add a leopard print scarf to a fun floral dress or vice versa, accessories are the easiest way to work these trends so keep an eye out for print shoes and bags.
Born on August 19th in 1883, fashion designer Coco Chanel is known for the Chanel suit, Chanel jacket, bell-bottom trousers and Chanel No.5 perfume. Her full name was Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel. This article offers more information about Coco Chanel and her endeavours as a fashion designer.
Biography
Prior to becoming interested in fashion, Gabrielle was born to a mother who worked in a poorhouse, dying when Gabrielle was only six years old. Her father was left to raise her along with five other children. He abandoned them all to relatives to care for them.
Gabrielle became known as Coco when she used to sing in cafes between 1905 and 1908. She later became the mistress of a successful military officer and then an English industrialist. It was the resources of these two men that Coco drew on in order to be able to start up her millinery shop that started in Paris, and then spread to Deauville and Biarritz.
Coco Chanel became a premier fashion designer in Paris, starting with the opening of her first millinery shop in 1912. She became famous for losing the corset in favour of comfort and casual elegance. Her designs included suits, trousers, dresses and perfumes.
Clothing
Coco began working in couture, and she became famous for the fashion trend which gave women a little boy look. This was in deep contrast to the corset fashion that was popular at the time. Coco enjoyed wearing her own fashions.
Coco’s signature cardigan jacket design was introduced in 1925, followed by the little black dress in 1926. The fashion Coco created did not tend to develop and change very much, and are still popular in the modern world.
Perfume
Chanel No. 5 perfume came about in 1922. This perfume is still popular today. Coco found a partner in Pierre Wertheimer for her perfume business in 1924, and he owned 70% of the business against Coco’s 10%, with her friend Bader taking 20%. The perfume business is still controlled by Wertheimer today.
Love it or hate it, the roll-neck has made appearances on various catwalks, including that of Yves Saint Laurent, plus appearance on the highstreet from brands such as Firetrap and Jack & Jones clothing. An essential that will take you through from autumn to spring, the roll-neck is often adopted as an alternative to the classic shirt. This means that it can be worn under a suit and overcoat. This season, burgundy, teal and purple roll-necks are particular popular and are a great alternative to classic grey and black. If you wish to take up this key trend, there are a few rules you may wish to consider.
Fine gauge roll-necks are great for layering. This makes them particularly valuable for when the weather starts to take a turn for the worse. A thin polo neck in a dark hue can work wonders with a fitted suit in a complimentary colour. The best way to layer and style your roll-neck during the day is to wear it underneath a classic heritage style jacket, however, if you can stand the cold weather you will be able to get away with wearing a roll-neck both on its own and underneath jackets and coats, whatever your age, shape or size.
Roll-necks are synonymous with long sleeves and it’s perfectly acceptable to roll the sleeves up to balance the abundance of fabric at the top half of this item of clothing and make the garment more practical for everyday wear. Don’t be tempted to tuck your roll-neck into your trousers as this will take away the casual ease of this look. If you are not very confident with trying new looks, the high street has an array of relaxed grey and black tones available to ease you into the roll-neck revolution.
Leggings can look tarty and trashy, so this guide will give a few different ideas about which are the best ways to wear them. They should not be worn as if they were trousers. Instead, team them with a dress or a long top, such as a tunic. Add a belt for some extra glamour. Upper clothing should always cover the bottom.
Black leggings are the only way to go. Grey can sometimes work, depending on the rest of the outfit, but steer clear of other colours unless going to a fancy dress party. The shoes worn with leggings are very important as they will make or break the look. Avoid trainers at all costs, as this will look as if the wearer is in a fitness class. Also, steer clear of high heels and flip flops. Ballet pumps and flats work well though.
Black leggings can look especially good with a black and white or grey long top or dress teamed with flat knee high boots. This look makes for a very stylish outfit and still is feminine, as well as warm and cosy in the winter months. The leggings should match the colour of another item worn, as this will coordinate well and make for a really fashionable look.
A top is better off being baggy, as if it is too tight then the whole outfit will also look tight. It needs to be proportioned properly, so your body shape is balanced. Younger women can get away with leggings whilst wearing a mini skirt, such as denim. This creates a very simple and casual look.
When thinking about choosing a cocktail dress to wear, a priority is to ensure it looks elegant and suit the wearer. It’s always a good idea to take the prospective occasion or function into consideration. There are many different features to consider when shopping for an outfit in order to make sure that you choose the right one. These include length, colour and neckline. Different people suit different types of dresses, so it is worth finding out what goes best with each respective body shape.
Regarding colours, it is important to think about which ones you suit the wearer and the occasion. Skin and hair colours both play a part in what shades of outfit will look good or not. Black, is always a good choice as it looks classy, timeless and sophisticated and has a slimming effect at the same time.
There are different necklines to choose from. V-necks should be chosen with caution, as these can sometimes look trashy if they are too low. Necklines also depend on the event and what will be deemed acceptable. Scoop necks and Cowl necks are always a good option to chose, as they do not show too much cleavage.
The length of the dress is always an important consideration. For elegance, it may be worth going for dresses that end at the knee or even lower. Different heights and body shapes may suit different lengths, so the best thing to do is to try on various dresses and see which look good.
If you feel you missed out slightly on the OTK boots last winter time, don’t worry, the knee-high boot will successfully re-enter the fashion wear for autumn/winter 2011-12. Thigh-high and over-the-knee boots are already proven to be this winter’s edgiest footwear choice.
Over-the-knee style has been gracing masses of catwalks such as ‘Chloe’s’ and were the stars of the autumn/winter catwalk shows in Milan, New York, London and Paris. The fashion item has also recently been spotted on a variety of celebrities, too. These celebrities include big names, such as: Madonna, Kate Moss, Alice Dellal, Rihanna, Miley Cyrus and Daisy Lowe.
As always, high street brands like Diesel, Firetrap and Voi have quickly caught on to the shape of things to come and have created a variety of affordable versions. There are also a variety of styles when it comes to buying boots; from high-heeled tight leather, to more discreet softer colour suede’s. The flat interpretations are also great alternatives are hugely practical; especially as it bad weather is quickly approaching.
If you only buy two things this season from Designerwear, make it knee-high boots and a warm winter coat –you can pair them together for a great, instant winter-chic look plus they look great over jeans as well with Designerwear for Police jeans for on trend styles. These boots are a must have! Fashionable, practical and warm!
