SS15 Fashion Trend #2

Ciao ♥ A good pick-me-up is often called for on a Wednesday morning, especially as you're in that middle-of-the-week stage where the weekend seems so near yet so far away. Well I guess you're in luck as I'm right on cue to give you exactly that. Before I do, a few words of wisdom... Ignore the ton of emails you've so desperately been told to reply back to, mute your office telephone and hush anyone who dares to even breathe loudly around you. A bit extreme? Ha! Not extreme enough. After all, fashion is life.

Last season the fashion world took a step back in time as it sought and found inspiration from the swingin' 60s. Flash forward an entire decade and that's exactly where SS15 has landed. The runway shows of designers such as Chloe, Emilio Pucci, Gucci and Louis Vuitton were swamped with a 1970s retro revival. Featured below are some of my favourite looks from these shows.

Fashion in the early 70s was a continuation of the bohemian hippy culture that was popular in the mid-to-late 60s. An everyday go-to outfit consisted of a pair of bell-bottoms, otherwise known as flares, which were often high-waisted, patched and denim. These were worn by both males and females and were usually of a floor sweeping length. Ladies would tackle the trousers dragging on the floor business by strutting their stuff in a pair of platforms or boots. The additional height also helped to compliment the slim, structured silhouette of the trouser and did a great job of elongating their legs. These were paired with loose-fitting tops in the form of peasant blouses and wraparounds or tight-fitting t-shirts and crop tops.

• #FashionTrendFact: During this era, wardrobe staples included bell-bottoms, broderie anglaise, patchwork denim, fringing and suede.

• #FashionTrendTip: If you intend on incorporating a bold print into your outfit, pair it with something that is quite neutral to ensure you do not have a clash or mix-match of prints. 

Debbie Harry, Farrah Fawcett and Bianca Jagger were some of the biggest style icons in the 70s. Females from far and wide lusted over their every outfit and did their best to replicate their effortless fashion ensembles. This is of no surprise as all three ladies have left a fashionable imprint to this very day. I'm sure all of you have seen, possibly even drooled slightly, over that red swimsuit photo of Farrah? I rest my case :)

A great thing about this trend is that very little effort and time is needed to rock it as it can easily be pulled off simply through the use of accessories (i.e. a fringed handbag and a floppy hat). Also, if you're a student who is quite strapped for cash or someone who isn't interested in buying into fashion trends, due to them changing every season, but still want to look fashionably up-to-date then simply make use of what you already have. I'm 99.9% certain that you'll find something in your wardrobe, or even your mum's for that matter, that will illustrate this trend perfectly. Not so easily convinced? Ah! Well, how many of you have a dress or skirt that is cut in an A-line shape? A loose-fitting blouse perhaps? Or even a denim jacket? Ha! I thought so. This trend is centred around a vintage and retro look so don't be afraid to pull out that 'old' top you have hiding at the back of your wardrobe :) 

• #FashionTrendTip: This trend goes hand-in-hand with the upcoming festival season meaning it's extremely versatile. Instead of spending lots of money trying to accommodate both trends, why don't you integrate the contents of your wardrobe across both.

• #FashionTrendFact: Bold prints (paisley and chevron stripes), a mixture of fabrics such as suede and denim and an array of bright colours were extremely popular in the 70s. 

Below is a collection of my favourite 70s finds from the high-street and online stores, all of which are currently available to purchase. What are you favourite pieces from this selection? I'm loving the
patent platform sandals and wraparound suede dress (♥) Not so much the price though lol :P

White Rubber Chunky Frame Sunglasses - £10 from River Island (click here to view)

Street Style Weaving & Tassels Crossbody Bag - £19.20 from Rosegal (click here to view)

Wide Leather Belt and Square Buckle - £25.99 from Zara (click here to view)

Button Through Floral Print Skirt - £36 from Topshop (click here to view)

Charlotte Tilbury K.I.S.S.I.N.G Hepburn Honey Lipstick - £23 from Selfridges (click here to view)

Dark Orange Wool Floppy Hat - £14.99 from New Look (click here to view)

Imitation Suede Waistcoat - £39.99 from H&M (click here to view)

Lena2 Patent Platform Sandals - £56 from Topshop (click here to view)

Fringed Necklace - £14.99 from H&M (click here to view)

Floral Peasant Blouse - £35 from Marks and Spencer (click here to view)

Paisley Crepe Shorts - £22 from Dorothy Perkins (click here to view)

Wraparound Suede Dress - £199.99 from H&M (click here to view)

Faux Suede A-Line Skirt - £39.50 from Marks and Spencer (click here to view)

Ciao ♥ Xx

SS15 Fashion Trend #1

Ciao ♥ Welcome to the first instalment of my SS15 Fashion Trends blog post series. Over the next few weeks I will be presenting a selection of the hottest upcoming trends, all of which have taken the fashion world by a storm and are set to dominate our favourite high-street stores. The first major trend that will be kick-starting off this series is flared trousers, also known as bell-bottoms.

Flares were once a thing of the 70s but not any more as they've made a fashionable comeback after being seen on the SS15 runway shows of House of Holland, Saint Laurent, Tom Ford and Tommy Hilfiger. Although this isn't a trend I'm particularly fond of I'm sure there's plenty of you who are excited at the prospect of giving your overworn skinny jeans a rest.

Despite possibly being one of the most challenging style trends of SS15, flared trousers do a great job of elongating your legs and slimming the appearance of those hips that so many of you ladies complain about. They are also perfect for recreating that 70s hippy culture vibe as the flared silhouette screams out retro and bohemian.

If you're a fashion trend junkie or someone who's keen on incorporating a pair (or a couple lol) into your spring-summer wardrobe, but not sure how, simply start off by rocking them with a tight-fitting top, chunky jewellery and either a cropped blazer or faux leather jacket. Furthermore, if you tend to play it quite safe and usually opt for neutral coloured clothing but is keen on experimenting, why not invest in a printed pair of flared trousers. Yes! Maybe a little too outside of your comfort zone but I'm forever telling my friends to "try it on" as you just never know. Trust me, there's been one too many times when I've fallen in love with a hanging item only to fall right out of it once I've tried it on, and vice versa.

Below are some of my current favourite flared trousers from the high-street stores. What are you favourite ones from this selection? I'm also intrigued to know whether this is a trend you think is YAY! or NAY!. Do let me know :)

Flared Flare Jeans - £39.99 from Mango (click here to view)

Flared Trousers - £40 from Topshop (click here to view)

Flared Suit Trousers - £39.99 from H&M (click here to view)

MOTO Clean-Cut Flared Jeans - £40 from Topshop (click here to view)

Black Dogtooth Elastic Side Flared Leggings - £30 from River Island (click here to view)

Mid Wash Distressed Brooke Flare Jeans - £45 from River Island (click here to view)

Waffle Flare Trouser - £25 from Miss Selfridge (click here to view)

Arli High Waisted Flared Trousers In Root Down Rise Up - £35 from Motel (click here to view)

Ciao ♥ Xx

SS14 Trend #3

Ciao ♥ Today I present to you the third and extremely long overdue installment of my SS14 Fashion Trends blog post series. I've just checked the date in which I published the installment prior to this one and it has been almost three months. Goody gosh, now that is a long time. To be fair I had been meaning to get this blog post published for quite some time but eventually gave up in doing so as life and work simply got in the way. For those who wish to recap and have a read of the first installment, click here. As for the second installment, click here.

The third trend I will be discussing happens to be a personal favourite of mine and one that I've had in my wardrobe for many years. It is a trend that has had the blogger and YouTuber, Leanne from LLimWalker, talking about in her latest videos. Do you guys have the faintest idea on what it could be? Yes! No! Okay, I'll give you one more clue. It is something that you could create in the very comfort of your own home considering that you have mastered the skill of it. That skill being crochet.

Personally, I don't believe that this is a trend that initially had people rushing out to get their hands on. Instead I feel that it is something that a lot of people have been on the fence about as many refer to crochet as being grandma-like. Some also consider it to be a thing of the past, more specifically a thing of the 70s. This couldn't be further from the truth as the runway experienced a revival of crochet this season as it was incorporated into the collections of designers such as Roberto Cavalli. Shown below are a few of the looks from Cavalli's collection.

For those ladies who are not so keen on wearing an outfit that is fully or heavily crocheted there are several ways in which you can still rock this trend. For instance, several garments have a crochet embellishment whether it being a t-shirt with crochet front detailing, a playsuit with crochet panels or a pair of denim shorts that has a crochet trimming. There are also several accessories and jewellery pieces that are made from this pattern.

• #FashionTrendTip: Due to the delicate nature of crochet it's often advised that extra care be taken (i.e. when wearing jewellery) to prevent the garment from snagging. 

• #FashionTrendTip: If the remainder of your summer consists of going to a festival then this is a fashion trend that will help to give you that carefree and bohemian vibe that many festival-goers attempt to replicate.

Below are some of my current favourite crochet finds from the high-street. What are your favourite pieces from this selection? I'm loving the crochet patch dress and think it would look amazing with the choker necklace :)

Carly Crochet Bikini Top - £19 from Accessorize (click here to view)

Carly Crochet Bikini Brief - £15 from Accessorize (click here to view)

Crochet Flower Bracelets - £6.50/£4.50 from Miss Selfridge (click here to view)

Crochet Patch Dress - £60 from Topshop (click here to view)

Crochet Sandals - £39.99 from Bershka (click here to view)

Daisy Crochet Hoody - £110 from Little White Lies (click here to view)

Crochet Shorts - £24 from Topshop (click here to view)

Limited Edition Crochet Tassel Choker Necklace - £10 from ASOS (click here to view)

Crochet Paper Stetson - £22 from Accessorize (click here to view)

New Look Crochet Skinny Belts 2 Pack - £8.99/£5 from ASOS (click here to view)

What are you views on this particular fashion trend? Is it something you would consider rockin' or is it something you would avoid? Do let me know in the comment box below :) X

Ciao! & lots of love ♥

SS14 Trend #2

Ciao ♥ Today I present to you the second installment of my SS14 Fashion Trends blog post series. I'm super pleased to say that so far I've had an amazing response as you guys seem really fond of the Pineapple Trend that I talked about last week, which you can view here. Before I get started I would just like to point out that all of the trends featured in this series are in no particular order in regard to popularity but instead posted randomly. Okay, so let's not waste any more time :)

I feel quite positive in saying that the trend I will be discussing in this post will come as no real surprise to you guys as it's been dominating the fashion world as of late. It has already experienced a huge success on the catwalk and has been introduced into all of our favourite high-street stores. Any guesses as to what I might just be on about? Ah you see, I knew you were somewhat familiar with this trend. Of course it's none other than pretty pastels. After all I have no doubt in the fact that several of you were unknowingly sucked in by the latest pretty pastel must-have, a pink coat. Did any of you surrender to that pestering voice in your head telling you over and over again that you needed to have such a coat? Phew! I too am guilty as charged :P

Pretty pastels does nothing but ooze femininity, contrast well against all skin complexions and helps to incorporate that much needed colour into our wardrobes. It has been incorporated into the SS14 collections of many iconic fashion designers and proved to be a huge success on the catwalk. One show in particular that I know I will not be forgetting in a hurry is the Burberry Prorsum show. Oh Christopher Bailey, you never fail to amaze me. I mean to describe what he managed to pull off as spectacular is a bit of an understatement as he literally took the fashion world by a storm and left everyone wanting more. Gracing the catwalk were the likes of Cara Delevingne who looked effortless in the many different pastel hues. Shown below are a few of my favourite pretty pastel looks from the night.

Fashion consists of trends that you're either going to love or hate. There's no such thing as in between as you're either going to work with it or decide that you'll never be seen dead in it. Pretty pastels is definitely a trend that helps to diminish the latter from happening as we're spoilt for choice with colours. This is quite rare as fashion trends don't usually come in variations that enable us fashionistas to choose from. I feel that this helps to cater to the many different preferences and styles that us ladies have. For instance, if you're someone who isn't very fond of looking overly girly than you can avoid wearing a powder pink pastel hue and instead go for a garment that is of a peppermint shade or a buttercup yellow.

Below are some of my current favourite pretty pastel finds from the high-street. What are your favourite pieces from this selection? I think mine has to be the leather shopper bag from Zara and the Bobbi Brown lipstick. Both are gorgeous!

Light Green Croc Panel Cropped Biker Jacket - £60 from River Island (click here to view)

Looker Cork Platform Sandals - £55 from Topshop (click here to view)

Light Blue Mesh Panel Smart Jumpsuit - £45 from River Island (click here to view)

Aleena Box Pleat Scuba Skater Skirt - £12 from Boohoo (click here to view)

ASOS Large Face Slim Strap Watch - £20 from ASOS (click here to view)

Leather Shopper - £79.99 from Zara (click here to view)

O.P.I Nail Lacquer 'Mod About You' - £11.50 from ASOS (click here to view)

Peplum Fit and Flare Dress - £46 from Topshop (click here to view)

ASOS Satchel Bag With Scalloped Edge - £18 from ASOS (click here to view) 

Bobbi Brown Uber Pink Lip Color 'Blondie Pink' - £19 from John Lewis (click here to view)

Triangle Bra - £5.99 from H&M (click here to view)

Blue Gold Filagree Flower Disc Earrings - £3.99 from New Look (click here to view)

ASOS Felt Fedora - £20 from ASOS (click here to view) 

What are you views on this particular fashion trend? Oh and what is your favourite pastel colour? :) X

Blue Gold Filagree Flower Disc Earrings

£3.99
Read more at http://www.newlook.com/shop/parentcategory/product%3A308354210/white-gold-filagree-flower-disc-earrings_308354210#IfYw681bOUaOu5sz.99

SS14 Trend #1

If fashion is as important to you as it is to I then I know that dressing well is an absolute must and most definitely a part of your everyday routine. I also know how annoying it is to sit on your bedroom floor in the morning for a good five minutes whilst blankly staring at your wardrobe as you haven't the slightest idea in what to wear. It's as if we're half expecting an "Omg! I LOVE what you're wearing" type of outfit to magically piece together in front of our very eyes. Sadly, things like that just don't happen in reality :( With the aim of scrapping those five frustrating minutes and hoping to ensure that us ladies look as fashionable as ever I have decided to put together a blog post series featuring the fabulous fashion trends of SS14. Okay, so let's get started.

The first major trend that will be kick-starting off this blog post series is a fruity print. Do you want to take a tropical guess as to what this might be? Yes? No? Popping up pretty much all over the place it's none other than a pineapple print. Haha! Yes you read that right. Hmm you're probably thinking what the blooming hell is this girl on about but I kid you not. Pineapple seems to be the tropical fruit of this season as it's pretty much everywhere. Topshop is definitely the place to go if you hope to incorporate this print into your wardrobe as they have featured it on quite a lot of their stock. I can totally see why as it definitely gets you in the mood for summer due to it being a vibrant and fun print.

However, I feel that this is a trend that many people will think twice about before even considering to incorporate it into one of their daily outfits. The reasons being that they're simply not sure how to and for fear of looking ridiculous as it's not your everyday type of print. I find that a lot of people tend to play it quite safe when it comes to prints and don't feel confident enough to rock those that are slightly bolder. My advice would be to experiment, experiment and experiment as there's no harm in doing so. Only through this will you be able to establish whether a certain pattern and/or trend suits you. Better yet you might discover that you actually love it so brace yourself for the possibility of a new obsession :P Oh, and if you're stuck for ideas on what to wear with a pineapple printed garment I would suggest that you stick with basics so that it can neutralise the outfit and avoid it looking too busy.

Blue Pineapple Print T-Shirt Dress - £35 from River Island (click here to view)

Chunky Chain Pineapple Necklace - £17.50 from Topshop (click here to view)

Embossed Pineapple Leather Purse in Green - £28 from Urban Outfitters (click here to view)

MOTO Pineapple Print Joni Jeans - £38 from Topshop (click here to view)

Clear Skinnydip Pineapple iPhone 5C Case - £10 from River Island (click here to view)

ASOS Turban Headband in Pineapple Print - £6 from ASOS (click here to view)

Park Lane Pineapple Slipper Shoes - £45/£30 from ASOS (click here to view)

Pineapple Print Bikini - £34 from Topshop (click here to view) 

Do let me know what you guys think about this particular fashion trend and make sure that you keep an eye out for the remaning trends :) X