BRALETS

My new favourite clothing item is the bralet. It's so perfect for summer as it shows off just the right amount of skin when paired with high waisted shorts or a skirt. There are lots of ways you can wear the bralet but the two styles I like the best are the smart and structured bralets and the cute and floral/lacy ones.

SMART AND STRUCTURED

These bralets are perfect for parties paired with a cute skater skirt, a pair of amazing wedges and some simple but bold jewellery.

NASTY GAL

KILL CITY

SILENCE & NOISE

CUTE AND FLORAL/LACY

This style of bralet will look great paired with some frayed denim shorts and feather jewellery for a day at the beach or park. 

TOPSHOP

SOMEDAYS LOVIN

FREE PEOPLE

ALOHA

Recently I've been obsessing over that hawaiian/tropical print so when I was flicking through TANK magazine and I came across this shoot I immediately fell in love.

I love the styling by Pandora Lennard, and how she has toughened up the prints with punk accessories. The flowers and bright colours contrast perfectly with the hardness of the spikes and mesh. Hawaiian shirts often have negative connotations and I can't help picturing a fat, burnt tourist returning from holiday in an overly bright hawaiian shirt and one of those hats that safari guides wear. But this editorial shows us how to wear these beautiful prints while removing all their association with naff tourists.

Here's some pieces on the high street to get the look...

TOPSHOP

TAVIK

GYPSY WARRIOR

GIGI VINTAGE

INSIGHT

JEFFREY CAMPBELL

TOPSHOP

ROKIT

NASTY GAL

TOPSHOP

NASTY GAL

ROKIT

ROKIT

ANIMAL SWIMWEAR

The Easter Holidays are here and it feels like summer is just around the corner so it's definitely time to start stocking up on swimsuits and bikinis. Right now I'm loving these suits with digital animal prints on them. They look so modern and are really unique.

WE ARE HANDSOME

TOPSHOP

WILDFOX

BLACK MILK

Favourites From Fashion Week

Favourites from Fashion Week 2012/13

Ashish: This look encapsulates the perfectly random aesthetic that Ashish has mastered. Who would have ever thought that baggy board shorts over sequined cigarette trousers could look so good? But it’s this carefree spirit of mismatched shapes that makes it work. The muted pinks work beautifully with the grey and gold and the soles of the creeper boots give it that final pop that Ashish never fails to deliver.

Jeremy Scott: Once again Jeremy Scott delivers a lively, brightly coloured collection, full of pop culture references and graphic imagery. The look is young and vibrant and is a nod to how media is shaping the world today. It’s a fusion of  the 90’s and now; with 90’s images such as Bart Simpson, but displayed on a modern Mac Desktop. This combination is a perfect representation of today’s youth culture and its obsession with its past.

Céline: Seeing clean lines and perfect tailoring in Céline is nothing new, but not many can master simplicity as beautifully as Phoebe Philo does in this collection. Here we see a wonderfully structured boyfriend jacket, a favourite with Philo, finished off flawlessly with textured lapels. It’s details like these that turn a well-made jacket into a beautiful piece of high fashion.

Chloé: Chloé keeps it simple and wearable in their signature palette of soft hues. The tousled hair and bare faces of the models gave the show a fresh and carefree vibe while still remaining graceful and chic at all times. The highlight of this look (and the show overall) is the beautiful outerwear: bold, structured shapes made delicate with pastel colours and classic quilting. The look manages to be pretty without seeming too dainty or prim; the perfect balance between girl and woman.

Topshop Unique: This season, Topshop Unique left behind it’s quirky, playful and sometimes even gimmicky aesthetic for a more elegant and mature look. Gone were the crazy afros and loud prints of previous collections, and in their place were beautiful autumnal hues and layering at its best. The use of texture is perfectly complimented by the heavy utility boots and zip details which add a biker edge.

Balmain: Balmain is back with another collection full of drama and intrigue. The look is a luxurious take on the baroque period, with tapestry designs, gold detailing and a dark, mysterious edge. The rock ‘n’ roll vibe that Balmain is so famous for is still a driving force in this collection but I feel like they have now developed past the obvious leather jackets and are using the style more subtly.

Photos: Vogue UK

I wrote this post as a blog exclusive for Base Magazine which is a free 

independent Fashion Magazine which I am now helping edit.

London Fashion Weekend

London Fashion Weekend is my favourite day of each season. It gives normal people (like me!) a chance to experience the excitement and beauty of a real fashion show. This season the show had three designers; Holly Fulton, Antipodium and Jasper Conran, and it had two trends; 'Prim Rose' and 'Game On'. 

The show began with Holly Fulton who is one of my favourite designers. The prints she uses are so perfectly graphic and they work beautifully with the luxurious fabrics. I also love the colours, especially the minty green/blue which is a key colour this season.

The next section of the show was the trend 'Prim Rose'. I have to admit that pastels are a bit obvious for spring but I love the 50's, girlish vibe that they had. The use of gimmicky accessories such as the ice cream head piece make the looks a bit more playful and not too 'prim'. 

Next up was Antipodium which is a label I love inspired by the people in the East End of London. This collection had such a minimalistic and laid back feel and I could see myself wearing a lot of the pieces. My favourite part was that the models were all wearing plain white plimsolls which is perfect for me because I literally live in canvas trainers. 

  

Following Antipodium was one more trend: 'Game On'. The trend was meant to be sporty in tribute to the Olympics this year but I have to say I was very disappointed. It's not that the clothes and styling weren't great, which they were, it was that the clothes just really didn't match the theme. There were no sporty shapes or sporty fabrics, all I could see was brightly coloured tailoring and chunky, peep-toe booties (which I am OBSESSED with). 

The final section was the designer Jasper Conran who gave us a beautifully simplistic collection with elegant cuts and perfect, pool-side flats. 

And here are a few more photos of the event:

  

  

While there I bought two pairs of Cheap Monday Jeans (one a rusty orange and one faded blue), a white burnout vest with leather detailing by Improvd and a chain-fringed vest from Ella Moss.