Archive for the ‘Opinion’ Category

Celebrity Style, Features, Gallery, Opinion

Fashion analysis: Little Mix vs The Spice Girls

By Andrea Petrou on December 14th, 2011
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We heart Little Mix but when a new girl band comes into the spotlight there’s bound to be a little bit of comparison to the leaders of this genre – The Spice Girls.
Of course the queens of girl bands have all grown up now, had babies and learnt that leopard print catsuits weren’t the best fashion choices, but their style still has a huge impact on the girl group bands, especially Little Mix who have embraced their musical ancestors’ individual style.

Unlike the Saturdays and Girls Aloud, these “little muffins” are all about eclectic fashion and although they don’t have similar tastes, all the different styles seem to mesh together and work.

However, there are differences. While the Spices dressed to reflect their “characters” – Mel C, AKA Sporty, in trackies, Posh in PVC or Baby in cute attire, Little Mix seem to just be channelling their own normal style and we’re staring to spot their trademark looks.

Jesy with her leopard print leggings, Jade with her braces and knee high socks and Perrie with her 80s look making us wonder whether this is finally a girl band allowed to choose their threads instead of conforming to a certain look.
See the gallery below and tell us if you agree by leaving your comment in the box below.

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charity, Features, Opinion

Opinion: Why I’ve become addicted to second-hand clothes shops

By Andrea Petrou on October 13th, 2011
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I used to be a second-hand clothes snob and judged the standard of garments found in charity shops by the kind I gave away (I’m so sorry Oxfam I now realised old laddered tights are not what you expect to find in donated piles of clothes).

Although I’ve always been a Primark Princess rather than a Designer Diva I just couldn’t get my head around the idea of wearing someone else’s cast offs.

However as I grew up and became poorer (a combination of the financial climate and moving away from home) I began to think that perhaps I was too quick to judge, and over the past few years I’ve become what I can only describe as a second hand shop addict.

My addiction first began with books. However, as the thrill of finding that perfect novel for under a £1 began to wear off, I started to wonder if I could get the same feeling with the many clothes these shops stock.

I admit I was a bit squeamish with the idea of wearing someone else’s cast offs but I reasoned that it’s not really that much different from borrowing a mates top or skirt. All you need to do is run them through the wash and they’re like new.

Yes, you have to search a little bit and sometimes excuse the smell, you know the one that sometimes hits you as you walk into these shops and reminds you of your great aunt Mabel, but once you’ve got past that the world of second hand clothing really does become a wonder.

I’ve found almost new Diesel jeans for a bargain £8 as well as a range of cute highstreet tops for a mere £2. And depending on where you are you can find a range of designer delights.

Rummaging around the Hampstead branch of Oxfam I found a pair of Earl Jeans for £20 and a Gucci bag for £90, not bad considering the prices charged for these items when they’re new, and let’s face it jeans always look that bit better when they’re worn in don’t they?

But although I lusted over some of the shoes donated to these shops, I couldn’t bring myself to buy any, no matter how cheap they were, until one day I spotted a gorgeous pair of vintage 50s courts. Like a second hand version of Becky Bloomwood I knew I had to have them.

I didn’t care if the previous owner, or the twenty before her had some kind of gruesome blisters or bunions, all I could think about were how good they would look with my original vintage dress (courtesy of a British Heart Foundation store). So I bit the bullet, bought some anti bacterial footspray and became a charity Cinderella.

I know many of you will have been shopping in these stores for a while, but for those who are still charity shop snobs I advise you to give it a go.

Yes I may be shooting myself in the foot here, afterall I don’t like to have second hand rivals, but I’ll make you a deal, if you donate your old clothes I’ll make an exception for that perfect jacket being swiped from under my nose.

And lets face it, you’ll also be helping a good cause, which is better than almost anything else, except maybe that unique designer coat that’s going for “just” a fiver.



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Features, News, Opinion, Uncategorized

Opinion: How Steve Jobs made gadgets fashionable and stylish

By Andrea Petrou on October 6th, 2011
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Apple's Steve Jobs who died Wednesday October 5th. He did more than any other person to make technology stylish and sexy

If you’d told us forty years ago that technology would be stylish and a fashion must-have then we would have laughed.

After all, us ladies were far more interested in the latest dress than we were the geeky cassette player or computer. Even when the mobile phone hit in the 80s and became a must have for yuppies, we still weren’t convinced.

Yes it was a sign that you had hit your work peak but come on, not only was it ugly it wouldn’t have fit into that handbag. And putting it in our trouser pockets- if they were the size of sacks- would have probably left us flashing a little bit more than we wanted to thanks to the sheer weight of the thing.

Technology was geeky and clunky and something we wouldn’t even consider lusting over. Then something began to change.

Suddenly the boring clunky PC, which back in the 70s was for hobbyists, had a rival in the shape of a rainbow Apple logo bearing device. Yes it was still a geeky machine but there was something about the sleeker design that made us take notice and think that if we had to use a computer it was this one we wanted.

Not only did it look good but it was easier to use. And it wasn’t just us who had fallen for the tempting Apple with the logo becoming synonymous and a regular resident in popular chic arty and creative offices.

The brainchild behind this new stylish company was of course Steve Jobs, a man who made technology, not to fit in with our current needs, but to make us want what he made.
And make us want, he did. With the help of Senior Vice President of Industrial Design Jonathan Ives, the pair got to work making portable technology that we had to keep out of our handbags and this time it wasn’t because they were too big and clunky but because we wanted the world to see we had an Apple product.

In came the iPod and suddenly our personal cassette players and that mix tape from that special person went out the window.We didn’t care that our other halves had sweated over picking those songs, and suddenly forgot how we sworn we’d never lose that cassette, all we could think about was how to get our new love – the shiny iPod that everyone who was anyone had. In fact we’d go so far as saying we would have swapped that other half just to ensure we had that new gadget in our handbags.

And so it had begun. The more products Steve Jobs and co bought out the more we wanted, after all you weren’t a fashion gal without the latest iPod. And then came the shiny iPhone, a product right up there with, dare we say it, the Mulberry bag, sleek, touchscreen and the with the opportunity of an app store, it was every fashionistas’ dream.

The need to have one of these was more than when we wanted that Nokia phone with the interchangeable covers when we were 12. And finally, after the celebrities and cool people had received theirs, we were able to get ours. Yes the hideously expensive monthly phone plan meant we wouldn’t be able to go out, but hey who needed to see their friends when we could call them with our new phone.

And of course businesses knew we were hooked, so hooked in fact that we’d buy that floral case, diamante number and anything that really made our phone stand out.

As for the iPad – yes, we did forgo those Christian Louboutins to get our hands on one of these….

Steve Jobs you succeeded in making the fashion world stand up and take note of technology. You made it stylish and sleek and for that you’ll always be remembered. RIP.

See the gallery below for pictures of all the beautiful people with their Apple gadgets.

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Features, Gallery, Opinion

Will Zara Phillips’ wedding be as fashionable as Kate Middleton’s

By Andrea Petrou on July 26th, 2011
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The pair show off their sporty side

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The pair show off their sporty side
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Anwar Hussein/Anwar Hussein/EMPICS Entertainment

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Celebrity Style, Gallery, News, Opinion

Royal Wedding guests: Best and worst dressed

By Andrea Petrou on May 3rd, 2011
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Pippa Middleton back

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Pippa Middleton back
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Pippa's frock, also designed by Sarah Burton wowed the fashion world. AP Photo/Martin Meissner

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Celebrity Style, Features, News, Opinion

Why Kate Middleton’s style isn’t all that

By Andrea Petrou on April 6th, 2011
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I’m sure I’m committing some sort of Royal treason, or at least having that wedding invite, which should be winging its way to me very soon, revoked, but I have to tell you I have a huge issue with Kate Middleton’s style.

She may have stolen the Prince’s heart but are those fashion columns really worth it? Is her style so great that we’re willing to sell our teeth for it? In my opinion, the answer is a plus sized no.

Yes, she’s shown that royal style doesn’t have to cost the earth, appearing in a range of high class highstreet frocks for her engagement (the blue Issa dress) and that white last season Reiss dress, but has anyone else noticed that since this solidarity for bargain fashion her style has become, well increasingly, er dull.

Gone are the short middle of the thigh lengths and funky floral prints, which you would expect a mid 20 year old to wear, and in come the plain colours, tweed fabrics and longer lengths. Yep just as she’s extended her name – we all apparently have to call her Katherine now – her hemlines have also seen a little more growth.

In fact Kate better watch out, with fashion like this, she may be finding her wardrobe is being raided by the Queen.

However, it would be unfair to put all the blame of Kate here. Judging by her past style we’re sure the elders at Buckingham Palace have decided to interfere a little and place her in the fashion cubby hole we’re currently seeing. And Kate’s probably just doing what every newcomer into the Royal family has done in the past and tried to fit in.

In fact the blame probably lies with us, the media, and the public who have put her onto a fashion pedestal. The fact that we’re all running riot to get our hands on the new style “The Middleton” – a hemline that sits demurely just above the knee – should really say it all.

Since when have any of us decided that on a night out, or in the summer months, a length that sits just above the knee is better than shorts, or a little summer mini skirt? I’m sure if this length was channelled a few seasons ago, it would have ended up in the bargain basement bins and in the 75 percent off sale rails, but now we’re tearing up those highstreet stores looking for these and beating down anyone who gets in our way, just so we can say we have a “Middleton”.

Will we wear it? Yes, probably proudly to the pub until someone not au fait with Middleton mania points out that the “old man’s pub” is down the road. Then we’ll pack it lovingly away into the back of our wardrobes and perhaps pull it out all moth eaten when someone bemoans the fact that they missed out on the look.

So who is Kate or Kate’s “stylists” basing this look on, apart from the Queen of course.

Some may say her style mirrors that of the late Princess Diana, and to extent, the classic shapes she opts for do. However, and you have to remember that Diana was an 80s girl, the late princess didn’t conform to that classic style. Instead she stuck a fashion finger up with her own style of shoulder pads, ruffles and sparkles.

Maybe then we should look to princess Zara for the answer, a fan of the classic look. But come on do we really want classic?

We and the fashion industry have been trying to steer away from classic for years, as have designers. Take “classic” British Brand Burberry. Known for its quintessential beiges and of course the trench coat the brand has quickly moved on offering snake prints, aviator jackets and mini dresses.

So where does this leave Kate in the fashion world? Will she take a style stand once she’s finally got a ring on her finger or will she carry on to conform to the Royal’s fashion way of thinking? And will the industry and public continue to worship the preppy, boring look she’s sporting?

I can’t answer the first, but as we all know fashion is fickle and princess or not Kate won’t be holding those column inches with her safe style. In fact I’d go as far to say that her fashion status will disappear as quickly as her hubby to be’s hairline if her long hemlines continue.



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Fashion Crush, Opinion, Opinion peice, Red Carpet

Fashion Crush Top 5: Five movies you should dress like

By Andrea Petrou on September 8th, 2010
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By Emily Borrett

The first person whose style I ever truly loved was Ariel from the Little Mermaid – I wanted her cool shell bikini, despite only being about five – and then a little later on in life the Japanese twins from the Simpsons, Sherri and Terri.  I stand by that still – anyone who thinks it isn’t cool to wear a shell bikini or match their clothes and accessories to their hair colour is wrong. Little television addict that I was when I was a child (apparently I used to come home from school and mournfully wail to my mother that I “hadn’t been watching”), it would be fair to say that film and television has had a hefty influence on my style over the years. And admittedly, some former fashion crushes of mine have not stood the test of time. Two examples of the most cringe-worthy that come to mind were my obsession with Columbia in the Rocky Horror Picture Show many years ago -which lasted far too long and caused me to dress like a fat burlesque dancer – and my Disney Channel phase at the age of about 9, when I really dug Lizzie McGuire’s “neon brights and pedal pushers” look.

Wardrobe horrors aside, there have been some pretty iconic dressers in movie history that I still take a lot of inspiration from when I’m getting dressed in the morning. All of the women listed below look dope. All of their films are super-stylish, and if you haven’t seen them, you should, if not just for the clothes.

5. MIA WALLACE IN “PULP FICTION”


Uma Thurman’s character in this movie is like a monochrome queen. White shirt, black capris, milky skin and the sleekest black bob in history (soz, Anna Wintour). Classic styling, classic Chanel colours – she’s like a weird fashion cat that I want to catch and then keep prisoner in my house, so that it can teach me how to dress well and dance like it’s the 50s.

It’s a completely different kind of sexy to the kind that was at the time all over the covers of Vogue, in the form of super-women such as Christy Turlington, Cindy Crawford and Naomi Campbell. Instead of whipping out her legs or boobs, Mia Wallace draws you in with her hypnotic eyes and the smile of a cat who just got the five-dollar milkshake. And so she should, it’s a good look for her. I’m depressed that my bob will never look like that.

4. MADONNA IN “DESPERATELY SEEKING SUSAN”

Hey guys, remember when Madonna was really, really, really cool? In the eighties, way before she started to look like Popeye and show off her crotch all the time, Madonna was in a movie called Desperately Seeking Susan, in which she  got to act cool on screen for a couple hours and basically play herself. Except in the film she’s meant to be someone called Susan, not Madonna.

All the biggest fashions in the past couple of years like leather, lace, sheer clothing and chunky gothic jewellery – “Susan” wore it first. She did all the things you (probably) only dream of doing, like hanging out in weird cabaret bars, sleeping with the Mafia and getting arrested for trying to bunk cabs. You know, bad girl stuff. And she got to wear Jimi Hendrix’s jacket while she was at it too. Despite the film’s silly plot and dialogue it’s one of my comfort blanket films – if you’re into eighties and new wave fashion you should probably watch it.

3. CHER IN “CLUELESS”

“So what did you do in school today, Cher?” “Well… I broke in my purple clogs.” I love to watch Clueless every few months or so because it’s like a warm bubblebath for my brain. It leaves me feeling girly, bubbleheaded and happy for at least a week afterwards. I like the 90s soundtrack and the amount of brightly-coloured plaid they all wear (both the preppy and the British Heritage trend nailed in one, well done, Dion and Cher).

Cher deserves to be on this list not simply because she was rocking knee high socks and loafers way before the likes of Alexa Chung and Daisy Lowe, but for her sheer dedication to fashion. She really fought for her plight – it’s not many girls that have a computer programme to decide their outfits each morning. And it’s certainly not many girls that have the chutzpah to argue with a gun-toting mugger when they think their Aliya dress is in danger of getting dirty.

2. GRACE JONES IN “A VIEW TO A KILL”

The movie itself wasn’t the greatest James Bond of all time, and certainly not the most stylish one – that honour should go to one of the sixties ones – but Grace Jones deserves to be on this list because she’s fiercer than a shaved mongoose, and better than any of the big-haired blonde heroines that got to snog James at the end. Also, I don’t want her to beat me up.

I have yet to see someone that can rock Lennon shades, a buzz cut and hooded sportswear quite the way that Miss Jones can. The likes of Lady Gaga, Kelis and Amber Rose haven’t got anything on this woman.

1. HOLLY GOLIGHTLY IN “BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY’S”

To not put Holly Golightly at number one of this list would be like ignoring a massive, Chanel-clad elephant in the corner of the room. Queen of the up-do, costume jewellery and the trusty little black dress, it’s a style that is still massively referenced nearly fifty years on. You don’t need to look like a film star to dress like Holly Golightly – though it helps – which is the genius of the styling in this film. All you need to get a little of Audrey Hepburn’s style is a sharp black dress and shades, and voila – fashion magic. The beauty of her clothes is in the simplicity.

These are just some of my personal favourites – if you’ve got a cinema fashion favourite that you want to add in the comment box, do it! ShinyStyle wants to know who your fashion crushes are.



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Features, Opinion, Trend Alert

Dressing to the max: the long and short of the maxi dress trend

By laurenbravo on July 4th, 2010
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wenn2806326.jpgFor about the last five years or so, I have considered any skirt or dress that reaches as far as my knees to be deeply unflattering. Or at least, deeply unflattering on me. On other people they might be elegant, chic, sexy even. But on me, I instantly look like someone dressed as a mum for a school play.

Being top-heavy, my legs are my slimmest part and therefore the bit I want to get out at every opportunity. It deflects from my bulkier bits up top, like wearing a subtle sign that says, “Just so you know, I’m not built like a tank the whole way down.”

So I’ve spent a draughty five years pushing the boundaries of hemline decency. Every dress has been shortened, then shortened even more the next year. My tights have got more and more opaque to compensate, my heels lower and tops more voluminous to balance out the harlot potential. It has been a long work in progress, but finally I’ve found a look that works for me. Hurrah.

The snag, of course, is that saying you’ve “found a look that works for you” is waving a red flag to the fashion bull. It’s like when someone on Eastenders says, “this is going to be the best Christmas we’ve ever had.” As soon as the words leave your lips, a flashing alarm goes off somewhere thousands of miles away, in a big control room, where I like to picture Anna Wintour, Karl Lagerfeld and Alexa Chung all sitting round in massive leather chairs. “Lauren Bravo’s found a look that works for her!” They cry. “Quick, make fashion do the opposite!” And so, summer 2010 became the summer of the maxi dress.

Maxis have been creeping up (or down) on us for years, but up to now I’ve been able to ignore it, dismiss it as a micro trend that will never catch on because Brit girls like to flash the flesh too much. But not so, it seems. Everywhere you look this season, women are flapping about in acres of fabric. And, more distressing, most of them look good. They’re elegant, chic, sexy even.

There is a crucial ‘most’ in the above sentence, though, and that is the deceptive secret of the maxi – it DOESN’T WORK ON EVERYONE. For starters, they cover up a significant portion of our bodies, leaving us only with arms and décolletage on show. Which is great if arms and décolletage happen to be your best bits, but how many of us claim that? And how many of us, alternatively, spend entire August afternoons sweating it out in inappropriate jackets so that nobody sees our bingo wings?

Then there’s the maxi’s lack of shape. This can be a blessing – skimming over your hips and thighs, providing ample coverage for a belly full of fried calamari – or a curse – making you look like someone of indeterminate gender hiding in a shower curtain.

And then there’s the lack of accommodation for, um, ample chests. The vast majority of maxis come in two styles – ruched bandeau or triangle halterneck. Neither are friends to any bosom bigger than a C-cup, with the former looking a bit like two puppies in a sack, and the latter presenting the age old dilemma of cavernous cleavage vs wearing a prudish camisole underneath. And I do not approve of clothes than necessitate extra things worn underneath just to protect your modesty.

But don’t flee back to your underwriting quite yet, busty ladies! There is hope out there. Maxis like this one from Julien Macdonald or this New Look number give the well-endowed goddess and little more dignity. Urban Outfitters and Oasis even have a few with that all-too-rare feature in women’s dresses, SLEEVES.

There’s the length issue to contend with. Maxi propaganda states that long, wafty dresses can only be worn by long, wafty people; one of those hideously unfair fashion diatribes like ‘only skinny people can wear skinny belts’ (you notice there are no trends named ‘stout and dumpy’). But it’s a rule made for breaking. The secret to pulling off maxi as a shorter lady is picking your shape wisely and being nifty with a needle and thread if need be. Make sure it covers your ankles, but isn’t sweeping the floor, and fits properly up top so you don’t look swamped. Try to find something relatively slim-fit so that you’re not wallowing around in a paisley marquee, and if all else fails, crank up the heels.

But body issues aside, the real key to maxxing it up is deciding on your style. Are you a Grecian goddess (draping, chiffon, upswept hair), a prairie girl (broderie anglais, denim waistcoat, belt), or an urban hippie (straight jersey t-shirt maxi, minimalist sandals, iPhone)? Or will you, like me, be keeping a firm grip on your minis until Anna, Karl and Alexa come round to prise them out of your hands?



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Features, Opinion, Swimwear

Why swimwear shopping isn’t always smooth sailing

By laurenbravo on June 24th, 2010
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ursulaandress.jpgAnother year, another swimsuit, another failure in the name of lycra. I don’t know why it is that with swimming costumes, as with jeans, haircuts and chocolate brownies, we spend our lives in pursuit of The One. We begin each summer daring to believe that this will be the year we’ll find the perfect swimsuit. It will glow from the rail when we walk by, with Handel’s Messiah playing discreetly in the background. It will suck us in where we want to be sucked in, cup us where we want to be cupped, make our skin look radiant and our hair more shiny, and never go see-through or baggy around the bum or fall off on a flume in front of an adolescent school group.

But instead of The One, we get an endless parade of The Wrongs. It seems fair to reason that the less fabric there is in a garment, the more things can potentially be dreadful about it. Nun’s habits are a much of a muchness; they always do their job very well. Bikinis, meanwhile, and underwear, cocktail dresses, hats – all the tiny things in our wardrobes – are fraught with potential faux-pas.

It’s also baffling that after everything scientists have achieved in the last hundred years, the field of swimwear hasn’t developed much beyond a stretchy hanky tied over our rude bits, and a million wafty ways of covering up the whole disaster. There are kaftans, sarongs, towelling playsuits galore, but nobody has stopped to say ‘hmm, why not just make what’s underneath it a tad more flattering instead?’ It still surprises me that they haven’t yet tried to make a swimsuit out of boned corseting. Or given one sleeves. I don’t let my upper arms out under normal circumstances, why should it suddenly be different because I’m immersed in water with half my hair stuck to my face?

As someone who hasn’t worn a bikini since John Major was in Downing Street, I can only appreciate them as an observer. And my main observation is this: triangle bikinis scare me, because I am convinced that they will slip off the wearer at any moment. Sturdier, underwired bikinis are better, but bring with them all the same difficulties as an actual bra in the pinching, squeezing, bulging and bagging arena.

Of course there are also tankinis, the eternal saviour of every body-conscious woman. In theory they’re the perfect solution – they offer the coverage of a swimming costume, but are far easier to go to the loo in and can be rolled up for tanning opportunities. In practise, however, a good tankini is hard to come by. With far fewer prints and shapes to choose from, more often than not they just scream, “I’m wearing this to cover my paella belly!” while the bikinis slink on by.

FLORA_1898:1-PRINT 1.jpgThen we have the one-piece. so enigmatic a garment that it pretty much warrants its own thesis. For the past few years it has been rapidly shrinking, a new piece of fabric cut away every season until we have been left with something a cyclist might wear to stop people hitting them. Much as I’m in favour of lycra-based experimentation, designers need to learn: we are not stupid. Putting a tiny strip of fabric down the middle of a bikini does not make us believe it is a proper swimsuit.

But enough of the ranting; now onto the good news. There’s a new wave of swimwear arriving this season, with more emphasis on shape and less on skin. We’re completely in love with Red or Dead’s new line Rescue Me!, which is full of beautifully cut one-pieces and demure, well-structured bikinis in the brand’s trademark fun prints. With their adorable, British seaside vibe, these are cossies that hark back to a time before gold lamé and hipbones took over everything. Particular stars are the low-legged Vintage one-piece with sweet nautical buttons, £62, and this Flora number with attached skirt (right), £67 – perfect for balancing chunky thighs or just a spot of poolside twirling.

FrostFrench bikini.jpgFrostFrench has also hit the mark with its Floozie range at Debenhams. Despite a disconcerting volume of strapless bikini tops (welcome to sag city), they’ve also done a pleasingly retro swimsuit with chevron panels, and this gorgeous halterneck bikini (left), which can be paired with tie-side briefs or boy-cut shorts.

For reference points, look beyond the Lowes, Lottes and Geldofs of this world and focus on some true swimwear icons. Esther Williams in Ziegfeld Follies. Marilyn Monroe in Some Like it Hot. Ursula Andress as Honey Ryder in the belted white bikini. Bo Derek, running along that beach (braids optional). Think swimwear that hugs your figure, not hangs off it. Swimwear that makes you feel powerful, not vulnerable. Swimwear so good that you consider wearing it with a skirt and heels to the pub. If you find all of that, girls, you may have found The One.

If not – hey, there’s always next year.



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Opinion

We get the low down on celeb fashion and AW2010 trends from Rachel Zoe

By Andrea Petrou on May 7th, 2010
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Rachel and shoes.jpg

Rachel Zoe is best known as stylist to the stars and has successfully dressed a range of A-listers including Nicole Ritchie.

So we were hardly surprised when she hit television screens offering advice and an insight into her busy styling life. And it seems you were as interested as we were as Rachel, who has had her fair share of contraversy, as the Rachel Zoe Project comes back for another series, which will be broadcast on Really from 10th-19th May at 8pm (Sky 248, Virgin TV 267).

To celebrate this, we decided to get a little of a low down from Ms Zoe about hot trends and celebrity style.

What’s been your favourite outfit you’ve chosen for a celebrity recently?
I have a handful, it’s really difficult to chose one. I would have to say Anne Hathaway at the Venice Film Festival in 2008, and I would say Annie at the Oscars in 2009.

In Venice she wore an Atelier Versace – it was like a pale, mint-green chiffon. It was heaven. She looked like an old Hollywood movie star. Amazing. At the Oscars it was Armani. Then there was Cameron Diaz at the Golden Globes last year, wearing Chanel couture. But I shouldn’t be telling you all this, because I don’t want to spoil it! I have a lot of favourites, but it’s also what comes together with the actress – with the jewellery, the make-up, the hair. A look can be completely destroyed by the wrong hair and make-up.

What are the must-have items for spring/summer and autumn/winter 2010/2011?
I think for spring/summer it’s a lot about amazing shoes this season. There are a lot of Lucite platforms, incredible wedges and things like that around at the moment. All the designers did them, which was so much fun. Even open-toed ankle boots; so much fun. I think lots of sundresses, bold floral prints and paisley prints and things like that. I’m really loving over-sized scarves in lightweight fabric for spring. For the autumn, it’s all about layering. Luxurious layering. Over-sized coats, huge, chunky sweaters, the trench coat, tonnes of shearlings and bomber jackets, thigh-high boots.

Top Five celeb styles:
Cameron Diaz- She’s the perfect mix of California cool and tomboy chic. She has an effortless style that is unique to her. She never does the expected and always adds a pop of color to add life to any look, even if it’s just jeans and a tee. Wear the perfect pair of jeans with a bright, unexpected shoe to channel Cameron.

Kate Hudson- Epitomises bohemian glamour and has a relaxed everyday style. She loves fashion, and she rocks everything with a huge smile. Wear lots of layers and an oversized scarf.

Demi Moore- Always chic, but with an edge. She tends to favor greys and black. She lets her cascading dark hair juxtapose a very sophisticated look. Always in perfectly tailored looks that don’t overwhelm her. Wear a classic black dress, hair loose and a great coat.

Anne Hathaway- She has such great “actress off duty” style. Tends to rock the androgynous look. Has a downtown flavor by day and does the red carpet with grace and style. Pair saddle shoes with an oxford shirt and a vest.

Eva Mendes- A young Sophia Loren who exudes sensuality without trying. Loves tailored cocktail dresses. Do Eva’s street style with a hat, great coat and a pair of jeans.

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Opinion

Designers donning all black outfits. Stereotype or colour conspiracy?

By alanamcverry on April 21st, 2010
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chantal.jpgI live in East London. I see a lot of people who ‘do’ fashion stuff. I come across a lot of people who do, or who plan to, design clothes. And one thing I have noticed, no matter how much they tell us purple is the new black this season, for them black has never been, and will never be replaced by anything. I came across this photo of Chantal Thomass, Parisian designer, on a sunny day in almost May, head to toe, clad in all black. A vacuum of colour and pattern, come on Chantal, is this not just too much of a cliché? In fact many fashionista attended parties I have stumbled on accidentally have been much dominated by the same fascination with absence rather than presence of pigment. If fashion design, like any good design, is about pushing boundaries, creating something new and exciting and avoiding the obvious, then should one not practice what they preach?
Now, I wear a lot of black, in fact if I was allowed to call it a colour, it would be a favourite, but my relation to fashion is much more of a reactionary one. I do not give birth to the haute couture babies that propagate and morph into the wearable high street fashion. It is not my initial actions that fuel self imposed irrational imperatives to be on trend with these seasons shades. So, is it all just a sneaky way of making us buy more clothes? If the new black was always black, seasons could go by and no fashion updates would need to be purchased. Or maybe they simply only like colour as a concept rather than a reality. Either way, I’ve always said, I would never get my hair cut by someone with a mullet. And similarly, I aint buying colour from someone who doesn’t know how to make it look good.



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Features, Opinion

Why flip-flops are a fashion fail

By laurenbravo on April 17th, 2010
1 comment

wenn5269841.jpgLauren Bravo writes:

So here it is, summer. Overnight we’ve gone from the meandering, half-arsed, do-I-need-a-jacket-or-don’t-I bustlings of spring to full blown, heatstrokey, builders-with-their-tops-off summer. The streets are full of people tentatively walking around in last year’s shorts and sundresses, looking at each other blinkedly as if to say, “this can’t be RIGHT, can it?” and wondering how early is too early for a beer.

But ho, here we are. Another year, another set of sartorial dilemmas to ponder over our Calippos. Will this be the year you actually stick to the regime of bicep dips and can swear off cardigans? Will you find a way of wearing kaftans that looks more Jemima Khan than Demis Roussos? And will you, finally, forgo the flip-flop?

Actually that last one is less a ponderance, more a plea. I am standing here, asking you all very nicely to please, please, not wear flip-flops this summer. Ladies, men (especially men), children, friends, Romans, countrymen, anyone with toes between which to shove bits of plastic; I am begging you. No more flip-flops.

After a short stint on Wikipedia I’ve been unable to find a name for the phobia of flip-flops, but as a lifelong sufferer I think the condition deserves recognition. I’m actually having a little trouble writing the words. I might start calling them the Shoes Which Must Not be Named, like the Dark Lord of footwear.

I’m not alone in this either. Tina Fey’s Liz Lemon in 30 Rock, who may as well be crowned official Queen of All Womankind for her neo-feminist philosophy and championing of donut consumption, notably hates flip-flops. She calls them “gross”. I call them a total waste of a shoe opportunity.

Flip-flops are a non-choice. With the galaxy of beautiful footwear that exists in the world, I just can’t fathom why anyone chooses to finish off a nice outfit with a pair of flip-flops. It’s like putting on couture then carrying your gubbins around in a Somerfield carrier bag. And it doesn’t matter how dainty and bejewelled your pair might be – as far as I’m concerned, there just isn’t enough material to make them an item of style. It’s the same reason wearing a bikini to an awards ceremony will never land you in Vogue.

You might think this is a foot-revulsion thing. But while I’ll admit that the sight of a bloke’s hairy toes isn’t one that rouses a passionate appetite, I am not a footist. Feet are fine. But the unnatural parting of the toes with that little bit of rubber, or leather, or plastic suddenly turns the foot into a thing of horror. They are, to all intents and purposes, foot floss. Imagine if we all started going around with bits of string looped around just our armpits, or… well, I’ll leave you to think of your own crevices.

Then there’s the debilitating factor. It’s a tricky one, this, because of course we wear plenty of other stupid shoes. We wear shoes that make us trot along like a pony, shoes that we can only wear when sitting down, shoes that turn us into limping, snivelling, barefooted fools. I have just spent a week learning to walk down stairs in a pair of clogs without stacking it and ripping off the banister. But those shoes don’t pretend to be anything other than challenging; we know what we are getting ourselves into. Flip-flops, on the other hand, masquerade as something comfortable. They pretend to be an easy option for swollen summer feet, but when you factor in the blister trackmarks and the muscle work involved in keeping the damn things on, they end up in the top quartile of effortful wearing along with sarongs and crinolines.

Plus, you can’t run in flip-flops. You have to do an undignified lollop, with the slippy-slappy soundtrack to match. I have it on pretty good authority that nobody in flip-flops has ever successfully run after and caught a shoplifter. Next time you’re debating a summer shoe choice, it might be helpful to ask the question: “if I get mugged today, which pair would best help me disarm the thief?”

But all that aside, the fact of the matter is that, as we’ve already shown you, this season is full of gorgeous shoes. We have candy colours, stacked heels, Mary-Janes, boots, spindle heels, chunky sandals, brogues, tassels, loafers, wedges, pumps, bows, bells and whistles. We’re even allowed to wear some of them with socks. We have everything our feet could ask for (almost – I lied about the whistles). We have no excuse for wearing flip-flops.

So do your wardrobe justice and throw away the foot floss this year. And for all of you coming to beat me up on behalf of the flip-flop devotees everywhere, don’t bother. You’ll never catch me. Put some proper shoes on and you might have a chance.

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Features, Opinion

RIP Malcolm McLaren: But wasn’t punk already dead?

By laurenbravo on April 9th, 2010
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malcolm-mclaren.jpgLauren Bravo writes:
A piece of fashion history died yesterday. Malcolm McLaren, former manager of the Sex Pistols, passed away in Switzerland, aged 64.

The news has made me feel sad, in an odd, empty-stomached sort of way. But if I’m honest, what I’m currently mourning more than anything is the fact as a 22 year old, my only real ‘memories’ of the erstwhile Godfather of Punk date from watching I Love the 1970s and occasional features in the Sunday style supplements. In my very best Carrie voice, I couldn’t help but wonder… what does punk mean to us?

People of my generation have grown up with McLaren’s legend sitting in the corner like an aged aunt. An aunt bearing a striking resemblance to Vivienne Westwood, it must be said, but a misty shadow of something that was once brutally important but has been dulled with time and laboured legacy. And while it’s easy enough to listen to God Save the Queen and feel something of the original rawness, the same can’t really be said of the clothes. Those dark, DIY looks are still very much a part of fashion, especially this season, but when we’re buying it from ASOS rather than Camden market does it still count, or is the whole idea too sanitary to be truly rebellious?

Westwood and McLaren’s prerogative was to provoke. Their King’s Road boutique was called, in turn, Let it Rock, Too Fast to Live too Young to Die, and of course, the one that stuck, SEX. Marching the’70s briskly though Teddy Boy style, glam rock and into Pistols-era fetishwear and bondage gear (neatly sidestepping fair isle tank tops), the couple’s influence still litters our catwalks and high street today.

Bandage tops, latex leggings, all the leather-studs-and-chains paraphernalia that return readily to our wardrobes season after season, all of it is descended from their punk philosophy. But somewhere along the way, it seems to have lost its shock value. Grannies don’t faint when we get on the bus; they’re more likely to be eyeing up our carpet bag and sensible brogues.

Part of the issue, of course, is diffusion. If there’s one dominant aesthetic that emerged from the noughties (and most of the time it seemed that there was only one), it was eclecticism. We are pick-n-mix dressers. We rarely wear a look head to toe; instead we’re encouraged to shake it up. Leather and florals, slashed tights with cocktail dresses, we dress like walking taster platters and by default each style is diluted down to a point where, oh horror, it’s just about the clothes, not a world agenda. Anarchy has been replaced by apathy – less anger, more time to accessorise.

Then there’s the obvious oxymoron. When designers tell us punk is ‘in’, does it still count as punk? For unlike Andy Warhol a decade earlier, who embraced the commercial and consumer potential of his art, McLaren and Westwood were inherently anti-fashion. Possibly being an actual punk today isn’t looking like Alice Dellal, it’s going to the opposite end of the scale, ironing a crease down some khaki slacks and tying a sweater round your shoulders. Need I remind anybody of the John-Lydon-does-butter-advert fandango?

Then finally, there’s the sex to consider. Credit where credit is due, Vivienne Westwood still understands female sexuality like no other designer. She creates pieces that flaunt the female shape in extreme proportions, while still retaining an edginess, a twist that seems to say “I’m wearing this for me, not you, bucko”. But what of the S&M styling that made she and McLaren such legends?

Well, we still have it in abundance, but not so much the ripple of shock that was meant to accompany it. Mention should be made of course, to Joe Corre, McLaren and Westwood’s son, and the co-founder of upmarket lingerie brand Agent Provacateur, who has given fetishwear a whole new fashion status. But when ShinyStyle’s Andrea can wear her undies to a bar without anybody batting an eyelid, and tweenies can wear bandage leggings down to Debenhams with their mums (heck, when the mums can wear them too), even sexualised dressing doesn’t pack the punch it once did.

To say ‘punk has lost its power’ would be trite in the extreme, but until I get to the bottom of the myth that the be-mohawked chaps on Camden bridge are paid to stand there by the tourist board, I will remain jaded on the subject. Punk remains a crucial part of our musical heritage, but where fashion is concerned, I think it needs to slot neatly into the filing cabinet of references alongside so many other revolutionary movements. So RIP Malcolm. You led a controversial life, and left a confusing legacy, but I imagine that’s exactly how you wanted it.

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Opinion

Review: Underwear as outwear Coco corset top

By Andrea Petrou on April 8th, 2010
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CouCou Nick.jpg

While we’re on the topic of underwear we thought it was about time we gave you a little review.

Underwear as outerwear was a hot trend last season, and while it’s slowly fazing out, it’s not going without a fight, with many people still opting for this look on a night out.
Back in January I was sent an underwear set complete with corset and undies from Wickedelic Lingerie.

Although the top wasn’t meant to be worn outside the house, it’s straps and monochrome design, plus it’s comfort , made me decide that I’d give the outerwear as underwear look a go, after all, if it’s good enough for Miss G, it’s more than good enough for me.

So did anyone bat an eyelid or is this piece of fashion so integrated into our everyday lives that no-one even looks twice? I took my corset on a night out to find out.

Corset’s first drink: Local Bar
My corset’s first visit was a local bar where people were gearing up for a causal night in front of the footie. Although I was wearing jeans I felt very out of place amongst the jumpers and if anyone was going to comment on my “nearly nude” dress sense, I thought it would be here, especially given the tie back. However, when the coat came off no one even looked my way, and I didn’t even get served quickly.

Verdict: Even though I was dressed as a WAG footie fans weren’t interested in my underwear top.

Corset’s second drink: The tube
Thanks to the Mayor of London’s ruling, my corset and I didn’t technically have a drink on the tube, but it was still an outing. Although I don’t usually take my coat off on a tube, research forced me to do so, and although I got a slightly surprised second glance from a woman, my journey wasn’t uncomfortable at all. In fact, as we moved closer to the city my corset began to make friends with the other range of similar tops worn by girl’s getting ready for a big night out.

Verdict: People were as disinterested in my choice of clothing as much as they are when they see a pregnant woman standing up in a packed carriage.

Corset’s last drink: Central London Bar
To be honest I didn’t expect to have any comments here, after all, a Saturday night out is full of girls getting dressed up and having fun. However, on taking my coat off in the queue I got a dubious once over by the bouncer, and when I walked past him to reveal my open back, I was hauled back out and asked for ID leading me to wonder whether wearing slightly revealing clothes suggests your trying to hard. Once inside I could have been wearing a T-shirt, no-one batted an eyelid, and I even got a compliment about my top while queueing for the ladies.

Verdict: Underwear as outerwear has become a huge trend, with many people taking this look as the Saturday night out norm. However, if you want to carry off this look we advise investing in some quality underwear. Going out in that discoloured Marks and Spencer bra will not have the desired affect.

Our lovely underwear set was called Coco and you can buy it here now for £25.

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Features, Footwear, Opinion

Why socks and sandals are sexy this season

By laurenbravo on March 11th, 2010
1 comment

chloesevignysocks.jpgHere’s a question for you to ponder over your latte: what is the greatest fashion faux-pas of all time?

By ‘greatest’ I naturally mean ‘worst’, rather in the same vein as ‘the Great War‘ or VH1′s ‘Greatest Power Ballads of the 80s’. There’s double denim, that tragic affliction of late 80s country rockers and science teachers on non-uniform days. There’s cycling shorts, the sweaty-crotched, cellulite-hugging, wear of a Rosemary Conley-shaped devil. Then there’s the ultimate, the uniform of elderly men on beaches, with knotted hankies on their heads and a fluttering copy of the Telegraph on their faces. Socks and sandals. And guess what folks? This year, they’re all back! Go on, at least fake some excitement.

With April Fool’s Day only a fortnight away, I can feel your scepticism. While there aren’t many styles that are safe from a sudden catwalk revival when designers run out of all other ideas, I think we all assumed that socks and sandals were immune. Too strong is their association with Sunday school teachers, hairy-legged eco-campaigners and people with fungal foot infections. But no longer! They’ve leaped off the crown green bowls lawn and onto the catwalk – and here are the pictures to prove it.

Burberry pulled off the look with aplomb, teaming scrunched-down knee socks with clunky platform wedges in a sort of safari-meets-70s-yachting-holiday fusion. Dior played it cutesy, again with wedges but this time in little white ankle socks, of the sort we used to wear in lower primary with our gingham summer dresses. Less convincing, though, was Marni’s effort, with kitten heels and beige socks straight off the orthopedic ward.

Socks Burberry.pngMeanwhile on the high street, Jonathan Aston is evangelising for the cause. That’s Jonathan Aston, purveyor of jazzy hosiery to well-dressed legs throughout the land, not BHS or Country Casuals. And the brand’s take on the trend, with slouchy knee-highs in khaki and sorbet shades, is so wearable you’ll wonder why you didn’t take style tips from your Grandad earlier (the armpit-waisters with a little shirt poking through the fly, though, might be one step too far even for these innovative times).

So are we doing it? Are we really? I’d like some sort of fashion pact here, where we all hold up our right hands and solemnly swear to embrace socks and sandals as a bonafide trend, for better or worse, for Burberry or Bon Marché. That way nobody can turn up wearing them at a party to be greeted by mocking squeals and cries of “You didn’t ACTUALLY believe that one, did you?”

A few guidelines might help too, to keep us out of drippy-hippy territory. So here are my top 3 tips for doing socks and sandals with style:

1) Keep it well-heeled. I know, I know, we’ve been cheerleading for the midi-heel and heralding the demise of the debilitating super-stilt. But when you’re wearing socks, you need to keep them high to fight the frump… even Chloe Sevigny can’t quite work it with flats, I think you’ll agree.

2) Keep it chunky. That’s not to say you can’t work it with stilettos, but on the catwalk the S’n'S looks that worked the best were those in super stompy wedges. A little clunk makes it modern.

3) Keep it pretty. The greying socks you wear to the gym will not cut it. Go with pastel colours or sheer lacy styles for a look that says “I did this on purpose” rather than “I have toenail issues.”

Good luck, ladies. I bid you, go forth and makes socks sexy. And look at it this way – even if we spend a summer looking like a Derby and Joan day trip, at least it’ll save us from blisters.

When it comes to double denim, however, I’m afraid you’re on your own.

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