Warehouse Multi Silk Bird Print Dress

I don’t know about you, Fashion Week lovers, but for me one of the ultimate highlights of the Autumn/Winter shows was Miu Miu’s 30s and 40s inspired collection of wrap dresses and coats. And it seems that celebrities feel the same way as I do – everyone wants to get their hands on the collection’s key piece, the elegant bird-patterned wrap dress. Hailee Steinfeld and Michelle Williams have already been papped wearing dresses from the show. You can get the real deal (pictured left) and shop the collection at Net-a-porter.com  if you’re a squillionaire, but sadly most of us aren’t.

Why do I love Miu Miu’s Autumn/Winter bird printed dress so much? As a lover of vintage fashion and designs that celebrate the female shape, this dress ticks every single box to me – I love the Oriental vibe of the shimmering birds against sultry dark fabrics, which combined with the classic twisted tea-dress shape give a wink to old Hollywood glamour.

To own the real thing is the dream for me – but until then I will happily settle for Warehouse’s gorgeous high-street version, priced at £65, which is extremely similar to the designer version. Check out the dress in the gallery above – we’ve also included a few suggestions of ways to wear the dress. Thankyou, British high street.

If you want to stay on-trend this season but are less than convinced by some of this year’s more unexpected trends (shearling and Princess Diana chic, I’m talking to you), don’t worry. You don’t have to go out in Christmas jumpers and yeti boots if you don’t want to – there is an alternative, and it gives me girly, fluttery feelings in my tummy.

Femininity is back in a big way in the fashion world, and you can see this girl-love on the catwalks. The world and its’ wife has a crush on Mad Men pin-up Christina Hendricks, Lara Stone’s breasts are in every ad campaign and waists are at the height of waspishness.  But if you don’t have a figure like Marilyn Monroe, that’s okay too – you don’t need a super-feminine body to be super-feminine. It was all old-fashioned romance and nostalgia in the collections of designers such as Marc Jacobs, Ralph Lauren and Erdem this season, who championed faded florals, dusty blues, greens and pinks and sheer fabrics to show off a cheeky hint of skin. Think high tea, bird cages, china dolls and antiques – all very pretty, very feminine and very, very British.

If you want a little more romance in your wardrobe, it’s a very wearable look that translates easily from the runway to the street. You don’t have to sweep down the road in a floor-length Victorian gown to make the trend work – keep an eye out for dusty shades, smock tops, antique jewellery and wispy fabrics. Check out the gallery below for some of my favourite pieces to buy in the high street.

Marc Jacobs R-T-W

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Balmain’s leather military jacket, $7,045, is hot. Hot in a way that could be styled vintage victorian or New York nightspot. Which is, of course, the very best kind of hot. Since it’s sold out on Net-a-Porter, I like to imagine this designer treasure is going to be worn and loved. This is the type of piece that people who can afford to are splurging on amidst the recession.

In friendships you might not expect news, Gwyneth Paltrow showed her love for Beyonce and Jay-Z when she attended the stars’ super-secret vows on April 4.

What did she wear? A Fall 2008 sample from the Proenza Schouler collection, shown at left. She carried a small clutch and donned ankle-strap heels with the bone silk gazar minidress.

“It was arranged last minute,” a rep for the designer told People magazine. The rep maintains that Proenza Schouler had no idea that the dress was for Beyonce’s wedding.

[Source]

From our shoe blog, Shoewawa

Kate Bosworth is the little fashion maven these days, isn’t she? Arguably, this isn’t exactly her most fabulous fashion moment, but wearing these heels from Chloé’s Spring Summer ’08 collection, you can’t fault her for trying to do something different. (Oh, and check out her Chloé Saskia bag!)

The shoes might be a little out-there (and not to mention, beyond budget) for some, so here’s some ‘inspired-by’ alternatives to achieve a similar look.

Product details after the jump.

1. Chloé patent leather sandals from Net-A-Porter, £300
2. Bertie Cross Front Sandals from ASOS.com, £70
3. Patrizia Pepe Patent Double Buckle Sandals from ASOS.com, £220
4. Peep Toe Slingback Sandal from Topshop, £55

[Main Image: JustJared.com]

Thandie Newton stepped out in style for the New York premiere of “Run, Fat Boy, Run” last week, as she has for the London and L.A. premieres (click links for pictures from those events). This time she wore a frock right off the runway.

Newton chose to keep the silhouette the same on her Temperley London spring 2008 dress, switching out a slightly funkier belt for the one used on the runway. She also kept a little more covered up (and warm) with tights, and opted for cutout booties instead of full-on boots.

Notice that this is one sophisticated way to take on the sheer trend for spring.