Owner: International Style and Fashion URL:http://international-style-and-fashion.blogspot.com/ Join Date: Fri, 09 Mar 2007 10:07:29 -0600 Rating:0 Site Description: Information on styles from around the world, and advice on which trends to wear (and which to avoid) to make you look chic, elegant and sophisticated. Site statistics:Click here
best brands - Nicole Miller 2007-03-07 20:13:00 I think what I love most about her Spring 2007 collection is the South American influence. The earthy colours, with splashes of pale blue, coral and gold, and rich fabrics. Great details with strong but simple belts and sashes. I just adore the long sheath dresses - the height of elegance. Combinations of fitted and flowing, with waist accentuation This (above) has to be one of my favourite dresses - ever. Everything about it works.The summer collection is a bit sharper and a bit... younger or more for the city. Pretty different, actually. I do like some pieces, like the printed tunics and beautiful shirt dresses, turquoise/camel coordinations, and Pucci-style tops teamed with neutral skinny skirts.For Autumn 2007, there were some fabulous monochrome and silver dresses, very long and flowing, very flattering. Some trousers and jackets were slightly masculine for me, but there were still some ethnic prints incorporated which is great for an Autumn collection.This dress is gorgeous - the Read more:best brands
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my Zara slip up... 2007-03-07 19:18:00 OK, so I'm feeling a little scared, and more than a bit ashamed. Picture the scene: Zara changing rooms, me, yesterday. I was trying on a series of bin bags. Somehow, they (the bags) convinced me that I looked great. Fabulous, even. Perhaps it was because I was looking for something a little unusual for a fashion show. Perhaps it was because several of the bags were 100 % silk. Anyway, unable to choose just one, I later ended up parading the following three for my dismayed boyfriend in our hallway: I had hoped to pair them with some black opaques and patent platform pumps, for a slightly 60's feel. However, on seeing the look on said boyfriend's face, and looking at how hopelessly unflattering the dresses are on a (perfectly-proportioned) mannequin, I've seen the light - these pieces had crossed that line that exists between looking good and going too much for fashion. These aren't dresses. The prints look like ugly handbag lining or hippy vomit. The shapes like pillow cases. They
Dior saddle bags - timeless classic or pricey but passé? 2007-03-06 19:57:00 The saddle bag used to be hugely popular. Instantly recognisable - there's nothing confusing about its shape and huge CD metal links on the strap and the large D as the stirrup - the saddle became one of the first It bags. Of course now, though, we've learned that bags can be iconic and also carry more than just your compact. So is there still room for this bag in our lives, or is it just a 90's wonder? I've totally lost count of the number of versions available. They're very varied - from subtle and elegant, to rockish and punky. We've also got the little trotter pouch version (looks a bit cheap, to be honest), and the double-saddle style. From the monogram in various colours and buy-me-for-a-dollar-looking denim to the Rasta print, piercings, newspaper prints, Parisian art prints, Hawaiian prints (more like Hawaiian pizza vomit), Chinoiserie, vintage style flowers ... A true beauty is the girlie saddle satin evening bag. Really pretty.They featured in Sex and the City last ye
best brands - David Dixon 2007-03-05 20:07:00 I love designers who make clothes to make women look beautiful. I know that sounds silly, but they're actually quite a rarity. You get designers who want their clothes to cause a stir just because they're so bizarre. You get designers who make women look slutty. You get designers who lose all sense of practicality. One designer who seems to get it right is Canada's DavidDixon
. He's been on the go for more than ten years, and has scooped many awards as evidence of how women appreciate his designs. His principles include:unusual and luxury fabrics and texturessimple silhouette, sometimes with bold and unusual linesunique accentsglamour and romanceelegance and femininitywaist accentuation / 50's styles: fuller skirts, fitted topsneutral colours with brighter accentsdetailing, not following trends too strictlyTempted? Let's have a peek at his clothes. In both 2006 and 2007, his Spring/Summer collections both have a lot of monochrome. Many dresses were really very beautful and so wea Read more:best brands
to wear or not to wear - braces 2007-03-05 19:01:00 My first memory of braces
is from when I was showing my ponies and needed lime-green and black polka-dot ones to hold my jodhpurs up. Boy, did they make me look like one attractive 8 year old. Anyway, they were functional, and that’s what mattered. Not so, today. Instead of braces we have Hermes belts and scarves to hold up our loose waisted trousers. But still, they pop up here and there – particularly recently (last year) as the masculine trend has been trying to edge its way in. I’m more of a girlie girl, and think wide-cut suits and men’s style brogues are quite likely not to be attractive to the opposite sex. However I still think there’s a place for braces in a feminine woman’s wardrobe. Why? Ralph Lauren’s summer collection last year showed a pair in fairly dark colours (navy, I think – no lime green there), worn with a pair of flattering flat-fronted trousers and a very fitted white and blue-striped shirt. This looked great. They can also be worn with shorts
doctors and their gladstones 2007-03-03 12:59:00 There's nothing like the convenience of a bag with long enough handles to go over the shouler, but for many, many years, Doctors have carried a particular type of short-handled leather bag - and there must be a reason for this. These square-mouthed Doctors' bags are hugely practical. They're also very pretty. A common misconception is that they're gladstones, but in fact they aren't - true gladstones are essentially just like a normal, rectangular suitcase.There have been many modern takes of the Doctors' - Fendi, Dior, Choo (above right), Chloe - but for me a really good quality vintage is the most beautiful, and I've seen several gorgeous ones in either tan, dark brown, or black, which I wish I could show pictures of. I-S-F
current trend - riviera chic 2007-03-02 13:33:00 It's getting a bit predictable, isn't it? We start thinking about summer and, oh! - look what's set to be a big trend this season? The nautical / sailor / seafaring look. Only this year, it's been excitingly renamed the riviera
look, so, who knows, maybe there can be a glint of gold here and there. Despite this, to be honest I'm actually quite a fan of this style - it's very refreshing, very chic, very easy to do, and often very flattering. Of course, it's infinitely better if you're actually somewhere in the Riviera, but we can all pretend.We all know this look like the back of our crimson-manicured hand by now; there are just three main colours to think about - red, blue and white. Add a few horizontal stripes, a canvas shoe... and presto. There are a few very simple staples that we can use to get a really great sea-worthy wardrobe... but which can also be used on dry land. In wet countries.Wide-leg white linen pants (extra long) or jeans. I get mine from Versace or Armani Je Read more:current trend
best brands - Valentino 2007-03-01 21:50:00 I adore this brand. Both the ready to wear and the Roma collections are brilliant this season, as too is the R.E.D. line.Pret-a-porter: so elegant. Lots of ruffles contrast the otherwise really slim shapes. Some pieces really accentuate the waist, whereas others hang straight. Soft ecru, crisp whites and true Valentino
reds. Chic, huh?Valentino Roma: more sporty, but really stylish city-wear. I love the colour of the skirt (above) combined with the white and beige. This is a great holiday look - the loose shirt really complements the straight-cut shorts.R.E.D. Valentino: these clothes are really so simple, but have one or two really gorgeous details that sets them apart. Normally I'm not such a fan of trapeze jackets, but the simplicity of this (above) and those cute sleeves are brilliant.Last year I picked up a couple of coral-print pieces from this line: I really love this full-length dress - it hangs amazingly, and has a beautiful deep V at both the back and front. I love cut out Read more:best brands
best brands - Tory Burch 2007-03-01 17:09:00 A relatively new arrival to the American fashion scene is this collection of sportswear for women by Ms Burch
. I love these clothes because they're elegant, classic and smart-casual. It's also great the way ethnic details are included in designs, and that touch of internationalism really makes the clothes more chic. I think Tory's worked at Ralph Lauren, Vera Wang and Loewe, so it's no surprise that she's made a line for stylish women who are trend-aware but not strict trend-followers. So the price isn't that cheap, but compared to high-end products of similar design, they aren't bad. We're talking around $300 for a dress, and $200 for sandals.So, how's the Spring collection? To keep it trendy, there are bold prints, touches of yellow and a good sprinkling of black and white. There are some very pretty tunics, and well-fitted polos. Also, black and white is used on some really chic coats and shifts. I suppose my biggest complaint is that some of the clothes are a touch frumpy Read more:best brands
best brands - Laundry by Shelli Segal 2007-02-27 22:56:00 Beautiful, beautiful clothes. Please do look at http://www.laundrybyshellisegal.com/ to see the entire Spring collection. It's a little bit Paris & Nicole, but the pieces are still great. Yellow, turquoise, green, white, camel, coral... the colours are perfect, and the shapes and flowing and flattering, womanly shapes. Many of my favourite items in the collection are dresses, and also they have some great shorts. One of my favourite dresses of those shown here has to be the one above - so feminine. This dress screams goddess, don't you think?This (above) is such a perfect summer day dress. And who could resist this yellow number? For something a bit more wintry, and city-like, I quite like the below. I'm just not sure about the trousers - they're like cropped tracksuit pants.Overall, I think this is a brilliant brand, and it's consistently good - so rare! I-S-F Read more:best brands
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best brands - Barbour 2007-02-27 22:30:00 I've always loved Barbour, however in recent years there have been huge improvements. Styles have become more fitted, shorter... generally more elegant and hip. The UK's Project Catwalk was even involved - I think last year - in designing a piece for their collection, and I believe it sold really well, despite being modern and a bit radical. The classic Barbour is of course the wax jacket. The Classic Bedale is my favourite wax, but it has to be in a really teeny size in order to look unbulky.The best of the collection are, for me, the flyweight quilts (though I also prefer these small). One is the Shaped Flyweight Quilt - Short (right). This comes in millions of colours (well, at least ten), although these are very oddly named - celery? olivine? hemp? Hmmm. Another quilt is the Utility Flyweight (left). This is a bit more traditional, particularly in the lovely olive (although it's still available in Rosewater, supposedly). I really like this style for a casual jaunt in the country Read more:best brands
to wear or not to wear - Irregular Choice 2007-02-26 16:24:00 IrregularChoice
are like some types of art. They're not really designed to look nice; rather they're talking points. They detract attention from everything else (however this could be good if you have a disproportionately massive bum). For this reason they're selfish shoes, and, more often than not, they're really ugly. Like the Prada Gauffre, an otherwise-nice item is often ruined by the use of a hideous material or the addition of an unnecessary and rather vulgar detail. Why? Perhaps they think there's a niche for ugly shoes? These are the kind of products that make friends look at them and say, shocked, 'wow! cool shoes!' when secretly they're thinking 'glad I'm not the one looking like an idiot today'. There is one particular trend that keeps resurfacing like an ugly, ugly demon - that's the camel-toe. We saw it at Nike a while ago, we quietly vomitted, and now we're having to go through it all again. I tried the Nikes on when they first came out, and they were hugel Read more:Irregular Choice
current best and worst of Prada's bags 2007-02-25 19:51:00 Best: unlike many other bloggers and fashion-followers, I actually really like the Prada
fringed tote - particularly in brown (right). It's really brilliant - big, different, not too smart - a great day bag. I like it.Another personal fav is the new, re-designed clutches Prada are churning out. They're also hated by many, but I really like the idea. While it's true that some are really a bit too masculine, those with the cute bow detail (left) are rather sweet. I think it's really the fact that these are rather novel that appeals to me. Worst: something I do have to agree about with all those peops ranting at poor old Miuccia is the Plex Stampato tote. That's not pretty, that's not stylish, that's not clever. The only thing that it is is practical - and I can find that in a M&S carrier bag, thank you, without the extra ££ price tag. I don't know what could've been going through our designer's mind when this was created. Something childish, something involving crayons... No
best brands - Biolette 2007-02-25 19:40:00 Browsing on www.amatas.com, an Asian fashion network site, I came across this seemingly small-scale designer who showed at Hong Kong F/W FW 07. I love these clothes - they're so chic, so sophisticated, so classy. Yummy. Very Chanel. Check it out at http://www.amatas.com/collections/HKWF07/HKWF07Designers/BioletteHKWF07.htm . Perhaps Mr Amatas could contact me about the use of his photos for my site? Read more:best brands
persex part 2 2007-02-24 21:53:00 I really don't care for all the perspex bags on the go - they're all so I-came-free-with-shampoo-from-the-chemist. I mean, if the perspex Chanel 2.55 can't pull it off, can we really expect others to? However, shoes, on the other hand... well. I've found one pair of not-at-all-slutty flat pumps - the Lellman from Nine West (pre-order only). So cute! And all yours for 59 dollars. I think what makes them good is their quilting, and stitching / trim comes in silver, black, red or white (patent), so you can score multuiple trend-points in one easy and very pretty effort. I do in fact love all the colours - there's just enough of a hint of silver or red not to be too bold, and would be easy to coordinate with many outfits. I-S-F
current colours and prints 2007-02-24 11:26:00 Ah, there are so many refreshing colours in the S/S collections in stores just now, and some really sweet combinations being presented. Cream & coral: I saw in H&M today some really cute cream bags with gold hardware, and they were presented with coral-red pashminas. In true H&M style, though, they were also selling the cheapest and chunkiest plastic coral and cream jewellery to match. On the right is a Vera Wang from http://www.designerexposure.com/product/20578/.Cream & white: I've never considered this combination before, but saw a girl with a voluminous cream short coat, cream bag (like H&M's), teamed with white skinny jeans. And I think she was wearing cream Uggs, too. It actually looked really nice.Red & white: another woman I saw was wearing white wide-leg linen trousers with a short red mac on top, and a red or white bag. This looked really great, although definitely I won't be wearing white trousers, esp. those made of linen, for a few more months.White: some re Read more:prints
to wear or not to wear - brogues 2007-02-23 22:05:00 I remember first hearing of women wearing men's shoes in 2006 - Paul Smith's A/W collection showed models wearing white brogues. I don't usually care for men's tailoring worn by women, but maybe these would work?We've seen heeled brogues; in fact heels with brogue-detailing are quite common - I even tried a pair at Clarks recently. Above right - Carvella Almonds, right - Vuitton, above left - Celine, left - Kurt Geiger's Syrups. Flats - again, Mr Geiger shows us a pair of flat pointed pumps with hints of brogue (Charleston, Kurt Geiger - right), and Vuitton do kitten-heeled rough-takes, we've also seen Prada and Chanel (left) try it out (and failed), and Topshop have also done patent whites which were popular for a while, as did irregular choice. But, to get the real deal, it's tricky. Trickers (http://www.trickers.com/index_MAIN.html) do some, I believe, but they'll cost plenty. Vagabond also do some slightly less punched versions in black (http://www.vagabond.com/public/), a
want that wardrobe - Amanda (Becki Newton) in Ugly Betty 2007-02-23 18:18:00 She's a horrible character, but the clothes are brilliant. I love Amanda
's outfits, even if they do make her wear old shoes. Her style is chic and smart, but neatly avoids looking Victoria Beckham-like. Lots of strong simple colours (except the plaid LAMB dress, which was horrid), crisp shirts and tailored dresses and skirts - like the Black Halo Dress (below right), although she wore it in grey, as did Teri Hatcher in Desparate Housewives. We also see her wearing cute waistcoats, smart shorts... it all sounds a bit tacky and more than a bit, well, cheap, but actually it's pulled off quite well. Once I think she also wore a loose blacl/white stripe tie with a black shirt, and that also looked good (left).One of my favourite outfits was a black pinafore dress worn over a capped-sleeve red shirt, so I've managed, very quickly, to recreate this: Topshop black, highwaisted pencil skirt with braces, and a really basic puff-sleeved shirt, very like hers (and very good for balancing my o Read more:Becki
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best brands - Sun Goddess 2007-02-22 16:39:00 Wow. I so wish I'd seen their store in the Victoria Wharf when in Cape Town, because these clothes are really beautiful. On their website (http://www.sungoddess.co.za/) they have their 05/06 collection listed, which is amazing. Then a bit of (slightly tacky) swimwear, then... oh, my... the Luxury Collection. So nice. Bold, elegant, unique. And I love how the South Africa colours are incorporated in some pieces, and with some really natural chunky jewellery. This brand is by Thando and Vanya Mangaliso, and supposedly they entered fashion to promote their country, and not for the sake of fashion itself. What a brilliant job they're doing. I-S-FSources: http://lifestyle.iafrica.com/herlife/ fashionandbeauty/local_fashion/698855.htm , http://www.kenyafashionweek.com/sungoddess_images.htm# Read more:best brands
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stylish solution for when walking in the rain 2007-02-22 16:04:00 Thanks to ballerina flats blog (http://ballerinaflats.blogspot.com/2007/02/what-to-do-about-rain.html), I now know what to do when the weather is too yucky even for my already-ugly Uggs. No matter how durable my other boots seem to be, they all hate rain. Even if they seem to keep the water out, all too often they end up with those white salty tide-marks from puddles. And soles? Snow, mud - all fine. A bit of rain on the pavement? Big problemo - I'm on my bum, legs flailing. So what's a stylish solution for walking in the rain? Ballerina flats got the idea from Capitol Hill Barbie (http://caphillbarbie.blogspot.com), who suggested this great pair of riding boots, made of - eek - rubber: Aigle riding boots. Stay calm - they're actually really great. None of those ugly spotted wellies (really not nice), they have nearly all the style of a pair of leather riding boots, and are great with long skirts or over skinny trousers. There are three options from Aigle - Start Riding Boot (left)
beautiful fashions from a beautiful country - India 2007-02-22 13:34:00 India's Lakme Fashion Week is next month, so I decided to do a quick piece on some of the most fabulous designers in India right now. A country that's so rich in colour, fabrics and details, its no surprise that there really are some amazing clothes on the go, and where better to look for a fresh look for S/S 07?With a touch of the saree and a bit of the salwar-kameez, Indian designers are up to date with, but magically rework western trends. At the top, Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla (www.abusandeep.com/) have dressed some western stars, and I think they have a boutique in London called Also. Then there's Delhi-born Hemant Sagar and his partner's Lecoanet-Hemant (http://www.lecoanethemant.com/), which have interesting clothes but beautiful bags such as the S-line bag (right) which also comes in zebra and leopard. Another designer who I love is Payal Singhal (http://www.payalsinghal.com/index.php). I love this dress from Lakme India FW 2006 (above left). And what about this dress, rig Read more:India
sunglasses - for winter? 2007-02-21 20:10:00 Many people think there's only one season for sunnies - and that's the sunniest season, summer. OK, so that's when the sun is strongest and warmest, but how annoying is it when you're walking along at 2 in the afternoon on a really cold, winter
's day, and you can't see anything because the sun is so low? That's pretty much every day, for me. And, of course, what about on the mountains, when there's really bad glare? So, ladies, we have another excuse to look stylish (and hide eye-bags) - winter sun, and here's a selection of my current favs (more in summer time).I don't really think city winters calls for a totally different style of glasses than summer, but reds and pinks etc are probably best avoided. For brands, I always favour French or Italian, because they seem to wear them best, and make them best. Chanel, Dior, Dolce & Gabbana, D&G, Gucci, Prada, and I also like some of Versace's, Prada, and Tom Ford.Last season's styles are still available, so I thought I'd gi
the best and the worst of... Copenhagen Fashion Week F/W 2007 2007-02-21 17:38:00 The largest FW in northern Europe - there simply has to be something exciting there...Day 1 (7/2)Best:Elise Gug (right) - I really liked some of these smart outfitsDesigners Remix (Charlotte Eskildsen) - haven't actually seen their F/W 07 but S/S 07 included some great piecesWorst:Susanne Rutzou - too messyDay 2 (8/2) Best:Sand (right) - the most beautifulpieces, by far InWear - didn't see this either, but S/S was very good Not sure:Bruuns Bazaar - some OKMunthe Plus SimonsenWorst:Mads Norgaard - horrible, all of itBaum & Pferdgarten - so much black and no eleganceDay 3 (9/2)Best:Day Birger at Mikkelsen (right) - some quite niceNot sure:By GrothBy Malene BirgerWorst:Ivan Grundahl - really uglyNoa Noa - great show, poor clothesDesigners Nest - haven't seenBitte Kai Rand and Rand Jeans - haven't seenMusthave - cancelledDay 4 (10/2)Worst:Annhagen - very strangeHenrik Vibskov - haven't seenWood Wood - haven't seenDay 5 (11/2)Designers Nest - haven't seenSources: http://www.copenhage Read more:Copenhagen
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want that wardrobe - Tracee Ellis Ross 2007-02-18 15:57:00 Browsing on great blog I Like Her Style (http://stealstyle.blogspot.com/), I came across this photo of Tracee Ellis
Ross in an outfit which I just adore. Really love it. Perhaps I would've chosen a solid coloured headscarf, but wearing one at all really suits the dress which is just fabulous. And the clutch - brilliant. I've already found one (featuring the same magazine) on ebay (from c. 1970) which I will win. Now to find that dress... if anyone has any idea where to get it from, or one that's similar, please, please, do tell me.The combination really represents a very stylish, educated and relaxed woman, and of course there's a real air of internationalism in this outfit. Very chic, and makes such a welcome change from the usual fitted, Western dresses we see so much of at formal events.The title of this post might imply that I want her whole wardrobe; I have seen her wearing some other quite cute outfits, but much seems to be a bit rapper-ish... or something like that. Shame,
the best and the worst of... London Fashion Week 07 2007-02-17 21:05:00 Soooo, LFW 07. Lots of dark colours, baggy shapes... and then there were some cleaner, sharper shapes. Much tastier.Day 1 (11/2):Best:Paul Costelloe (below right) - OK. I quite like his stuff, generally.Ben de Lisi - this was OK.Worst:Caroline Charles - upholestrey?Day 2 (12/2):Best: None. Oh dear.Not sure:Duro OlowuNoirWorst:Fashion
East - House of Holland Fashion East - Danielle ScuttManish Arora - a little bit alien-like?Todd Lynn - they all looked like men.ErdemDay 3 (13/2)Best:Ann-Sofie Back (above right) - brilliant shapes and colours.Amanda Wakeley (below right) - elegant, as ever.Julien Macdonald - I think I like this collection.Not sure: Gharani ŠtrokWorst:Paul Smith - so early-2oth century. Weird.PPQChristopher Kane - depressing.Marios SchwabSinha-StanicPaul SmithDay 4 (14/2)Best: Aquascutum (right) - some really beautiful dresses.Not sure:Jasper Conran - sharper but not really pretty.Hamish Morrow - some nice pieces.Basso & Brooke - wow. In a bad way.Jonathan Saunders - som Read more:London Fashion
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Appelrath-Cupper - Journal Spring/Summer 2007 2007-03-12 19:14:00 This store totally embodies my dream look - and this season is no exception. The brands are brilliant, and if I could be a buyer for any store, this would be it. This journal was shot in Cuba, and features Brunetti, a variety of romantic blouses by Otto Kern, Tendenza and van Laack, we see Brax doing nautical, Basler's safari chic, and Vera Varelli doing... just, well, doing elegance. There's Greenstone, Windsor, Tommy Hilfiger's nautical, Lacoste for a sportier twist, Marc O'Polo and Vera Varelli's casual. And more. Here are my favs: I love cricket jumpers on women. Very stylish. Ralph Lauren usually has some brilliant ones. Polos. You can't go wrong. Check out Marc O'Polo's site for more gorgeous goods like these. Polo + city short. Very nice. Very elegant. Not 100% sure about the coat, but the colours are really goodThis is very nice. Dowload their latest catalogue at http://www.appelrath-cuepper.de/start.php?JS=ja to see more. I-S-F Read more:Journal
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best brands - Jesire S/S 2007 2007-03-12 18:21:00 I know, I've already posted about this as a best brand, but I am still amazed by its turn around (or perhaps I was just ignorant before). I wrote of the fall/winter 2006, and now it's time for spring and summer 2007 collections: they're great, again. There's the nod to the 60's and 70's, sharp finishes and clean lines, all quite romantic. Colours are quite muted (think beige, taupe and pastels with the omnipresent black, white and cream), with bits of solid brights here and there. Unfortunately you'll just have to make do with some rubbish photos shot on my cell this afternoon in a store - these are some of my favourite pieces, which would take you from smart day-wear to a wedding, with ease.This (above) ensemble is just so fresh. Featuring poppies (which are everywhere this season), but in a really feminine and almost childish way. Very pretty.I love this polo because the small details really make it very chic (and the material feels heavenly). Also available in black, I think. Read more:best brands
wardrobe staple - the kaftan 2007-03-12 16:46:00 They've been called caftans, tunics and even kimonos, but here I'm using the term quite broadly - encompassing one of the most fabulous of all dress shapes. One of the things I love about kaftans is their wearability - on the beach, to dinner, shopping at a resort... they'll take you everywhere if you accessorize properly. If you get it right, you could look like this:- that's perhaps one of the most elegant kaftans ever made, by Ford for YSL. Another similar to it sold for just over £22, 000 a few years ago. One thing I don't like so much is the availability of good kaftans - sure, you get badly-fitting ones at Monsoon or Accessorize, even at Asda, I imagine, but you might end up looking like this:So, where to look? One of the best kaftans I have is from Phool, and is very pale green with embroidery and tiny cute silver bells hanging from the hem.Another great kaftan designer is Juliet Dunn, http://www.julietdunn.com/, and these are stocked around the world. Look at this for a b Read more:staple
best brands - Diva Corsets 2007-03-12 16:30:00 Here's an interesting brands for you - http://www.divacorsets.com/ . Don't be scared by the name - there are dresses, too, some of which are really rather nice. As long as you don't go too extreme (i.e. avoid leopard print) and aren't put off by the Gwen Stefani-styling, there are pieces which could look really great for a semi-formal event - lots of pencil fits, and some quite romantic dresses. I love the colours of this dress - it would be perfect for a summer wedding. There's also a corset in fuschia or pale green in the same range - they sound awful but are actually very sweet. This is quite an elegant courtezan-style dress, also available in black. Read more:best brands
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Zara 2007 now online 2007-03-12 16:08:00 A quick post to share the news with fellow Zara-addicts - the 2007 S/S collection is now online
at http://www.zara.com/v07/index.html . I have to admit, though, that I'm not all that impressed. The site still doesn't offer the option to buy online, and it's always been really limited in what items they display (it's also so annoying that you can't change the country you're looking at, particularly if you're like me and have an ongoing contest to see how many countries' Zara's you can shop in). I don't really care for the styling in the catalogue shoots, and the clothes they've chosen to use aren't the best of their collection. One piece that's proving v popular, though, is this butterfly dress (right). My favourites include their trenches, and really full pleated skirts (there's one in zebra and one cream with a black waistband which are both really versatile). I also love some of the shoes - particularly the mock-Birkin style heeled pumps with the little gold padlock. U
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