Saturday, 20 February 2010

Dita's Wiggle Dress

Model, performer and major fashion icon, Dita Von Teese attended the Ellie Saab Couture show in Paris last month in a royal blue pencil dress that showcased her style, and her assets. A little like a Roland Mouret, this dress fits right in with Dita’s off-stage retro glamour.

Dita takes her style from the 1940’s pin-up scene – a welcome change from an industry swamped by clone models. We love to see celebs with individual style, and Dita’s fabulous wardrobe follows no fad trends.

Get your own blue beauty at Oasis – this shouldered shift dress will hug your curves in the office and on the dancefloor.To complete the look, snap up these metallic platforms. Like the dress, these heels are so versatile and can be worn with any colour.

Dressed to Frill

After a tough few months, Katie Price has taken 2010 into her stride with a new husband and a positive new outlook. She may not be the biggest fashion icon, but this glamour girl has an irrepressible style that occasionally wins her props.

We prefer her more modest look – playful tees and leggings suit Katie’s bubbly stance and model figure. Promoting her own show ‘What Katie Did Next’, the mum of three poses in a ruffled silver dress – a little more covered up than we’re used to!

Call in the spring with frilled fancies, like this bandeau dress from My1stwish. A nod to the one shouldered trend and a little Carrie Bradshaw, this satin number is a bargain at £29.99! Fab fashion site OSOYOU embraces the frill trend with everything from dresses to bras.

Stripey Spice

Best known for her days in platforms and leopard print, Mel B has been honing her look (and her abs) over her past years out of our spotlight. Mel B’s Spice Girl style was all about fun and fearlessness, often the cause of some major fashion faux pas. It seems Mel’s moved on to a more classic style, bringing the best of Scary with her. Landing in London for her first appearance on the Brits stage in ten years, the Spice Girl revealed a fresh new look – and we love it!

She works a monochrome style in stripes and leggings. For Mel’s airport outfit, check out this Miss Sixty dress from Chemical. For stripes on a budget, get this bodycon version from New Look for only £12. Team with a jet black coat for the winter chill, or go cropped like Mel with this funky lookalike from Chiara .

Along with a new wardrobe, Scary Spice revealed a daring new do at The Brits, where she picked up the award for Best Performance of the Last 30 Years. Joining the likes of Rihanna, Mel took a razor to her hair, shaving the right side of her scalp with a semi-buzzcut.

Mytheresa.com

Launched in 2006, this German-born company offers top brands, emerging collections, and a whole world of styling tips to broaden your fashion prospects.

A mytheresa.com Trend Scout tells you what’s hot week by week – right now it’s Dries Van Noten and his strong ethnic prints. They’ve a fab half price Winter Sale, with a Single Sensations range where everything’s an added 10% off! There’s even a gift guide with a selection of the best pieces to indulge your generous side.

We’ve fallen in love with their fringe dress from Acne; its low back and leather detailing make it the perfect LBD for rock chicks.

The people at mytheresa really get involved with the clothes – there’s so much guidance around the site, so you can stay up to date on the latest looks and what to wear with what. Super high-res images mean you can scout every detail of their pieces and end up with something you love forever. And if it doesn’t fit? Return it for free! It’s the most stress free site we’ve seen yet.

Their designers are loved by all of Tinseltown; Gwyneth is a Preen lover, and J-Lo falls for their Roland Mouret dresses. With every top brand under the sun, you can copy any celeb’s style at mytheresa.com

Race 4 Life

Fashion and charity so often come together, and the new collection of Race for Life t-shirts proves another winning combination. For the 2010 Cancer Research UK event, choreographer Arlene Phillips, WAG Melanie Slade, and fashion designer Tracey Boyd have joined creative forces to design three limited edition styles, inspired by the spirit and energy of Race for Life.

Each putting their own personal stamp on the classic white tee, Melanie brings us a girly floral vest top, Tracey chooses bold and vibrant motifs, and Arlene adorns fitted t-shirts (and children’s ones!) with colourful footprints. The celeb trio really captures the optimism behind the cause; the designs are fresh and empowering!

All three t-shirts are now available to buy at www.raceforlife.org. Adult t-shirts and vests are £16, while Tracey’s kid versions are £12. All profits will go directly to help fund Cancer Research UK.

Will you be racing this year?

Design Your Own Love Band

Celeb girls Lara Stone & Katy Perry both started the year by flaunting their new rocks. If you’re lucky enough to be affianced – or nearing a proposal – now’s the time to plan your engagement ring. Thrilling or utterly daunting, choosing the ring is a mammoth decision – it will (hopefully) sit on your finger forever!

For those who like things ‘one of a kind’, customising your engagement ring can be a hugely fulfilling path to the perfect design. Step forward www.bluenile.co.uk – the world’s largest online diamond retailer. Diamonds are the choice of 70% of brides, and Blue Nile has all you need to create a unique and timeless piece, saving you tons of time sifting through diamonds that aren’t right for you.

Don’t fancy your skills as a jewellery designer? Blue Nile provides diamond education, and an engagement ring guide to help you make an informed decision. Once you’re swotted up, select a diamond, choose your setting and complete your ring.

Having given the procedure a test run, we must say it’s amazing to see your ring coming together. The site offers professional appraisals, free delivery, and returns within 30 days – leaving you free to fret about the wedding!

Go Bright With Your Tights

Girls everywhere can take comfort in a pair of opaque tights – always in fashion, these warming woolies mean we can show some leg on the coldest of days. The Saturdays love to go bright with their tights, and performed to rugby fans at Wembley last week in a rainbow of colours.

www.mytights.com has a selection of hosiery in all kinds of hues – like these 40denier matte opaques for £5.50! Team yours with a black trench for true Saturdays style, or go all 60’s in a block colour dress. Rochelle opted for purple – our favourite colour choice, and the most versatile shade for your winter wardrobe. We wonder if they’re the same pair she donned back in September in their video for ‘Up’?

Like her bandmates, Rochelle has a young and playful style, loving all things girly and glam. She heads to online stores like Lipsy for unique party dresses, and likes to channel her favourite designers with high street buys.

Rochelle attended the London premier of Valentine’s Day last week, band in tow, to reveal a potential love interest in none other than Marvin from JLS. The 19year old revealed they had been flirting, and sources confirm that the two singers have already been out on a few dates.

P.S - check out www.lovecolour-lovetights.com -the perfect site for new looks on a budget. From full length to footless, stirrups to stockings, this online wonder lets you shop by style, pattern, occasion, and bestsellers, so you can find a pair that you truly love.

Jamie's Valentines Look

Musician Jamie Cullum married his model fiancĂ©e Sophie Dahl last month with a white winter wedding in the English countryside. With a style that’s often overlooked, Cullum makes waves with his smouldering tracks and Broadway ballads. But a love of biker jackets and skinny ties puts this musician high in the fashion stakes.

The newlywed rocked a trendy outfit on Valentine’s Day in a checked shirt-and-blazer combo. Get the same look with this Fenchurch cowboy number for £25.30, available at www.chemicaluk.com – a fab site dedicated to music and fashion trading.

A similar site, Everything But The Music (www.ebtm.com ) is the leading online retailer for music inspired fashion. If you’re a fan of music, this site lets you copy the looks of your favourite bands. EBTM know their music and keep you up to date with who’s wearing what.

Davicore

If you fancy saving £35 on a pair of Pepe jeans, or a whopping £45 off a leather jacket, check out men’s clothing site www.davicoreclothing.com. A simple, secure and easy to use website, Davicore is full of quality designer and high street labels, and boasts the best sales in menswear!

With brands like Religion, Havaianas and Firetrap, Davicore scouts out the hottest menswear lines, as well as some up and coming names, and brings you their designs at amazing marked down prices.

I’m a huge fan of Franklin & Marshall, and Davicore’s collection of funky t-shirts and college looks are not to be missed! Save £65 off this luxury knitted cardigan; for the ultimate in jock chic.

Tons more fun than bog standard clothing sites, Davicore even has monthly competitions you can enter online; January’s prize is a £50 gift voucher. Check out the site and pick up a trendy bargain – and 10% off your first order!

The Coles Dress Up

A couple with their fair share of personal probs, Mr and Mrs Cole (almost) always deliver in the style stakes regardless of rumours thrown their way.

Attending Gary Barlow’s wedding anniversary in January, Cheryl dressed up for the New Year in a mesh panelled dress from Julien Macdonald. Deceivingly, that’s a necklace she’s donned over it– taking her outfit to another level with an embellished felt bib from Malene Birger. Laidback glamour and a tad sci-fi, Cheryl ticks all the right boxes with this look.

Don’t have the spare £2,000 knocking around? Layer this jewelled statement necklace from from Lipsy over one of Wallis’s fab colour block dresses – from £25, these body-cons are wonderful replicas of Cheryl’s own.

Boys, get Ashley’s polished formal style by pairing a shirt and waistcoat under a tuxedo blazer – a step up from the usual shirt and tie combo, this look is sexy and very sleek! Get the entire set from £180 at http://www.allsaints.com/ – with their massive range of men’s tailoring and a sale that outdoes all others, this ever popular site is perfect for copying Ashley’s look – keep it all black for the ultimate in classic cool.

Berties Brands

For fans of niche fashion buys, www.bertiesclothingshop.co.uk might be just the thing for your next style find. An extension from their boutique in Northampton, this website offers an eclectic mix of carefully chosen worldwide brands, both famed and less common. If you fancy viewing the entire collection, visit their Northampton store, otherwise browse through over 25 of their brands online.

From divine Lola Rose bracelets to rock chic coats, Berties has everything for stylish women with original style. Each brand is different, so you’re sure to find something you’ll love! Our favourites include their ethnic range of Bibi Alhaja jewellery, featuring traveller chic trinkets for boho girls, as well as of course, their superb range of Seven jeans. Any questions? Phone one of the Berties stylists who will guide you through the stock and lend a helping hand.

This one-of-a-kind store is loved by UK celebs everywhere – Caprice and Davina McCall both go for their Bernshaw evening dresses and our favourite fashion pair Fearne and Holly are avid lovers of their romantic Darling tunics. Register now and scout through the sale!

Belt Up In Studs

They were the hottest thing to hit the Sex & the City movie, and now can play a firm part in your wardrobe! If you invest in any accessory this year, make sure it’s the studded belt.
Just one can bring a subtle rock-chic edge to any look and, in Victoria Beckham’s case, really livens up an all-black outfit. Arriving at LAX airport last month, she reworked a little black dress with a wide studded belt – and looks amazing!

For waist belts like Posh’s, we say the bigger the better! http://www.asos.com/ have by far the best range of studded looks for miles, starting from £7! Wrap yours around a chunky knit and transform from frumpy to fabulous in seconds.


We also love the skinny stud belts from http://www.wallis.co.uk/; slung on the hips, these multi chain marvels make a plain top and jeans combo look remarkably couture! Get yours for under £20, and give your old boring belts a much needed break

Amanda Wakeley

Need an outfit for that special event? Be it dinner, a date or a wedding, check out Amanda Wakeley for classic clothes with a lavish edge. Selling womenswear to the chicest of ladies, this award winning designer has developed a world renowned rep for making fashion sexy in a subtle way – isn’t this how all clothes should be?

Her ultra modern site presents a line of sultry dresses, cashmere knits and covetable footwear. Her fabric knows no bounds with top quality suede, satin and sequins bringing timeless designs to life. The collection’s pricey but we believe this ruby red number to be worth the £575 price tag; draped satin with a goddess neckline makes this dress a real showstopper.

Perhaps the most fabulous part of this site is the bridal collection. Wakeley’s stunning lookbook showcases a range of dreamy and divine wedding dresses in a diverse range of styles. Vera who?
Amanda’s recent collaboration with hot Danish shoe designer Camilla Skovgaard hit Ten magazine this month, fore fronting killer heels that made shoe queens everywhere sigh. She has dressed such stars as Scarlett Johansson, Demi Moore, and Dita Von Teese, not to mention the late Princess Diana.