Its all good and fine for fashion lovers (I put up my hand to being one of those) to spout off a bunch of trends each season, but if you can’t put it together in a fashionably acceptable outfit what’s the point? So I’ve decided to share some of my thoughts on this season’s fashion. Hope this helps to inspire you into some fashion fun!
I’m actually loving what’s out there this season. There’s plenty of colour to choose from, lots of lace and ruffles, all sorts of vintage inspired styles. There is however a few trends I’m not so sure about. Denim on Denim anyone? Some of the trends need toughening up, to avoid looking like you’ve raided the dress-up box, while others need just a little sweetening. How do you do it? I’ve put together some examples using Polyvore to help with ideas.
Lets start with denim on denim.
Fashion is a very funny thing. For years we have been told to NEVER wear denim and denim together. Now we are being told it’s a hot trend, so go for it! However when it comes to this trend my advice is to TREAD VERY CAREFULLY. The only way that I can see it being done with any style is either wearing a dark denim item with a light denim item, or seperating a cropped denim jacket from your jeans by a longer tank or top. If you must put two denim pieces together that are similar in colour, look for interesting and tasteful pieces, like the flare jean and waistcoat combo above. Use accessories (like the yellow belt) to add dimension, interest and break up the solid denim from head to toe.
Now for those trends that set the romantic dresser’s heart a-flutter (like me). Things like lace, ruffles, draping, the cape and the female dandy. As much as I love to wear this look all over, it has the potential of taking on a life of it’s own; such as a character from a historical movie! So to make it work in the 21st century, this trend needs toughening up a bit. See illustration below.
Romantic Trends Toughened Up by LivingInStyle featuring Balmain shoes
Mix some hardcore elements and more edgier pieces in with the ruffles and lace to balance it all out. Use jeans instead of the whole waistcoat suit (like you would for the female dandy style) to give this look a casual twist.
However for the harder side to fashion this season, you need to soften up your leather, studs, ripped denim and the military look with a little feminine detailing. Take a look below.
Hardcore Trends Softened Down by LivingInStyle featuring TopShop dresses
The key here is to team the rough and harder edged pieces with other items that have a femine touch. Go for pieces that have clean, classic tailoring or pretty details. One word on leather though. It’s around at the moment in all sorts of clothing options. Leather is not a very forgiving fabric, so you need to pay plenty of attention to the cut of the garment if you are wanting to follow this trend. Leather tends to be pricey so you want to make sure that if you buy a leather skirt, dress or top it will suit your body shape, and be in a design you especially love; so you will be able to be wear it long after this trend isn’t on the high streets anymore.
One trend that is huge this winter is the detailed shoulder. The fortunate thing about this style is that it comes in a variety of options, so there’s a look to suit everyone. The truely exaggerated shoulder is a really good look if you are smaller on top but are bigger on your bottom half. The overly detailed shoulders actually help to balance you out visually. Here’s a look at some options.
Exaggerated Detailed Shoulder by LivingInStyle featuring Arden B
As you can see this exaggerated shoulder detail draws the eye up and away from your larger lower half. Visually it brings balance. Layering up a summer dress with a long sleeve lace bodysuit/tank and leggings gives you a great trans-seasonal outfit. This is a good time to buy up big on the detailed shoulder fashion for those who’s bodyshape suites this look. Be careful if you are petite though as this particular style can overwhelm your small frame. What if you like this but are larger on your top half than your bottom half? Or you find it doesn’t suit, but you like it? Go for a subtle detailed shoulder. Following are some examples.
Subtle Shoulder Detail by LivingInStyle featuring Karen Millen bags
Look for soft puffs on the shoulder and arm area, subtle detailing such as small embellishments and studs. Whatever you choose, be it a jacket, top or dress; make sure that they have a V-neckline or a low scoop (the top illustrated above really needs to be lower in the neckline to make it 100% suitable).
Continuing with our shoulder theme, we have the one shoulder dress. As we move more into winter this trend becomes less practical. How can you wear it as the weather gets colder and colder? See the examples below for inspiration.
One Shoulder Dress by LivingInStyle featuring Juicy Couture bags
This trend is perfect for evening or a cocktail dress, throw on a little bolero jacket for travelling to the destination then it can be removed once inside. To wear this trend during the day, layer underneath with a long sleeve tank or bodysuit and some leggings.
For the other more exotic trends such as animal print, see through clothing and chunky knits they can be worn with style, if you mix and match your whole outfit well. See the example below.
see through, chunky knit, animal print by LivingInStyle featuring Juicy Couture bags
Choose one of the trends and team them with other toned down items. If you have a sheer, lacey or over-exposed see-through top, you can layer underneath with a tank. If you are going with the chunky knit look keep everything else stream lined.
Fashion is meant to be fun, so why not give one of these looks a go? If you find them a wee bit scary, try them out in an accessory instead.
