LFF EDITS: THE SS13 SALES

With the SS13 sales well under way and there are plenty of bargains to be had both on line and in store. As you may have gauged from this week's holiday style diary, I am really loving bold pops of colour right now so this sale edit is dedicated to all things optimistically-hued. Some of these items are quite pricey still (Sophie Hulme's beautiful buckle tote for example) but they are all investment pieces that I think will work for several summers to come. By the way, the Topshop sale started after I put this post together, so be sure to check out their offering too. Happy shopping! 

1. Check silk cotton trousers, Jaeger, was £ 99, now £49.
2. Sophie Hulme buckle tote, Matchesfashion.com, was £570 now £399.
3. Marc Jacobs colour block loafers, Net-a-porter.com, was £350 now £210.
4. Filippa K halter bikini top, Whistles,was £50 now £30.
5. Bliss yellow flatform sandals, StylistPick, was £32 now £15. 
6. Whistles animal jacquard skirt, Atterley Road, was £125 now £65.
7. Balenciaga round-frame sunglasses, The Outnet, was £235.94 now £94.38.

LFF EDITS: SS13 SANDALS

There’s so many trends to try when it comes to sandals this season. For one, SS13 sees the return of the gladiator sandal so you can dig out any pairs you may have lurking in your shoe collection. Chunky soled pool sandals are still big news, as are super-chic high shine metallics. Then there’s sportwear inspired styles complete with heel treds and ultra flat units. The options really are endless, but here’s the LFF edit of 3 top trends to shop now: 

Top row L-R: Leopard print pony sandals, Next, £35. Leopard print sandals, £29.99, Zara, Primrose Leopard sandals, Stylistpick, £25.
Middle row L-R: Bertie Leda white sandals, John Lewis, £56.25. Flock flat leather sandals, ASOS, £22. Ancient Greek Clio sandals, Matchesfashion, £105.
Bottom row L-R: Coral asymmetric flat sandals, Zara, £22.99. Hedley heeled sandals, ASOS, £45. Metallic blue t-bar sandals, Next, £26. 

LFF SHOPS: ASOS AFRICA SS13 COLLECTION

If you are lacking in SS13 wardrobe inspiration, then look no further that the latest ASOS Africa collection. This fashion range encapsulates what great summer style is all about; soft and slouchy silhouettes, global traveller prints and elegant separates that can be easily mixed and matched. Take the sheer panel midi dress; add a pair of gladiator flats and designer shades and there is the outfit made. Avoid the temptation to over style with jewellery; simplicity is key to keeping detailed pieces like this looking modern. 

LFF recommends in investing in a few Africa pieces to build a capsule summer wardrobe that will work for seasons to come; this is an ageless and timeless collection. My mum religiously reads my blog (hello mum!) and I think she would look stylish in the cropped zip-front jacket (no.2 - not available on line just yet). And the best bit? ASOS Africa is produced in collaboration with SOKO Kenya, allowing communities to establish sustainable business through local craftsmanship so by making a purchase you are supporting a great initiative too.  

1. Printed midi dress with sheer panel, £50. 
2. Jacket not online yet.
3. Trousers in Kenga print, £40. 
4. Floral dress with mesh detail, £45.
5. Top not online yet.
6. Printed loose fit trousers, £40. 

LFF EDITS: SS13 HANDBAGS

When shopping for a summer handbag, I try to look for relaxed styles that fit the lighter mood of the season. I find that dark leathers and structured shapes don’t tend to work for S/S because they jar against all the loose and floaty fabrics in my wardrobe. At the moment LFF is loving cross-body and shoulder strap bags; not only are practical for rushing about London on public transport (I like to keep my hands free to hang on for dear life on the tube), they are also a key trend for the season. Another key style for SS13 is the sportswear inspired 'duffel' bag- (numbers 3. and 4.). Formerly reserved for your gym kit, the humble duffel bag has been given an upgrade for the season with soft leathers and minimalist shapes. 

Colour-wise, I recommend looking out for leathers in neutural hues of mushroom, cream and taupe that will work with lighter summer fabrics. Reptile-effect leathers and animal prints also feature in my edit because they will add a touch of luxe to just about any look. Subtle hardware details smarten up the look too (see the simple yet stylish gold turnlock on Bobelle's Berkeley, no. 5.) , but I try avoid anything too metal-heavy because this only leads to backache! What style of handbag will you be sporting this in summer? 

1. Grosvenor shoulder bag in Marsupial, Radley, £299.
2. Square leather leopard print messenger, Zara £59.99.
3. Buttermere drawstring bag in Cotton, Radley, £189.
4. Mango perforated cross body duffel, ASOS, £34.99.
5. Berkeley bag in Mushroom, Bobelle London, £395.
6. City bag with handles & buckles, Zara, £39.99.
7. Osprey London Maudie croc print satchel, John Lewis, £245.

LFF SHOPS: THE MID-SEASON SS13 SALES

The SS13 mid season sales are in full swing, and there's plenty of bargains left online and instore. Here's the LFF edit of the pieces that will work for high summer whilst subtly nodding to AW13 key trends.

The military trend looks set to be huge for AW13, so investing in some camo print right now is a sensible move. This Topshop jacket is lightweight and ideal for S/S(1.) Green also looks set to be a huge colour trend next season, add a touch to your  look with a jewelled necklace (2.) or khaki tote (6.). If you love a bit of leopard, then the dalmatian print trend offers a modern alternative. LFF loves these Stylistpick booties!

Have you been shopping the mid-season sales? 

1. Gold studded camo jacket, Topshop, was £58 now £30. 
2. Limited edition necklace multipack, ASOS, was £50 now £40. 
3. Round metal detail sunglasses, ASOS, was £12 now £7. 
4. Life white slogan t-shirt, StylistPick, was £18 now £10. 
5. Culprit court shoes, Kurt Geiger, was £140 now £49. 
6. Augusta holdall in Khaki, StylistPick, was £40 now £18. 
7. Eleanor Dalmatian print boots, StylistPick, was £35 now £15. 

LFF STYLES: THE CELIA BIRTWELL FOR UNIQLO COLLECTION

When Uniqlo offered me the opportunity to style a piece from their recent Celia Birtwell collaboration, I jumped at the chance. Celia Birtwell is a legendary textile designer whose iconic prints epitomised the 60s/70s. And I am happy to report her Uniqlo collection is sartorial perfection.  Not only is the collection gorgeous and wearable but the price points are extremely affordable too, starting at £9.90 for a printed scarf and ranging up to £29.90 for a shirt dress. With such good value on offer, I would highly recommend investing in a capsule collection of 3 or 4 pieces to mix and match in your Summer wardrobe.

I opted for a pair of pyjama pants (designed for daywear) having ogled them in the Grazia fashion charts. With an elasticated waist and relaxed shape they are extremely comfortable and easy to wear. With a skirt/trew hybrid such as these, I recommend treating them like a midi skirt if you are looking for styling ideas. However, they are definitely a spring/summer style so I wouldn’t recommend wearing them with tights. I’ve paired mine with a modern classic: the Breton tee (mine is Uniqlo) for a subtle print clash. The pants would look great with a flat ballet pump or a pointed court, but I have opted for my Aldo flatforms with mine for an east-meets-west feel.

 

 

 Picture credit: Neena Bhamber

1. (Similar) Saint James Galathee tee, Atterley Road, £53. 2. Lipstick in Rio Rio, Topshop, £8. 3. Pyjama pants, Celia Birtwell for Uniqlo, £19.90. 4. (Similar) White Georgia Hardinge flatforms, River Island, £50. 5. Hamptoms Perspex Satchel, Accessorize, £32.

 

 Uniqlo are running an Instagram competition at the moment to celebrate the Celia Birtwell collaboration.  To enter all you have to do is style an outfit featuring your Celia Birtwell purchases and hashtag it with #styledincelia. The competition will be judged by Celia herself with an exclusive signed Celia Birtwell print and 5 signed Celia Birtwell books up for grabs. The deadline is the 18th April so get Instagramming! 
 

6 OF THE BEST: HEELED GLADIATOR SANDALS FOR SS13

I'm so happy to see that heeled gladiator sandals are back in fashion this season. I have a  Moda in Pelle circa 2008 pair languishing in the back of my wardrobe that are just waiting to be paired with rolled up boyfriend jeans for SS13. And from L.K. Bennett to ASOS all the high street shops have done their own interpretation on this trend for Summer. 

For me the gladiatorial look is all in the strap detail, the more straps the better! When shopping for your new season gladiators, look for clean, minimal styles with mid-height heels (platform styles are plain tacky) to bring the look up-to-date for 2013. My favourite pair from the high street are L.K. Bennett's nude tone sandals, which have a simple and chic design that will lend itself to the S/S minimal trend.  

Here's my pick of the six best styles available online now: 

1. L.K Bennett Leather stiletto heeled gladiators, John Lewis, £225. 
2. Tribe shoe boots, ASOS, £45. 
3. L.K. Bennett Massa satin gladiator sandals, John Lewis, £150. 
4. 'Grind' heels, Topshop, £62. 
5. Brian Atwood Dolores sandals, Net-a-porter.com, £655. 
6. Giuseppe Zanotti cage sandals, Net-a-porter.com, £495. 

*Sponsored post*

SIX OF BEST: SNEAKERS FOR SS13

One trend that I'm finding really interesting at the moment is the evolution of the trainer from sportswear staple to fashion footwear. During London Fashion Week, the cobbles of Somerset House were hot footed across in many-a-pair of natty New Balance sneakers inbetween the shows. We have, in part, the Olympics legacy to thank for this athletic trend, which I am pretty sure has been helped along by the new super Cara Delvingne whose off-duty model look consists of 99% street/ sportswear. For a great example of how the trend can work in real-life, check out Reem of Five Five Fabulous blog who nailed the look in a leather dress/ Nike sneaker combination during LFW. It's a trend that I'm also keen to try out, so I've been perusing the net for the best trainers out there. Here's my top 6:

1. Stella McCartney Diorite Adizero sneakers, Net-a-porter.com, £140.
2. Trace neon lace up runners, Topshop, £35.
3. Nike Free Running trainers, ASOS, £80.
4. New Balance 410 Blue trainers, ASOS, £50.
5. Trace pink neon lace up runners, Topshop, £35.
6. Nike Free Training trainers, ASOS, £80.

LFF'S NEW LOOK SS13 WISHLIST

 One of my favourite stores on the high street right now is New Look. In the past few months my NL purchases have included my winter coat- a classic navy tailored boyfriend number, the perfect white cotton shirt (I bought 4...) and a pair of inky blue wedge trainers that often get mistaken for an Ash pair.

No doubt I will parting with more of my pennies in New Look over the coming months looking at their fabulous SS13 collection. I've compiled my new-season 'Wishlist' here, putting together two looks using some of the stand-out styles currently available online.

For my first look, I've dressed up a classic denim shirt with stripe jeans (perfect for the SS13 monochrome trend), colourful jewels and a pastel clutch bag. This is the sort of outfit I'd wear for post-work cocktails in a trendy London bar.

Look number two is a playful weekend ensemble featuring a super-cute cat print sweater that I may just have to add to my growing wardrobe of New Look clothing! I've pared the sweater with a denim skater skirt and brogues for a youthful look, but I would also wear the sweater with jeans and a white blouse for an easy 9-5 outfit.

1. Navy popper front shirt, £16.99.
2. Limited mult-stone necklace, £12.99.
3. Grey cat print sweater, £14.99.
4. Monochrome perspex collar, £7.99.
5. Parisian black stripe skinny jeans, £24.99.
6. Blink neon pink pointed court, £34.99.
7. Pieces mint green clutch bag, £13.99.
8. Mid blue denim skater skirt, £14.99.
9. Limited black sueded studded brogues, £34.99.  
10. Structured wing tote, £14.99.

*This is a sponsored post*

THE BEST STATEMENT HEELS FOR SS13

This post was intially meant to be a standard LFF Six of the best: post, but as is often the way with shoes, I got carried away during my edit and ended up featuring eight. Unfortunately 'Eight of the best:' doesn't have quite the same ring to it does it?

In case you've been living under a rock, you will know that the AW13 fashion weeks kick off today in New York, and with it will come the obligatory and fascinating coverage of street style outside the shows. One sure-fire way to catch the attention of Tommy Ton et al is to ramp up the fashion quota of your look with a bold statement-making pair of heels. In the designer world, the go-to girl for the coolest, nattiest of designs is Sophia Webster (number 1.), trust me, she is about to go stratospheric on the sartorial scene! On the high street, no-one (in my humble opinion) can compete with ASOS' SS13 offering, from metallics through to colour blocking and pastel hues, the online retailer have got it covered. Pick any of the below, and you won't put a fashionable foot wrong on the street style parade:

 

 

1. Sophia Webster Yayoi sandals, Net-a-porter.com, £525.
2. 'Priority' pointed high heels, ASOS, £45.
3. Nicholas Kirkwood neon printed pumps, Net-a-porter.com, £445.
4. Dune Benefit striped courts, ASOS, £80.
5. 'Pivotal' wedges, ASOS, £45.
6. Jimmy Choo Anouk metallic pumps, Net-a-porter.com, £595.
7. 'Hometown' heeled sandals, ASOS, £40.
8. Gianvito Rossi metallic & PVC pumps, Net-a-porter.com, £430.

SS13 COLOUR TREND: PRETTY PINKS

I did something out of character during the January sales, and purchased a rose pink coat from Topshop. (outfit post to come soon). I say out of character, because bar the odd splash of neon, this is the first splash of pink I have had in my wardrobe since I committed crimes against fashion in hideous fuschia pedal pushers aged 14. But after trying on the Topshop coat on a whim, I discovered that the rose petal shade of pink warmed up my porcelain skintone a treat.

And I am happy to report that a couple of weeks on and a co-ordinating scarf later, I am really enjoying wearing such an unashamedly feminine colour. When I have my coat on, not only do I feel princess-like, but I have also found that the opposite sex are holding opening a fair few more doors for me, which, for a single girl in the city, is rather nice.

So the message is: don’t knock the power of pink until you have tried it ladies! Here’s my pick of the best pieces available online now.

1. Newbury round neck tee, Stylistpick, £10.
2. Pink bird door knocker earrings, ASOS, £25.
3. J Brand denim 811 skinny jeans, Matches Fashion, £205.
4. Marni printed woven wool skirt, The Outnet,  £248.50.
5. Rhodonite pom-pom necklace, Cinderela B, £45.
6. New Look Phoebe Wing tote, ASOS, £14.99.
7. Silver stone & pink bracelet, Dorothy Perkins, £10.
8. Smythson leather iPhone case, Net-a-porter.com, £110.

5 WAYS TO UPDATE YOUR LOOK FOR SS13 ON A BUDGET

Just because you're feeling the pinch this month doesn't mean you can't start to try some of the new-season trends. If (like me) you're on a self-imposed shopping ban until payday, then console yourself with these 5 cheap and cheerful SS13 outfit updates:

1. Co-ordinate your Jewellery

Statement necklaces and oversized jewelled earrings have been big trends for quite a few seasons now, but for SS13 the new way to wear your jewels is to co-ordinate them. Take inspiration from the Gucci catwalk and match your oversized earrings to a statement necklace for an instant update.


Gucci SS13 Catwalks
Image source: style.com



 2. Mix it up

The artfully mismatched look has been a growing trend for a few seasons now. The real selling point of this playful style is that you can update your look on cheap by simply by finding new outfit combinations in your existing wardrobe. For the ultimate inspiration on how to style this trend, look to US brand J.Crew for a masterclass in inventive fabric, texture and pattern combinations. Take your first baby steps into this trend by pairing a breton stripe t-shirt with floral pants or skirt.



J.Crew SS13 Collection. Image source style.com.

3. Get lippy

Bold lips in juicy shades of fuschia and tangerine were allover the SS13 catwalks, I especially loved the orange/pink smudged lips at the Holly Fulton London Fashion Week show. Don't disregard a dark claret lip either, the gothic trend is still going strong.

1. Topshop lips in Tease, £8.
2. Topshop lips in Infrared, £8.
3. Topshop lips in Brighton Rock, £8.
4. Topshop lips in Hazard, £8.

4. Tie-dye nails

Created by nail guru Sophy Robson and debuted on House of Holland SS13 catwalk, this technicolor trend can be achieved by mixing up any colourful nail polishes you have to hand. Look for Youtube tutorials to nail (excuse the pun) what will be the perfect manicure to debut at your summer festivals. 

House of Holland SS13 nails. Image source: kissandmakeup.tv

5. High Brow

Take your style cues from supermodel cutie Cara Delevingne and trial the bold brow trend in your new-season beauty look. I've spent the last few months forgoing plucking my eyebrows and  pencilling them in to achieve thick face-framing brows. I have to say I'm really pleased with the difference a strong eye brow can make to your whole face, it has the power to make the eyes look wide eyed and awake, even after a heavy night out!

Cara Delevingne at the Missoni SS13 show.
Image source: Style.com

SS13 TREND ALERT: HOLOGRAPHIC CHIC

Hi everyone! To explain my blogging hiatus, I've been busy with a freelance project over the Christmas holidays, but I'm back and so so excited for all the fashions SS13 has in store for us.

I hope you all had peaceful and special Christmas holidays by the way and I'd like to say a HUGE thank you to all of you that visited La Fashion Folie in 2012; all of what I do on here wouldn't be possible without all the fabulous LFF readers out there and I'm extremely grateful that you keep returning!

But now on to SS13 and a huge trend for the season that I'm supremely excited about: all things holographic. As seen in the SS13 Hugo Boss, Christopher Kane and Stella McCartney SS13 Resort collections, my favourite interpretation of this trend was at the Jonathan Saunders show where models walked the catwalk in gorgeously glossy pencil skirts teamed with nude t-shirts and a dark lip. Super cool stuff!

Here's my pick of the best iridescent / holographic pieces that will shimmer and shine in your new-season wardrobe:

Catwalk image: Style.com 

1. Marc by Marc metallic sweater, Farfetch.com, £226.12.
2. 'Prior' metallic high heels, ASOS, £45.
3. Metallic shopper, Topshop, £45.
4. Metallic green belt, ASOS, £3.
5. Lollidrop mini bag, Kurt Geiger, £29.

LFF ATTENDS: GOOD RESULTS PR SS13 PRESS DAY

Last Thursday I popped into Good Results PR's SS13 press day held at the super-swish Sanderson hotel. After being wowed by the 8th floor pent house location, I really enjoyed browsing through the GR client SS13 collections. Good Results look after several brands that haven't crossed my fashion radar previously, with Copenhagen-based brand Beck Sonder Gaard's colourful accessories range proving a LFF fav. Luxury accessories brand Ruby + Ed were also there & their display definitely proved the most creative, taking over the bedroom and bathroom of the penthouse suite! Here's the pictures I took from the event:

Inside the Ruby & Ed-themed boudoir..

Ruby + Ed

Inside the Ruby + Ed wetroom

Snug towelling-lined lined slippers from Ruby + Ed

Ruby + Ed again

On-trend slippers & booties from Linzi shoes

More Linzi shoes

 Colourful accessories from Copenhagen brand  Beck Sonder Gaard

More Beck Sonder Gaard

Luisa Cerano

Twist & Tango- Love the coral hues.

Thanks to the Ruby + Ed team and Good Results PR for the warm welcome X