With 90% of my underwear draw comprising of multi-buy packs of M&S plain black briefs, I need to stage an intervention and stop buying 'practical' pants. In my fantasy world, I want to wear french lace and silk scanties in shades of blush, duck-egg blue and fresh white, ala Catherine Deneuvue in Belle De Jour. With so many amazing and affordable lingerie options on the high street at present, there really is no excuse. At the pricier end of the scale, I am in love Stella McCartney's lingerie, which combines the label's sporty aesthetic with feminine hues and lashings of lace for a cool and modern take on delicates. If you have a fuller bust, support is key - Panache and Freya offer expert upholstery in affordable yet feminine designs. Panache's Cleo collection is full of kaleidoscopic neon styles that are anything but frumpy. Being small-busted, I can't believe it has taken me up until now to discover the joys of a t-shirt bra. At the age of 27, I'm well past my days of chicken fillets, and whilst t-shirt bras don't create va-va-voom, they are unbelievably comfy [C-cup and below only need apply]. When it's time for some shut-eye, I am a fan of chemises and camisoles and if it's 100% silk, it's on wish list (a girl can dream!). Here's my edit of the prettiest styles online now:
1. Eberjey Paloma mint lace and jersey camisole, Harvey Nichols, £66. 2. Minx leopard plunge bra and briefs, Freya, £35 & £16. 3. Stella McCartney Millie bodysuit, Net-a-porter.com, £65. 4. Rosie for Autograph Teddy, M&S. 5. Marcie lingerie set, Panache Lingerie. 6. Triangle soft bra and briefs, And Other Stories, £19 & £10. 7. Stella McCartney whispering oyster silk chemise, Harvey Nichols, £160. 8. Louisa balcony bra and briefs, John Lewis, £30 & £15. 9. Satin bra and briefs, and Other Stories, £25 & £12.
Going grey is the height of sartorial chic this autumn/winter, thanks to appearances on the new-season catwalks of Derek Lam, Michael Kors, Topshop Unique to name a few. The key to nailing this trend is to rep shades of grey (no pun intended) top-to-toe, bar accessories (I love the cobalt blue leather clutches seen in the Derek Lam AW15 collection and a glossy black boot will finish the look). Having done some digging, I found some on-point grey pieces on the high street; Warehouse's sleeveless wool coat (no. 4) is a smart buy at a mere £65 - layer it up over a grey roll neck for an affordable take on the trend. For a chic take on the 9 - 5, the Fold's herringbone skirt (no.1) would look the part with a silk blouse. If you're in the market for a new tote, Stella McCartney's soft and slouchy Beckett bag is a real investment piece. The simple bucket shape and industrial grey hue will see you through winters to come. Proof that this season, grey is anything but drab.
1. Brook skirt in Herringbone, The Fold, £165. 2. Stella McCartney Beckett faux leather bag, Net-a-porter.com, £715. 3. Baja grey Agate set earrings, Monica Vinader, £165. 4. Grey sleeveless wool blazer, Warehouse, £65. 5. Cashmere tunic, Uniqlo, £89.90. 6. Felt borg trainers, Next, £24.
I don't know about you, but right now I am craving some colour in every area of my life. I'm eating rainbow-bright superfoods, adding pops of neon to my bedsit decor and now I want my wardrobe to reflect my sunny mood too. It's fitting then that SS14 looks set to be a colourful fashion season with a prismatic Art Pop trend replacing 2013's monochromatic mood. LFF loves Stella McCartney's current offering that features flashes of citreous tangerine contrasted against sapphire blues. Pair a colourful shift (I love the Whistles Meghan dress - no.6) with a colourful court (try Kurt Geiger's tangerine Anya pair) for a mood-enhancing look. Will you be embracing brights this season?
1. Stella McCartney Sweetheart shift dress, £699.
2. Saint Laurent Paris suede pumps, £390.
3. Whistles Rivington chain pouch, £75.
4. Stella McCartney Iconic Taylor trousers, £400.
5. Stella McCartney heart print sweater, £725.
6. Whistles Meghan crepe dress, £115.
7. Kurt Geiger Anya pointed courts, £195.
All available from Harrods.com - this post is collaborative content with Harrods.
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.
Ok, ok, so the main focus of the Olympics action should be on the athletes competing and not on the ring side catwalk show, but for fashion-junkies like myself it's hard not to clock Kate Middleton sporting a bit of Stella in the stands or Team US looking jaunty in their Ralph Lauren kits. And this afternoon Twitter went a bit Kim Sears-mad when the luscious-locked one watched her boyfriend Andy Murray take Olympic gold in the men's tennis finals (go Andy!) wearing a cool blurred-print dress. The good news is, Kim's dress is a high street number from my favourite fashion-destination, Whistles (regular readers may remember that I first clocked the 'Luna' dress as it's named back at their press day back in Spring).
The bad news is, the dress is currently sold out online- but with Whistles being the savvy company that it is, I wouldn't be suprised if they re-issue this dress soon. In the meantime, there's a very chic pleated skirt in the Luna print currently available on the Whistles website that will bring a touch of Olympic chic to your wardrobe, without a hint of performance wear in sight.
Finally we've had some tropical weather in the UK, so now is the perfect time to embrace SS12's trend for hothouse exotic prints in your wardrobe. As seen in the Marc by Marc Jacobs, Stella McCartney and Altuzarra SS12 collections, blossom and palm prints in a myriad of vibrant hues are a quick way to update your wardrobe for the sunshine. Here's my pick of the best pieces available online now:
1. Marc by Marc Jacobs Havana print dress, net-a-porter.com, £277.50.
2. Field Trip sandals, ASOS, £16.00.
3. MSGM Shirt dress, Farfetch.com, £314.
4. Proenza Schouler printed PS1 clutch, net-a-porter.com, £493.50.
5. French Connection Gwendoline top, John Lewis, £44.
6. Tropical running shorts, Topshop, £28.00.
Alexa Chung was bang-on-the-money in her paisley print pants by J W Anderson at London Fashion Week. As Alexa knows, paisley print is a huge trend for the season, cropping up on a number of the SS12 catwalks including that of the wonderful Stella McCartney. For those of us not lucky enough to have J W Anderson or Stella on tap, the good news is, paisley is a trend that can be easily found both in vintage shops and on the high street. I've found these gorgeous Whistles paisley shorts online, and even better they're in the sale, reduced from £95.00 to £50.00. Pair them with a chunky knit and booties now, and tan sandals and bare legs when the weather gets warmer. Add a touch of paisley print to your wardrobe now and you'll be bang on trend for SS12 just like Alexa.
1. Stella McCartney SS12 catwalk.
2. Alexa Chung in J W Anderson pants.
3. Daisy Garter stitch sweater, Whistles, £70.00.
Liliy Paisley shorts, Whistles, £50.00.
Acclaim Suede platform boots, ASOS, £65.00.
