Outfit of the week 10/12/07

The office party outfit. There are just so many ways to get it wrong. I personally try to stay away from anything too intricate and shiny (which is really hard because I really like intricate and shiny!). On the other had, you don't want to be boring. It may be the office party but it's still a party and you might as well make some effort.

With it's off the shoulder cowl neck and just below the knee length, this soft grey knit dress from Coast seems to have just the right amount of office decorum and party sophistication. The temptation with grey is to try and brighten it up with bright colours like pink or yellow. I think it looks perfect with subtle purple accessories and tights.

A whopping 88% of you voted this a do. 11% wanted shimmer and shine but, like the man said: "you can't always get whatchu wa-ant..."



Dress, £95, Coast
Mock crock belt, £10, Dorothy Perkins
Clutch, £22.50, Principles
Ruched strap Mary Janes, £59.99, Schuh
Opaque tights, £5, Accessorize

Outfit of the week 31/08/07

Purple's always a key colour for autumn. I want to rock an outfit with different shades of purple with maybe just a touch of black, so that I don't end up looking like a giant aubergine!





Purple silk dress, £65, Monsoon
Purple spotty tights, £7.95, Pamela Mann at UKtights.com
Double t-bar shoes, £54.99, Schuh
Purple stitch bag, £25, Monsoon
Purple cape, Warehouse, £75

100% of people who rated this outfit loved it

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Designalike - Luella Bartley Vs Oasis

My what a busy month it's been. The fashion world is agog with the new Autumn/Winter trends and which means that I'm spending a lot of time getting acquainted with the designer collections. So when I see something that I could've sworn I've seen before, you know I've got to tell.

Observe...

Exhibit A: Luella Bartley prom dress


Exhibit B: Oasis prom dress

Now spot the difference. Is it the opaque tights? The white sunnies? No, I couldn't see a difference either, except that one's a lighter shade and possibly a few hundred pounds more expensive than the other.

Guess which one.

A/W 2007 key looks - love it or loathe it

I've just been looking at Vogue's key looks for Autumn/Winter 2007. As usual, I have a take it or leave it attitude to most of it but some looks I could definitely get into.

Love it

The Silhouette

Cinched waists, feminine skirts and forties glamour. This my favourite look. Could this mean the end for tunics and smocks? Hurrah!

Giambattista Valli A/W, Oasis skirt, Matalan belt

Why? This is a look for real women. Emphasise those dangerous curves and show off that figure
The essentials: wide, waist cinching belts, pencil skirts, heels

The event dress

Floor length, show-stoppers. Glamorous, red carpet dresses. Think Dame Shirley Bassey. You'll probably only get to wear it once a year but it'll still be totally worth it.

Valentino A/W, Debenhams Debut dress, Monsoon clutch

Why? Who doesn't want to look like a million dollars?
The essentials: minimal accessories, heels, red lipstick

The skirt suit

It's a bit of jumble here. On the one hand, there are fitted jackets and pencil skirts to the knee, on the other, double- breasted jackets and drindle skirts (gah!)

1. Chanel skirt suit, 2. Next skirt suit, 3. Dorothy Perkins top,
4. Warehouse blouse, 5. Accessorize scarf

Why? Pick what works for you and pan the rest
The essentials: chiffon blouses, scarves, slimline tops

Loose knits

Big jumpers, baggy cardies, chunky knits and Dr Who scarves. Comfy and warm, yes but fashionable?

1. Betty Jackson A/W, 2. Topshop cardigan, 3. Morgan belt, 4. H&M tights,

5. Dorothy Perkins leggings, 6. Morgan cardigan, 7. Dorothy Perkins skinnies

Why? It's a tricky one and it'll be hard not to get swamped but it can be pulled off if worn cleverly. A big long jumper worn off the shoulder over a tank top with tights and boots looks good
The essentials: belts, tights, skinnies, leggings

Metallics

More metal magic is coming our way. The look is high gloss and sheen. Choose between gold, silver and bronze and look out for metallic colours.

Marni A/W, River Island top, ASOS mini-dress

Why? We love the shiny goodness and we're not done yet
The essentials: break it up with black, white or chocolate

Lavish luxe

Sequins and crystals and glitz... Oh my! Don't wear them all at once.

Alberta Ferretti A/W, Dorothy Perkins beret, River Island top and sweater

Why? It's the glitter ball effect. We all just wanna sparkle and have fun
The essentials: sequinned berets and scarves

Primary colours

Bright block colours, head to toe mono-colour in different shades.

Sonia Rykiel A/W, Aldo clutch, Wallis green bangle, Urban Outfitters beret, Topshop blue cuff,

Miss Selfridge floral pendant, River Island tights

Why? I love juicy, zingy, brights and a colour clash gives a stand out edge. I'm loving the idea of wearing one colour head to toe in different shades... so cute.
The essentials:bags, tights and berets. Plastic fantastic necklaces and bangles.

Leather

Leather goes soft and easy. This year you will be mostly wearing... leather dresses and skirts.

Christopher Kane A/W, COS leather dress, Hannah Marshal dress, Fendi skirt

Why? Because the new leather is ultra soft, ultra shapely and full of colour
The essentails: talcum powder (only joking!)

Purple

Back by popular demand from last Autumn, or so it seems.

Emilio Pucci A/W, River Island bag and t-bar shoes, Primark patent shoes

Why? Purple seems to be the filler colour for that phase from summer to autumn. Don't let that put you off though, it's still a nice colour.
The essentials: purple patent accessories

Shoes

Platforms, wedges, stilletoes, lace-ups, anything goes as long as it's high, high, high.

Stella McCartney A/W, Shoe Studio patent, metallic and coloured shoes

Why? I love heels, they make you look taller, put a wiggle in your walk, and make your legs look fantastic. I am ruing the day when I get too old to wear them. Winch me up, Scotty!
The essentials: get patents, metallics and colours


Loathe it

The new length

The midi. Below the knee, on the calf. Some say it's a flattering alternative to the mini, I beg to disagree.

Topshop Unique A/W

Why? If you have short legs: this look is dreadful as it cuts across the fattest part of your calf - not a good look. If you have long legs: you don't want to hide them. Conclusion: this is essentially a look for people with no legs.

Black on black

Head to toe black, mix it up with different textures.

Karl Lagerfeld A/W

Why? It may flatter the figure but black is boring enough without having to wear it head to toe. Think I'll leave this one for the fashionistas.

Military

It's back - brass buttons, epaulettes and Seargent Pepper.

Aquascutum A/W

Why? It's just so boring and ugly and war-like. I just bloody hate it, alright?

Coats

Classic trenches, cocoons, capes... stop me if you've heard it all before.

Stella McCartney A/W

Why? Chances are you already own far too many of these coats. Why buy more?

Tight fit

Body con, short, tight fitting, tube dresses. Think Robert Palmer's 80s-model-drones in the 'addicted to love' video.

Allesandro Dell'Acqua A/W

Why? I can see that it has it's charms but it's not exactly an easy look to pull off, even with a double layer of spanx.

Quilted/padded jackets

These are sort of the direct polar opposite of the body con look. Let's call them fat suits.

Emanuel Ungaro A/W

Why? Ridiculously fat jackets that look like you got eaten by your duvet? While sky diving? No thanks.

Purple reign

I have seen the future. The future is purple and it's looking mighty fine. But you don't really need to be clairevoyant to know that. Every A/W season, like clockwork, the purple will come and it will ease you gently out of your summer brights with it's regal ways.

This season it'll be high shine PVC and satin or subtle aubergine. Wear with black patent/pvc for moody goth chic look, tart it up with bright yellow/orange, or tone it down for work with cool greys and browns.

Clockwork from top: Topshop sandals, £65; Star by Julien Macdonald pvc jacket,at Debenhams; Wallis pleat front blouse, £35; Yoda t-bar shoes at Schuh, £49.99; Dorothy Perkins Purple bag, £25; Monsoon Storm Isolde Dress, £75; Oasis shift dress, £60