Craze or Crazy? Sequin pants

I know it's been silly season on sequins lately, with everything from hats to shoes getting a bit of that old flattened bling disc magic but surely anyone with any sort of sense would draw the line at these sequin shorts (or is that pants)?

I love the Urban O but surely this is madness. Am I alone in thinking this? Would you wear them? I've been wracking my brain trying to think of one occassion where I would look in my wardrobe, past piles of lovely dresses, tops, skirts, jeans, shorts even, and go: I think I'll wear these gnarly sequin pants.

What's the look here? Going to a 7os disco and thought it would be a good idea to make my arse the mirrorball? Wanted to dress like Liberace but all I could afford were these stinking pants?

Anyhoo, they're £20. Go get yourself a bargain blingin' booty.

Image courtesy Urban Outfitters

Putting a little lead in your pencil (skirt) Part 1

How to wear a pencil skirt well

I've noticed that an awful lot of you are loving the pencil skirt but are still wondering how to wear it. Well wonder no more. The pencil skirt is a simple wardrobe classic that suits most shapes and is actually easy to wear once you get the basics right.

Let's talk underwear
The right underwear is always important to dressing well. Even more so, with fitted garments like pencil skirts. Unless you have a perfect body (and who does) you are going to need some kind of body shaper. Depending on your body shape, this can range from control top tights to a full on body.



Waist cincher - I favour the waist cincher because although I don't really have a problem with my bum and thighs, I do have a buddha belly and pretty much no waist. It's especially useful if you're doing high waisted pencil skirts. There are all sorts to choose from but for a waspy waist my favourite is the waist nipper from Debenhams.





Magic knickers - If you're bum is more rounded or you have saddlebags, then Spanx are your friend. Try the power panty which not only holds your tummy in, but also gives you a butt lift and thigh suck.






Body - If it's just an all over smoother silhouette your after, go for an all over body shaper. I think M&S do the best. They have one with multi-way straps, so you can wear with any kind of top.






Control tops - A budget alternative to control pants/wear is control top tights, they're light support so they won't give you major shrinkage but if it's a smooth silhouette your after, they are a cheap and more comfortable solution. M&S do their 60 denier opaques for £6.

Stockists: M&S, Debenhams, shapewearonline.com, spanx.com


Part 2 - What to wear with pencil skirts

I can sing a (cashmere) rainbow

It's official. The days are getting shorter and I am wearing woolie knee socks for comfort. The seasons have turned. It's Autumn. Time to stock up on cashmere jumpers. And I don't just want any cashmere, I want cashmere in all the colours of the rainbow because, I might as well look colourful while I'm freezing.

Lucky then, that Uniqlo have just what I need and at prices I can afford. I'm in hog heaven. I'm definitely due for a trip down there very, very soon.

Outfit of the week 23/09/07

Those Principles quilted boots are just too fine deny, so I've put an outfit together based on them. It's the black on black trend using different textures to create an all black look.

I am currently in full covet mode for the velvet military jacket from Warehouse. To be a little perverse I would top this look off with a shock of bright red. I'm thinking red beret.

Click on image to enlarge
Jacket, Warehouse, £55
Chiffon ruffle shirt (just seen) Wallis, £27
Treggings, Topshop, £35
Boots, Principles, £85
Bag, Dorothy Perkins, £20

83 per cent of you thought this outfit was cooler than Samuel L Jackson in cryo, the rest of you wondered where the funeral was.

See other outfits

I want it now - Principles quilted boots, £85

Oh my god! How cute are these boots? I'm normally not one for the pointy toes but that quilting detail totally trumps any other concerns I may have.

If you're into the black on black trend then they would provide some added texture. Picture it: black treggings, black chiffon blouse, black cropped blazer (maybe military style) and these babies. Perfect.

See outfit of the week 23/09/07.

Glove love

The humble glove. Never really seen in summer, it comes into it's own as soon as it starts getting nippy and pockets just don't cut it anymore. But gloves aren't just for hand warming, darlings. They are so fashion.

Like socks and tights, they are an additional bit of colour in my ever-expanding accessories wardrobe. I love them and I thought I'd share the love. So, here are some of my gloves. My favourites are the black velvet hand gloves. They're the closest that I'll probably get to the gloves that I covet so bad right now, the Burberry leather zipped ones, a snip at £450! That's monthly rent y'all.


If anyone knows of some viable (read, cheap) alternatives, then I'm open to suggestion. And also, I'm going to shut up about gloves now.

See:
Five of the best... long gloves
Five of the best... short gloves

Five of the best... short gloves

Clockwise from middle: Rocha. John Rocha mustard, £20; Miss Selfridge teal tied, £8, Jasper Conran purple, £20; Dorothy Perkins teal ruched, £18; Oasis black leather, £25

Well, I liked doing the long gloves so much that I had to do the short gloves. I absolutely adore the teal jersey ones with the ties from Miss Selfridge - gorgeous and ladylike.

Oh and I've been shopping around for gloves -like physically -so I can tell you that best place to go for cheap gloves in any colour is Primark. Unless you have hands like spades - like I do because like their bangles, I cannot fit them over my hands.

I can also confirm that the long knit gloves from Dotti Ps are indeed soft and lovely and at £5 easy on the wallet. Batting above my wallet weight at the moment are the £30 black gloves with buckle detail from Monsoon. Expensive for the high street but made of lovely buttery black leather and quite long.

See:
Five of the best... long gloves
Glove love

Mango must haves

Mango boots £75, blouse £30, and belt £18

I wouldn't go so far as to call Mango one of my must-shop destinations - their sizes are sometimes depressingly small and who needs to feel like heifer in the middle of a retail therapy moment? - but once in while they'll have something that I just have to have.

Spending a lazy Sunday online window shopping, the items above from their new season offerings caught my eye.

I like the multi-coloured blouse because of the tie-neck detail and coloured spots. I think it would look great with the corset belt and a pencil skirt.

As for the boots, blame my love of them on my kinky streak. This is the kind of footwear that I buy because it looks faintly naughty and then don't wear because it doesn't go with anything I actually own. Still, they look badaass funky, so why not?

Most wanted shoes - September

I'm going a little shoe crazy at the moment. This always happens when the new season's offerings hit the stores.

There is so much to choose from: platform courts and peeptoes, shboots and ankle boots, colours and brights and metallics. They're all so tempting and new, I want them all. If I'm not careful, my wallet is is going to get a lot lighter over the coming months.

For now, here's what's on my most wanted shoe list for September:

Platforms
I'm not a short person, relatively speaking but I do love the heels. And I really love the platform heels. They look great with flared out skirts or skinny jeans and really funk up boring formal wear. These two platform styles from Bertie are all I need to raise my spirits.

Bertie nude courts, £65 and patent peeptoes, £75

Shboots
Tis the season for all things not quite shoes and not really boots. It's the return of the shboot and this time heels are chunkier and vamps more solid. I absolutely adore the super-chunky green lace-ups from Carvela.

Carvela chunky heel lace-ups, £85 and purple shboots with buckle detail, £80

Bright and colourful
Colour-blocking is a big trend for A/W, so I'm stocking up on as many coloured shoes as I can find. Colour can give a twist to simple classic court or add interest to low heels.

KG blue embellished shoes, £70; Aldo apple green court shoes, £49.95

Ankle boots
I like the way that ankle boots look with simple jeans and a tee but I also like the way they can add an unexpected twist to a party outfit. I am totally wearing a pair like these turquise studded ones with a ball gown.

Schuh stud boots and tan boots, both £59.99

Metallics
Love 'em or loathe 'em metallics are all over everything for the foreseeable future. Getting bored with gold and silver? Go for metallic colour instead.

Office purple metallic lace-ups, £55; Solea pewter t-bars, £110

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.

I want it now - Dorothy Perkins PVC coat, £50

By now, y'all know my favourite colour is red, right? But if I ever had to choose the form in which my favourite colour could come in it would be shiny PVC or patent. So I could not believe my beady, red-lovin' eyes when I saw this beauty from Dorothy Perkins.

I know everyone's going on about the resurrection of leather for this season but I'm pretty sure that PVC is going to be the clear winner in what people will end up buying. This is simply gorgeous. Also, as an added bonus, it'll keep out the constant rain from this washout of a summer. I've already placed my order online. It's also available in blue - should you not share my colour obsession.

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.

Five of the best... waist cinchers

Here's the thing: there no such thing as too many belts. They have got to be the most versatile and essential of all accessories. They tie together a look and make it something special.

For those of us with tiny waists, any belt will do but for gals with a more boyish/athletic figure wide belts and corset belts are a godsend.

There's a strong emphasis on the waist for Autumn/Winter and luckily, corset belts and wide sashes are all over the high street right now, so grab them while you can. These waist cinchers will pull you right in and give you a waist where you never thought you had one.

Clockwise from bottom: Warehouse oval buckle, £20; Matalan elasticated, £4; Topshop patent, £25; Miss Selfridges sash, £18; Dorothy Perkins twist waist, £15

Some tips:

• if your going for the cinch, avoid wide belts made of hard leather they don't have enough give to pull you in properly

• wide elasticated belts are the best for giving you a waist because they act the same way as those big pants do (you know what I'm talking about!) but they look nicer

Designalike - marc by marc jacobs Vs Wallis

marc by marc jacobs: it's cute but I just can't afford it

I know these articles have turned into what could only be termed as occassional items, but here's one for you. marc by mac jacobs' red dress from his A/W collection is undoubtedly slamming but also - being designer and all - far too expensive.

Wallis: What, cheap? Moi?

Get the look for less by bagging yourself this dress/longline top from Wallis, £23, add this cute quilted bag from Topshop, £30 and a pair of black opaque tights. Dust off your black beret from last year (you must have one, everyone else does!) and your best black platform shoes... et voila A/W 07 sorted.

Top tip: Add a scarf (black and white polka dot/leopard print/zebra print will work best) for instant Parisian chic.

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

I'm looking forward to Autumn

Blame it on the crappy weather but I am so over (OVAH!) this summer. The Autumn/Winter season approaches - and not too soon, in my opinion. From August the high street will be filled with the gentle ruffling of ladylike dresses in shimmery fabrics and bright colours, sequined and metallic everything and gorgeous patent accessories. Here's a preview of what I'll be trying to get hold of. Get your fix here first and start counting down the days!

Sequins/Embellishment
Make like a disco ball and glitter from every angle. Yes, you are so retro.

Clockwise from top: Dorothy Perkins Sequin beret, £12; Accessorize Galactica bag, £40;

Topshop gold sequin vest

Metallics

Metallics will be everywhere but the smart money's on mirror-shine silver as the must have metallic of the season.

Clockwise from top: ASOS Paris Silver Metallic Jacket, £40; Accessorize Lurex crochet cloche hat, £15; Debenhams Debut silver prom dress, £90; Wallis silver moc croc shoulder bag, £35

Brights

Brights are still going strong from next season get your Autumn/Winter warmers in as soon as you can and glow through those grey days.

Clockwise from top: Rocha. John Rocha limited edition dress,£55 from Debenhams;New Look shoes, £35; Billy Bag purple bag,£255

Dresses

Sod tunics. Get a dress to flatter your figure with a nipped-in waist, feminine frills or a sweet neckline

From left: Topshop Blue metallic bandeau dress, £35; Dorothy Perkins lurex dress with beaded neckline, £28; Oasis purple prom dress

Patent/PVC

Be slick in patent accessories, try a daring red PVC mac or a fabulous body con dress

Topshop Red patent mac, £80; Debenhams J Jeans by Jasper Conran patent round toes, £40; Oasis patent dress