It is by no means a ground breaking look but there's no escaping the fact the denim shorts were the look de jour at this weekends Glastonbury festival.
While most went for your standard blue ripped denims, Kate Moss plumped for belted and black but it was Kate Nash that really struck out there on her own, sporting a pair of button fronted, high waisted shorts in coloured denim.
The style sported at this years festival was, in general, little to write home about. Festival fashion has become such a cliched trend, rolled out annually with little to differentiate it from the last woeful collection of faux band tees, playsuits, chunky belts and daft hats.
One thing that can be said for this micro-trend is that at least it's not as try-hard as trends seen in previous years, for that I guess we should be thankful. Lest the shops now be crammed full of heinous Sienna style belts, Kate-a-like gilets and so on.
Burberry's Autumn/Winter ad campaign is doubtless, a thing of great beauty. But, as you might expect from the iconic British brand, it is far from standard. Beyond the chiseled cheek bones and pillow lips and you'll find yourself face to face with some of the most hotly tipped talent from the world of fashion music and the arts.
Amongst these great British scenesters, Douglas Booth (owner of those cheekbones) who perhaps most recognizably and recently, played Boy George in BBC2's Worried About the Boy, Gwilym Gold, lead singer from the The Golden Silvers and models Rosie Huntington-Whitley (those lips) and Sam Rollinson to name but just a few.
Showcasing key looks from the Autumn/Winter 2010/2011 collection, from shearling and military to suiting and leather, the main campaign sees the cast of rising stars shoot many a serious, steely look down the lens, leaving you in no doubt that you are truly in the presence of the bold and the beautiful.
There has always been a special place in my heart for Jimmy Choo, but never more so than now, with the launch of their seriously damn fabulous Choo Boot 24:7 collection.
The collection is a stellar line of up of timeless wardrobe staples that can be dressed up or down, worn day or night. From the achingly on-trend 'Alanis' leopard print ankle boots (breathtakingly beautiful) to the more sensible (but no-less chic) flat over the knee 'Ernest' boots and beyond, each and every style is shining example of fashion and function.
By far and away the most kick ass pair in the collection, and my personal favourites, are Biker (lower right image above) and nor am I alone in my deep love of these boots, fellow Biker fans include Kylie, Elle McPherson and even Michelle Obama.
Carrying a price tag of £625, I'm not going to rush and buy them (just yet!) but I must admit if I bought them, I would wear them FOREVER. Hence, I proclaim their goal is achieved, Choo Boots really are the boots we'd want to wear 24:7.
View the full collection and buy online at www.jimmychoo.com
Last night saw the unveiling of Diane Von Furstenburg's redesigned rooms and suites at the ever opulent, art deco London landmark, Claridges. Lending her signature prints and bold and bright colours to the iconic hotel, she has also designed a number of original pieces of furniture for the rooms.
Diane was joined at the launch by a stellar cast of celebrities including, Victoria Beckham (who arrived in a Giles Deacon corseted dress and thigh high boots no less) the Russian model, Natalia Vodianova, Gwyneth Paltrow, Madonna, Jo Wood, Joan Collins, Laura Bailey and er ... Jeremy Clarkson.
If you can't stretch to the price of a suite at Claridges, then perhaps you could look to feather your own nest DvF style with her soon-to-be-launched Home Collection. The line is expected to be available from January 2011 and will include tableware's, bed linen and bathroom accessories. Blending luxury fabrics with bold colours and graphic architectural prints Home Collection is crammed full of must-have statement pieces to treasure.
For more information visit www.dvf.com or www.claridges.co.uk
Let me hear a woopwoop ... purveyor of super sexy undies and delightfully slouchy lounge gear, Victoria's Secret is setting up shop in our very own London town. Where once a trip across the pond was required to stock up on their famous and quite fantastic garbs, just a little jaunt to London's lovely W1 will now do the trick.
The flagship store will be a gargantuan 16,500 square foot retail space in Mayfair (the corner of Brook Street and New Bond Street to be precise) and will house all the mainline VS collections as well as their ever popular PINK collection.
The store isn't due to open until 2012, but more details are set to be announced in August . In the meanwhile whet your whistle at www.victoriassecret.com.
Be in no doubt, pared down beach chic is a fine art. Perfect it here.
Central Image: Bikini, £19.50, Hat £25 and bangle £9.50 all from www.marksandspencer.com
Clockwise from top left: 1. Oversized retro-fabulous sunnies, perfect for people watching £175, Balenciaga at www.cruisefashion.co.uk
2. Bored? Switch to analyzing the fictional lives of the characters in the latest book 'I Think I Love You' from best selling author Allison Pearson. £7.14 www.amazon.co.uk
3. A dandy little straw bag, perfect for stashing all your beach essentials. £12, Tu at Sainsburys.co.uk
4. Be good to yourself and spritz, spritz, spritz with Dermalogica Waterprotect Solar Spray SPF30, £29.60 (www.dermalogica.com)
5. For some 'go-with-everything' essentials choose these Skinny silver Havianas, £25 at La Redoute (www.laredoute.co.uk)
6. Cuter than cute candy striped towel, £70, Paul Smith at House of Fraser (www.houseoffraser.co.uk)
7. Do long lazy lunches in this Floral 'flutter' kaftan £30, Accessorize.com
8. Slick and stylish beach hair really does exist. Spray through with this frizz-fighting, humidity blocking hair mist. Zero Humidity Frizz Control Spray, £20, Frederic Fekkai (www.fekkai.com)
Vodafone have been announced as the new title sponsor of London Fashion Weekend and the official sponsor of London Fashion Week.
The London leg of the international fashion melee is an event to behold. The relentless round of catwalks shows, parties and previews are all damn good fun, if not a little knackering!
LFW's worthy new sponsors will be offering a tiny taster of all this fabulosity to their very best customers. The perks include 48 hour advanced access to Fashion Weekend tickets plus the chance to win tickets to shows and previews as part of it's recently launched VIP scheme
To join in visit www.vodafone.co.uk/vipor for more information on London Fashion Week visit www.londonfashionweek.com/
Coleen Rooney has scored yet another lucrative contract to boost her personal wealth and profile.
This time we see her as the face of home shopping company, Littlewoods.com. In a deal that's rumored to be worth £2million the 24 year old will become the companies 'style ambassador,' featuring in the catalogues giving style advice and tips. Her wisdom truly knows no bounds.
Keeping one step ahead of the increasingly tech savvy fashion pack, Burberry Prorsum are once again planning to bring you footage live and direct from their undoubtedly fabulous Menswear Spring/Summer 2010 Menswear show in Milan.
It's all happening tomorrow (Saturday 19th June) at 2pm (GMT.) Log on to http://live.burberry.com and watch in amazement. Notepads to the ready boys, as you can pre-order outerwear and accessories live from the runway. Now that really is proper good, isn't it.
It's a book. It's a new book. Called Grass Stains. A 'novel for the festival generation' no less. You want the lowdown? Of course you do ...
Girl has awesome job on trendy mag
Girl gets invited to lots of parties, goes to said parties and ...
Girl gets shitted on booze and coke every night
Girl shags lots of deeply inappropriate men, shacks up with one twat in particular (even marries him)
Girl realizes she's a bit of twat too and needs to sort her shit out
Girl goes to festival (gets loaded)
Girl meets rather lovely bloke
Girl sorts said shit out, and lives happily ever after
... the end.
Obviously there are bits in-between that make it a pretty good read and I think Grass Stains will appeal to lots of different people on lots of different levels. For me it was crammed with nostalgia (in all fairness, I could have written this book!) but for most this book will simply be about escapism. Yes, it's a bit lightweight and fluffy, but that in turn makes a bit of a page turner. An ideal companion on your daily commute or a sunny day spent on the beach.
From the Queen to Kylie, Gordon Brown to Ricky Gervais, Rankin has immortalized more than his fair share of big hitters from the land of celebrity and beyond.
His latest exhibition, 'Portraits,' gives an opportunity for you to feast your eyes on some of his finest and most recognisable works, as well as a handful of previously unseen images.
The exhibition runs from 18th June to 18th July 2010 at Annroy Gallery, Kentish Town London. Entrance is gratis peeps so lap it up at no expense.
If you're feeling really rather spoilt at the free-ness of such a fabulous experience then perhaps you will feel inclined to pick up the very lovely coffee-table book that accompanies the exhibition. Portraits costs £40 and is available from bookshops nationwide or to order from www.turnaround-uk.com
Brace, brace, brace fashion fans. The long awaited Mark Fast for Topshop collection has finally been unveiled. Not only that, tis a mere matter of weeks til you can get your fix. In selected stores (Oxford Circus, Selfridges, Manchester Arcade, Liverpool and online) from 7th July, this tight collection of just five signature-inspired pieces are going go like the lovely little hot cakes they are. Prices from £80 (Asymmetric dress pictured here, £150)
Er ... one word NO. Usually too cute and too stylish for words, where the fook did Natalie Imbruglia pull this horror out of? Arriving at the X factor auditions as guest judge, Natalie looked like she'd just ransacked Coast in this v.v average LPD (lil pink dress)
Girl, stick to your divine, too-cool-for-school rock chic look, you work it so well.
It's June. It's pouring with rain. Do the math and what do you get ... Festival Season!
A whole summer (and I use the term loosely) crammed with fantastical, musical weekenders kicks off today with both both Download and the Isle of Wight pulling in the crowds of good times guys and girls.
But do these peeps really know what makes for a festival weekender supreme? They will if they read on, because, my friends, it's all about your outlook. Are you merely camping or, are you ... glamping?
There's a world of difference here, a camper vs a glamper can be told apart a mile off. Campers will be scruffy, unkempt little buggers who whiff a bit. A Glamper, on the other hand are clean, chic and stylish individuals, who are, essentially, an all round treat to the senses.
Now, hands up, which do you want to do camp ... or glamp? I thought so. Needless to say, following the following advice will see you steer you safely towards an altogether more salubrious festival experience.
Glampers DON'T
...smell.
A quick swipe in all the right areas with one of a Skin Wisdom Daily Wipe or such like, will allow you to shamelessly throw your hands in the air all weekend long. (£2.44 for a 25pk from Tescostores nationwide)
... get sun burnt
While you might think that the chance would be a fine thing you forget how easily you can burn even when there's just a smidge of sun. So get some of this on your lovely self.
Elizabeth Arden's classic and much loved Eight Hour Cream now comes as a Sun Defence for Face SPF50, ticking boxes as both a moisturiser and a sun protectent (£22 from larger Boots stores and selected Department store nationwide)
Ditch the bottled sorts of greasy heavy sun creams and pack these Solar Defense Wipes from cult skin care brand, Dermalogica. SPF15 and crammed full of botanicals and vitamins, these soft towelettes and so handy it hurts (www.dermalogica.com)
... spend hours putting up a tent
Pitching a tent is nobodies idea of fun, least of all a glamper. Pick up this quick pitch tent from www.woolworths.co.uk for a mere £34 and the little winner will pop right up the very instant you let it out of the bag (well sort of) and if you can't figure out how to get it down, it's cheap enough to leave behind.
... get trench foot
Wellies are never going to be the coolest things, but they're kinda cute in their own special way, and these, form Adidas Originals, are about as good as they get. £70 (Stockists: 0870 240 4204)
... do the bedraggled just rained on look
Oh god bless M&S, they've given us this supremely poncho and it's only £9.50. It packs away all little in its own special special bag and will keep the rain off a treat. Does what it says on the tin. What a winner. (Marks & Spencers stores nationwide)
Glampers DO
... have lovely clean locks
Spray a little of Fudges Dry Shampoo through your mane and brush through, simple. It's never going to turn you into Cheryl Cole but if you think more Pixie Lott then you're in the right ballpark. (£9.95, salons nationwide or visit www.fudge.com)
... slumber in style
An oh-so chic (and matchymatchy) sleeping bag and bed roll from Biome Lifestyle will ensure the most stylish sleep to be outside outside of your very own home. Made from organic cotton they are cosy and ethical, get you. (Bed roll, (pictured) £65 and sleeping bag £75 www.biomelifestyle.com)
... look stylish and sassy at all times
A cute dress that you can wear over skinny jeans or leggings (basic essentials, take heed) when the chill sets in. Throw in supremely cute jacket and your capsule wardrobe is complete. (Dress £50 and Jacket £90, both Monsoon Fusion. www.monsoon.co.uk)
... look bright eyed and bushy tailed
Never let your peepers betray your hedonistic tendencies. A quick swipe of this cooling eye serum from Crystal Clear will help to banish dark circles and reduce puffiness whilst firming and toning the skin. Ding ding, round two anyone? (£38 www.crystalclear.co.uk)
Boys, you just don't know how lucky you're about to get. Beloved ... deeply, deeply beloved online boutique and all round fashion mecca, Net-a-Porter, is finally granting you a pass.
www.mrporter.com will launch in January 2011 so there's still some time to wait yet, but quite frankly, at least it gives you time to start saving ... believe me you'll need to. Expect to be dazzled and delighted with offerings from global designers and niche specialist brands alike. I'm talking Burberry, Ralph Lauren, Gucci, Lanvin, YSL, Margiela, Balmain, Dunhill, Margaret Howell, Rick Owens, John Lobb and MR by Roland Mouret.
It's music, it's fashion, quite frankly it's a match made in heaven ... or Selfridges to be more accurate. These pretty lovely t-shirts feature album art from the likes of The Plasticines, Mos Def, The Music and Daisy Dares You (pictured.) Each tee has a unique code that then allows you to download your featured artists album. OK, so you could just buy the album and save yourself the cost of the tee (prices start from £55) but where would the fun be in that?
Rocking out to your favourite band while wearing a tee with their name on, that's fun. Doing it in a red vest for example, not so fun ... see?
Music Tees are available as of ... now!! Exclusive to Selfridges or online from www.themusictee.com
Gawd bless Regent Street, not only is one of my favourite shopping streets in the whole of London town, it's also flippin' clever. Clever enough to launch it's own iPhone app anyway. Free to download from iTunes, this handy little gadget is designed to guide your ass around the fabulousness that are its shops, bars and boutiques restaurants.
I barely need to tell you that Regent Street is home to some rare, rare retail gems including Armani Exchange, COS, Banana Republic, Anthropologieand perhaps the damn finest examples of H&M and Habitat in all the land. Not to mention the only store capable of making me go weak at the knees, Liberty ... oh how I love thee.
I digress .. the app is launched in celebration of the 2010 London Festival of Architecture that runs from the 18 June to 4 July. Regent Street stores will be getting involved so expect to have times at the countless instore events that will be happening and gaze in wonderment at the 'conceptual' window displays.
For those of you sans iPhone a hard copy of this guide can also be requested from regentstreetonline.com.
An assault to the sartorial senses, that’s us Brits apparently. Recently topping a TripAdvisor poll that sees us crowned the worst dressed holidaymakers in Europe. Seemingly the sock and sandal brigade are alive and well.
There’s an element of the truth hurting, but it’s also easily believed, not least because the poll also reveals that 36% of Brits, and I quote, ‘dress more adventurously on holiday.’
Arrrrgggggghhhh! You fools. Dressing in a way that you wouldn’t usually, because you don’t think anyone knows you and such, won’t care what you look like … is, quite frankly, just not true.
I am assuming here, that in ‘dressing more adventurously’ people mean, wearing bright (read: garish) colours, brash prints, daft hats, silly shoes and with particular regard to the ladies; having an overriding penchant for anything metallic .. cos it’s glamorous innit?
I’d like to say that these fashion faux pas are the reserve of a certain age group, but that’s just not true either. Holiday makers in their twenties are just as likely to make these mistakes as those in their forties or fifties.
The crux of the problem lies with our great British weather. Our wardrobes are full of sensible clothes, in sensible colours and in sensible fabrics, all perfect for the grey, chilly days we know so well. So it’s little surprise that when the sun shines, we are clueless as to how to dress.
But we can’t let this be an excuse for losing all sense of style … and dignity to boot. Not least when high street stalwarts, M&S, Debenhams and the like, have really rather exceptional, and highly affordable, summer fashion collections. You only need to look at Twiggy swinging gaily round a palm tree in the latest round of TV ads to know this.
So why, when the high street are coming up with the goods, do we fail so miserably in assembling a stylish holiday wardrobe? How can we train ourselves, not to go potty; let-off-the-leash insane when purchasing and packing for our hols?
First off, and it’s a simple one, don’t simply dig out what you’ve been wearing for the past fours summers. OK, so you may not have worn them to death but they are old. It’s likely they no longer fit, and I’m pretty certain, they’ll no longer be in style.
Which brings me nicely to my next point. If you are only going to wear these things for a few weeks of the year, why embrace a seasonal trend? Buying a few well-chosen classic separates to form the base of your holiday wardrobe, is the way forward here. No spangles, no sequins, no gawdy prints. I’m talking casual, lightweight clothing in neutral colours; a simple safari style dress, linen trousers or shirt. Dull I hear you say? Not so. I challenge you to step inside a Banana Republic, COS or Zara store and not be floored by the wall-to-wall, super-stylish offerings that ooze elegance and sophistication. Tres chic, ce non?
www.bananarepublic.gap.eu
That said, I’m not suggesting you become a piece of walking, talking wallpaper. There are those of us that do like to inject a little seasonal style into our look. For example, the current trend for pretty florals is perfect vaction wear.
Unless this is a look you go for in your everyday life then it’s probably not worth spending too much here. Topshop and New Look have some very pretty separates but if you’re looking for a more grown-up interpretation of the trend then look to French Connection or Whistles here.
Floral dress £95, French Connection (www.frenchconnection.com)
At risk of contradicting myself completely, there is one store that I feel really does deliver on ‘holiday fashion.’ While I cannot emphasise enough the rule, that, if you wouldn’t wear it at home around you’re friends and family, then don’t inflict it on strangers abroad, Monsoon is a brand that really comes into its own with their Spring/Summer collections.
Bea Dress £95, Monsoon (www.monsoon.co.uk)
Picking up on trends left, right and centre, and delivering these in a friendly and amenable way is what they do best. Brights, embellishment, prints … you name it, they’ve done it, and they’ve done it well. So if really you must do faux-Souk chic or channel the Masai Mara, then do so here, but proceed with caution. There is real danger of overstepping the mark and venturing way, way too deep into trend territory, to the point of overkill.
I should make a special and very specific rule for hats. It’s unlikely you will incorporate one into your everyday wardrobe here in Blighty but fair play to you; you want to protect yourself from the sun and avoid the risk of over heating on your hols. Fine. But ask yourself this … is a straw Stetson really for you? Looking good in a hat is difficult for most of us, to say the least. In that respect you should consider a chic headscarf … very Cotes d’Azur don’t you know. Hit up John Lewis, Marks & Spencer and Accessorize for the biggest and best selection of holiday headgear.
And finally to the root of this problem. Footwear. That anyone in this day age might be wearing socks and sandals sends a shudder down my spine, but clearly, this heinous practice is still commonplace amongst a certain fraternity of us holiday-going Brits. I do understand that in teaming together these items, you do so in the pursuit of comfort. However, it is 2010 and footwear technology has come a long way. Comfy sandals are out there, waiting for you to lavish your hard-earned cash on them. Waiting and wishing that you would leave your socks back home where they belong.
Ladies, style and substance can be found in shops such as Shoon and in brands such as Gabor. Guys … same. The classic Birkenstocks and wooden soled Schol sandals are also good alternatives to the badly made and oh-so retro (dare I call them so …) Jesus Creepers.
For the younger, less comfort-concerned traveler, I feel there is nothing to say here. There are thousands upon thousands of chic and affordable pairs of sandals and flips up for grabs. But be warned, sandals and plasters are almost a worse look than sandals and socks.
So there you have it, holiday style rules designed to make us apparently caustic Brits a little easier on the eye when we’re taking our annual vacation. Think more Euro-chic and less Euro-trash, so when in Rome …
