Do you know how to pick the perfect maxi dress ?

I am actually really freaked out about the maxi dress but I try to keep it together and present this as objectively as I can. The maxi dress trend has started to rise again last summer and it’s going to be big this season (as trends always have one year for launch and one for adoption) . I have been reluctant about this trend because I am petite and I felt that a maxi dress would cover me up completely and I’d look like a blanket.

No wonder I was scared!!! But yesterday I visited some stores and I tried it on just for fun. I had some wedges on, so I guess this helped, but the result was really cool! Maxi dresses are not what they used to be when our mothers wore them. Today we have tons of options and figure-flattering styles.

For example, if you are short you can choose a more structured type of dress. Try to reduce ruffles and extra beading, go for more simple styles. Empire waist is ok, unless the dress has too much volume. Even if you choose a strapless dress the options are generous and the patterns can combine abstract details, ethnic prints or floral prints.

If you are tall you have absolute freedom to experiment with the lenght of the dress but be careful with the shoes. Choose flat sandals or gladiators and an ankle lenght dress, this will make you have a ballanced look. Also, try to wear your hair down or in a casual bun.

Wear the casual maxi dress with :

• Gladiators or wedges

• Cropped jeans jacket

• Bohemian Jewelry

• A Beach Hat

• Messenger Bag

As spring has fully taken its right on the thermometer, we should start discovering the new pieces of this season. It’s warmer now and it’s easy to accessorize these fabulous styles. These dresses are poised to become a huge part of any spring wardrobe and you will that they are also very much figure-friendly.

The Shirt Dress

The first item that probably caught your eye by now is the shirt dress. Even if you like the casual shirt dress (Pacsun) or you choose a more glamorous cocktail option, the shirt dress can be a terrific option. I personally love the plaid one because it has a super casual style and can be worn with both flats and heels. You can pair it with a short, cropped jacket as seen on tons of fashionphilles. The cool nude leather jacket (Doma) is a spot-on style this spring and you could accessorize it with metallics.

The Floral Dress

Another hot key piece is the floral dress. There are heaps of gorgeous options out there and you can also play with the size too as both the mini and the maxi are stunning hot. I saw lots of florals in the shops and I couldn’t help noticing that some of them have really crowded prints. I don’t recommend you wearing a bouquet of flowers on your dress, but choosing something romantic and versatile. For example an artistic floral pattern might be just the ticket for a casual office look.

The material of the dress is also important as this is the thing that chooses the time of the day that you should wear it. Go for something opaque during the day, like cotton and  try to keep the sheer options for later at dawn :) If your dress is short  and soft transparent and you want to wear it during the day you can wear it with leggings or opaque thighs.

 The maxi dress is easier beacause it practically covers you all up. I’ve seen it worn with Converse sneakers and cropped jeans jackets and they lookes relly cool. You can also match them with flips flops or wedges for a summer look, but we’ll get into that in a future article. 

The floral print dress can be paired with black statement heels (Balmain - in the pic) and cropped jacket (H&M). The edgy accessories give this outfit a note-worthy look (sunglasses - Topshop, clutch - Miu Miu, necklace - Ann Demeulemeester).

The Tunic

This top / dress is poised to because a really big thing as it’s the most versatile of all of them. You can imagine wearing as a dress if it’s long enough or with shorts, jeans, or leggings. Some pieces of this outfit  are already on the March Hotlist and you already know all about the ripped denim trend.

There are tons of hot options in the shops, I especially love the tunics that have this houglass shape and are casual and sexy.  The embroidery can be cool on tunics and it gives them a bohemian chic look (Check out some Vanessa Hudgens styles).  If you can’t afford a glamorous version like this one (Calypso Juna smock top - Net-A-Porter) you can choose a simple tunic and then style it up with a skinny belt or some long necklaces or oversized earrings (these are Wetseal).

This Bold Mini is poised to become a really cool trend. It’s powerful, but still adorably chic. I actually found this photo of Alexa Chung wearing this fresh cool outfit a few months ago and I kept thinking of something  for showing it to you.  This season we’ve got these amazingly bold colors that go perfectly with graphic tees. You can try to match a full Bright Blue Mini Skirt ( Miss Selfridge ) with a chic urban style Motorcycle Burnout Tee (Delia’s) and a smart blazer. Even if you are headed for work or drinks this outfit will prove to be a really chic and modern option.

 Alexa Chung matches some retro casual shoes  with a brown leather bag (Topshop), but you dress up this outfit if you want with a Clover Chain Necklace (Forever 21) and some sexy shoes  (Daanger - Steve Madden) .

With just a week to Valentine’s Day, we are slowly starting to think at what to wear. Choices are endless but they also have to be mismatched with your personality. Who cares if everyone wears red if you don’t like it and you look like a juicy tomato in it (I know i do:))) )?!?!

That’s why I’ve researched a solution.

I’m saying NO to stereotypes and I’m bringing in the Hot Stuff !

Yes! Because Valentine’s Day should be a day when you shouldn’t worry about everything just look hot. Even if you’re single or taken, you should have fun and enjoy every second of this day mostly because it’s about LOVE and it’s true meaning. And the other good part is that men don’t like loose stuff and baggy tops, men love sexy cinched waists with hot heels and sexy smiles.

This is what I’m wearing for Valentine’s Day.

This is my perfect excuse to try on the hottest sexiest pieces that I never wore before.

Q: There are so many belt types out there and I also have lots of them at home. What is cool to wear this season and where can I find them?

Yes, I suppose this is a tough thing, shops are full of all sorts of belts and this sometimes makes things harder. Too many choices confuse us even if we are fashionistas :). I put together some looks with the most essential belt types and when you should wear them.

I. Skinny belts

Pair skinny belts with loose tops or dresses to get a more structured look. Versace used them in this season’s RTW collection accessorizing them with the same color apparel. You can even wear more than one belt but they should be similar to go together.

High-waisted skirts can also be worn with this type of belts and even some jean types. Don’t rely too much on the skinny belt, however, because it usually has an aesthetic look. When worn low the skinny belt gives you different looks you can sport. You can find outfit examples here : Skinny belt outfits.

II. Bows

Bows can easily highlight any outfit and especially a simple one. Wear the bow belt over a loose top or with a high-waisted skirt. You can wear the bow at your back to make it sexier . This way you’ll still have a balanced outfit. You can accessorize a headband and wear bow in your hair but a subtle one, it is really important not to over-bow the outfit.

III. Antique leather trend

The antique leather trend is really popular this season. Hermes dazzled us in his S/S RTW Collection on the runway with this western inspired colors and details. Brown leather belts can be wider and worn almost with everything. Despite the bow belts which are more suitable for an evening look, these belts are perfect for daytime casual outfits.

IV. Wide belts

Wide belts are perfect if you want to get the cinched waist look. You can wear them with over-sized cardigans , summer dresses and even simple tanks. Wider belts have the advantage of making you look slimmer and giving you a slightly narrower look to your waist.

V. Neon belts

Neon belts are perfect this summer if you want to highlight your outfit. You should match it with some hair accessories or the print on your tee/skirt. Wear bold colored belts with jeans and neon flats or with other coordinating accessories.

VI. Studded belts

Studded belts are so hot since Carrie wore one in Sex And The City and they really give a rock twist to your outfit. You can pair studds with a flowing dress and a leather jacket or with a studded bracelet or clutch. For more studded accessories check out : Accessory Trends 2008-2009

The Wowen or Braided Belt style is one of my favorites but now it’s becoming more and more popular with the global trend. They look really good with floral printed dresses and you can wear woven belts with a tunic or vintage lealther boots. Western inspired accessories also include the fringed bag and the triangle scarf, so get creative!

VII. Hot summer belts

Hot summer belts focus on sequins, jeans, zebra prints belts , heart/star shaped buckles or chain belts. Future summer outfits available soon!

Photos available on cwtv.com

I recently came across CWtv’s hot series Privileged and I absolutely loved it! I find myself laughing and living every second of it. But besides the story and the drama, the style of the characters is amazing. Rose and Sage Baker played by Lucy Hale and Ashley Newbrough are the perfect fashionistas, so glamorous even when going to school. Joanna Garcia plays the role of Megan Smith and manages to enchant us with her  casual chic outfits and especially with her tutor-girl attitude.

The show is not as focussed on socialite life as Gossip Girl and has more of an L.A. relaxed apraoch on lifestyle and fashion. But still, I love the clothes and all the outfits are amazing!

Rose wears neons and metallics almost every time. She has a playful personality and she can usually pull off short tops or really short skirts. To get her look choose a strapless dress and some shinny heels. Accessories are really a big deal and be sure to wear a glamorous headband and maybe lots of jewelry.

1.Strapless Floral Linen Dress, $24.80, Forever21.com 2. Red Jewels Headband, $7.99, Tano Jewelry.com 3. Adore bag by Bulga, SimplySoles.com 4. Runway Collection Gold Alligator Sandals 5. MARC JACOBS - ‘Wayfarer’ Style Sunglasses, $250, Farfetch.com 6. Gypsy bangles, $50, Tejani Jewlery.com

Sage Baker brings a more tense style to Privileged. Although, she still rocks a spoiled rich girl look, Sage is more confident and diva like so she ditches heavy accessories and usually chooses a few statement pieces. If you like her look, choose bold colored stilettos and exatravagant headbands. I’ve seen her dressed in skinny jeans and cropped preppy blazers and they both work great.

1. Ruched Tube Dress, $16.49, Charlotte Russe 2.  Brigitte Bardot Oversized Sunglasses, £85.00, Love-worn.com 3.Sequin Triangle Scarf, Topshop 4. Coin drop earring, $34, Banana Republic 5. Leather Bow and Button Clutch Bag by Dazed Dorothy,$60, Hanna Hzakari 6. Brian Atwood Tonya Patent Pumps, Net-a-porter.

Don’t miss Megan’s outfits, tomorow!

The jeans or jean how they are recently called, are making a casual comeback this year. Colors get lighter and acid washed and we start having fun with them. Their shape varies from skinny, flare or wide legged.

The chopped, ripped, shredded or torn jeans are really popular this season. Celebrities love them and embraced them since last year, for exmple Lauren Conrad wears a skinny pair of Siwy’s. To get the look be careful not to become scruffy wearing them, so mix them with a cool clean shirt or Tee.  True Religion Joey flared jeans are really great and they have quite a flattering shape. Think I’m gonna buy a pair even though I’m a big skinny jeans fan :)

Victoria Beackam wears casual jeans !? I never thought I would see this. However, the boyfriend jeans trend is rising high this season and you’d probably want to keep an eye on this trend. You can wear them with flats or heels and they’re perfect during the day or at night on the town. I love the Ripped Bleach Wash Boyfriend Jean from ASOS because they look perfect with a tucked in shirt. The Current/ Elliott Boyfriend jeans make a casual statement when worn with a plaid shirt and a slim blazer.