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).

I think we all turn to stars when we want a little inspiration for outfits even though we don’t always afford all the glamorous styles we can easily shop a look for less and get to be walking in their shoes. My friends are always telling me they just loooove Rihanna’s style or Vanessa Hudgens’ look and they are dying to see new pictures with them.

I’ve picked these 3 gorgeous ladies because, in my opinion they are representing the real-life styles that can easily upgrade your spring closet as key-pieces of this season. We all know by now that Rihanna is the ultimate style-princess, but I really love Ashley Tisdale’s outfit and Jessica Stroup’s sweet pastel look.
Rihanna rocks the casual maxi dress worn with a tiny jeans jacket and an oversized neckalace. The dress has an amzing color, kind of “safari chic” and you can easily wear it with sparkly gladiators or other flats.
Ashley Tisdale has this colorful and eye-catchy dress, the colors are so bright and alive. Both her and Jessica Stroup choose to wear sexy heels and sexy minis. The cropped blazer is a terrific option and you can be in shape for every lunch meeting whereas the sexy sheer shirt with a small bow can drift your outfit towards the evening in case you want to grab a drink after work.

I. The Floral Dress

II. The Cropped Jacket

III. Gorgeous Statement Shoes

IV. Pastel tones

I’m sure you all noticed the mouse ears headbands and cartoon prints until this season but the summer 2009 will be the peak for this trend. I really like it, it’s easy to wear actually! It makes me feel younger and sillier :) Lady GaGA gets the look by wearing a really cool hair bow style but you shouldn’t try too much, just get and oversived bow headband instead.

You can wear Mickey Mouse Tees for a casual attire and match it with flats or even high heels if you are going out for drinks with some friends. I’ve spotted a picture of Rihanna (see the picture here) and she was wearing a skinny grey Mickey Mouse T- shirt with skinny dark jeans and heels and she looked really cool.

How to get the look :

• big Disney character pattern on a tee or a hoodie (anything works! Just spotted Agyness Dean with a Bambi Tee :)) Other cartoon figures also do the work : bunny, mice, squirrels )
• bow headbands
• dots
• pussy bow tops and oversized bows on dresses and tops like the Aristocats characters
• bangs
• colored sunglasses

1.Plaid Bow headband 2.Mickey and Minnie Mouse T-Shirt 3.Oversized polka dot Sunglasses 4.Long Tall Sally Pussy Bow Jersey Top 5.Bow Front One Shoulder Jersey Top 6.Shibuya Mon Amour, Bunny Tank.

I already pointed out the main Jean Trends for 2009 , but we seem to have a new addition :)

I know you all loved the flared jeans when they were cool back in the ’90s, I know I did…Or was I lame?!

Anyway…times have changed and even though nowadays we are mostly breathing  the skinny jeans trend, we cannot help noticing how flattering the flared jeans look. Stars are digging the look too and more and more pictures pop out overnight with flared jeans on Victoria Beckham,Heidi Klum or other celeb trendsetters.

However, the flared jeans have a big problem when compared to skinny jeans : They don’t look good with flats, no matter what ! Heels are a must when styling a pair of flared jeans and you should also consider wearing them dark and with skinny tops in order to keep the proportions of your figure.

I. Casual Chic Flared Jeans Outfit

Tunics are a hitlist item this season and they’re perfect with flared and skinny jeans. Try to get a sheer one or a silk tunic for the ultimate look.  The belt gives an hourglass shape to your figure and don’t forget the heels. Style the outfit with a cool biker jacket, vintage jewelry and a neon bag and you can wear it when around town or when you’re out with your friends. So chic!

1.  70’s Flare Jeans - Oli.co.uk 2. Cream Belted Tunic - Dorothy Perkins 3. Feathers Jacket - All Saints 4.
French Connection 2 Tone Platform Court - Oli.co.uk 5. 6.Leather Shoulder Bag - Juicy Couture 7. Yves Saint Laurent Sunglasses - Chic Vintage 8. Heart Shaped Earrings - Cath Kidston 9. Studded Bracelet w/ Tinkerbell (Cream) - 80’s Purple

II. Wear To Office Flared Jeans Outfit

The sheer tops will be really hot this spring beacuse it is versatile and can be worn after office too and still look fresh and sexy. Try a darker pair of jeans to keep the outfit more formal and neutral while at the office. You can choose booties or platform shoes to pair with the flare jeans but be careful of the lenght of the jeans. Flared jeans can be hard to fit with the shoes so it is recommended to adjust their lenght while wearing the heeled shoes.

1. Aged Indigo Kick Flare Long Jean - Warehouse 2. Karen Walker Aviator Jacket - La Garconne 3. Green Ruche Ruffle Blouse - Miss Selfridge 4. Sabina Leather Satchel - Urban Outfitters 5. We Who See Cutout Bootie - Urban Outfitters 6. Floral Scarf - American Eagle Outfitters 7. Animal Print Stone Ring- Forever21 8. Three pack of mixed metal effect bangles - Dorothy Perkins

For Spring 2009 runways have become ultra small, because designers haven’t considered accessory sizes at all :).  Starting with the enormous Christian Lacroix studded hoops and going to Anna Sui’s statement necklaces, everything seems rather luxurious this season in spite of the economic instability.

Bangles are layered and the metallic cuffs are becoming larger and more detailed at Phillip Lim and Armani Prive and it seems that “less is more” is no longer a quote for spring 2009 .

I love the wide cuff because it sort of gives you a dramatic, godess-like look and I hink it’s perfect to wear with Greek inspired dresses.

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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!

I was very impressed to see how they changed Gossip Girl gorgeous Blake Lively in this month’s cover of Vogue.  Many people were not happy about this but I think we should give Blake some credit.

She looks so … powerful!! I think that men-destined outfits tend to make you feel like that. The tuxedo is one of Blake’s favourite pieces, it gives the preppy look a new thing and it follows the line of her body. McQ’s tuxedo style jumpsuit from N-A-P brings out the vintage glam look  in a tuxedo outfit. It’s sexy, but still very poweful. The Open Front Blazer from F21 looks exacly like an Upper East Side must have. 

I think that these are 2 trends to last in S/S 2009

Do you like tuxedos?

The dresses at the Golden Globes Ceremony were rather recession-oriented if I could say.  Forget the grandeur and the colorful experiences.  Dark colors prevailed and obviously the classic black and white dresses.  I liked that there was a lot of vintage and especially vintage jewelry.  The white dresses were amazingly rich with a lot of ruffles, bows and drapping.  The strapless dress was a big hit and so were the one-shoulder dresses. Kate Bekinsale wore an amazing  J. Mendel dress while Eva Mendes, Sandra Bullock and Demi Moore were covered temptingly in Christian Dior.   

And there were some outfits that were just perfect. Hayden Panettiere shined in Gianfranco Ferré with Fred Leighton jewels and a Ferragamo clutch. I would say dark and intense compared to Miley Cyrus, in a strapless Marchesa dress who looks like a princess. 

Marisa Tomei however was my biggest surprise. The Oscar de la Renta ouftit is simply stunning. The simple skirt and bohemian shirt with ruffled sleeves are a perfect match. Well done!

What would you wear if you had to walk the Red Carpet?