SHINING TRENDS

When it comes to snagging the season’s best wardrobe you have to consider not only to look stylish but to also be warm and comfortable. Cardigans, hoodies and jackets are our best picks to get warm and they are pretty easy to wear and layer!

The best way to go is to invest in basics. For example cardigans, or soft cashmere tops which you can wear together. There are lots of awesome hoodies for women which also look stylish and you can mix and match depending on the temperature outside.

Choose warm accessories like scarves and hats or mittens to keep you warm, or for extra closure just go for some UGG boots. You can also go for heels and create a more astonishing daytime outfit, but make sure you choose something with adherence and lower type of heel, as the freezed sidewalks might not be the best time to venture like a diva!

Winter cardigans can either be layered over some T-shirt, but they can also serve as center-piece instead of a jacket. I usually go for this when the temperatures allow it and when it’s not absolutely freezing! I just get some cool statement boots and a oversized scarf and manage to get both a cool and comfortable look. You can also choose winter/snow patterned designs on cardigans and sweaters, they are very popular and they also make nice Christmas gifts. ;-)

Christmas colors usually highlight - Reds, Greens, White, Black or Navy, but it’s up to you really how you mix them and make them work. Keep in mind that less is more and you’d rather be a Rachel Bilson than a Christmas Tree. :)

xxx

We all know that winter is a big game-changer in terms of your wardrobe. It’s not so different from moving house – suddenly, the flip flops, sandals, light summer dresses and cut off jeans are bundled up into boxes to make way for…

…the endless parade of thick winter coats, long boots, gloves and scarves, woolen-mix trousers and skirts and poloneck jumpers. For many of us, winter is a tricky time to negotiate moving between very cold temperatures outside to the office, to the evening. And dresses so often get booted out in favour of the sensible woolen trousers.

But thanks to the wide selection of designers and brands on offer from multi-brand department stores like House of Fraser, the 2011 2012 winter season does not need to mean an endless parade of grey.

Take for example, the new range of ladies dresses from self-professed ‘Queen of shops, Mary Portas, whose new collection introduces some beautifully-cut, quality dresses which are versatile and stylish enough to last. The No-Brainer, with its delicate asymmetric drape, is a delightful take on the day dress – perfect for the office, easy to wear with tights and layers, but equally strong to take out for a night on the town, a dinner date or a cocktail party.

For a trend-conscious take on the LBD, check out the suede long-sleeve dresses and leather black dress. Both stunning, sexy and a little bit different. Party-goers will also love to play around with the boyish tailoring notes that dress-makers are toying with at the moment . These make wonderful NYE options because you can highlight with stunning accessories and you can transform the look from one party to another, without anyone thinking you are wearing the same outfit twice! ;-)

Hi everyone!

It’s been a while since my last article but I have the perfect excuse. I have been traveling west coast this past month and living in Vancouver - Canada for almost 3 weeks. The weather here has shifted from a sunny warm autumn to a pretty cold late autumn, therefore I needed some new winter gear!

I am seriously insane about hats right now, which I find to be the ultimate winter 2012 accessory - besides scarves of course, therefore here are my top picks! :)))

The fedora hats are cool options whenever you want to add extra warmth to an outfit without making it too winter-ish. These types of hats are so chic and they add a soft bohemian touch to any outfit even in wintertime.

(Black hat by Rag&Bone / Nude Hat by Steven Alan / Chocolate Brown hat from Monsoon / Red Hat by Catarzi / Navy Hat by Rag&Bone / Camel hat from Friis & Company)

- Photo via ChicTopia -

My next craze focuses on fur hats or just as well faux-fur hats. These are the perfect glamorous and luxurious detail to any winter look. Their main strenght is not only that they looks so hot, but they are also so warm and soft and comfy. I tried on this fox fur hat in a shop and it just got me inspired. Hah! and that tail is so funny!

I found amazing fur trimmed hats or with fur detailing almost everywhere online. These are my favorite fur hats for this winter 2011 season.

1 - Ana Konder Exclusive For Asos Faux Fur Hat

2 - MARC BY MARC JACOBS Chocolate And Coffee Fur Beanie

3 -KEVANDBELLE Rac Bomber Brown Ushanka cap with fur detail

4 - Warehouse Faux fur trim pom pom trapper

5 - CANADIAN HATS Fox Fur Roller Hat

6 - Lanvin Fox Fur Hat

7 - Elizabeth And James Tanya Fur Beanie

The next type of hats are the casual ones, or the effortless-chic ones.  I believe all of you have this style by now, but an update is always welcomed. I found this amazing hat at Aritzia - it’s a Canadian multi-brand boutique and I absolutely adored it! It’s a sort of upgrade from the oh-so-popular beanie hats, but it’s thicker and sweater-like.

Of course you can go a little crazy and just see the fun part of when wearing a cool hat in the snow or if you go skiing! Winter should be “cool”, so make sure you enjoy yourself!

My holiday in Spain ended faster than Cinderella’s banquet! There were so many things to see and observe but unfortunately the clock stroke midnight exactly when I started to feel the entire Spanish air…. This is the irony I guess, beautiful experiences never last forever… :)

My green Dress - Topshop

Sandals - Zara

Belt - Accessorize

Bag - Vintage

Spanish people are so lively and cheerful, but at the same time relaxed and arty. Museums, cafes, shops and cathedrals, parks or even palaces make up the cityscape of Malaga, Sevilla, Marbella or Puerto Banus. And the people, the great tapas and sangria make the soul of the these  cities.

Sandals - ZARA

Shorts - Pepe Jeans

Shirt - Lefties

Bag - Vintage

Accessories - Accessorize and Prada

Blue Shirt Dress - Next

Sandals - ZARA

Bag - River Island

Bracelet - ASOS

Never leave Spain without trying at least 5 types of different Sangrias!

Last day in Marbella and Puerto Banus

Skirt - Topshop

White Tee - H&M

Shoe-Boots - Nine West

Bag - River Island

Sword Fish Fillet and Mash Potato Soufle! YUM!:D

I love how fall coats give you the perfect opportunity to turn heads even if only focus only on one central piece. I think that by now you have your own statement coat - in black, camel, red, print or navy as these were some of the hottest trends for last year or you might have a “classic”. When I say this I am referring to the beige trench, the fur coat, the military coat or the khaki parka…all that I love by the way :)

This also applies for men styles as there are a lot of fall trends that are a great fit for gentlemen as well.  The suit style coats and khaki parkas are so popular and noticed there are tons of options to pick a great look if you decide to have a stylish boyfriend. Make him check out the mens coats at ellos.co.uk as they have really cool styles ! ;-)

I made some research because I myself, am planning to invest in a new coat for fall - winter 2011 / 2012 there are so many cool options right now! You can see the utilitarian look at Altuzarra, the cropped jacket at Jason Wu, the glamorous fur at Chado Ralph  Rucci or the suit style coat at Derek Lam.

Another great style which is becoming more and more popular is the poncho. Volume and freedom in movement seem to be the key elements for the future garments. See bellow 2 wonderful ponchos/capes from Alexander Wang and Cronejo, one more glamorous and the other more urban.

Even if the geometric designs and the bold color prints have always been in fashion, the designs have become a bit more classic and conservatoire. The 60s were a big inspiration for Rimondi - right, or Libertine - left and the looks are somewhat better structured and fitted.

Photos with my new coat soon! Am still browsing the stores for now! :)

XOXO!

Today was a lovely day for science! :) Still warm and friendly…. the pre-fall sun manages to delay the magical fall season, for just a bit longer. I love it how when you travel you get to places where the air breathes another season. This is why I am heading off to Spain for a few days.

Costa del Sol has always managed to capture all my senses and my imagination.

Hope it does the same this time :)

So this outfit is dedicated to Espana!

I am wearing Jeffrey Campbell Foxy Sandals in beige, French Connection Skirt, Athmosphore T-shirt and  H&M Bag

My latest obsession is the leather dress. Once very bold, sexy and maybe too wild, the leather dress is starting to be less kitten-oriented and much more fashion-oriented. Leather has been the key fabric in all the latest designer collections but also in the shops which have been competing in getting the coolest leather jackets, skirts, leather pants and now dresses 0ut on the market.

I have taken a stroll around the shops and found lots of cool options, however not all of them were real leather, some of the fast fashion brands offered cool designs, but all fantasy leather :) What I liked were these 2 dresses I found at Mango - left or Guess - right.  Even if they are different styles, they really make this fall 2011 leather trend shine! I would wear the Guess dress with a soft cardigan and flat boots or flats just to dress if down a bit, as oposed to the Mango dress which can be accessorized with high-heels and some red lipstick.

What do you think? Would you wear them?

Fall collections are knocking at the door, but we are still trying to keep the summer in our hearts and in our outfits. I really love how easily you can drift into a fall mood by simply choosing a few key pieces that make this transition almost invisible.

I have selected some of the coolest outfits worn by celebrities on street or at events, but where you can see that the outfits are starting to become more suitable for the fall season.

Maxi skirts are such a great option to welcome the new season because you can slide into cooler temperatures and you won’t feel a thing! I really like how the short booties look with maxi skirts, but you can easily wear them with flats, Alessandra or Selena chose,  or even with wedges.

Jackets add the perfect finish touch on any fall outfit. No matter if you choose a light leather jacket, a jeans jacket or a tuxedo jacket you can easily refresh your looks for fall because jackets are truly a fall must-have. I am sure you all have a nice jeans jacket such as this one worn by Busy Philipps, but I think that the hardest one to find is the black blazer jacket. I have been searching for a long time for a nice affordable black jacket in the Solange Knowles style and have finally found a cool one at Zara. I think the cut is the most important feature of this item, followed shortly by the quality of the fabric.

Minis are definitely a chic way to maintain a stylish and sexy look, ever during the fall season. You can go for printed dresses or less fancy cotton styles which you can wear with flats. Mini skirts or dresses can easily be paired with jackets or short boots, and because the temperatures are still high you don’t need any tights or leggings. What you need to watch is the sheerness of the dresses, try to go for thicker fabrics and dresses with a well-defined shapes as opposed to soft and transparent summer dresses. Check out Lauren Conrad’s printed dress and Taylor Shift’s orange A-line shaped dress, these are lovely choices for the fall 2011 season.

It seems that the flared jeans and silk blouse combo is a winner for this fall. Even if we have seen it mixed in the summer season, I think this trend has not fully bloomed during the hot months. Katie Holmes and Zoe Saldana sport this cool casual look which is probably suitable for many of our office attires.