Day wear
AW14 fashion trends
AW14 is just around the corner and we’re so excited we just can’t keep our Autumn/Winter lines to ourselves! The AW14 catwalks are positively awash with tactile textiles, bold colours, colourful, modern prints and asymmetric designs. At Walk in Wardrobe we have been busily sourcing our favourite AW14 collections and putting together our lookbook for the upcoming fashion season. Here are just a few items from our favourite trends we will either be getting very soon, or have just landed in at the boutique!
Printed AW14 long sleeved dress
Arty Prints
Arty prints are in with a bang next season with stunning, colourful prints adorning the catwalk. The dress pictured left is from one of our brand new labels at the boutique and is a perfect blend of fresh, colourful prints with enough of an autumnal edge to make the outfits feel not too summery. Long sleeved dresses such as this one are also perfect for the Autumn when the sunshine hides from us a little bit, but there is still a comfortable level of heat. Long sleeves also have the advantage of hiding the arms (if that is a concern for you) and they look chic, sophisticated and utterly fabulous! This particular dress has the added advantage of streamlining panels down the sides to give you a great shape around the hips.
The key thing to remember with this trend is that bold is better, so this gives you the leeway to go wild and express yourself!
White top and skirt with chunky zip
Chunky Zips
Next season, don’t be afraid to show some teeth (naturally I am talking about the teeth on zips!). Zips obviously have a very functional aspect to them (can you imagine a world where they hadn’t been invented?), but for AW14, they are taking on a much more decorative role and appeared all over the place on the catwalks.
Zips are often associated with grunge fashion, stemming from the punk era, but we feel that there is no reason why this AW14 trend can’t have a touch of femininity too! This top pictured right has a lovely little feature front zip where the skirt has a full length feature zip going up the centre of the back. It is made out of clever, award winning stretch fabric which moulds to the contours of your figure. The gorgeous, girly lace cut out lace trim keeps the outfit ladylike whilst keeping a slight edginess with chunky zips. This outfit also comes in black which makes it perfect for the wintery months.
AW14 pencil dress in cobalt blue
Cobalt Blue
Cobalt blue has been a staple amongst AW collections for a few years now, and for this AW14, it shows no signs of going away any time soon (thankfully!). Cobalt blue is bright, punchy yet not too light for autumn and winter. The other fabulous thing about going for this colour is that you can mix it up with the other key fashion trend for the season – neon. Couple this gorgeous dress with bright yellow or even bright pink for a modern twist on an 80’s favourite (yes, it IS possible to have a touch of the 80’s without donning those MC Hammer pants and still be modern, classy and high end!)
This cobalt blue pencil dress pictured left gives women a gorgeous shape whilst adding a touch of sexiness with the front split and it’s fitted shape. This dress is an absolute boon if you have issues with your tummy, the clever rouching across the midriff area means that you can hide any unwanted lumps whilst still remaining in a figure hugging, classic and shapely dress.
Me in AW14 leopard print jumper!
Leopard Print
I would like to finish up with my own personal favourite for AW14 – leopard print. I have often been berated for my enduring love for leopard print as many people believe that leopard print can look trashy. However, whilst I firmly believe that an overkill on leopard print can look trashy, you can also wear leopard print and look classy, remember that it’s HOW you wear it! I strongly advise that you incorporate leopard print into your wardrobes for next season as it was placed at the forefront of the AW14 catwalks earlier this year. If leopard print is good enough for Balmain, it’s most certainly good enough for me.
This absolutely gorgeous leopard print jumper pictured to the right is super soft and light weight, perfect for the transitional period between summer and autumn. It has the bonus of super-fashionable batwings on the sleeves and also a sprinkling of darling little crystals on the leopards head on the front. This is a long jumper so looks great with black leggings or black PVC leggings.
We would love to hear from you about how you will be wearing the fashion trends above, so make sure you leave a comment below to let us know what you will be wearing this autumn/winter.
What kind of maxi dress will suit me?
The versatile little gem also known as the maxi dress is simply a summer must if you are going on holiday, are out for the evening, or even if you’re going out shopping for the day. In short, you can wear your maxi dress to pretty much anything! So why are maxi dresses so popular? The answer is simply because they are low maintenance, comfortable, feminine, easy to accessorise and they can take you through right from day to night. For many years, I believed that my 5ft 2, petite frame would render it impossible for me to be able to pull off a maxi dress as I believed that they would swamp me and make me look even shorter. At the boutique we have dealt with many other ladies who also have the misconception that a maxi dress will only suit a lady who is tall, willowy and lean. Whilst this is true of certain styles, there is no reason why a petite lady or a fuller lady should fear the maxi dress, the trick is to just find ‘your’ maxi dress.
Maxi dresses for short women
If you have a a small, petite frame, it doesn’t mean that you have to avoid a maxi dress. It is true that maxi dresses with oodles of fabric will swamp a small frame and you do have to be a little careful if you are a petite lady and you are going out maxi dress hunting. I have found that an empire line can give the illusion of a longer leg and also a body con style maxi can look great on a petite lady as it gives the figure a bit of definition. A V-neck also elongates the figure, so small ladies should definitely opt for this style of neckline.
Maxi dresses for the fuller figure
Maxi dresses are great for slimming down the lower half of the body whilst still maintaining a much desired, curvy shape, so maxis can look fantastic on a fuller figure. As with petite women, curvy girls can go for a simple empire line dress (but make sure there is not too much embellishment on the bust line) like the one pictured on the left. An empire line has the benefit of having floaty fabrics around the waist line so it can hide any problem areas.
Maxi dresses for ladies with a big bust
If you are concerned about your bust area and/or are a bit top heavy, maxi dresses are particularly flattering for you as a loose dress hides smaller hips and balances you out. I have found that women with a fuller bust look fabulous in a dress with a v-neck, like this maxi pictured. It’s also fabulous because of the fact that you can comfortably wear a bra with it.
Maxi dresses for the pear shape
If you are a lady with fuller hips and a smaller bust, the trick is to find a maxi dress with an embellished top to draw attention to the top and keep the eyes away from the hips like the chiffon maxi pictured on the right. This particular maxi has a lot of definition around the bust, and falls gently to a softly flared skirt, which will glance over a larger hip.
Maxi dresses for ladies with a boyish figure
Ladies with a boyish figure are rather lucky when it comes to the maxi dress as the majority of styles will suit a lean, willowy frame. However, I have found that a cinch in the waist is very flattering on a boyish figure as it gives the illusion of a curvier shape.
Accessories to go with a maxi dress
Maxi dresses tend to speak for themselves, especially if they have a print on them, so don’t overload yourself with accessories. Personally, I love boho bangles, earrings and flat sandals with maxi dresses, and if you are going for a plain maxi dress, just add a necklace and you’re ready to go! If you are taking your maxi dress out on a night out, glam the look up with a few sparkly accessories.
If you have a specific question for a member of our styling team, why not tweet to us @walkinwardrobe with the hashtag #askwalkinwardrobe
Charity Cream Tea Fashion Show at The Hove Kitchen
On Wednesday 2nd April we hosted an unforgettable fashion event to launch our brand new day wear collection at the boutique. The event was held across the road from the boutique at the Hove Kitchen, and as we like to mix fashion and charity, the proceeds of this event went to Rockinghorse and the Martlets. Guests were welcomed to the event with the wonderfully smooth sounds of the Frank Sinatra style singer, David Williams and a glass of bubbles. Guests were then able to enjoy Cream Tea and sandwiches and scones made by the Hove Kitchen. Alongside the fashion show we held a charity raffle with a fabulous selection of prizes from local businesses such as the Hilton Brighton Metropole, I-bar, La Cave a Fromage, Chocoholly, Willsmer Wagg, the Naked Eye Gallery, Nadia’s Vintage, Florian and Tranquility.
A few words from the proprietor Katherine Tanswell: ‘It was a pleasure to organise this glitzy event with celebrity stylist Carol Ives and we would like to say a big thank you to everyone who came to the event and to the generosity our guests showed that night. We would like also to extend our thanks to the local businesses who donated prizes for the raffle. As you may be aware, both myself and Carol are embarking on a sponsored walk along the Great Wall of China in aid of Rockinghorse which will be a real physical challenge to us, so it was great to be able to have a light hearted event in amongst all the training we have been doing!’
A huge thank you to our models who gave up their time to do the fashion show, and thank you to Cove Hair in Brighton for doing such a fantastic job on the models hair and thank you also to Tranquility for the glamorous makeup!
Katherine’s Just Giving China Walk page can be found here: www.justgiving.com/Katherine-chinaWall, Carol’s can be found here: www.justgiving.com/ivesstyle
Our next charity event is on Wednesday 7th May at 5.30pm at the boutique, where we will be joining forces with Janine from Sassy Style and Tranquility for a One Stop Style and Shop. At this event Janine will show you what style of outfits and which colours will suit you and Louise of Tranquility will be on hand to give you make up tips and how to keep your face looking fresh. Tickets are just £15, please contact the boutique or Janine on 07557818103 to book. We look forward to seeing you there, but for now, enjoy a few photos of our Cream Tea Event….
*all photos by Hannah of Instant Forever
Day to evening dresses at Walk in Wardrobe
Time waits for no one, and we have noticed that some of our customers always seem like they have to race against the clock in their busy lives, juggling work, special events (such as weddings) and social events. At Walk in Wardrobe we are seeking to make your lives just a little bit easier in providing dresses for the day time which will carry you on into the evening time – no more having to dash home to change after work for your evening cocktail event!
Our new day wear range contains day dresses, tops, skirts and jackets to ensure that you look tip top and stylish when you are out and about, and they are chic enough to ensure that you are looking your absolute best when you go on to your event in the evening. The trick with jam packed social days is to be prepared – pack some twinkly earrings into your bag with a glitzy bangle and add them to your ensemble once your day event is done (adding a touch of instant glamour!). Don’t forget to bring a small makeup bag to refresh your make-up and some extra Kohl for a glam evening look.
Chic slimline zip front beige dress by Dimare.
I couldn’t begin to explain my excitement when this dress (pictured left) arrived at the boutique. This Italian desk to dinner dress is a particularly streamlining dress with it’s clever panelling and fitted shape. These simple, elegant colours give you an air of sophistication whilst maintaining a modern look.
A couple of ways to wear this dress:
In the office – I simply love the idea of wearing this classic dress at the office and I would personally put a little bit of a 1960’s stamp on this dress and wear it with a few simple black accessories such as black heels, a chunky black bangle and some big black stud earrings. If you wanted to (and had the time to in the mornings), a beehive updo would really complete the whole look – voila! A classic 1960’s pencil dress ensemble with a modern twist!
In the evening – Due to the neutral colours in this clever little dress, it is easy to swap over your office jewellery for something more glamorous in the evening. After work is done simply swap your black accessories for accessories which are gold in colour and whip on some nude heels – this instantly lightens the outfit and gives you a very different look! If you want to stick with black accessories, just add a sprinkling of glitz into the accessories, such as one of our black sparkly bangles, and you’re ready to go off and enjoy a few cocktails after work.
Dimare shift dress with pink roses
This darling little shift dress from Dimare (pictured right) quickly won a place in my heart as one of my favourite dresses we have ever had at the boutique. With it’s delicate chain and rose embellishment with Swarovski crystal stones at the neckline it’s a real winner if you are going to a wedding and is especially appropriate for a spring wedding with it’s pale pink rose print. The back of this dress has a gorgeous deep V with a matching chiffon rose back panel and a beautiful little cascade of frills, after all, the back is just as important as the front!
A couple of ways to wear this dress
For a day event – there is quite a lot going on with this dress, so if you are wearing this dress as a wedding guest, stick to minimal accessories. Don’t worry about wearing a necklace with this embellished neckline as there is a danger that the neckline will look too busy, feel free to opt for a gold coloured, delicate chain bracelet to match the chain on the neck and go for some gold earring studs. Naturally, add a hat or a fascinator in a neutral tone or in a pale, shell pink to compliment the rose print. As this dress is so delicate in colour we suggest that you opt for pale beige heels, or if you are going to be walking on grass, some beige wedges (wedges have the dual advantage of being modern and also practical as they are brilliant if you want to avoid that ‘sinking’ feeling!).
For an evening event – in the evening, take the accessories up a slight notch, stick with the nude heels or wedges and add some delicate gold dangly earrings with some sparkly Swarovski crystals to match the stones on the neckline and add a sparkle bracelet. I would recommend mixing our rose crystal mini bangle with a gold band.
These examples are a mere snippet of the day wear dresses we currently have at the boutique, and we are always adding more! To shop the full collection visit our website here.