Looks we Love!

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

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

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

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.

 

 

 

 

AW14 leopard print jumper

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 accessories to wear with a blue dress

Blue has always been a particularly influential colour in the fashion world and it has often frequented the red carpet on celebrities such as Kate Middleton and Kylie Minogue.  So why has blue been a colour which has stood the test of time amongst fashionistas?  The answer is simple – blue is powerful, regal, commanding and uber-stunning!  Blue is also a fabulous colour due to it’s versatility; being a colour where there are unquestionably hundreds of different shades, it would be truly impossible to be unable to find a hue of blue which suits you!

One question which has often cropped up is what accessories go with a blue dress?  One thing I would like to say is to make sure that you are not over-doing blue, a blue dress with tonnes of blue jewellery can render you looking rather smurf-like – a BIG fashion faux pas!  Instead, opt for a complimentary colour, as blue looks great with a variety of colours, you can be fairly flexible when it comes to accessories.

Midnight blue full sequin dress

Midnight blue full sequin dress

 

 

This gorgeously stunning full sequinned dress in midnight (or navy!) blue with black lace trim is gorgeous if you want to wear a dark colour to your event but you want something a little softer than black.  Features of the dress include adjustable straps at the back to ensure perfect fit with full support and a thigh high split for that sexy-but-classy look.  Being sparkly, this dress is pretty versatile when it comes to accessories.  You could compliment the dress and offset the black lace trim with some matching black accessories.  If you are going to go for black accessories make sure you stay away from anything too chunky, instead opt for black strappy sandals and delicate black crystal earrings and a bangle to keep in line with the elegance of the dress.  Another option with this dress is to wear silver sparkles to really bring out the shine of the sequins.  If you are going for silvery sparkles, make sure that you opt for delicate silver shoes accordingly.

High neck backless dress in royal blue

High neck backless dress in royal blue

 

 

 

 

This undeniably beautiful royal blue high neck backless dress (pictured right) is the perfect dress for a black tie event or prom.  With it’s silver sparkly rhinestone neckline and back, there really is only one option for this dress when it comes to accessories – silver.  Couple this dress with glitzy silver shoes, a silver diamanté bangle and some diamanté twinkles in your ear lobes.  With this dress it’s probably best to stay away from a necklace as it can make the neckline look too cluttered.  If you do want to wear a necklace, choose one with a thin chain and a very long drop and wear it in reverse so the drop cascades down your exposed back for a real top celebrity, red carpet look!

 

Stretchy blue long sleeved pencil dress

Stretchy blue long sleeved pencil dress

 

 

This dress is a really lovely desk to dinner dress, and due to the fact that it is plain (but beautifully cut!) you can really have a lot of fun with the accessories and really go over the top.  Quite simply, there are countless ways to accessorize this dress, if you are going out for the evening in this dress and want to look particularly glamorous, team it up with silver or gold sparkles and a pair of dramatic earrings.  However, if you are wearing this dress in the day time, I think this dress looks particularly funky with neon coloured accessories, in particular a bright pink.  If you do decide to go 80’s neon with the accessories, choose chunky jewellery to make a real statement.

Do you have a question I haven’t answered?  Tweet to me @walkinwardrobe with your question and hashtag #askwalkinwardrobe

 

 

 

 

 

Wild child: the celebrity animal print fashion trend for Spring/Summer

Rihanna1 tulisa-leopard

This Spring/Summer is the time to embrace your wild side and don the celebrity favourite – animal print, as adorned by celebs such as Alex Gerrard, Tulisa, Paris Hilton and Rhianna.  At Walk in Wardrobe HQ we fully understand that animal prints can portray a sassy ‘roar’, or a tacky ‘mew’.  We want to make sure that your urban safari is recognised for all the right reasons, so we thought we’d put together a few guidelines to help you on the way:

Animal print do’s and don’ts:

1)      Let the print speak for itself.  Don’t clutter it up and make it compete for attention with other animal prints or patterns and clashing colours.

2)      Accessorize sensibly.  For example, if you are wearing a complete outfit in leopard print don’t accessorize in kind, choose colours which will compliment it.  We have found gold to be an excellent colour to go with leopard print as it keeps in with the earthy tones that leopard print is known for.  If you are going with zebra print, accessorize with dark silvers and black shoes to give you a classy, evening feel.

3)      Make sure you get your animal prints from a quality brand such as the ones we stock to ensure that the print does not look cheap or tacky.

4) Wear all prints with confidence – many animal prints are associated with predatory animals, so hold your head up high and give us a roar!

These are some of the fabulous animal print dresses  we currently have at the boutique, click on the photos for more information:

alexgerrardLeahleopard13_MC165037 Pink Leop Floaty F19_leopard bag

So how do you wear your animal print?  Leave us a comment below!

Pastel shades for your perfect prom dress

There is only one way to describe the weather at the moment, and that is yucky. The weather is the most miserable shade of grey, but at Walk in Wardrobe we are optimistically counteracting this by having the most gorgeous pastel coloured dresses in stock. These pastel colours are really giving me a lift and are perfect for this season, giving ladies that whimsical, princess-like grace.

nude pastelOur most popular pastel shades for prom girls are by far the nudes, champagnes and pastel pinks. It is easy to see why they are such a hot favourite amongst the girls as they are gorgeous delicate hues which can be fantastic if you want to accentuate skin tone and eyes.

However, although the pinks and nudes are undeniably spectacular, do not overlook mint green and lemon. Some of the prom girls have commented that the nude champagne colours can make them look washed out. However, I have regularly found that mint greens suit girls who can look washed out in the champagne shades, probably because of the bluey undertone this colour has as opposed to the yellow undertone of a champagne dress.mint pastel

To top off this prom look, you can couple the pastel dresses with sparkly accessories to give them a regal, elegant feel.  After all, it’s not often you get to be a princess!

What are your feelings on the new pastel shades which are donning every catwalk? Make sure you leave a comment below to let us know!

The lace dress is the new little black dress!

Lace for the evening

The winter temperatures seem to be coming at us full steam but that doesn’t mean that you can’t turn up the heat a notch in your wardrobe with one of our hot lacy dresses!  This gorgeous little craze for lace has really hit the fashion scene with our customers at the boutique looking for lovely lacy numbers and celebrities in their droves wearing them on the red carpet, such as Kate Middleton, Jessica Alba and Daisy Lowe.  It’s easy to see why these dresses have taken off in the way they have, they are sexy, sophisticated, elegant, and lets face it, a little bit romantic!

Lace for the day

Akin to the little black dress, the little lacy dress is guaranteed to be drop dead gorgeous at any occasion.  Black on black gives a stunningly chic look, and a light colour such as nude or champagne under black lace looks utterly exquisite, ensuring that you will stand out from the crowd.  Sheer, lacy sleeves have also been popular at the boutique, adding a touch of class and they are also fantastic if you are not so confident about your arms.

These lacy dresses are very easy to accessorise, lending themselves to either silver or gold, adding that little bit of twinkle and making you sparkle and shimmer with nothing but pure glamour!

Get the look – Victoria Beckham, Heidi Klum, Dita Von Teese!

Chic and Sassy Celebrity Pencil Dress

Victoria Beckham, Heidi Klum and Dita Von Teese have all been spotted in a gorgeously chic, sexy yet elegant pencil style dress.  Myself and many of our lovely customers have been positively cooing over this dress, and you too can get the look with a very similar pencil dress we have in stock at the boutique!  This dress is not only perfect as a day dress, it’s undeniable versatility means that you can jazz it up with a few accessories for a glamorous evening look!  This dress is available from the boutique at just £105 to buy or £45 to hire.  Please click on the photos for more details!

Well if it’s good enough for Victoria, Heidi and Dita, it’s good enough for me!

Gorgeous Pencil Dress in stock at Walk in Wardrobe!

The Peplum Dress: The Hottest Look on the Catwalk!

The peplum dress has been splashed all over the runways this Spring and Summer and as become one of the hottest celebrity trends.  They have been seen sported by the most practiced leaders of fashion such as Victoria Beckham, Kate Middleton and Nicole Kidman, as well as experimental fashionistas such as Rhianna and Lady Gaga.

The chic little peplum frills came to the fashion foreground in the 1940’s and re-emerged in the 1980’s.  This season’s designers have gone full circle and have integrated the 40’s and 80’s peplum to create a truly dramatic and modern look to give today’s ladies that killer silhouette.  Here at Walk in Wardrobe boutique we have remained bang on trend and have stocked several styles of peplum dresses in varying colours.  Whilst helping our lovely customers choose their perfect peplum dress we have noticed so many positive qualities to this style.

The peplum is renowned for looking great on all body shapes, is uber-feminine and versatile, being suitable for so many occasions, from weddings to work and all in-between!  Curvy ladies can enjoy the peplum’s ability to cinch in the waist whilst the frills glance off the hip, smoothing the curves to emphasise that sexy hourglass figure.  Slender ladies can enjoy exaggeration of their waists as well as giving the illusion of a fuller hip whilst the style also elongates a long, lean figure.  Ladies of all shapes and sizes have also commented to us that most importantly the frill hides a lady’s common problem area!  I’m sure all you ladies out there know EXACTLY where I mean!

To finish off that chic peplum look we suggest teaming the dress up with one of our glamorous little clutch bags!

To see our peplum dresses please click here:  I love peplum!

Gold medal-winning dresses for your London Olympics party 2012!

Over the past two years we have been lucky enough to witness two patriotic events, the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton and the Diamond Jubilee.  These events gave us the perfect reason to do what the British do well, throwing a party!  Now, national pride has struck us again with the biggest international sporting event on earth coming to London, the Olympics.  This can only mean one thing; it’s time for the celebrations to begin again!

Here at Walk in Wardrobe we had a fantastic time helping ladies find their perfect gowns for the May Olympics Ball, dressing both ticketholders and the women’s GB sailing team!  With this event, the fun had only just begun; Olympics parties are expected all across the country, especially on the opening night.  But what to wear?  We have so many gorgeous dresses currently at the boutique, we are sure that we will be able to find you a dress which will give you the confidence to stand on that podium and sing the national anthem!

Have you thought of going to your party ancient Greek style to celebrate the origins of the Olympics?  This gorgeous gown (right) oozes Grecian chic so you can get that modern Athena-esque goddess look for your Olympics party! Available to buy from the boutique for £285.   And don’t forget we have sparkly Grecian style hair candy to complete the look!

If you are on a budget we also have stunning Grecian dresses available to hire:

This celebrity endorsed dress is simple yet elegant and chic.  Grecian dress (left) is just £119.99 to hire for the evening.

If the Grecian style is just not for you, we have so many other gorgeous, glitzy dresses at the boutique we are sure that our team of specialists will be able to find your gold medal winning dress for your party so you can support team GB in style!