Pencil dresses

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.

 

 

Could the ‘little beige dress’ take over from the ‘little black dress’?

It has become apparent in the last few months that the little beige dress could well be taking over from the little black dress in the UK.  These barely-there hues have been super-popular both on the catwalk and with our customers who are seeing a classy, sophisticated look.  Celebrities such as Kim Kardashian and Victoria Beckham are particular fans of the nude coloured dress, but if you want that celebrity look for a fraction of the cost, our boutique is the place to be!

Beige coloured pencil dresses

Classic beige pencil dress

Classic beige pencil dress

Nothing says sexy-but-classy like a pencil dress does.  So if you add the elegant colour of nude to a sexy-but-classy dress, you are on to a real winner.  Our customers have found that these versatile little dresses are perfect for the workplace, lunch with the girls or are fantastic dresses for ladies day at the races.

Beige coloured maxi dresses

Beige one shoulder chiffon maxi dress

Beige one shoulder chiffon maxi dress

Nude is a fabulous colour for a maxi dress, my own personal favourite for a beige maxi is this one shoulder Grecian style long dress with a lace bust.  This dress is floaty, elegant and whimsical, guaranteeing that all eyes will be on you for all the right reasons!  This dress is the perfect dress for prom, black tie events, and would make gorgeous bridesmaid dresses.

What accessories go with beige dresses?

One of the great things about beige is that it’s so easy to accessorise!  Nude shoes go fabulously with a nude colour dress (providing you can find a similar colour-hue match), or virtually every other colour you could think of would match.  If you are wearing a nude dress and want to add some extra colour to the mix, try to match your accessory colours with each other.  If you are lucky enough to be going to the races this year, we have a gorgeous range of hats which will go fabulously with your dress.

So what do you think?  Could it be the little beige dress rather than the little black dress?  Let us know!

Beige race day hat - a great match for a nude dress!

Beige race day hat – a great match for a nude dress!

 

Nude sparkly bracelet

Nude sparkly bracelet

Perennials and petals – the floral fashion trend at WiW

Summery long floral maxi dress

Summery long floral maxi dress

Walk in Wardrobe is currently resembling a magical, fairy tale garden at the moment with all the blooms and petals which are sporting the dresses. The floral print for dresses has always been a staple for the spring and summer, and once again, we have remained bang on trend and are truly spoiling you for choice with the wide and varied selection of summer florals we have in at the boutique.

Floaty floral summer dresses

Cheap long summer floral dress

Cheap long summer floral dress

We love floral floaty dresses, not only because they are whimsical and uber-feminine, but also because they keep you cool in the warmer weather, making them practical as well as stylish!  Whether a long maxi or a short floral dress takes your fancy, we have no doubt that you will be able to find something very special at the boutique for the summer.

Summer floral pencil dresses 

If a floaty floral dress is not for you, how about a sexy-but-classy floral pencil dress?  These dresses have the benefit of being formal enough for ladies day at the races and work, but are also summery and cheerful.

 

Floral open back pencil dress

Floral open back pencil dress

How to accessorize your floral dresses 

Accessorizing florals can be a little tricky, but we suggest going for a colour match to the flower print on the dress, or neutral colours such as nude, and make sure that you don’t mix the patterns.  We love pretty little pumps or court shoes with floral patterns along with clutch bags for that oh-so-chic-and-elegant look!  If you want to dress your floral dress down, you can team up a floaty floral with a denim jacket for a more casual look.  Pick some bright colours for your makeup and nails to match your dress.  Your hair is your crowning glory, so don’t forget to accessorize it with a little sparkly hairband!

What to wear for work? It MUST be a pencil dress from Walk in Wardrobe!

 

Victoria Beckham style pencil dress - great for the office!

Victoria Beckham style pencil dress – great for the office!

If you are a fan of Mad Men, you would have noticed Joan Holloway rocking out her curves at work in pencil dresses.  Joan’s work clothes have inspired women across the nation and have shown us that work outfits do not have to be dowdy and boring.  The pencil dress is the perfect outfit for work, being smart and feminine whilst also adding a touch of sexiness with a little wiggle when you walk!  So why are pencil dresses so fantastic for work?

Timeless classics which are smart yet glamorous

Long sleeved colour block work pencil dress

Long sleeved colour block work pencil dress

These dresses have really stood the test of time and vintage reproduction pencil dresses have been in vogue for years.  Although there have been some minor modernizing tweaks to the pencil dress, the overall style of the dresses have remained the same.  By way of example, whilst in the 1950’s, pencil dresses were generally made of ridged fabrics, nowadays there are many more pencil dresses and skirts made out of stretchy fabric, to ensure that whilst wearing it at work, you still have uninhibited freedom of movement.  The key to the glamour of these dresses and skirts lies in the cut.  The elegant pencil cut flatters the contours of the figure to give a streamlined shape and also gives a very neat and professional look.  The slight taper that the hemline has draws attention to a fuller hip and a smaller waist, giving you a glamorous and sexy shape.

Versatile

These dresses are perfect work to after work events and are great desk to dinner dresses.  For a professional, chic look at work, team your pencil dress with simple jewellery and some heels and an up do.  Then after work, accessorise accordingly for your night out:  if you are going out for a casual night, you can change out of your work stilettos and match the dress with some flats and add a few chunky bangles for a really different look.  Alternatively, if you are going out after work to a formal event, just add a few statement, sparkly accessories to your pencil dress, a bling clutch bag and some show stopping stiletto shoes, and you have a glamorous, sophisticated outfit.

Great on all body shapes

I have yet to find a body shape which does not suit the pencil dress.  These dresses look great on petite figures as they give the illusion of a hip and emphasises a tiny waist.  They also have the added benefit of elongating a smaller lady.  For the curvier lady, pencil dresses appear to streamline the figure and again, focuses on the smallest part of the body, the waist, giving a much sought after killer hourglass shape.  Many of our pencil dresses also have rouching along the tummy area, which is a real boon if you are trying to hide that problem area!

To me, a pencil dress is a definite wardrobe essential, and they are so versatile you can really get your monies worth out of them.  Whilst a Victoria Beckham pencil dress may set you back over £1000, you can get that Victoria Beckham pencil look at a fraction of the cost at our boutique!