I ♥ River Island

So, believe it or not, summer is pretty much here. We better get praying that this British weather stops changing its mind and settles on one hundred percent sun between now and September! Everyone knows that summer is a great time for a wardrobe revamp; festivals (see post High Street Festival Chic for more), holidays, garden parties and everything else that this unfortunately unpredictable season brings with it are all brilliant excuses for that new outfit you so desperately need. From beautiful bikinis and stunning swimsuits to playsuits and party frocks, there's plenty of choice out there whether your budget is high end Harrods or more on the Camden Market side of things but the one place I recommend for everything you could need this summer is River Island. After many hours trawling the web for trends I bring to you my pick of the best River Island bangers. Try not to fall too in love, your partner might get jealous...

CLOTHES

1. Orange Stripe Prom Dress - £34.99            2. Coral One Shoulder Block Dress - £24.99           3. White Print Halter Neck Maxi Dress - £24.99

4. Denim Floral Print Dungarees - £34.99       5. Cream Printed Playsuit - £29.99                       6. Purple Chelsea Girl Print Playsuit - £30.00

7. Yellow Bow Front Skater Skirt - £29.99     8. Cream Print Crop Ruffle Cami - £14.99              9. Cream I Love Print Vest - £14.99

10. Aqua Paisley Print Shorts - £19.99          11. Blue Lace Up Hot Pants - £24.99 

ACCESSORIES

1. Cream Ditsy Print Trim Doctors Bag - £44.99                  2. Blue Crochet Barrel Bag - £39.99                 3. Gold Look Bee Stack Ring - £5.99

4. Blue Polka Dot Print Scarf - £14.99                                5. Coral Double Flower Ring - £4.99                6. Black Hinge Arm Sunglasses - £12.99

7. Brown 50s Plastic Sunglasses - £12.99                            8. Purple Festival Straw Trilby - £14.99           9. Blue Print Court Shoes - £54.99

10. Beige Print Chain Tie Sandals - £21.99

Get That Style: Emma Watson

Soon after my glowing review of Emma Watson was published on fashionstyleyou.co.uk she overtook Cheryl Cole as the most stylish woman. From child star to chic fashionista, she has wowed tabloid newspapers and glossy magazines alike with her to-die-for designer dresses as well as her more casual outfits. She's advertised for Burberry, had her own collections with fair trade label People Tree and has recently picked up the Style Icon award from Elle along with becoming the ambassadress for Lancome with her own fragrance. Many of you would love to be in her shoes and so I thought I would give you as helping hand. Here's how to put together that fabulous Watson wonder for a bargain price...

At the Deathly Hallows premiere Emma paraded her brand new elfin haircut wearing Rafael Lopez feather and lace dress partnered with black suede platform heels with green plexiglass heels by Charlotto Olympia. For a similar but equally as fashionable look: Black 3/4 Sleeve Lace Bodysuit, £20 from Miss Selfridge along with this Frilly Tutu Skirt, £35 from Topshop. For the shoes try these Pace Suede Double Strap Platforms from ASOS, £65.

Here, Emma was spotted leaving the Bungalow 8 Nightclub at Covent Garden, London. She was wearing a Coco Chanel cardigan, a French Connection floral dress and Tod's Dee loafers along with a simple pair of jeans. This style is fairly easy to replicate: Grey Cardigan, £9.99 New Look, Multi Floral Print Dress, £29 Dorothy Perkins, Laguna Skinny Jeans, £50 Hollister and Light Beige Bow Shoes, £29.99 River Island.

Emma jetted out of LaGuardia airpor in New York after promoting Deathly Hallows wearing a Christopher Ficsher waistcoat paired with a striped top, along with black leggings and some Chanel flats. Here's how to get the look on the High Street: Crochet Waterfall Waistcoat, £30 Fatface, Stripe Tunic Dress, £15 River Island, Black Ankle Leggings, £12 Miss Selfridge, Muse Stud Bow Pumps, £28 Topshop.

Finally, here is Emma in a shoot for Marie Claire. She is wearing a Burberry Prorsum top and jacket along with a pair of Minnie Mortimer shorts. If this look is for you then grab it at these stores: Beige Leather Jacket, £140 River Island, Ruffle Tunic, £7 Matalan,

High Street Festival Chic

Summer's on its way and it brings with it one of the best excuses for a wardrobe update - festivals. Whether you're hippy at Glastonbury or hip-hop at Wireless, the festival season guarantees an influx of trends and styles to ALL high street stores, so whether it's V or The Big Chill, Reading or Beach Break you're heading to this year, get yourselves down the high street and bag these gorgeous outfits which aren't going to cause too many injuries to your pretty floral purses...

White Heart Slogan Top ; £18.00        Indigo Skinny Jeans ; £15.00        Silver Puff Heart Drops ; £6.50

Black Hand Crochet Shrug £28.00        Black Leather Lace-up Boots £65.00

Ditsy Straw Trilby ; £15.00     Falcon Twist Toepost Sandals ; £28.00     Cocktail Ring with Pearl ; £12.50

Embroidered Smock Dress ; £65.00      Gold Twist Chain Belt ; £15.00

Zig Zag Cami ; £18.99        Crochet Waistcoat ; £14.99        Crochet Pocket Denim Shorts ; £19.99

Leather Woven Sandals ; £24.99        Mixed Bangle Set ; £6.99

Geranium Print Top ; £38.00        Linen Tiered Skirt ; £35.00        Large Peony Corsage ; £8.00

Turnlock Cross Body Leather Bag ; £50.00        Jannie Flower Toepost Sandal ; £25.00

White Pleat Back Vest ; £14.99        Brown Print Aviator Sunglasses ; £12.99       

Brown Leather Stretch Hair Band ; £5.99       Zebra Print Crop Trousers ; £24.99       

White Canvas Espadrilles ; £9.99

Coral Lace Front Shell Top ; £32.00        Pearlised Seedbead Multirow ; £10.00
Moto Blue Ditsy Capri Jeans ; £40.00        Black Suede Fringed Eyelet Bag ; £30.00
Black Chiffon Bow T-Bar Pumps ; £24.00

If Only I Could Cope With Heels!

I'm soon to be thrown head first into the uni lifestyle that is non-stop, twenty four hour partying (not round-the-clock studying, as my mum would like to think...) and have just realised something - I can't stand to walk far in heels! So now I'm left wondering, how am I going to cope with all these vodka sipping, crazy dancing nights out in the great city that is London? How can I pull off a fabulously well-crafted outfit if I can't even complete my image with a pair of matching killer heels? Maybe I'll have to start a new trend of sophisticted dress with daps? Or perhaps I should practice perfecting my strut but at a height of 5 foot 9 instead of 5 foot 3, until my size fours are just about fit to drop off? Either way, I'm definitely not looking forward to it, but I did enjoy hunting online to find something to inspire me. Here's my pick of the best...



1. Violet Eelskin Open Toe Slingbacks - £360 ; YSL

2. Raspberry Cream Raffia Shoes - £40 ; Dorothy Perkins

3. Sania Peep Toe Platforms - £160 ; Ted Baker

4. Dotty Ruffle Heels - £24.99 ; New Look

5. High-Heeled Leopard Print Sandals - £390 ; D&G

6. Carvela Girl Courts - £110 ; House of Fraser

7. Nine West Fanatical Peep Toe Buckle Fronts - £95 ; ASOS

Kate Moss: Through the Years...

I would think it almost impossible for someone not to know who Kate Moss is; with a string of spotlight relationships and drug scandals, she is continuously featuring in newspapers and magazines alike. But let's not forget her background. Fashion. Over the years she transformed the idea of a traditional supermodel, been photographed for an astounding thirty Vogue covers, helped promote many top designers. It is because of this that I have decided to dedicate a blog post to her life. Whether you love or hate her, you can't deny she's a intriguing character...

January 1974 - Kate was born on the 16th of the month in Croydon, London.



Kate as a young girl

1988 - Sarah Doukas, scout for Storm Model Management, took a shine to Kate when she spotted her at JFK Airport in New York City, when she had returned from a holiday in the Bahamas.

1989 - A year after being discovered, Kate featured in her first photo shoot titled 'The 3rd Summer of Love' for The Face magazine. The balck and white shot was photgraphed by Corrine Day and Kate was styled by Melanie Ward. Kate soon after became known as an 'anti-supermodel' due to her large contrast between well known models such as Elle Macpherson and Cindy Crawford.



'The 3rd Summer of Love' shoot




1992 - There was much speculation over Kate's weight in the press after the release of a Calvin Klein campaign. She furiously denied accusations that she suffered from anorexia.

The campaign that caused speculation

January 1993 - Kate appeared in her first ever photo shoot for the British Vogue magazine. Two months later she appeared on the front cover, which is now her first of thirty.

First Vogue cover shoot

February 1994 - Kate and Johnny Depp publicly displayed that they were in a relationship at a film premier. They had met a month previously.

1994 - Annie Leibovitz photographed Kate along with Johnny. The shots taken recently inspired actress Lindsay Lohan to appear in a similar, however, nearer the knuckle photo shoot.

Photo from the Annie Leibovitz shoot

1998 - Kate made an appearance in the Oasis music video for their single 'Don't Go Away'. She has appeared in many other videos including 'Something About the Way You Look Tonight' by Elton John and 'Delia's Gone' by Johnny Cash.

May 1998 - Johnny Depp announced that he and Kate had split, although claimed that they were still close and in regular contact.

September 2002 - Kate's daughter Lila Grace was born.

Kate with daughter Lila

January 2005 - Kate meets Pete Doherty at her 31st birthday party and the pair soon enter a relationship.

Kate with Pete

June 2005 - The Council of Fashion Designers of America announce Kate as an official style icon. She has helped with the rise of many popular fashions such as skinny jeans, cropped denim shorts and ankle boots.

September 2005 - The Daily Mirror revealed photographs of Kate snorting what was thought to be cocaine at a Babyshambles studio recording. These were the photos which lost her much work and ended many modelling contracts.

The Mirror's front cover

November 2006 - Kate appeared in a Little Britain sketch for Comic Relief at the Hammersmith Apollo alongside David Walliams and Matt Lucas. She played notoriously chavvy character Vicky Pollard's sister Kate.

Kate with Matt Lucas in charity sketch

March 2007 - Kate was awarded sexiest woman title at the NME awards. She alos made her first appearance on the Sunday Times rich list, being worth a reported £45 million.

April 2007 - Pete Doherty announced his engagement to Kate at a London concert at which Kate also made a performance.

May 2007 - Kate launched her first collection for Topshop in the Oxford Street store.

The Topshop collection launch

July 2007 - There was an announcement of Kate and Pete's break up just weeks before they were due to get married. The split lead to Kate pulling out of many public appearances.

October 2008 - British artist Marc Quinn unveiled an 18 carat gold sculpture of Kate at the British Museum in London. It was titled 'Siren' and some said it was to represent the view of Kate being a Goddess.

'Siren'

October 2010 - Kate appeared on the album cover for Bryan Ferry's CD 'Olympia'. Soon after it was reported that Kate had married her long term partner Jamie Hince at a secret ceremony in Italy over the summer. Kate has since then denied rumours of the marriage.

Kate with Jamie Hince

I ♥ Miss Selfridge

With the wind being a lot colder than should be legal and the hours of daylight becoming more shy by the second, for me, and probably most of the UK population, it is most definitely time to splash out the cash on some new winter woollies. My wardrobe has an unnatural lack of cardigans and jumpers; I've got one that looks like something my gran should be wearing, which I can just about pull off, another one which itches to high heaven and one I adore from Miss Selfridge, and so it's no surprise that, as I begin my jumper hunt of 2010/11, Miss Selfridge should be the first place I turn to. With a gorgeous selection of waterfall cardis and endless collections of colourful knits, I'm spoilt for choice! Everywhere I look, there's something I'm desperate to grab hold of and take into the changing room with me, but the sad truth is, me mixed with trying items on is a very dangerous business. The general rule is once it's on, I fall in love and once I've fallen, I'm not going to be picked back up. I will most definitely spend money I shouldn't be spending on the clothes I so strongly believe I cannot live without, forgetting that I have coped with life perfectly fine without them. Although it's going to be a struggle to stop myself blowing my holiday money when I'm 'present shopping' on Friday, it doesn't stop me posting my favourites for your delight...

1. Intarsia Curved Hem Cardi - £42           2. Embellished Waterfall Cardi - £40           3. Brown Leopard Cardigan - £35
4. Open Pointelle Longline Cardi - £32        5. Fairisle Waterfall Cardi - £36                6. Deco Stitch Cardi - £40
7. Handknit Bobble Gilet - £35                   8. 3/4 Sleeve Stripe Intarsia Top - £36       9. Coral Crochet Collar Top - £34
10. Pink Bobble Stitch Waistcoat - £39       11. Fur trim gilet - £45                            12. Lace Embellished Crop Cardi - £50                     

Fashion: Autumn/Winter 2010/11

Styles

Military - this trend continues into its second fashionable season running. However, the look has become less gothic orientated. Short military jackets are a must have, and can look great teamed with more delicate pieces of the same style, creating a chic contrast between the masculine and feminine. Get the look: Mid Wash Super Skinny Jeans from Miss Selfridge £38.00, Double Breasted Military Jacket from boohoo.com £40.00, Tie Front Crop Top from New Look £16.00.

Kitsch - no longer are those teddy bear knits considered 'bad taste'. Some people may see this image as child like but there's no denying its wintery cuteness. Knitted animal hats and jumpers are the favourite of  this style and they can look great with a pair of patterned tights. The perfect winter warmers. Get the look: Diamond Print Tights from Dorothy Perkins £5.00, Panda Hood Knitted Jumper from River Island £49.99, Vintage Destroyed Hotpants from Topshop £22.00.

 

 

Items

Fairisle Knits - garments of this particular knitting technique come into fashion almost every winter and it appears the older the fashion gets the bolder it becomes. Walk into pretty much any high street store and there will be a whole section of the shop floor dedicated to these kooky but clever designs. Pick of the best: Snowflake Short-sleeved Jumper from New Look £19.99, Waterfall Cardigan from Miss Selfridge £36.00, Knitted Dress from Jane Norman £35.00.

Materials

Faux Fur - this material often causes a division of opinions. Although it cannot provoke animal rights campaigns, it can attract both negative and positive views. Perhaps the most popular faux fur garment this season is the gilet, but there are plenty of other options to choose from. For something more subtle try a faux fur trimmed hood. Pick of the best: Belted Gilet from Topshop £80.00, Fur Trimmed Hood Parka from River Island £79.99, Leopard Print Jacket from Zara £39.99.

 

Patterns/Prints

Leopard Print - it would appear as though leopard print is never going to grow out of fashion. It remains to be popular amongst girls and women of all ages, and can be worn throughout any season. As long as you don't dress from head to toe in the print, it's guaranteed you can't go wrong. Pick of the best: Leggings from boohoo.com £8.00, Poncho from Wallis £30.00, Ruffle Blouse from Oasis £30.00.

 

Colours

Camel Tones - this collection of colours consists mainly of a range of brown tones and shades. Items can easily be teamed with creams and some shades of green. If you're feeling slightly more adventurous try pale pinks.