Month: October 2015

Grace yourself with lace!

For most homes the classic white lace curtain window covering creates an enjoyable design experience. It evokes that feeling of relaxation in summer and in spring time. For a long time I used to associate lace with curtains. Then I started seeing some really amazing outfits and gowns and I never looked at lace the same way again.image“I have stolen your granny’s net curtains, and I won’t give them back!” – quote from this dancer at the Moulin Rouge in Paris in 1926

Lace is one of the most beautiful and feminine fabrics in the world. But just how long has lace been in fashion? Lace is known to have been first developed in Venice during the sixteenth century. It was always an expensive luxury item because of its painstaking, time-consuming production. Lace veils and lace bridal gowns became an enduring favourite for brides in the Victorian era and has been popular ever since with royals, brides, catwalks and even the high street.

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Lace masterpiece – American actress Grace Kelly’s elegant wedding gown in 1956

imageKate Middleton is ever elegant and stunning in lace dresses

Lace continues to enjoy a place in fashionable dress today. White crochet lace rules in summer, in winter a black or red lace party dresses get us into the Christmas spirit.

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If the lace look is too full-on for your personal taste, mix it up with contrasting textures. Don’t be afraid to experiment with lace. Whether it is a staple part of your wardrobe or for special occasions only, lace is an elegant and on-trend choice of fabric.

imageTo wear lace is to wear grace!!

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Fifty shades of Green!

Across many cultures green is commonly associated with nature, growth, regeneration and fertility. In pagan times, the “Green Man” was a symbol of fertility . It was known as the colour of the heavens in the Ming Dynasty. In Ireland, it is a colour of luck and is popularly on St. Patrick’s Day or during international soccer or rugby games. It is believed that wearing green on any other day would be considered unlucky by the Irish ( I wonder about that one though!)
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Content with nature in H&M emerald green skirt

Green is everywhere around us but it is also associated with unflattering phrases such as “green with envy” or “the green-eyed monster” both in reference to people harbouring more than a little bit of jealousy. It’s no surprise then that green is not a common colour in the world of fashion.

Wearing green is not for everyone as it can be seen as loud and dominant. Green is also a rare choice at red carpets or other gala events considering the proximity to the red carpet and some celebrities can’t risk looking like a Christmas tree! However, some people can pull the colour very well as seen in these emerald green choices by Angelina Jolie Pitt, Mila Kunis, Elizabeth Moss and Catherine Zeta-Jones.imageLast year the autumn/winter collections were full of different shades of green from lush olive, emerald green, grass green, pea green, moss green to sage green making it an interesting colour to buy. I wore this lace dress to a friend’s wedding last year and it was a perfect outfit for the day as it blended very well with the lush surroundings. I wore it again this year to a different occasion with different shoes, bag and a different hairstyle and it looked new again.imageThis outfit is great colour for the autumnal look. The cocktail of green, white, pink and red colours give it a colourful autumn effect and it’s an outfit that can be dressed up or down.

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Forget about the green connotations! A woman in green isn’t the jealous type, rather she knows she causes envy in others. If you dare, get ready to spread the envy!!

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Military Style? ‘Blend out’ with camouflage!

I’m seeing camouflage or ‘camos’ everywhere these days. Just like animal print which I wrote about in my last blog posting here, camo is timeless. Military camouflage patterns have been popular in fashion and art from as early as 1920s. A lot of major designers have exploited camouflage’s style and symbolism as street wear ever since.imageSource

A few weeks ago Versace was showcasing a spring/summer 2016 collection at Milan Fashion Week. The catwalk highlight was belted dark green and military jackets and tops which Versace dubbed “the urban jungle” (check it out). Also modelled were bright coloured animal prints in the camouflage collection. Now, that’s an interesting combination as I like animal print. I have to say though for the classy street look, limit yourself to one camo piece at a time if you don’t want to look like you are going hunting in the woods.imageCamo is not just for daytime. You can transform a simple jeans and T-shirt look to evening wear with a camo clutch and some bling accessories or add a gold belt to a camo pencil skirt and a low-cut top for an even cooler evening look. Singer Rihanna is camouflage chic and she surely knows how to rock them.imageSource

If you think dressing up is not really for you and you are a more casual person, then why not try this simple, casual and very street look!? Here I’m wearing camouflage espadrilles from the Martinez-Made in Argentina collection and a H&M oversize outerwear jacket.imagePerhaps you are thinking that camouflage fashion trend is not for you at all and you can never wear that sort of clothing, then how about ‘pimping’ your ride instead?

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Forget about ‘blending in’, camouflage styles are now all about standing out in the crowd!

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