90210 LA style

I've been catching up with 90210 on 4od today, so here is a little post to show my appreciation of the laid-back style of the character Ivy Sullivan, played by Gillian Zinser. Her and the character of Annie, in my opinion, have the best styling on the show, as I love her combination of denim cut-offs, striped t-shirt and quirky hats. She always looks cool and very "LA", ready to hit the beach at any moment. It makes me sad that I don't live near the beach or where the sun makes more than the occasional appearance. I visited Los Angeles in 2010 and absolutely loved the area, especially Santa Monica and Venice Beach, I could really see myself living there!

Olivia Palermo, style icon

Another style icon of mine is Olivia Palermo. She always has amazing taste, particularly for her accessories, from costume jewellery, to feathered clutch bags, to embellished shoes, Olivia is never afraid to experiment, however always looks polished and stylish whatever the season. I first noticed her when watching 'The City' and though she is isn't portrayed in the best light in the show, her fantastic styling ability shone through. From Topshop maxi skirts to up-and-coming designers, such as Prabal Gurung, Olivia manages to clash prints and colours in original ways, epitomising New York style. Here are a mix of her looks that I have loved:

I'm always a fan of striped tops and metallics together, a great summer look.

Olivia clashes colours for Autumn.

Olivia in a Mango maxi

Effortlessly stylish on the street of NYC.

 

An amazing Parang Grubul feathered dress.

Clashing furs and leopard print, it shouldn't work but it does.

Carrie and Cecile

My first thought when I opened the new issue of Grazia today was 'Oooooo'. Inside was the new 'it' skirt from Whistles for this season. The 'Cecile' is the updated version of the 'Carrie' from Spring/Summer11 and I think it will be just as popular. Really wish I had the money for this! It's just so pretty!

Cecile (£125, Whistles)

Carrie (Whistles SS11)

Spijkers en Spijkers at LFW

I was lucky enough to go to the Spijkers en Spijkers SS12 London Fashion Week show last September and have been looking back at my photos of the catwalk, now the trends shown are starting to appear in the shops. The main influences for the collection were the twenties, pastels, stars and Arabia, which were shown in flapper dresses, tasselled head scarves and an abundance of silks. I particularly loved the romanticism of the collection juxtaposed with the exotic soundtrack to the show. 

Here are some of my favourite designs:

Spijkers en Spijkers SS12

 Spijkers en Spijkers SS12

Spijkers en Spijkers SS12

Here is the final walk of the show, from YouTube, as the quality was far better than my own iPhone video.

Diane Kruger, style icon

Diane Kruger is one of my style icons. I am always intrigued to see what she has been wearing, as no-one quite does red-carpet glamour like her. Diane tends to go in one of two directions, either embellished glamour or simple and cool, generally keeping to a palette of pastel colours or monochrome. Since she burst onto the Hollywood scene playing Helen of Troy, Diane Kruger has proved her timeless elegance on many occasions. A fan of Chanel, Marchesa and Calvin Klein she always looks amazing and original, a breathe of fresh air in a world of body-con dresses and fake tans. Here are a few of my favourite looks;

Chanel

Marchesa

Elie Saab

Calvin Klein

Chanel

Vionnet

Marchesa

Prada

Delights of the sales

I LOVE the sales. It's always a great chance to go crazy spending half the amount you normally would (or in my case spend the same but get twice as many treats). This year I found some great items, such as this amazing fringed suede clutch (see below), and as usual stocked up on accessories and jewellery.

Hat (H&M), Leather Clutch (Accessorize), Fringed Suede Clutch (Urban Outfitters),
Bracelet and Gold Rings (Warehouse), Skull Ring (Topshop)

One of my favourite shops, Zara, also had some fabulous pieces in the sale this year. I went there first thing on Boxing Day and found an amazing woollen Cape for £50. I ended up having to queue up for it for almost an hour, but it was worth the wait. I have worn it almost every day since and now like to call it my Sherlock Cape, just need to make sure I don't wear it with a deerstalker hat. In the queue I saw the lady behind me with a great floral dress, there was no way I was leaving that queue but luckily there were still some left in Manchester. It will be great for any time of year as I'll be able to wear it with with tights and boots in winter, or sandals in summer.

Wool Cape (Zara), Boots (UGG Australia)

Dress (Zara), Boots (UGG Australia)

I also bought an amazing midi skirt in River Island for only £15 which will be fantastic for the Spring with it's pastel colour and lightweight fabric. I've worn it out already with a simple black t-shirt and these boots, but with bare legs, and received many compliments on it. I had to freeze that night though, as going out straight from work, I only had my cape, which together with my fur stole made me look like an extra from Downton Abbey.

Top and Skirt (River Island), Boots (UGG Australia)

Adding to my expanding collection of dresses, I bought this classic lace dress from Topshop, having donated my other lace dresses to friends. Turquoise is my favourite colour so I couldn't resist (even though I had just bought another turquoise Topshop dress). Oh well. It is the sales.

Dress (Topshop), Fur Stole (H&M), Boots (UGG Australia)

Fashion and Freedom

Soo, it's a new year and a new opportunity to show you a bit of what I love. This blog will include style icons of mine, my own style, my inspirations and anything going on in the fashion world. Enjoy!