Colour Blocking

Colour blocking is a recurring trend, both in a monochromatic guise during the Winter season & also encompassing brights during the Summer.


How far you want to go with colour blocking is up to you. If you want to create an impact, go for brights which are out there in abundance at the moment. But if you want to wear this trend with more subtlety, use it in your accessories.


Here are some great items available on the High Street now.

Mango @ John Lewis

very.co.uk

Warehouse

River Island

Anthropologie

Top Shop

Jigsaw @ John Lewis 

Top Shop

Plus if you happen to live in the Crystal Palace area, pop over to Smash Bang Wallop & you'll find these lovelies...

Fluorescent Cambridge satchels from £96

Nancy Dee colour block dresses £55

Don't you just love a good stripe?

An established staple in my own wardrobe, the stripe is a great "if all else fails" option. There's so much scope with a stripe. The classic Breton stripe is so stylish, but if you're feeling more daring, a painterly broad stripe can be a great mood lifter as well as showing a quirkier side.


Here are a few of my top stripe High Street picks, some are even in the sale which is always a bonus!

ASOS waterfall front cardi

Full Circle @ ASOS maxi dress

ASOS oversized 70's floppy hat

Top Shop scallop stripe swimsuit

Religion @ ASOS dress

Sonia by Sonia Rykiel @ASOS bow stripe top

ASOS shirtdress 

Dorothy Perkins multi stripe tee

Miss Selfridge tie front blouse

Dorothy Perkins neutral stripe maxi dress

Wallis cut-about stripe tee

David David @ ASOS brushstroke stripe dress

Resort 2012

Following on from my Chanel Resort collection post, here are some of my favourite looks from Bottega Veneta & Oscar de la Renta.


All images courtesy of style.com.


Loving the flashes of brights & modern ethereal layering at Bottega Veneta.

A totally different, more ladylike collection at Oscar de la Renta, which was less up my street. However I loved the nude draping & floral overlay which was reminiscent of Chanel's trademark camellia.

Best Dressed at Cannes

I love taking a peek at the goings on at the Cannes film festival. It somehow seems other-worldly with all of the glamorous people belonging to a club that I'll never have membership for. To be honest I'm not sure I'd even want membership to this exclusive gathering, it all seems a bit too polished, dare I say fake even...


However, I am eternally impressed by the stylishness of the French. It has been reaffirmed to me that they do natural style best. The only Brit that comes close to attaining this easy sophistication as far as I'm concerned is Alexa Chung, followed by Tilda Swinton.


Yes, Cheryl Cole looked lovely in her Stephane Rolland white dressed, but it was all very polished Hollywood, somewhat formulaic. All I can say about her other sparkling champagne coloured fishtail number is that she should have done something about her her VPL before she went out!


So here are my favourite looks, natural & full of personality...

1

Juliette Binoche in Givenchy

2

Clemence Poesy

3

Ines de la Fressange in Carven

4

Lea Seydoux in Louis Vuitton

5

Alexa Chung

6

Tilda Swinton in Haider Ackermann

7

Alexa Chung in Valentino

8

Carey Mulligan in Azzaro

9

Alexa Chung 

10

Sarah Jessica Parker in Elie Saab

Images courtesy of-

  1 style.com

  2 Marie Claire

  3 Elle

  4 Elle

  5 Elle

  6 The Telegraph

  7 style.com

  8 style.com

  9 The Telegraph

10 Marie Claire

Chanel Resort 2012

Karl Lagerfeld chose the Hotel du Cap in the paradise that is Antibes to show his Chanel Resort collection for 2012 last week. From the snapshots I've gleaned of the event, it was every bit as glamorous as anticipated. 

Here are my top picks from the collection.