Your Fashion Fix

A staple wardrobe piece in every guys closet should be a pair of statement jeans. Jeans pretty much go with just about everything and in this generation they can be worn everywhere, even to the office. When teamed with a pair of dress shoes and a smart shirt, jeans instantly become suitable for a night out, however they can also work well during the day. Work the casual look by throwing them on with a tee and your favourite All Stars.

There are an assortment of styles to choose from when it comes to jeans, one particular style that is ticking all the right boxes for 2011 is the straight leg G Star men’s jeans. These particular jeans can be worn both day and night and of course stay true to the G-star brand in that they are individual and edgy in style.

The straight leg G Star men’s jeans come in a range of different denim hues including black, navy, faded denim, a washed out hue and a mid-blue, meaning there is most certainly a shade and style to suit all!

The G-star brand is certainly popular with those that are not afraid to stand out from the crowd and a must if you wish to be on trend for 2011. Ever since the label’s arrival in 1989 the brand have been going strong, producing and creating high quality denim with a unique twist.

The straight leg G Star men’s jeans are the perfect investment for you winter wardrobe and look great teamed with an overcoat or simply a casual jacket, just a few of these looks have been sported by Magnus Carlton in the new G-star Raw campaign.

The title might seem a bit contradictory at first, but I always believe that one of the things you can do to protect your fashion pieces is cleaning them properly. You may also need to deal with stains and odors that can happen to your favorite dress or fashion pieces. There are several cleaning tips you can use to keep your fashion pieces at their primes.

Whenever you wash clothes, make sure you use the right water temperature. Use cold water temperature to wash delicate fabrics or clothes with dark colors. Warm water temperature should be used if you are washing man-made fabrics. For bedding and towels, use hot water instead. If your white clothes start to look grey or yellowish, it can also be caused by the wrong use of water temperature.

Always launder whites separately. No matter how sure you are with the quality of other colored clothes, washing whites separately can reduce the risks of bleeding colors. Besides, you can keep your whites at their best by washing them separately and using the right water temperature.

Read the labels and check if delicate handlings are necessary. Select the right detergent to use and use only little amount of it whenever you are washing. Using too much detergent will only make your fashion pieces degrade faster, and it will not make the clothes cleaner in any way.

Last but not least, always check for stains before washing and handle clothes with stains separately. With these tips, you can make your clothes last longer than you can imagine.

Tiny rock and roller Taylor Momsen is the latest star to front U.K high street store, New Look. Widely known for her role in American drama, Gossip Girl, as well as being a part time rock star, Momsen and her edgy style means she is the perfect face for New Look’s latest spunky range.

In stores now, Taylor’s range features key pieces which embrace all current trends. Lace crop tops, stripey bodycon dresses, floaty fabrics and leather jackets means this collection covers everything that’s hot in fashion at the moment : nautical come Parisian chic, grunge, and feminely fierce. Let’s have a look at some of our favourite pieces.

Check out this sheer mesh crop top at just £16. Wear over a plain black tank top with some black skinny jeans, patent heels and finish with dark, smokey eyes and you will look like a rock and roll minx.

Or how about this pearl and bead striped tunic at an impressive £20? This nautical number will set off your inner French femme, while the additional shoulder embellishments add a hint of quirky cool.

If you are a super fashionista, the Taylor range also features these Hareem trousers. Coming in blue or grey, these uber trendy pants, which have recently been embraced by the likes of Cheryl Cole, feature cute button detail down the front. Wear with a loose tank tee and gladiator sandals to pull off the ultimate laid back chic.

Finally, we love this sleeveless denim biker jacket which comes in at £25. Taylor rocks this number alone with a pair of skinnies, yet if you don’t feel that brave, you could sling it over a t shirt and still rock that rebel rebel look.

Head to your local New Look now to check out the complete Spring/Summer range, or surf over to New Look’s website by clicking here.

The designer which set the most tongues-a-wagging and coins-a-jangling amid September’s London Fashion Week last year was undoubtedly Miss. Luella Bartley, and her fabulously feminine Spring/Summer 2010 collection.

The collection was a magical mixture of pastels, polka dots and romantically girly cuts. Her skirts and dresses were cut to a tulip shape and adorned in beautiful bows and hearts – think the pop of the 50s and 60s mixed with the English eccentric look.

The likes of Kelly Osbourne and Alexa Chung have already been spotted sporting beautiful garments from Bartley ranges, and lucky for us the high street has recently cashed in on the sweet sensation, and created a whole bunch of adorable Luella lookalikes.

Head over to Tesco now, and for just £22.00 you can grab an almost identical dress to the recent Luella range. White, with droplets of yellow flowering, the floaty dress features the famous heart cut out on the chest, adding a super cute edge.

On the other hand why not check out New Look. Their stores have gone wild for the Luella look, the shop floor scattered with polka dot skirts and floral mini dresses. Check out this number here - for a mere £20 you could be rocking the tulip-cut currently being worn by fashionistas across the country.

A brilliant summer designer look – but on the cheap! View the original Luella Spring/Summer 2010 collection, here.

The summer is steadily approaching, and as expected, the fashion world is going through yet another style overhaul. Today, we are going to focus on the current trend of denim.

Yes, currently taking the country’s trend setters by storm is an intriguing blend – those two words fashion journalists never quite expected they’d ever use in a serious manner : double denim.

But trust us! Try it out. Tuck a lengthy denim shirt into a pair of super tight skinny jeans, and you are bang on this trend. Try to make sure either denim (the shirt and trousers) are as close to each other, colour wise. Note – this look is best pulled off when going for lighter, stonewashed fabrics. Finish the look by separating the shirt and jeans with a brown leather belt as to add a stylish block distinction.

If you’re not sure you could pull off all of that, why not try a chic denim dress? Look out for the mini sleeveless numbers in particular, and complete with a casual pair of white sneakers, or if later in the day, a hot pair of patent black heels.

Another way to embrace this style without going too over the top is by slinging a simple denim jacket over your summer dress. These super cute jackets are spread across the high street at the moment, with New Look selling some particular highlights (www.newlook.com). Be sure to grab something small and slinky – oversized boyfriend look does not go down well with denim jackets. Rock up your more girly outfits during the day, or finish a trouser-based evening outfit with your casual jacket as to add a touch of cool to your class.

The title says it all. One of the best fashion investments you can make is buying stretches; you can easily find stretch jeans, stretch shirts, and of course a stretch jackets. There are several benefits you will get from having several stretch clothes, but before we go to that there is one issue that needs clarifying.

A few years ago, stretch clothes may not be that comfortable. The fabric used was polyester, and it didn’t fit nicely to customers’ needs. Today’s stretch is entirely different, since it is made to be delicate and highly comfortable to wear.

Now, the first benefit of wearing stretch clothes is flexibility. Since the fabric used can stretch to a certain degree, you can easily eliminate the need to buy different sizes of pants of shirts instantly. You can reduce your fashion budget accordingly and save a lot of money in the process.

As I mentioned earlier, stretch clothes are also very comfortable. Your skill will not bet irritated by the fabric at all, because the texture is very smooth and suitable for every application. Wear stretch to work, and you wouldn’t have to worry about losing focus because you feel uncomfortable at all.

Last but not least, stretch clothes are also very comfortable in nature. If you think the fabric is nice, wait till you wear stretch clothes on a hot sunny day. You wouldn’t have to worry about the heat at all, since the fabric gives your skin enough room to breathe and be comfortable.

High street department store Debenhams has become the first high street retailer to replace some mannequins in their shop windows with ones that resemble the average British woman.

The new mannequins will feature the re-launched Principles collection by designer Ben de Lisi and are currently being trialled at the company’s flagship store on London’s Oxford Street, with a view to a nationwide rollout if it proves to be a hit with customers.

With most retailers using a standard size 10 mannequin, Debenhams have broken from the mould and have made it very clear that its core market is normal sized women – 42% of its clothing sold is in sizes 14-16. Signs next to the new mannequins teasingly ask ‘I’m a size 16, do you want to see more of me?’

Mark Stevens, Debenhams head of creative, said ‘We are proud to offer a broad and varied choice for women of all ages, shapes and sizes in store. So we thought we should reflect this in our window displays. If it’s popular with customers, we would love to roll it out.’

The trial has received support, not just from real women, but from Beat – the charity which campaigns against eating disorders. Chief executive of Beat, Susan Ringwood noted ‘Women often feel it is their fault that clothes don’t look as good on them as they do in the shop window. It’s good to have mannequins that reflect the diversity of female shapes in Britain.’

John Lewis trialled a similar scheme three years ago, using size 14 mannequins as opposed to size 16. But the trial, which took place at their Peterborough store, did not end up going nationwide, so there’s still a risk that the Debenhams trial may not take off. But with news from London Fashion Week that models of size 12, 14 and 16 have been hitting the catwalk to rapturous applause, there may be some hope yet. So it’s a hats off to Debenhams and let’s hope we see more of these mannequins across the country.

Love hit US television show Gossip Girl? Love the fashion just as much? Well, good news! High street favourite Miss Selfridge are to create a collection inspired by the show’s costume designer Eric Daman – one that’ll be based on the four female lead characters – Serena Van der Woodsen, Blair Waldorf, Jenny Humphrey and Vanessa Abrams, which will be hitting the shops at the end of April.

The collection will feature key pieces including a leopard print boho maxi dress in the style of Vanessa, a ruffle front shift dress with a floral skirt in the style of Blair, a black body con bondage dress in the style of Serena and a nude and black lace tutu style skirt in the style of Jenny. Miss Selfridges’ creative director Yasmin Yusuf said ‘We are delighted to be working the Warner Bros television series, Gossip Girl. The dresses we’ve created based on the characters fit perfectly with our spring/summer 2010 range. Our customers love the show and the styles of the girls so the partnership is perfect.’ Consisting of eight pieces in total, the collection will retail online and in store from £39.

Warner Bros general manager of consumer products UK added ‘Fashion is intrinsic to Gossip Girl and a key ingredient in the continued popularity of the series. Miss Selfridge has created a collection that is true to the ideals of the show and one that young women will aspire to own. We’re certain it will be a commercial success, and the beginning of a long-term relationship with the retailer.’

Following from the success of their debut collaboration with Hed Kandi last year, Miss Selfridge are likely to be aiming for exactly the same success second time around. And hopefully this will be another in a long line of successful collaborations between the high street retailer and some of the biggest names in entertainment.

The key to being smart when buying clothes and fashions is to get items that are timeless — or should I say season-less. This way, you wouldn’t have to worry about having to get new clothes whenever a new trend is taking over while still looking chic as ever easily. Check out several timeless fashion pieces you should have in your closet.

T-shirts are definitely timeless. Wear them alone in summer or warmer days and couple them with jackets and blazers for colder season. You wouldn’t have to worry about price and designs at all, since there are literally thousands of t-shirts available in different retailers near you. You can even design your own t-shirt and create a bold fashion statement.

Bootleg cut jeans are also on the timeless list. You can never go wrong with a pair of enhancing jeans that makes you look great. Pair it with almost every fashion tops, and you have a chic look just like that. You can also use shredded jeans to achieve similar gorgeous looks, although shredded jeans do have ins and outs as the season changes.

For parties, a simple black dress can never go wrong. You can literally eliminate the need to purchase other dresses for different occasions by getting a simple black dress. Combine the dress with fashion accessories and other pieces to alter the look accordingly. Wear it on its own and add a black purse or small handbag when you are going to a ball or formal events.

Fashion designer Ben de Lisi, known for his red carpet creations, has been called upon by the NHS to design a gown of a very different kind – the dreaded hospital gown.

A new project, the ‘Design for Patient Dignity’, was created by the Department of Health and the Design Council to improve the design of hospital gowns in NHS hospitals.

Hospital gowns don’t necessarily need to be stylish or come in different fabrics; however, the one thing that people dread is the lack of privacy offered by current gown designs.

The NHS has admitted that the old hospital gowns were designed to provide convenient access for surgery or to administer injections, can be humiliating for patients to wear – an unnecessary event.

“Why would a designer noted for glamorous evening gowns be capable of designing a hospital gown?” said De Lisi who spoke out about how he convinced the department of health with sketches of an evening dress morphing into a nightshirt.

The final designs by De Lisi, including a gown, pyjama bottoms, and a polar fleece wrap and slippers, will be trialled at London’s King’s College Hospital.

“The gown is unisex” said the designer “It has access points throughout the garment to the body. If someone is waiting on ward for a test or x-ray, their modesty is kept in check.”

The one thing that is confirmed about the new gowns?”It does not open up the back.” He said.
Fashion is everywhere and you too could get to model a Ben de Lisi design, although we’re sure most fashionistas would prefer the red carpet variety, but for the majority the hospital gown will be as close as it gets to a red carpet designed dress.