Georgia White www.yourfashionbible.co.uk

Even though fashion week has long gone, it has left behind a trail of trends and styles. One trend that we lusting over are hats. From beanies, cloches, caps to trilbies – hats in every shape, size and style, it has got to be the ultimate accessory.

Hats are becoming more than just a practical item, infact hats have become quite a valuable fashion accessory. Adding an instant statement to your outfit a hat can be the best way to complete your look.

High street stores such as Topshop, Marks and Spencer and H&M have got a great selection of hats to choice from and luckily for us celebrities have taken the trend under their wing so if you are unsure of how to style the must have accessory look to Rachel Zoe and Millie Mackintosh for style inspiration.

You will be at the top of the style stakes before you know it!

Packing is always a problem..and who would think that pearls would be the perfect summer jewellery take-away.

Pearls on leather is the hottest summer fashion trend for the beach. Pearls love the beach but on top of that, they will happily go with you to party into the evening.

These long leather strips with huge real freshwater or south sea pearls, as seen on the beautiful Michelle Keegan, are the only jewellery you need to take with you – bracelet, necklace, hair band, belt – they will cover all bases and look fabulous and sophisticated everywhere.

For a cool variation on the theme, mix the leather with the precious metal chain!!

(And there are pearls on leather for men too!)

Get YOUR Pearlescence treats here! www.pearlescence.co.uk

Laura Walton, Make-up Artist & Beauty Writer

A simple and cost-effective way to instantly update your look for the new season is to switch-up your manicure. Backstage at the Spring/Summer 2013 shows, models sported a plethora of designs from dark and dramatic head-turners to minimalistic neutrals. There are a whole host of new formulas and finishes now available on the high-street to really push the boundaries and make a statement with your nails this spring.

Nude

Neutrals and Creams were the stand-out trend for spring and were showcased everywhere from Marc Jacobs to Chanel. Not necessarily a unique spring nail-trend, however, this time around it’s about choosing the right shade of nude for your skin tone, giving the illusion of long, elegant fingers. Butter London’s Starkers Collection comprises of three creamy shades designed to perfectly match your skins hue.

Tough

In contrast to the traditional spring pastels and sugary hues, Anna Sui and Vera Wang featured dark romantic shades of blue, green and black. Everyone was talking about the edgy ‘dripping blood’ design at Prabal Gurung, where splatters of red polish were seemingly dripping from the models tips. Alexa Chung caused a social media frenzy posting snaps of her leather-look Mani. Get yours from Nails Inc. where the polish dries to a matte finish with a leather-like texture.

Texture

Last year’s frenzy for ‘velvet’ and ‘caviar’ manicures shows no sign of slowing down with the catwalk sporting matte and grainy finishes and basket-woven texture at Rodarte. Try the beautiful Illamasqua Speckled polishes for a quick and easy textured-effect Mani.

Metallic

Flashes of metallic were also a hit at the shows with many designs featuring luxurious finishes. For an at-home manicure, try painting your tips with a little copper or gold, or paint stripes of silver as seen at Monika Chiang. If you don’t fancy going freestyle, Ciate have released these metallic, graffiti nail kits.

Two-Tone

The dual-polish effect was going strong at Roland Mouret and 3.1 Philip Lim, with a new twist on the classic French manicure. Do-it-yourself with contrasting polish shades and experiment with different shapes – diagonal stripes, v-shapes and half-moons. These Orly Half Moon White-Tip Manicure Guides make two-tone manicures fool-proof!

Those little places only the locals knew about…until now

We’ve all noticed that vintage fashion has taken over the world of contemporary style. Even the likes of Primani are getting involved in the latest “trend”. But for those of us that have a real, genuine love for beautiful, unique, un-replaceable items from the past – we need guidance on where to find our fix. Well, for those of you planning a vintage shopping spree in London, here are a few little gems that guarantee to bring a smile to your face…….

Camden Thrift Store

Camden Argh, Camden – Is there another place on earth with so much culture and history attached to its name? For anyone interested in indie fashion, there really isn’t a better place to go. And for something really special, then you need to head to Camden Thrift Store. What’s so special about this place is the quality of stock, which bulges out of every crevice in this little store. They also have genuinely helpful staff, who go out of their way to help you find what you are looking for. Why can’t more shops be run like this?

Address: Camden Thrift Store, 51 Chalk Farm Road, London, NW1 8AN
Nearest Tube Stop: Chalk Farm

The Vintage Emporium

Shoreditch This is true gem where you can sit back and enjoy an authentic Victorian style tea room. They have classic cream teas and other tasty treats, but what’s really special is hidden away in the basement; A vast and impressive selection of vintage clothes and accessories from the Victorian Era and the 50s. For those who don’t like to stop their shopping spree to eat, this is the perfect compromise.

Address: The Vintage Emporium, 14 Bacon Street, Shadwell, London, E1 6LF
Nearest Tube Stop: Shoreditch High Street

Beyond Retro

Dalston These guys have arguably the best vintage stores in London. In fact, they have about 8 stores spread out over Europe, but many would argue that their very best store is situated in hip and trendy, north east London – Dalston. Housed in an impressive old art deco building, it has been used for countless different businesses and was used as the Cuban cigar factory in the James Bond movie, Die Another Day. They also have a super-cool cafe, selling hot and cold food/drinks, all served lovingly by tattoo-covered staff.

Address: Beyond Retro, 92 -100 Stoke Newington Road, London, N16 7XB
Nearest Tube Stop: Dalston Kingsland (Overground Service)

Author Bio Sara is passionate about vintage fashion and nostalgic inspired design. When she isn’t hunting through the stores of London, you’ll find her blogging about her finds.

Sabina McIvor, Editor of ESVIE & Professional Make-up Artist

Christian Dior’s couture collection was set in a beautiful scene very similar to that of Alice In Wonderland. Designer Raf Simons styled his models with dream fairytales in mind. Materials looked like they’d just magnetised flowers, it was pretty, elegant and very beautiful.

But what really caught my attention was the sugar-coated lips. You might be aware from my previous posts, that naked, contoured eyes and bold lips is my absolute top look for high fashion and beauty. You can’t go wrong, everyone suits it, you just need to be brave enough!

So when I saw how Simons had interpreted this look, I couldn’t help but do a little ‘woop’ *insert a little dance*.

Eyes were very simple. Just a soft shade of shadow, a very thin line of eyeliner and mascara was added to making sure the lips weren’t lost. Very minimal. However, when you add diamanté’s to the lips, they’d never run the risk of being ignored!

Absolutely stunning a massive ‘bravo’ to the beauty army backstage!

Its that time of year again, when your jackets hide away, and your dresses come out to play. Its Spring everyone, meaning the florals, the graphics and most importantly the colour makes its appearance in your outfits. Seen from the likes of Holly Fulton and Erdem, graphic floral prints are the biggest hit this season, and can be carried off in either a jacket, a pair of trousers or simply a handbag, either way, you’ll be trending the seasonal fashions.

Femininely pretty and whimsically fashionable, the sweetness of the ensembles seen on this seasons catwalk, magazines and racks, can make any girl feel beautiful within her own skin. But, with the power of fast fashion, anyone can rock this seasons trends by visiting stores such as Dorothy Perkins and Topshop to be sporting the cutting-edge trends.

Sabina McIvor, Editor of ESVIE & Professional Makeup Artist

There was once a time that being called a Geek or a Nerd at school was a complete insult. It was what every young person dreaded and wanted to avoid and so found themselves doing what they could to get in with the cool gang. Even if it meant doing their popular kids homework…

Well my my how the tables have turned! ‘Geek Chic’ was a fashion that caught on very quick, but now we’re literally spelling it out to the masses. Label yourself a GEEK or NERD and you instantly are not! Well, that’s what the industry believe anyway. So why not roll with that belief.

Check out these cool Geek and Nerd pieces from Topshop and New Look...

Taking a look at 2013

After a Zalando way of doing Xmas marked by collecting all possible shoes which are supposed to be trendy this year, it is important to know how to combine them in a fashionable manner:

• Leather.
  One trend for the most wonderful season of the year would be wearing leather in all possible forms: dresses, skirts, blouses – it simply does not matter which part of your body should be covered with this precious material, but some should be dressed in this (fake or real) cloth. When going out in the evening, matching shoes to it would be knee high laced boots, or laced sandals if it should be warmer. Another possible matching pair of footwear would be ankle boots – especially for work, school or university, this would be the right choice to be dressed fashionably and elegantly at the same time.
• Ornaments.
  The classy looks of embroidery do not only look fine but upgrade a whole outfit. Noble looks should be mirroring in the shoes as well and since the fabrics from the Middle East, Russia and India are already very colourful, footwear should be chosen wisely. Especially clothes in Arabian fabrics in bright colours or at least golden ornaments on it, should be only underlined – either with a pair of classic ballet pumps for workaday life or strappy sandals with high heels for date times.
• 90s.
  Working ladies who might have to put on a business suit and glasses for their job might be taken aback a little bit when looking at the footwear trends for this year – because the 90s are back. Pointy, flat and low heeled, they will have a relaxing effect on the feet which are used to be stuffed in high heels. For daily routine they can be also combined with shorts or a pair of loose jeans.

Sabina McIvor, Editor of ESVIE & Professional Makeup Artist

Capped shoes seem to be making a come back, especially for female fashion. GOLD capped shoes is what has really taken the celebrity trend by storm. As seen on on the likes of Rihanna and Alexa Chung these shoes have the ability to dress up any casual outfit, or will give a cool edge to any classic night out on the tiles.

Available at most High Street stores on online boutiques, you’ll find these statement shoes at the likes of Dune, New Look, Goddiva and if you’re really wanting to push the boat out, Christian Louboutin!

Next year is going to be an adventure when it comes to fashion – that’s for for sure! It’s also true for all colours, as long as they are anything but low-key.

Colour blocking and material blocking are the absolute hit next year and demand a lot of courage from all the fashion victims around the globe. Also the people who love girlish outfits that emphasize their femininity will not be forgotten – especially clothes from Australia follow the trend of floral patterns, and ordering from there would be the best choice for everyone who like standing out from the masses. If one is afraid of data security problems, one should only transfer money online through PayPal which would be the safest way.

Colour blocking

As already mentioned colour blocking will be one of the major trends next year. The appearance of people wearing this style alters tremendously if you never saw them wearing this sharp contour before. This trend is only recommendable for those persons who like to be brave and have a rather slim outline because the huge differently coloured areas may cheat the eye and add some more “visual” pounds where there are none. The colours which are combined in that blocking style do not play a major role – the flashier, the better! This style is definitely nothing for wallflowers!

Material blocking

If not combined with colour blocking, material blocking can be something for rather shy people since it can be used in rather “elegant” ways by using two different fabrics of the same colour. The combination of both could be a bit over the top anyway and one needs a lot of good instinct to use it in the right proportion.

So, have fun in 2013 – and do not hold back!