Ankle boots: how to wear them and a few we’d like to wear

Ankle boots are the shoes of the season but be warned, they aren’t always that easy to pull off. If you’re not careful they can make you look stubby, even if you’re wearing a heeled version. Fear not, here are some quick tips to ensure you look fab from the toes up:

• Wear your ankle boots with bare legs and a mini dress, especially if you’ve got lovely long legs (show them off!)
• Wear your ankle boots with tights, leggings or trousers that are the same colour as the boot as this will create the longest line possible and give the illusion of added height
• Avoid long and below the knee skirts with ankle boots, this is a no-no as it will make you look short and frumpy
• If wearing with trousers, opt for a slim legged cut and tuck into the top of the boot, but not too tightly – a little rouching is a good thing
• Why not top your look with a fitted, cropped jacket to elongate your torso?

Here are a few ankle boots that have taken our fancy:

Faith Sling £85.00

Black leather ankle boots with buckled strap detail and almond toe, also available in black or green. This purple-plum colour is bang on trend.

www.faith.co.uk

Aldo Hurtgen £85.00

These pump-style boots give you all-in-one dress allure, as well as a truly avant-garde profile. Mid-high with suede upper, peep toe and front cut-outs with concealed platform for extra height.

www.aldoshoes.com

Office Middle Drimmie £80.00

Grey leather ankle boots with lace-ups and buckle detail straps. Simple and stylish and more comfy-looking than a lot of the other heeled ankle boots we’ve seen this season.

www.office.co.uk

Street Style: Embellishment

We spotted this fabulous top and had to find out more: clever Kat from Brighton gives us a lesson in how to recreate what’s on the catwalk at a smidgen of the price.

Embellishment is ‘in’ big-time, everywhere we look there’s sequins and sparkle; from Miu Miu to Marni and Pucci to Balmain, glitz and glam is the only fashion-forward way this season.

Whilst embellishment often means a hefty price tag weighing more than the garment itself, we were amazed to find that this top was a bargain buy at car boot sale for a mere £2!

Fashions always come back around and this red top with black bead embellishment was probably circa 1980-something but fortunately for Kat, the lady that once owned this beauty obviously knows the golden rule: if you wore it first time round, you probably shouldn’t wear it the second time it comes back into fashion.

Top £2 Car boot sale, Necklace - Topshop, Shorts - Miss Selfridge, Bag - charity shop, shoes - Topshop. Red lips - Bourgeois.

Search for car boot sales in your area at Car Boot Junction www.carbootjunction.co.uk.

THE MUST HAVE TOPSHOP TRIO

Topshop.com has a selection of rather lovely dresses right now, with sexy low back lines, rich materials and cool embellishment. Here are our 3 favourites:
Black with gold glitter £38
Blue velvet £35
Black studded leather £100

All doll’ed up

There’s a new craze on the fashion scene and it’s all about cute little Russian dolls. Yes that’s right folks, matryoshkas are all you need to be at the front of the fashion pack (or should we say stack).

It all started when Lily Allen stepped out carrying the new Chanel Matriochka bracelet bag, a mere £2,500 and not yet available for us mere mortals to buy. The bag is beautiful and it’s got us all geared-up for anything and everything Russian doll-shaped.

Topshop caught on quickly and has launched its own, much cheaper version of the bracelet bag for only £22.00 at www.topshop.com.

If you’re really doll-mad, you could opt for this sleeveless layered dress by Yumi which features a bright all-over Russian doll print. It’s more of a summer dress but would also look good with thick tights and heels. Available at USC for £45.00 www.usc.co.uk.

Alternatively, if you’d prefer something a little more subtle, accessorising the trend is a good way to go. We found this gorgeous matching ring and necklace by cool new UK jewellery label, Stolen Thunder. The ring is £9.00 and is available in a choice of cherry wood or white Perspex and the necklace is £22.00. Both are available at Lunacy Boutique www.luncacyboutique.co.uk.

Emma Watson collaborates with People Tree

Not long ago we wrote about the young Emma Watson, otherwise known as Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter films, becoming the new face of Burberry and starring in their high-profile advertising campaign. It seems that Watson’s been keeping herself busy, not only by appearing at several mainstream fashion shows recently but also by designing a new Spring/Summer fashion range with People Tree.

The range is aimed at 16-24 year olds and will launch in stores in February 2010. It is said that the pieces in the collection will be influenced by Watson’s own personal style, so we have high hopes for the range as the young lady always looks so well put together.

People Tree is known for its green and ethical credentials, the company’s clothes are made from organic cotton certified by the Soil Association and workers are paid fairly for their skills; the new range will be no exception. The clothes are made entirely by hand by fair trade groups using weaving, knitting and embroidery, helping to create livelihoods for disadvantaged groups in Bangladesh, India and Nepal.

We were pleased to hear that both men and women will be catered for and as well as jersey t-shirts, dresses, beanie hats, woven skirts and knitwear, there will also be some items for the home.

You can keep updated by visiting the People Tree website http://www.peopletree.co.uk/ which is currently offering 10% off each purchase to celebrate People Tree at the launch of London Fashion Week. If you want to take up the offer you’ll have to hurry as it runs out at 6pm tomorrow.

SAVE YOUR CASH AND SWAP YOUR CLOTHES!

NATIONAL CLOTHES SWAPPING WEEKSTARTS IN STYLE BY LAUNCHINGTHE UK’s FIRST SWISHING ‘ROADSHOW’!

Bigwardrobe.com, the world’s No.1 clothes swapping website, is hosting The BIG Swish™, a UK clothes swapping roadshow that will take the benefits of swishing to every corner of the UK, demonstrating that people don’t have to spend a penny to be 100% on-trend. Swishing is a growing trend, where fashion-loving women get together, feast on nibbles, guzzle wine and swap their clothes. Basically, it’s ultra fashionable recycling. The BIG Swish™ will be one of the largest events to happen in the clothes swapping calendar and will be the highlight of National Clothes Swapping Week1, which coincides with London Fashion Week from 18th to 22nd September. The roadshow will lead a team of designers, stylists and models around the country over 12 months. The BIG Swish™ starts on 17th September in Leeds. “This will be the biggest clothes swapping party ever hosted in the UK,” said Jamie Hutchinson, co-founder of Bigwardrobe.com. “Over 1,000 guests have already registered for the event and we’re also expecting celebrities from the cast of Hollyoaks.” The BIG Swish™ then visits some of the UK’s biggest cities, including Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Newcastle and Sheffield. In total, more than 10,000 women are expected to swap over 25,000 pre-loved items of clothing, plus bags, shoes and accessories. There will be free haircuts and makeovers by TIGI®; complimentary massages by Dermalogica®; butlers ‘in the buff’ serving canapés and cocktails, female DJ’s and market stalls selling mainly eco-friendly products including jewellery and cosmetics,” continued Jamie Hutchinson. And, all ticket holders will have the chance to win a range of prizes, including a dress donated by Jodie Kidd, a signed pair of skinny jeans worn by Russell Brand, this stunning ‘Twin’ bag by Lanvin (hi-res image attached) and a magnum of Moët et Chandon champagne!” DaisyGreenMagazine.co.uk, experts at managing green events, is helping to organise The BIG Swish™. “Our forte is clothes swapping parties, which attract women of all ages who love fashion, girl’s nights out, and helping to reduce clothing waste in the environment. The Big Swish is a fabulous concept and we’re delighted to be working with Bigwardrobe.com,” commented M.D. Nicola Alexander. Lucy Shea, founder of Swishing and Director of Futerra Sustainability Communications, which is promoting The BIG Swish™ said, “Chances are that as a woman, your wardrobe is one of your biggest environmental impacts. The Big Swish provides an excuse to party with friends and get new clothes, while going easy on the pocket and the planet. It’s the perfect guilt-free fashion fix.” All clothes, shoes and accessories left over after each event will be donated to Cancer Research UK to help them beat cancer.

For more information and to buy tickets online please go to: www.Bigwardrobe.com/TheBigSwish.

Or contact: Kim 075909 27209

andy@bigwardrobe.comhttp://www.bigwardrobe.com/

Green Beauty Trends

The importance of going green, being energy efficient, reducing your carbon emissions and being more Eco friendly has become even more paramount in the last decade. But why has beauty also entered into the Eco, natural and organic phase? Links with cancer, although not proven could be a reason why more and more people are opting in to the Eco friendly beauty market. Or is it simply the appeal of fewer chemicals the can be detrimental to the skin. But with a rise in treatments such as botox are we a nation of fad loving fickles? Organic food perhaps has paved the way for organic products, but whatever has enticed us into the natural beauty market, there are product a plenty to choose from.

Malki's Dead Sea range was first formulated 200 years ago, with natural ingredients to sooth skin. Free from parabens - which are a cheap preservative and sodium lauryl that helps liquid to foam the Malki formulations are great for sensitive skin, capturing the benefits of the Dead Sea found at the bottom of the Jordan Valley. Available from Boots.

The Celtic Herbal Company are specialists in natural, handmade herbal soaps and pampering products. This invigorating new bath and body range, created with 100% organic ingredients, features a selection of plant based products rich with botanicals and essential oils, all sourced from nature’s own store. This sulphate and paraben-free collection includes Revitalising Shampoo, Intensive Conditioner, Moisturising Shower Wash, Moisturising Hand Wash and a gentle Baby Shampoo and Wash, all designed to leave you relaxed and rejuvenated. www.celtic-herbal.co.uk

Natural Empathy is a luxury skin and hair care range from the heart of the British Countryside. Inspired by British heritage and a love for the outdoors Natural Empathy is a range of pure and natural skin care products that provide nature's way to beauty without the need for synthetic preservatives or fragrances, packed with pure virgin oils, fragrant essential oils and natural vitamins. Available from Selfridges.

If we eat and drink badly, what we put inside our bodies can be seen on the outside in the form of dull, greasy or blemished skin. But it can work in reverse too. The Nelsons Pure & Clear range harnesses Nelsons roots in natural health care to develop a unique holistic anti-blemish skincare range. The Nelsons Pure & Clear range relies on a combination of natural plant extracts. Combining three plant Calendula, Arnica and Hypericum - with Tea Tree Oil, creates the perfect topical skincare system. Nelsons Pure & Clear anti-blemish products are dermatologically tested and free from chemical skin irritants such as parabens, artificial colours and fragrances, SLS, PEGs, lanolin and silicones. Available from Boots.

Sleek Hair Wherever She May Go

What we're loving this week...

The new Freedom 24:7 cordless straighteners are designed to give your hair versatility on the go. Create flicks, waves or straighten with these clutch bag sized straighteners. With the winter gloom playing havoc with your hair the need for frizz fighting tools will be more vital than ever. And these little bad boys will work for 60 minutes when fully charged. So like all good girl guides stay prepared and plug in before you go out on the pull. Here is your Saturday night survival tool for quick spruces in the loo, heating up to 200 degrees the ceramic plates work to smooth hair without creating static. These little gems will become the must have girls night out accessory in black, sassy red and bubblegum pink, from around £99.95 www.freedom-247.co.uk

COOL COATS

Whether the weather is hot or cold at the moment we just don't care, what with all the great coats around we are already sold into winter fashion. A few of the best this week...

Fur Coat Topshop £120, Jack Jacket from French Connection, Whistles Biker Leather £350 and Topshop Trench £175.

Tres Cher Pull Over!

We can’t help but notice that it’s suddenly got rather nippy of late. It seems the days of lounging outside in a vest and cut-off shorts have sadly come to an end for 2009. They do say however, there is a silver lining to every cloud; in our case that has lining has got to be the winter wardrobe and it’s made of wool and leather.

We love a good chunky knit but in the early autumn when the temperatures are tepid, a thin pull over is all that’s needed. Now the winter collections have firmly established themselves in-stores there are lots of new threads to choose from.

New on Net-a-Porter (http://www.net-a-porter.com/) we spotted this gorgeous Sonia Rykiel wool intarsia jumper for £465 which would look great with skinny jeans or tapered trousers and has casual daytime style down to a T.

Unfortunately for the most of us the price tag couldn’t go unnoticed, so we started thinking about how we could recreate the look ourselves and on a budget. Increasingly, in the quest to become more sustainable, unique and to express ourselves and our individual style, many of us are attempting to customise and make our own clothes.

Why not be inspired by the Sonia Rykiel pull-over and with a little influence from the great Tracy Emin, customise a plain high-street jumper using scrap materials for a bang-on-trend look.

Not ones to plagiarise, we’d advise coming up with a phrase of your own and recreate the look using on-trend pieces of leather, velvet or faux suede to embroider on the letters. Pick up a thin plain wool jumper from H&M or Topshop and utilise your creativity to create a one-off item that no one else will have. Whilst you're at it, why not sew some shoulder pads in there too. Eco, fashionable and stylish and at a fraction of the price. Voila!