Trends
Top Ten Spring/Summer Dresses (part 1)
Spring has finally arrived! Now that the weather is getting warmer and warmer, it’s time for us to get our pretty, comfortable or elegant dresses out of the closet (or maybe buy some new ones). Here’s a list of the best ten dresses to wear this spring (and summer)!
1. Black day dress
The little black dress is back, and this time it’s great not only for the evening. Wearing a black dress during the day can seem a little weird at first, but with a little imagination we can find some good opportunities to wear it.
Ralph Rucci, Carmen Marc Valvo, Badgley Mischka, Zac Posen, Aurelio Costarella, Vera Wang, Chris Han, Anna Sui, Richard Chai, Joanna Mastroianni, Dennis Basso, Derek Lam, Iodice, Rock and Republic, Nicole Miller - they’re all for this trend.
2. Floral print dress
It looks like spring isn’t spring without the floral print trend, and there can be no spring without the floral print dress. This is a very feminine dress that you can wear at any time of the day, and what’s best - it will never go out of style!
This year, the most beautiful floral print dresses come from Gucci, Blumarine, Dolce&Gabanna, Erdem, Moschino, Anna Sui or Oscar de la Renta.
3. One-shoulder dress
One-shoulder dresses are not something new, they have been in trend for the last few seasons. They’re still very in, as nothing makes a statement quite like a sleek asymmetrical silhouette. For a sexy look, choose a velvet, chiffon or satin dress in a bold color (like orange, red or pink).
Who’s proposing this trend? Lanvin (lots of bright colors and animal prints), Alexander McQueen (short dresses), Balmain, Balenciaga, Sophia Kokosalaki, Calvin Klein, Bottega Veneta, Emilio Pucci, Iceberg, Giorgio Armani and Versace.
4. Sport dress
Perhaps the most practical dress this season, the sport dress is easy to wear and accessorize. You can wear it with sport shoes, platforms or stilettos - it still looks great. This dress is perfect for during the day (when you’re not at the office), for the weekends or holidays.
Michael Kors si Max Mara are the ones suggesting this trend.
5. Bejeweled dress
If you’re searching for an elegant and precious evening look, choose a bejeweled dress. These sparkly dresses are perfect for glamorous events like parties or cocktails.
Alberta Ferretti, Burberry Prorsum, Derercuny, Dolce & Gabbana, Etro and Blumarine are all for this trend.
Stay tuned for part 2 of this article, where we examine another 5 trendy dresses for this spring and summer!
Eco Fashion - How to be green and chic
Eco green fashion set created by Birkh.
Eco (or green) fashion is the most recent word that’s on everyone’s lips. Conscious consumers need to buy into it and fashion labels need to grab a touch of its selling potential. But what exactly is eco fashion, and most importantly, how can it help the environment?
Eco fashion is a term that may be used to explain any type of clothing that is made in a sustainable way (a way that minimizes the impact on the environment). It may also include fair-trade and ethical clothing, which frequently applies similar elements, as the link between peaople and their well being and health is usually inseparable from that of the environment. Here are a few of the most important ways that fashion and clothing can effect on the environment:
Insecticides employed in the cultivation of natural fibers - the cultivation of cotton uses large quantities of chemical insecticides, which have a number of environmental impacts that include health hazards to the people living in the neighborhood.
Chemical pollution / byproducts of textile manufacturing - chemicals from textile factories can enter the water and damage the flora and fauna, as well as pose a risk to the humans.
Textile waste - synthetic textiles are not bio degradable and represent a major dump problem all over the world. Even natural textiles produce CO2 as they break down.
Use of carbon-based fuels and production of CO2 - all produce and distribution of textiles uses traditional fules and produce CO2. The produce of artificial textiles is very fuel in depth.
There are a number of different eco fashion labels and initiatives that try to help minimizing some or all of these environmental impacts. They use natural organic fabrics like hemp, cotton, soy, bamboo, fabrics made using recycled materials, sustainable materials and the recycling and restyling of second hand garments. In the past, Eco fashion was considered clothing for the hippie, tree-hugging types, who did not care about style. But recently, Eco fashion has become extremely classy, with many of the top designers becoming concerned about the environment and trying to conceptualize sustainable lines, and also a massive amount of choice rising. You’ll find just about any eco fashion clothing item that you need, including recycled jewelry and organic cotton trainers.
How to wear safari-inspired fashions
Safari inspired outfits are hot fashion favorites again this spring/summer season. The earthy, natural colors are good for “Softs”, which can blend different shades of the same color to get the ideal look. Watch out for beige, taupe, sand, stone, cream, chocolate and coffee brown. If you would really like to go wild, what about adding a bit of muted animal print?
Safari isn’t exclusively for “Softs”; other groups can manipulate the safari look by adding different colors.
“Lights” can wear the lighter safari colors, like cream or sand, and team them with pastels. Pale apricot or pink with taupe or sand can be stunning on a blonde. These colors will not overpower your light skin complexion and hair.
“Warms” will look extremely up to date matching warm red or orange with taupe or khaki. The yellow undertones of the orange will give heat to the neutral colors and augment your natural skin tones.
“Cools” need to stick to neutral colors, mixed with colors with a blue undertone. Taupe and pink, as I discussed earlier, look good, but for “cools” the colors have to be much stronger.
“Deeps” will look fantastic in dark chocolate brown put along with pewter and a deep rich red or a dark sand. If the colors are dark and not pastel, they are going to look fabulous.
“Clears” look their best in contrasting colors, so take care that the neutrals you choose are on either end of the color spectrum. For instance dark black/brown with cream, or chocolate brown with pale sand. Zebra prints might be a dazzling look.
Now that you’ve got the colors sorted, what about the designs? Which styles are best for your body shape? With all the pocket detail round the hips and bust, the safari theme is ideal for the “Lean Column” type. “Hourglass” types can show their lovely waists off by belting in jackets, but they need to watch out for too many pockets - they can add inches to your silhouette! “Triangle” types can balance their narrow shoulders with lots of detail on the top half, but make sure to stay away from pockets round the hips on the skirt or trousers. “Rectangle” types will look great in safari galvanized skirts and trousers with pockets, but need to stay away from belted jackets. “Inverted Triangle” types can have lots of details on their narrow hips, but must minimize bulk around their shoulders.
Paying attention to the colors and styles, anyone can look great wearing “safari” fashions this summer, no matter what their coloring and body shape is. Just remember to adapt the style so that it also suits your personality. This will surely give you a individual look that compliments you without compromising on fashion.
Armani accuses D&G of plagiarism
Inspiration and originality makes the collections of different designers look unique, even if they have some things in common. But when two collections share not only the same concept, but also use the same patterns, designs and materials, this is an alarm signal that calls for plagiarism.
Giorgio Armani accuses D&G of having shamelessly copied the quilted trousers that the duo proposes for the next season, but which Armani originally put on his catwalk in June.
“Now they copy me. Tomorrow they will learn,” Armani told reporters following the show. “I would understand if they were nobodies. But honestly!”
Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana seemed unimpressed with these accusations and insisted that there was no plagiarism involved, claiming that they didn’t even look at Armani’s collection.
“We surely have plenty to learn, but certainly not from him,” they said in a statement released yesterday. “The Armani style was never a source of inspiration for us and it is years since we have bothered to watch his collections.”
Mary-Kate Olsen wearing weird Marc Jacobs headband
Mary-Kate Olsen showed up at the “New Yorkers for Children Gala” wearing a puffy headband from the Marc Jacobs Fall 2008 collection. This hair piece is supposedly going to be a very hot accessory this year, but to me it looks like a raccoon’s tail wrapped around her head.
This trend will probably die as fast as the turban trend last year.