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In the UK we've had quite a bit of snow recently (by our standards, anyway)...
Can you see past the sequinned nipple tassels?
A number of people are ruffling a few feathers with their recession-busting measures...
Changing the fabric of fashionable society...
Can kaos work in a time of chaos...
Set to be huge during AW10...
One of this season's hottest looks...
A sneak peek at the AW10 collection

My Favourite Fashion Discovery

Everybody has one. The cringe-worthy story told by a friend or relative that you just know will crop up in a speech on your wedding day or a milestone birthday...
My Favourite Fashion Discovery

Republic AW10 collection - An In-Depth Preview

This month sees the launch of Republic’s autumn/winter range which is designed to be mixed, matched and loved. The overarching theme is opulence with edge; outfits dripping with embellishments, draped with lace, and accented with faux-fur and feathers.
Republic AW10 collection - An In-Depth Preview

Fashion Gets Personal

Made to measure, commissioned pieces have rarely been within the grasp of those of us who have had to make do with hovering around the outside of the fashion press, but recently, t-shirt manufacturers have been introducing a different kind of unique and affordable personalisation.
Fashion Gets Personal

Republic Sneak Peek

Last week, I was lucky enough to be invited to view Republic's autumn/winter collection. As a little teaser, here are a few exclusive behind the scenes photos I grabbed whilst watching the shoot take shape...
Republic Sneak Peek

Panic Attacks

It’s been a stressful day at work and you are standing on a crowded tube, going through the motions of your daily commute home. The lights flicker, the carriage rattles through a tunnel and suddenly you feel like you

are about to die.
Keep Calm

Britney Challenge

I was struggling with a bit of writer's block one day, when my friend Ryan challenged me to come up with 500-1000 words on Miss Spears in 45mins as a way of getting the words to come out.
Britney Spears

North London in the snow

In the UK, we've had quite a bit of snow recently (by our standards anyway). This afternoon, I made my way to the local park and took a few photos of the snow, sledges and stunning skies.
Snowy scenes

Is green the new black

In recent years, the global green initiative has exploded. An increased awareness of how our lives impact the environment on a day-to-day basis has lead to a multitude of sectors attempting to boost their eco-credentials by branching out and developing new business strands or goods deemed more ‘earth friendly’.
Ethical fashion

Management in Kaos

To boost employment in the sector and prevent a repeat of the latest recession, is it time for a new kind of management strategy to be brought to the fore; for kaos to reign in a time of chaos?
Kaospilots

Trend Spotting

Candy colours and pretty pastels may be dominating SS10, but forward-thinking fashionistas take note: prepare your wardrobe for AW10 by indulging in chocolate box chic.
AW10

Summer Style

Sleek, sumptuous and sophisticated; this season, sportswear has emerged from the back of the gym locker having been given a luxurious makeover.
SS10

POP Princess

In the promotional blitz for her seventh studio album, the last cover I expected to see Britney Spears gracing was that of bi-annual style magazine POP...
POP Princess

Wide leg trouser suits

19:17 Reporter: Alison 0 Responses
A version of this article originally appeared on ASuitThatFits.com.

Image: Style.com




More often than not, when width is added to a women’s suit, it is not the recipe for the chicest of shapes. However, 70s styling is set to be big in the New Year, and when tailored properly to fit, a wide leg trouser suit can be both fashion forward and flattering, taking you from one season to the next with ease.

To add a little personality and ‘flare’ to your work wear, simply remember to abide by the following rules:



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X-Factor Style: Cheryl Cole, Week Four

20:00 Reporter: Alison 4 Responses
This post is part of the Cheryl-Online X-Factor Style Guide.




Cheryl went for a flirty retro-glam look on the night of the fourth live show, wearing a Jonathan Saunders white & black mini dress with pleated skirt and high-neck mesh bodice. A set of cross-over Jimmy Choo sandals, a Royal Legion poppy and a pink and white pair of De Grisogono earrings completed the look.

To steal Cheryl's style on a slimmer salary, click below.

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X-Factor Style: Cheryl Cole, Week Three (Results)

20:55 Reporter: Alison 0 Responses
This post is part of the Cheryl-Online X-Factor Style Guide.



Cheryl decided to wear a silver and white Kristian Aadnevik leather mini dress prior to the airing of her 'Promise This' performance on 24th. She continued the silver theme with a plain bangle and diamante hoop earrings, and chose a pair of open-toed black boots to top off the futuristic looking ensemble.
To get Cheryl's look for less, click below.

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X-Factor Style: Dannii Minogue, Week Three (Results)

16:15 Reporter: Alison 0 Responses
Picture: Look.co.uk

Dannii stepped out in a black, full-skirted, sweetheart neckline Dolce & Gabbana dress with a swirling sepia floral print on 24th October. To compliment the drama of the Resort 2011 dress, she again went with simple Charlotte Olympia Paloma heels, this time in black, and a delicate Annoushka pendant on a fine gold chain.

To find out how to recreate Dannii's fabulous fifties look, click 'read more' below.

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X-Factor Style: Dannii Minogue, Week Three

23:03 Reporter: Alison 0 Responses

Dannii chose another Victoria Beckham A/W10 dress for the third Saturday show, adding weight to the reports that she has hired the songstress-turned designer as part of her X-Factor style team.

She paired the blue slash neck shift dress with nude heels by Brian Atwood and accessorised with a pair of simple pearl drop earrings.

To snap up Dannii's style for less, click the link below.

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X-Factor Style: Cheryl Cole, Week Three

19:25 Reporter: Alison 0 Responses
This post is part of the Cheryl-Online X-Factor Style Guide.

Cheryl described the nude, twist-front HMH Couture silk jersey dress that she modelled during the third live show as the most comfortable she has worn throughout the series so far.

She paired the floor-skimming, waist bearing maxi with De Grisogono 'Boule' earrings, a gold cuff and matching gold, spike-adorned platform heels.

To recreate her look for a fraction of the price, click to read more.

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X-Factor Style: Dannii Minogue, Week Two (Results)

21:58 Reporter: Alison 0 Responses

Dannii jumped on the gothic bandwagon with her choice of a Victorian-style Antonio Berardi sheer cocktail dress for the second results show. She kept the rest of her outfit understated, with nude patent heels and delicate beaded black earrings completing the look.

To see how to copy Dannii's style for less, hit read more.

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X-Factor Style: Cheryl Cole, Week Two (Results)

20:11 Reporter: Alison 0 Responses
This post is part of the Cheryl-Online X-Factor Style Guide.

Cheryl stuck with the all-black theme on the Sunday results show, opting for a Versus cut away dress and her favourite Valentino bow instep sandals. Accessories were kept to a minimum, but her earrings were, yet again, by De Grisogono.

To grab this look yourself without the pain of a designer pricetag, click below.

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X-Factor Style: Dannii Minogue, Week Two

21:41 Reporter: Alison 0 Responses


Dannii decided to wear one of Victoria Beckham's AW 2010 designs (that the designer herself wore to this year's Oscars) for the second live show. She teamed the floor length, oyster toned satin dress with nude heels and a pair of understated black and gold drop earrings.

To bag yourself a high street version
of Dannii's VB outfit, click below.


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X-Factor Style: Cheryl Cole, Week Two

20:23 Reporter: Alison 0 Responses
This post is part of the Cheryl-Online X-Factor Style Guide.
 

For the second live show, Cheryl wore a bow detail jumpsuit by Azzaro with monochrome Miu Miu platforms. She accessorised with leopard print crystal hoop earrings and a bedazzled cocktail ring.

To see how to work Cheryl's look with more purse friendly purchases, click below.

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X-Factor Style: Dannii Minogue, Week One (Results)

22:33 Reporter: Alison 0 Responses

Photo: Daily Mail


On Sunday night, Dannii Minogue decided to step out in one of her own label, Project D's, pieces; a full-skirted, 50s style tiered and ruffled black dress. Her enviably slim figure (especially for a new mum) was highlighted with a wide belt that cinched in at the waist, and a pair of coquettish lace peep-toes topped off the outfit.

Click below for a guide on how to replicate the look using high street purchases.


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The Shoe Galleries- Selfridges

19:54 Reporter: Alison 0 Responses


Bette Midler once said: “Give a girl the correct footwear and she can conquer the world.” And so it was as a girl with ambition and The Divine Miss M’s words ringing in her ears, that I hot-footed it to Selfridge’s earlier this week to wander the vast Shoe Galleries that have opened in the department store’s West End branch.

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X-Factor Style: Cheryl Cole, Week One (Results)

21:33 Reporter: Alison 0 Responses
This post is part of the Cheryl-Online X-Factor Style Guide.
 

The Sunday results show saw Cheryl modelling a smokey grey Zuhair Murad lace dress from the designer's autumn/winter collection, a pair of rich purple Louboutins plus a pair of fuschia earrings and a crystal globe cocktail ring, both (once again) by De Grisogono.

Cheryl also wore a Murad creation from the same collection in the video for her single, Promise This and is among good company as a fan of the designer; other admirers include Katy Perry, Beyonce and Shakira.

Find out how to recreate Cheryl's look on a budget below.

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X-Factor Style: Dannii Minogue, Week One

18:23 Reporter: Alison 0 Responses

Positively glowing after the arrival of her son Ethan earlier this year, Miss Minogue went for a delicate white lace shift dress by Australian brand J'Aton Couture as her first outift of the X-Factor live shows. Her choice stood in stark contrast to Cheryl's sea of black and she finished off her look with diamond encrusted teardrop earrings, a disco-ball of a cocktail ring and pewter heels.

Find out how to recreate Dannii's look on a more pedestrian budget after the jump.


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X-Factor Style: Cheryl Cole, Week One

12:59 Reporter: Alison 0 Responses
This post is part of the Cheryl-Online X-Factor Style Guide.



Cheryl Cole looked as polished as ever on last night's X-Factor live show, in a subtly gothic styled ensemble. Her lace and feather trimmed dress was by past Project Runway contestant Daniel Vosovic and she accessorised with some towering Valentino boots and encased-orb drop earrings from De Grisogono, the jewellers with whom she recently launched her 'Promise' ring range and has always been an ardent fan of.

To help you recreate Cheryl's week one look without breaking the bank, I've scoured the high street and affordable outlets and put together the following outfit:


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The trend that's about to take off: WINGS

21:42 Reporter: Alison 0 Responses
-Spread your wings and soar to the top of the style pile-
If there's one micro-trend to buy into this season it's the fashion world's flirtation with all things winged. 

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POP Princess

23:21 Reporter: Alison 7 Responses
In the promotional blitz for her seventh studio album, the last cover I expected to see Britney Spears gracing was that of bi-annual style magazine POP...

The following article has since been featured on theprophetblog.netpinkisthenewblog.com, ohnotheydidnt and britney.com.



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My Favourite Fashion Discovery

17:22 Reporter: Alison 0 Responses
Everybody has one. The cringe-worthy story told by a friend or relative that you just know will crop up in a speech on your wedding day or a milestone birthday. I have two (three, if you count me defiantly announcing to my mum that I didn’t want a baby brother because that meant I couldn’t call him Sarah), and they both feature the same theme.

Read more...

Republic AW10 collection - An In-Depth Preview

12:00 Reporter: Alison 0 Responses
The summer sun may still be high in the sky, but autumn’s hottest high street pieces are about to hit the rails.

This month sees the launch of Republic’s autumn/winter range which is designed to be mixed, matched and loved. The overarching theme is opulence with edge; outfits dripping with embellishments, draped with lace, and accented with faux-fur and feathers.

Each brand remains distinct, but now more than ever, the collections possess the ability to seamlessly blend together, enabling you to write your own (individually inspired) fashion rules.

Wearable yet wild, the range contained grungy motifs and heavy knits alongside delicate tones of shifting petal, taupe, peach and coffee cream. Deep khaki and black accents can be used to toughen up transitional summer nudes and catwalk influences have clearly filtered into the Crafted brand, with jersey, shearling and more womanly, less structured shapes emerging amongst denim and recurring staples.

Here are some of the standout pieces that I managed to snatch shots of. Look out for them on billboards, in magazine spreads and on shop floor posters in the coming weeks, and get ready to snap them up for yourself from September.


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Fashion Gets Personal

22:25 Reporter: Alison 0 Responses
Customisation and the battle to successfully express individuality has always been at the heart of fashion styling. Made to measure, commissioned pieces have rarely been within the grasp of those of us who have had to make do with hovering around the outside of the fashion press, but recently, t-shirt manufacturers have been introducing a different kind of unique and affordable personalisation.

Other than the ingenious DNA, fingerprint and lipstick mark designs of Identity Apparel, which were launched at New York Fashion Week back in February, my favourite find is the imagined ‘Mein Block’ t-shirt, the brainchild of Berlin based designer David Bizer.


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Republic AW10 - sneak peek!

17:12 Reporter: Alison 0 Responses

Last week, I was lucky enough to be invited to view Republic's autumn/winter collection. 

Unlike a typical high street store press day, I was the only blogger who got to glimpse behind the scenes of the nationwide advertising campaign as well as marvel at the fabulous clothes. The location: a spacious, modern house in leafy SE London. The outfits: an eclectic mix of the entire Republic range (as for the first time, Miso was teamed with Sol Cal and Crafted in a single hectic shoot). The theme: one hell of a house party.

Later this month I'll be blogging about a select few pieces that caught my eye, but as a little teaser, here are a few exclusive behind the scenes photos I grabbed whilst watching the shoot take shape...

Read more...

Sportswear Luxe

14:03 Reporter: Alison 0 Responses
Sleek, sumptuous and sophisticated; this season, sportswear has emerged from the back of the gym locker having been given a luxurious makeover. Forget the painfully unflattering, plain and purely functional pieces that linger in the outskirts of your wardrobe, they are soon to be replaced by fashionable fitness wear that demands to be flaunted.

Read more...

Trend Spotting

21:55 Reporter: Alison 0 Responses
I know fashion/beauty pieces haven't really made an appearance on here before, but I have written them and there's a first time for everything! Here's a short piece that was originally posted on ASOS.com as my entry for a '500 words on a trend' competition.


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Management in Kaos

13:02 Reporter: Alison 4 Responses
Greed, for lack of a better word, is good. Greed is right, greed works. Greed clarifies, cuts through, and captures the essence of the evolutionary spirit.

The words of Michael Douglas’s Gordon Gekko encapsulate the Wall Street mentality of the 1980s, yet their sentiment would not have been out of place in offices worldwide prior to the recent economic crisis. Whilst the global housing bubble still seemed impenetrable, excessive risk taking experienced resurgence in business fields and the management style du jour involved coveting and cultivating profit-chasing teams of staff. Both fiscal pools and corporate egos were happily riding high and short-term investment in your own pocket and professional position wasn’t just expected by those higher up, it was encouraged. And then, of course, everything collapsed.


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Changing the fabric of fashionable society: Is green the new black?

13:08 Reporter: Alison 6 Responses
In recent years, the global green initiative has exploded. An increased awareness of how our lives impact the environment on a day-to-day basis has lead to a multitude of sectors attempting to boost their eco-credentials by branching out and developing new business strands or goods deemed more ‘earth friendly’.

From light bulbs to coffee beans, the range of eco and fair trade products has steadily expanded, and after decades of whispers amongst the fashion pack, the industry has finally stepped up its game. Eco-chic has been thrust into the spotlight, with the first UK branch of online ethical shopping hub Ascension opening in St Christopher’s Place in November, and London Fashion Week’s autumn/winter Estethica shows drawing more designers and crowds than ever in 2009.

Having previously been considered the realm of hemp-wearing hippies, eco-fashion hit the catwalks of New York back in 2005, and a growing number of couture labels have since introduced recycled fabrics and materials such as bamboo cloth into their collections. The inclusion of a ten-page ethical fashion spread by Vogue in 2006 confirmed that amongst the fashion elite, it is now cool to have a conscience.


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Picture perfect North London in the snow

17:13 Reporter: Alison 1 Response
In the UK we've had quite a bit of snow recently (by our standards, anyway). This afternoon I made my way to the local park and took a few photos of the snow, sledges and stunning skies. Here are some of my favourites (NB. no effects have been added and no tweaking has taken place):





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