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Puffed-Up

Pinkies and peaches, florals and laces, satins and ribbons. You name it, the fashion world has romanticise it.

But one trend that has set many on fire this season is the puffed-sleeves.

From classic little black dresses to sharp office blazers, puffed-sleeves were seen in abundance in the Spring/Summer 2007 shows.

Many designers have also carried these romantic girly girl sleeves on to the Resort 2008 shows.

3 Reasons to Wear Puffed-Sleeves

• Perfect cover-up for flabby arms (forget the my-gym-pass-has-expired excuse.)


• Instant femininity (Mom hates you wearing pants all the time? Throw in a puffed-sleeve rock tee)


• Chic factor (puffed-sleeves are ornamental, they make plain outfits effortlessly stylish)

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Spring Regalia

Colour is energy and which colour exudes more happy energy than yellow?
If you think that yellow is just plain tacky (and therefore thank heavens it is reserved just for the royalty), think again. The ubiquitous yellow is all about fun and reminiscient of playground vibrancy.

Painted on soft silk dresses, jackets, belts and flirty tops, yellow has never looked more sophisticated.


















United Bamboo


















United Bamboo


















Project Alabama


















D&G

Special Report: Valentine's Day

As Valentine’s Day draws nearer, the search for the perfect dress for that perfect date intensifies. Tempted as we are to go with the usual red and pink, clichés are things of the past. Spring is blooming a vast array of dresses in shades of yellow, blue and green so why not surprise your man with something different this year?

This Spring, we see gorgeous frocks both in prints and solids. Fuss-free prints often stand out even on its own so you have to worry less about accessories. Solids, however, are fun and attention-grabbing, provided you choose colours that complement your skin.

PRINTS

(Top: Luella, Bottom: Elie Saab)

(Top: Donna Karan, Bottom: Bottega Veneta)

SOLIDS

(Top:Alessandro Dell'Acqua, Bottom: Kenneth Cole)
(Top: Donna Karan, Bottom:Bottega Veneta)

Photo credits:

www.style.com

www.vogue.co.uk

2006 Picks

The Spring 2006 Ready-to-Wear Collection showcase came and conquered, rushing fashion enthusiasts, designers, stylists, buyers and everyone who’s anyone in the fashion scene towards an exciting pilgrimage to Paris, New York and Milan. As most of us could only dream of being delivered an invite to one of the prestigious shows (and rub shoulders with Marc Jacobs), scouring through the detailed daily coverage and reports provided by websites such as Style, Vogue, JC Report is the next best thing to ooh-ing and aah-ing over the designs in actual place. It may not be front row seat it but hey, at least the runaway is brought closer.

Having religiously gone through the Pradas and the Versaces, here is the list of my favourite picks from the recent Spring 2006 Ready-to-Wear Collection.


The cropped jacket



Jackets are one of the best ways to dress up a simple outfit and on top of the list is the cropped jacket. It is meant to fall just around the waist, with the sleeves falling just below the elbow or shorter (which is great if you wish to make your arms look slimmer and longer). What makes the cropped jacket special, hence a must have, is that it goes with almost anything; dresses, skirts, jeans and even bermuda shorts. Let’s just hope Spring chill lingers a little longer.

The flirty frock



Thanks to Carrie Bradshaw and Charlotte York of Sex and the City, dresses and frocks are making a comeback. Reminscient of the 50s glam, these full dresses are flirty yet depict a demure image (most of the latest designs have hems just at the knee level or below). Take your pick from a selection of styles; boob tube, spagetthi strap or halter neck and pair it with great heels (of contrasting colour, of course) and you're set to make heads turn.

The stripes



Love them or hate them, stripes are classic. Horizontal and vertical lines of different shades have been making reappearances on the runaways again and again, that we are certain to have at least one or two stripy pieces hanging in our closet. Recent fashion shows were flooded with stripes again; stripy jackets, tops, dresses and many more. Stripes are great investments, its timeless look is almost guaranteed to never go out of style; provided you match them right. So remember, for your next shopping trip, be sure to get 'in line'.

The rich, dark hues



As cliché as it sounds, black is back; threading the runaways looking all glam and chic (e.g Balenciaga, Jean Paul Gaultier). From Victorian to Russian, black is all ‘in’ again, wrapped together with other rich, dark tones such as purple, midnight blue, teal, moss green and the likes. The idea here is to throw in just one or two dark pieces into your ensemble. Think dark colours too sombre for spring? Add embellishments such as glittering brooches or accessorize with bright necklaces to create a spring-y effect.

The belted waist



If Audrey Hepburn epitomises beauty and grace, then waistlines should be the epitome of femininity. Famous not only for her Oscar-winning roles but also for her tiny waistline, Audrey Hepburn did us all a favour by affirming the power of cinched waist. Waistlines are looking sexy again this coming season with fashion big names like Burberry choosing to adorn their creations with ribbons, sashes and belts of all colours and sizes. Party princesses, make a mark with rich fabric like satin and organza in colours like wine, deep cherry and gold.

The all-white ensemble



Chaste and pure. These are some of the descriptions that traditionally come along the colour white. In the present day however (what with Madonna’s Like a Virgin’s video), white has broken free (well, almost) from the purity it was born with. With plenty of sexy lace and corset tops, Dolce & Gabbana’s Spring/Summer 06 presentation of white for example, seems more sophisticatedly cheeky than virginal. The coming season shall see white blooming further, with designers bringing more white to their colour palettes.

Photo credits:
Style
Vogue

Time to Get Dressed!

While out shopping with a male friend recently, I was asked, “What is it with women and dresses? They seem to be falling in and out of love with each other so instantly.”


For a moment I was stumped, hit by a sudden pang of guilt seeing the two new dresses I have in my hands. As I walked to the changing room, the question rang louder. Really, what is it with women and dresses that we are willing to spend so much on those pretty pieces?

Classic, intricate, mutually dependent

The relationship between women and dresses is classic, intricate and mutually dependent. Classic because women have been dress worshippers since god-knows-when; from the elaborate afternoon dresses of the 1800s to the less complicated but equally romantic tea gowns of the early 20th century to Coco Chanel’s little black dress mantra, of which many women are still swearing by today. As of many other timeless fashion items, dresses have gone through countless periods of transformation, each one defining the needs, taste and personality of women in that era. All these while maintaining the femininity that remains a consistent trait of dresses. It is in fact difficult to dispute the fact that a certain amount of grace and elegance is added to a woman when she slips on a beautiful dress.

Does a woman make a dress or does a dress make a woman?

Just like the relationship between many couples, the relationship between a woman and dresses are mutually dependent. A woman makes a dress and vice versa. A beautiful dress lends its charms to a woman and a beautiful woman brings out the beauty of a dress. If a bride was to wear a white pant suit instead of a majestic wedding dress, the beauty that resides within her femininity may unlikely shine. Similarly, a grand Marc Jacobs silk dress would not come alive if it merely stands hanging on the wall. Therefore, a woman does make a dress, and especially so when the dress compliments her physical attributes. The birth of couture fashion was a signal to dressmakers’ understanding of the importance of creating dresses that flatter women’s different body structure. A dress, no matter how carefully cut, designed and adorned fails to make an impression if it does not suit the wearer.

Dressed to kill?

Needless to say, the power of a dress is one which ought not be underestimated. Dresses have served as a form of escapism, as testified by women who claim ‘I feel like a princess’ when putting on a beautiful evening dress. In the fashion industry, dresses are one of the benchmarks through which a designer’s talents, ability and certainly future, are evaluated. Have a celebrity parading one of your dresses and you are on your way up the A list. You can have your fabulous shirts and jackets but if your dresses fail to reach a similar level of fabulous-ness, your name drowns.

The recent Spring/Summer fashion show saw designers whispering the charms of the forties into their dresses. Full skirts and well defined waists were once again brought onto the runaway. The allure of dresses have become so inviting Style has reported that even behind the spotlights, high profile models are donning pretty frocks (see Model's Own)

What better reason to get that new dress?

Some of my recent purchases;












(Left-right, top-down)
White Audrey dress (maroon chiffon ribbon bought separately) from GothicGirl(NZ)
Batik-inspired wrap dress from Tightrope(AUS)
Brown babydoll dress with smock details (behind) from Phenomenal(MidValley)
Red summer dress from Sacha Drake(AUS)
Floral printed halter neck dress from Lolli(NZ)
Halter neck dress with black lace details and diamond brooch from SomersetBay (SOGO)

Photo credits:
Greg Kessler from Style