Feeling Stylish

Having enjoyed shopping on Zalando many times (it’s my go-to shop for JC’s), I was excited to see that their very own collection is expanding and becoming more and more difficult to resist. The first exciting trend inspired collection was launched only in March, showcasing designs from the talented in-house creative team. Here are some of my favourite items from the Zalando Collection that I’ve lusted over so far, they show best the clean cuts and on-trend designs the new label has to offer.

1. Collar detail monochrome top – £22 – such a cute yet sophisticated piece. It will be effortless to dress this top up or down, looking perfect with just a pair of coloured jeans or chinos.

2. Grey shopper tote – £90 – the contrast of textures and bold tone differential makes the simple cut of this bag fresh. It looks like the perfect day bag with plenty of room for everything, but undoubtedly chic.

3. Metallic platform sandals – £75 – love, love, love the finish and cut of these shoes! The thick heel, reminds me of sturdy wedges, so here’s hoping they are just as comfy. I just can’t decide which colour I like best but either pair would be more than welcome in my shoe collection.

4. Red Chinos – £30 – I love the pop of colour these classic cut trousers will bring to an outfit. I can just see myself wearing these with a Vintage t-shirt and sandals on a mild and sunny day.

5. Turquoise tuxedo jacket – £45 – I just adore the colour! This jacket is from the Limited Edition Collection designed by Bernadett Penkov for Zalando Collection. The timeless cut of the jacket combined with the bold colour has me feeling it will look amazing over a patterned summer dress with rolled up sleeves.

All images sourced from www.zalando.co.uk

A few weeks ago after half a bottle of vodka I propositioned the lovely Amy of Wolf Whistle. Shopping in London.

On Saturday that shopping trip happened. We headed to Westfield shopping centre in Stratford. Money was spent. Laughs were had. Amy and I have similar tastes which ended up with us buying three items that were the same. Prepare for photographs…

Amy is the epitome of cool, whereas I look far too excited for my own good.

First up a trip to Primark. We got there earlyish so it didn’t look like a jumble sale. Compared to the Norwich Primark the Westfield one is a palace. A very colourful palace with some questionable clothing choices.

We were already beginning to flag and needed food but not before I’d fallen in love with these ankle boots from Urban Outfitters. I thought at first that £85 was a bit too expensive considering my self-imposed budget of £200 for the day but I couldn’t stop thinking about them! Before I headed off we went back to Urban Outfitters and I bought the beautiful boots.

So excited to experience Forever 21! Fantastic store. The above blazer stole my heart and it’s now mine. The pink dress was hot but made me look a little too lumpy.

I can barely comprehend how awesome this Aztec print t-shirt dress is.

Off to H&M and I found this dress in the sale. It’s fake leather. I thought it might be a bit too dominatrix and that it wouldn’t fit because it was a size 14 and had no stretch at all. However, it did fit! It was also £7 so there was no way I couldn’t buy it.

This is a Marni for H&M jacket. Reduced from £150 to £15 in the sale! Alas, Amy saw it before me and it now belongs to her but I couldn’t help snapping a pic it with my epic Primark dress.

And here is my outfit from the following day. All new clothes and nearly all of it, bar the hat and leggings, from Primark! Those skater dresses are so flattering.

With the Queen’s Jubilee coming up, you’ll need a dress that encapsulates the regal splendour of this uniquely British celebration. The Jubilee falls in June, but as we all know, you can never rely on British weather to be predictable, so make sure to accessorise your dress with a cute cardigan or effortless pashmina. The top five dresses to be seen in at the celebrations are so varied, there’ll definitely be something for you, whatever your size, shape or style!

Bodycon Dresses

Phase Eight Geisha Dress

This style works best on slimmer, petite frames or ladies who want to show off an hour-glass figure. These figure-hugging numbers are wonderful because they can transition effortlessly from day time to evening. A brightly coloured floral body-con dress with some chunky costume jewellery and sandals is great for a day time street party. Change to heels and glitzy jewellery for a posh evening shin-dig.

Shift Dresses

Mary Portas Snake Panel Dress

It’s hard to go wrong with this classic style. A shift dress can look formal as well as bright and summery – it all depends on colour and print. These dresses are very versatile and suit all kinds of figures. Try a bold floral print for day time parties for a guaranteed summery look, or a plain black or navy blue for more formal events. Match with patent stilettos for a classic Kate Middleton inspired look.

Skater Dress

AX Paris Crochet Detail Skater Dress

Don’t be fooled into thinking skater dresses are too casual for jubilee celebrations. A skater dress is essentially a younger version of the more classic shift dress. It is perfect for younger women and can be dressed up or down so easily.

Maxi Dresses

Minuet Petite Blue Maxi Dress

This is the answer for tall ladies. This glorious summer look is so sophisticated and stylish. A floating, long maxi dress really does speak for itself. Accessorise with a chunky belt if you want to define your waist or choose statement jewellery for a fresh, modern feel. Maxi dresses often come in lovely light chiffon materials, making them ideal for summer jubilee parties. At the same time, their long length is suited to changeable British weather – a sudden breeze won’t leave you blushing!

Tulip Dresses

Oasis Wrap Tulip Dress

Tulip dresses, with their gorgeously gathered skirts are incredibly flattering. They look wonderful on pear shaped and apple shaped figures, because they draw attention to the slimmest part of the waist, whilst the ruffling in the skirt draws the eye down. You can accentuate this affect by wearing with a long necklace and high shoes. Tulip dresses often come in fairly simple prints, or neutral shades, but this complements the softer, feminine shape.

The great wit, Dorothy Parker, once said that men seldom make passes at girls who wear glasses. This saying must have struck a chord in society because it was rephrased in the film, How to Marry a Millionaire, where Marilyn Monroe famously refuses to wear her glasses, leading to lots of nearsighted hilarity.

Luckily, thanks to the advent of designer glasses, the world has moved on since the fifties. There are thousands of designer spectacles available to choose from. They are so well designed nowadays that they’re a major accessory for leading ladies and gents in some of the latest movies and TV shows.

For example, Jessica Collins regularly appears in the CBS show, The Young And The Restless, wearing heavy framed black glasses. And the smash hit show, The Big Bang Theory, has the ultra intelligent neuro-biologist, Amy Farrah Fowler, wearing a similar style.

Glasses are also likely to play a starring role in Woody Allen’s 2012 film, Nero Fiddled. In this historical comedy, Woody Allen, who is almost as famous for his spectacles as his movies, plays Mark Lovegood. But we’ll need to wait till summer to find out whether girls make passes at men who wear glasses.

Harry Potter is one of the most successful movie series of all time and Harry is renowned for his round glasses. In the final episode, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2, despite being a hugely powerful wizard, Harry still relies on his glasses. It’s rumoured that the actor who plays Harry, Daniel Radcliffe, managed to get through 160 pairs of specs during filming.

Super heroes may not be famous for wearing glasses, but their human alter-egos certainly are. Amazingly, no one recognises the bespectacled Clark Kent when he whips off his glasses, ruffles his comb-over hairdo and reappears as Superman. Even Lois Lane, who gets really close up and personal, fails to spot that the object of her desires is really the modest chap from the office. And movie-goers happily suspend disbelief again when Peter Parker loses the specs to become Spiderman.

Glasses have even made an appearance at the Oscars 2012, with a number of winners turning up to collect their statues sporting designer specs. Michel Hazanavicius’ film, The Artist, took a total of five Oscars and he arrived wearing black retro frames to pick up Best Director and Best Picture awards. Gary Oldman was similarly attired when representing Tinker Tailor at the BAFTAs.

LensWay offers a range of designer glasses, including brands like Joseph Marc and Vera Wang – check out their website to buy glasses online.