Hello All,

I hope you had a great Halloween!

Here’s this month’s Metro column… how are you going to keep warm this winter?!

There are few purchases on the clobber calendar as singularly expensive and necessary as the winter coat. But, buy cheap and you’re certain to spend the following months shivering with cold or packed so tightly into your coat by other layers that movement is severely restricted. However, if you’re prepared to spend on a quality classic that you really love, you could end up with a coat for life.

Luckily the autumn/winter ’12 coat trends are all about classic styles with subtle and unique accents, rather than revolutionary shapes that will quickly date. Burberry and Topshop Unique, for example, gave us classic military trench coats, updated with contrast elements and bold buttons.

Jil Sander and Kenzo created beautifully oversized coats, the first with ¾ sleeves, and the latter in a vibrant monochrome geo-print. At Thakoon, the Princess coat in chic, camel wool incorporated flap pockets, a double-breasted front and fabulous skirt-volume.

Hem lengths this season are prim; think midi-length for trench coats and other styles come to the knee. Consider the collar; choose an open lapel on a black wool frock coat and accessorise with a bright scarf; go for a funnel collar in geo-print and button it all the way to your nose; or keep it simple with a classic, round neckline.

Top from left; Topshop Unique, Jil Sander, Kenzo. Bottom from Left, Burberry Prorsum, Thakoon

On the high street, Sisley’s oversized coat has ¾-length sleeves, and the red and black geometric print, although utterly A/W’12, is in subtle-enough colours to stand the test of time, (pictured €189 / £160). Monsoon’s Julieanna coat in black wool is a perfect mix of double-breasted tailoring and feminine frock-coat volume (pictured €263). / £169 If you want your military coat less uniform than anyone else’s then Star by Julien Macdonald’s version of the classic trench in contrasting black and grey with brash hardwear will do just that (pictured €194 / £125 available at Debenhams).

Yours,

Whisty Xx

Hello all,

Carnaby Street in the city’s West End epitomised London’s swinging sixties; it was an exciting mix of independent clothing shops and boutiques, including Mary Quant and the infamous I Was Lord Kitchener’s Valet, a shop selling vintage and ex-issue military clothing. Formerly of Portobello Road, the shop helped popularised the wearing of ex-military clothing as fashion pieces. ‘They’ say Jimi Hendrix bought this Royal Hussars jacket at the shop… along with another jacket that according to this website, he was ordered to remove by a group of policemen, as it was disrespectful to its previous wearers(!).

Musical connections to Carnaby Street are endless, The Kinks, The Stones, Paul Weller and The Who, have all been photographed (often by Philip Townsend) there.

Images via NME.com

More recently Liam Gallagher opened a Pretty Green store there and The Stones have made a spiritual return this month opening a pop up store to celebrate their 50th anniversary. It’s basically a Rolling Stones Carnaby Street Christmas, the street’s arches have been decorated with Sir Mick’s red lips, and Stones-emblazoned gold discs have replaced more traditional festive baubles…

At one end of Carnaby Street is a rather spectacular Tudor Revival department store (c. 1920), which was purpose built, (from the timbers of two ships) as the home of Liberty‘s London.

image via

Liberty is famous for producing fine printed fabrics, from satin to silk crepe de chine, wool to cotton jersey; incidentally it was its archive of Art Nouveau designs that enjoyed popularity in the 1960′s, as the trend resurfaced. As a child, I remember having sweet dresses made for me from Liberty fabrics. I also remember visiting the store, it’s incredible. With its rows upon rows of ribbons and yarn, fabrics and buttons; dark wooden floors, shiny old lifts, painted ceilings and a wooden balcony on each floor allowing you to view the whole store from floor to ceiling.

So a little touch of that Dickensian London fashion has popped up in Arnotts this week.

Liberty @Arnotts…

Here are a few pieces available…

(Dear Santa!)

Embossed Leather stationery, purses, wallets and ipad cases

A lavender bag

Scarves…

Fabric covered stationery…

Rather nicely, Liberty‘s founder Arthur Lasenby Liberty was born in 1843, the same year that Arnotts was established.

Yours,

Whisty Xx

Hey all,

So it’s time once again to dream about next season and which pieces and trends are going on our wish list over the next couple of months.

I posted a couple of weeks ago about how surreal it is to look at next season’s trends while we’re still buying our favourite now pieces. There is something exciting about sneaking a peek at the future of fashion; spring/summer previews make us happy while we’re thinking about spending warm evenings and sunny days in short sleeves and high heels. While autumn/winter makes us think of sparkling dresses at festive parties and luxurious layers for cold clear days…

And so it was to Warehouse I went this week; the collection was brimming with brilliant white lace, bold monochrome stripes and unique must-have pieces

Must Haves…

60′s-Inspired Backless Dress

Leopard Print

Monochromes

White Lace

The Finer Details

Accessories: Luscious Clutches…

Ostrich Leather

Mock Croc

The Leather Envelope

Clear Blue

Yours,

Whisty Xx

Hey All,

I’m sitting here covered in green clothing dye having failed to save a 50′s ball gown from the perils of mildew stains… Oh Vintage, you contrary vixen. As wonderful as vintage is, I do sometimes wonder why I, we, don’t just buy on the high street; it’s so much simpler.

Anyway, last week I went to the New Look SS’13 preview… Here are a few of the stand out pieces, check the lattice work / cut out leather bags, the pretty pale salmon shift, peplum dresses, hiiiiigh heels and stunning summer wedges.

Yours,

Whisty Xx

Hey All,

Here’s this month’s Metro Fashion Column… Evening Wear, a brief history and today’s translation.

To the Maxi…

This month we’re forgoing current trends to study timeless, classic evening gowns. Christmas is one of the few events in the calendar when we feel comfortable getting really dressed up; so forget your LDB, and your sparkling, frilly mini dress; think to-the-floor-glamour. Evening gowns should be stop-the-music, I’ve arrived, look-at-me dresses that enable women to exude subtle sexiness and chic elegance.

From black tie to ball gowns, evening wear remains the mainstay of elegant dressing, changing little throughout the last 80 years or so. After the knee-flaunting, fashion-scandalous 20’s, Hollywood glamour glittered into the lives of millions of women via the silver screen. Hemlines once again grazed the floor as they had pre 20’s, but there the similarities ended. Gone were high necklines, corsets and bustles as 1930’s women flaunted their natural shape in backless satin and velvet gowns; showing feminine décolletage through plunging necklines. Indeed, though legs were covered, little else was. Women and designers of the 30’s knew that the key to wearing a full length gown was to balance out the volume of fabric in the skirt by flashing a bit of flesh elsewhere. The back, arms and neckline have remained focus points of modern evening wear.

Clever designs with contrasting details mean the onlooker’s eye also focuses on sheer panels, leather detailing and intricate beading, rather than a single column of colour. The Elma dress in black silk chiffon at Monsoon (pictured €305/£189) has a hand-beaded cummerbund under the bust; Catherine Deane’s silk taupe maxi from Harvey Nichols (pictured €850/£720) has leather and zip details over a sheer lace bodice; the wine-coloured Grecian style dress at AWear (pictured €70/£65) has a black waistband and a stunning cut-out back. Follow these rules and dresses for this festive season should serve to enhance your wardrobe for years to come.

Yours,

Whisty Xx

Hey All,

Debenhams announced its latest designer collaboration at the beginning of November, along with it, two images. Both maxi dresses, one floral the other monochrome stripes. (Google with happily show you both). The new collaboration with Ossie Clark, the brand; (Ossie Clark the man, was murdered in London in 1996) which is now owned by Alison Mansell Ltd, has St. Martins Collage of art graduate, Nicholas Georgiou, is at the design helm.

Ossie Clark and his wife Celia Birtwell defined the King’s Road style in the late 1960′s. Together they pushed the boundaries of fashion and print-styles and created ethereal, flowing collections that epitomised the psychedelic era.

Image via google

His story is summed up in the words of a fellow blogger at styleblood.wordpress.com

“In the late 1960s, Clark hit a rich vein for his flamboyant clothing range. The fashion press dubbed Ossie “The King Of King’s Road”. Clark pronounced himself a “master cutter. It’s all in my brain and fingers and there’s no-one in the world to touch me. I can do everything myself.” Clark’s great idol was the famous dancer Vaslav Nijinsky and his love of dance inspired his clothes to be free moving and not to restrict the female form. This style of dressing became quite popular in the 1970s thanks in large part to the popularity of Clark’s clothing. Ossie Clark is well known for his use of muted colours and moss crepe fabric. He also designed shoes, paper dresses, and snakeskin jackets.”

So really, I reckon it’s not so much a Debenhams collaboration with Ossie Clark, it’s a Debenhams collaboration with his name. Still I was excited to see the collection, hoping to find reproductions of the dresses that so many women have adored over the last half century. There were just four pieces from the 95-piece collection there:

I was hoping for more floor-grazing, dramatic, chiffon dresses; I was given a brochure which included an image of this dress…

Longer, yes, what I dreamed of? I dunno. But with 90 pieces still yet to view I can’t call it. The print on those trousers is pretty good mind.

Yours,

Whisty Xx

Hey All,

Here I am, yes… I’m in actual flats. I saw a great friend of mine a week ago, I was wearing these boots and she didn’t recognise me at first. Which I quite like for some reason; I mean better that she didn’t recognise me out of heels than recognise me in Crocs, right?

Anyway, the riding boots are a rare pair of non-heels in my wardrobe; I walk in and out of the city as much as I can, and so they’re great for wet and chilly weather… only I can’t pack them in my handbag when I get to where I’m going like I can with ballet flats…

Dress, Vintage Jeff Banks

Velvet & Glitter Kimono/Cape ORVintage

‘Gold’ Boyfriend Watch, ASOS

Boots, Ted Baker

Accessories, Thrifted

Yours,

Whisty Xx

Hello All,

Happy 2013. I hope this one is going to be a better one. 2012 was a bit of a struggle in my world.

As a writer, blogger, columnist, with a fairly low profile, (i.e. I’m not on the TV/front pages etc…) I have to work double hard to make a living from doing what I do best. At least, it’s what I think I do best; because other than dreams of running off with a rock star when I was in sixth form, there’s no other way I’ve ever imagined spending my life, than writing.

I have a genuine passion for creating copy and on top of that, I’m lucky enough to enjoy the subjects I write about; those being property, fashion and travel. I was first published in a local paper in 2006. It was a story about a local man who had opened an exhibition of his photographic work in New York. I wasn’t paid for the piece, nonetheless, I was over the moon; my mum was so proud that she still has the original cutting framed and up in the office at home. A few (long) months later, after much searching, I landed a job in a small publishing house, writing property and lifestyle/fashion features for magazines.

That was 6 and a half years ago… since then I started my blog, was made redundant and began writing as a freelance journalist. I utterly love the writing part of my job; sometimes I can’t actually believe that it’s what I do, and that it makes me happy. The happiness swiftly fades when I look at my bank balance though; the truth is I’m often approached to do a heck of a lot of writing for nothing, or next to nothing.

Writing for Free

As my flatmate often jokes, “There are children in third-world sweatshops, making trainers that get paid more than you”… I presume (pray) that this isn’t true, but if I actually worked out how much money I get for the hours I spend working on copy for other people, I may actually be inclined to agree with him.

For every comment I’ve had published, for every photography session I’ve set up, for every submitted interview and photoshopped ‘outfit collage’ I’ve created, for each time I’ve sat up until 3am, stressed and working to a deadline for an editor who couldn’t care less whether or not my copy comes in, for every time I’ve been asked to come up with something by tomorrow because I’ll do it for free, (and if I have agreed to it, for every time that work hasn’t actually been published anyway), for every time I’ve helped out a PR agency with the promise of a ‘thanks’ that I am still waiting for, for every time I have walked miles for the sake of a commissioned article because I can’t afford the travel expenses, more fool me if I’ve done it for free…

… Or for the promise of raising my profile and increasing the visitors, WordPress allows me to see exactly where visitors come here from, and it isn’t from any of the unpaid/low-paid writing I’ve done. (around 90% of visitors get here because of my own work)… see below:

Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Views: 2,453

Referrers: i.e. where visitors have come from:

i.e. of the 2,453 visitors to my blog, 2,162 (88%) came from google/bing/yahoo etc… (NB: ‘Whisty’ resulted in two visits to my blog from web searches)

The truth is that working for less than you deserve gives you nothing but a lack of respect and a lack of disregard, it won’t raise your profile, (though it may add to your CV should you have no experience).

It transpires then, that working hard and being nice to people won’t get you on your way to doing what you love for a living. Only shameless self promotion will get you anywhere. I know I’m not the brash, obnoxious wannabe I’ve met so many times in the fashion game; (often full of delusional self belief and lacking in talent and integrity) – when working at a magazine, I was unfortunate enough to have submitted to me, a fashion feature, by a future TV personality. Alas the copy was never published as it was in fact copied, direct from Topshop.com – Yet after years of working 12 hour days, creating original (and published content), I am still struggling to live my dream, yet said plagiarist is very much living theirs.

So do I blame the people doing the hiring? Hell no. People under pressure will take the easiest route. Why spend effort looking for talent, when you have a willing and flirtatious wannabe with an open mouth, ready to convince you that they are just what you need instead? Why search through all the applicants to find a slightly shy, yet outstanding applicant, when you can have your ego massaged by listening to sycophantic compliments? Better still, how can you refuse your boss/golf partners/neighbours’ kids? Ah nepotism, my old enemy.

Does hiring the person who stamps his feet the hardest make for a better end product and a more enjoyable working environment? Possibly?

Is it really about being pushy or having the right relatives, or does luck play a part? Possibly; some of the most incredible writers are published every day, they can’t all have daddy’s pals in their pocket can they?

So should I blame myself then? I have quiet confidence in my ability, so why then do I continue to work for less than I should, somehow contradicting that self belief. I was speaking to a fellow writer/blogger recently, she said it succinctly “I no longer work for free”. But she said it with such confidence I was taken aback. I was inspired, I wanted to stand up and say, “me neither!!” Except I didn’t, couldn’t.

Maybe if I picked a new years resolution it would be to brush up on my pushiness skills, develop my self belief, learn to swallow my pride or just say no to working for free…

They’re all tough resolutions to stick by, but apparently the best things don’t actually come easy…

Happy 2013,

Yours,

Whisty Xx

Hello dear readers,

After the strong words I had with myself last week it’s business as usual today. Sort off…

Firstly, I thought I’d get things back on track with a short and sweet January Haul type post; including a couple of Christmas Prezzies, Sales Buys, Vintage Pieces and a F***ing amazing tour jacket…

As much as it’s a bit soulless to receive cash and vouchers for Christmas, I rarely know what I want till I see it; I couldn’t possibly write a list for Santa at the start of December because I’d change my mind by the time my advent calendar windows are all opened. But there are some pieces that I’ve always wanted or I always need; leather trousers and Lepel underwear respectively, for example.

Leather Trousers, ASOS

Leopard Print Devore Cape, Military Boots, River Island

Cream Cable Knit Jumper, Jack Wills

Blue Cable Knit Jumper. Farah

Black Lace Bra, Lepel

Vintage 60′s Black Bag, Judy’s Vintage Fair

Siouxsie & the Banshees Leather Tour Jacket, A Gift

Lepel if you haven’t heard of it, is a boutique lingerie brand made in a factory in Nottingham, England. (NB: Nottingham is famous for it vast 19th/20th century lace production). They also make the most comfortable, perfectly fitting, gorgeous underwear I’ve ever worn; and at around £20-£25 for a bra, is on the less expensive side what most of us spend on a good quality bra right?

So this underwear manufacturer is able to sell great quality underwear at a reasonable price. (I’ve been wearing their ‘Fiore’ bras for a few years now and have them in 7 different colours). I’m lead to believe that making products in Britain /Ireland costs too much and so companies outsource manufacturing. Which brings me round to my second point, it disturbs me just how much of the new clothes I buy aren’t made locally…

I started thinking about it when I saw a report from Rochdale, Lancashire on Sky News. It said that the area was suffering from 72% unemployment. If I use Rochdale as an quick example, Wikipedia names well over 100 mills that have known to have existed in Rochdale; 45 of which were textile mills; indeed Rochdale and much of Greater Manchester and Lancashire were known during the industrial revolution for cotton/woollen/textile production. During the 20th century it fell into a deep decline and eventually came to a halt.

There does however seem to be a re-spinning of the mill wheel so to speak, Mary Portas’ ‘The Bottom Line’ (shown on Ch4) highlighted the issue and the Manchester Evening news reported this story last November, it claims that 200,000 jobs could be created in 5 years if plans to re-establish textile manufacturing in the area transpire. But until companies begin to start sourcing components, and manufacturing produce locally, then I can’t see how these kind of problems can be resolved.

But should I care and just how big an issue is it? Not everything is made outside Britain/Ireland surely? I checked the labels in all my new clothes, here’s a list of their origin of manufacture:

ASOS Leather Trousers: Made in India, River Island Boots: Made in Brazil, River Island Cape: Made in China, Jack Wills Jumper: Made in China, Farah Jumper: Made in China, Vintage BLL Leather Tour Jacket: Unknown, Lepel Bra: Made in England, Vintage 60′s Leather bag: Made in England…

So as far we know, 2 out of the 8 pieces of clothing I have bought/received in the last month were made in Britain, and none were made in Ireland. Should we support British/Irish manufacturing? And even if we want to, do we have a choice?

If we want something on trend and cheap we pretty much know it’s not going to be made in Europe, but a Lambswool or Merino jumper that costs the best part of £100/€100, should we expect it to come from a local manufacturer for that price? I’d like to believe that I’d support local producers, (it’s pretty easy food-wise) but based on the above list, it seems I can only viably do it with clothes if I buy vintage.

When I read that both jumpers were made in China, I was surprised and for some reason I felt short changed, but why? Is buying local produce even a quality issue? Are products that are made in Britain/Ireland a better quality and thus they cost more, or it is purely the manufacturing costs that causes the price increase? Is buying local merely a moral issue then, and would places like Rochdale see an increase in employment if we all insist on buying local, the Manchester Evening News seems to think so.

Yours,

Whisty Xx

Hello dear readers,

Here’s this month’s Metro Herald Fashion Column

Less about trends, more about maintaining interest in a tired winter wardrobe; as much as well all wear black, it’s not so tricky to add a splash of colour…

Wake up your Wardrobe

I don’t know about you but I think starting a new year in a month like January is a terrible idea. We’re supposed to feel refreshed, revitalised and ready for a new start. In reality we’re exhausted, have the ultimate holiday hangover and all we want to do is stay under the duvet ‘til March…

…March, now that’s a good month to start a new year, the next trend season is Spring/Summer after all.

Except I can’t bring myself to think about new trends yet, I’m happy in my lamb’s wool jumper and riding boots keeping warm. So instead of buying all new pieces, the next two months can be spent spicing up the ones we already have. By taking inspiration from this season’s trends and adding a transitional twist we can brighten up our wardrobe, and hopefully our winter-blues too.

Georgia Hardinge, (available at wolfandbadger.com) and the much-lauded Mary Katrantzou, are modern-day geo print pioneers. Bring a little Art Deco-inspired print into your pre-spring collection; avoid summery, pastel, floral designs and opt for bold blues and vibrant Oranges. This Biba top (pictured £69) available at Houseoffraser.com will work wonders on your all-black winter wardrobe.

Cobalt is a strong colour trend this season, Lanvin’s plain shift dress and Céline’s oversize cocoon coat made true-blue statements on the catwalks. Tame the trend with this Chupi gold ring (pictured €97/£81) available at the Loft Market.

If you’re over this season’s trends and just want to invest in something chic and classic to brighten up your wardrobe then this purple leather Cambridge Satchel Co. bag (pictured €145/£110) available at Harvey Nichols, Dundrum will see you through all seasons. Adding splashes of colour to our winter staples are a great way of preventing ourselves from getting too comfy in our winter warmerland.

Yours,

Whisty Xx

Hello All,

Here are a few of my favourite pieces from the Louis Vuitton AW13/14 Icons collection. The Icon Collection features the timeless LV designs; always a part of the standard collection and reinterpreted each season with current trends.

The Sheepskin Balmaccan Coat

The LV Plaid Karakoram Cape

Shoes and Boots

The Leather Clutch

The Noé Bag

First commissioned in 1932 to carry 5 Champagne bottles… you don’t say… (4 the right way up and one upside down in the middle) the Noé bag this season comes in vibrant colours from orange and blue to cerise to purple two-tone. It also comes in different sizes and strap lengths, the longer strap makes a cross-body bag and a more youthful vibrant feel. Stunning,

Pre Fall 2013

“Lace is More”

The collection is a mix of 19th century aristocrat, 60′s miss and

recalls the understated elegance of Jeanne Moreau in Truffaut’s film, “The Bride Wore Black”

(images via Google)

Jaquard, velvet, tweed and lace, lace, lace all give texture beyond the staple embossed LV monogram; only on the Speedy Cube bag was the company logo really visible and even these were given a twist with thick luxurious carpeting embroidery.

Thick velvet bow details, and minuscule blue and black sequins gave softness and charm to elegant silhouettes, while frock coats, mini skirts and shift dresses shirt suits were staple pieces that gave the dramatic collection a sweet edge.

Click the short videos to watch the collection on a carousel…

Yours,

Whisty Xx

Hey All,

I hope you’re well.

I was lucky enough to visit the Kurt Geiger design rooms at the company headquarters to view the 2013 Spring/Summer collection. I was a little apprehensive… was it going to be like a high-heel massacre, discarded soles, frayed laces, broken stilettos and thrown away designs everywhere? “I’d definitely have worn those” ready to burst from my lips, I went in…

Of course it wasn’t like that, it was actually better than I could have imagined. Huge glass windows, designs being thought up by designers sitting at Mac, inspiration boards, sketches, swatches and photographs covering every table… and you know the odd pair of shoes…

Absolute Favourites

Stand Outs

Accessories

Crazy Ass Heels…

Neon, Platforms, Baroque, Studs…

Matchy Matchy Match Matchy etc etc…

Leopard Print Courts, Ankle-Strap Heels & Clutch Bag

Yours,

Whisty Xx

Hello All,

So with just a week to go till we can shop it, (online and in selected stores March 5th), the campaign images are out and the wait is nearly over for the Rihanna for River Island collection.
Here’s a sneak peek at each piece, in case you haven’t seen it yet. I also thought it was about time to post the rest of River Island’s SS’13 collection too!

First the Rihanna collection: Launched during London fashion week, the collection was very much River Island given a Risqué attitude, targeted at a young market who are in possession of a seriously toned body. There are cropped tops and shorts in their dozens with the collection, but there are definitely pieces similar to those we’ve seen at River Island in previous collections. The footwear for example, huge edgy platforms are the brand’s staple but seem to ring true with Rihanna’s personal style; Bra tops, varsity jackets, maxi dresses and hi waisted shorts, again all very River Island but also pieces similar to those we’ve seen Rihanna in.

I don’t think I’m in the right demographic to be buying from this collection, I’m holding out for the Georgia Hardinge collection in April.

Until then I’ll be shopping the rest of the collection, here’s a round up of what I saw at the previews and some is in store now:

Themes

Key Pieces:

Amazing, white lace jumpsuit

Elegant pink metallic Jaquard 60′s style coat

Bohemian style, beaded, tasselled cape

50′s inspired day dresses in thick cotton with oh-so-now 2-inch-wide stripes

Accessories:

Mix kahki green, jumpsuits and rose-print = This perfect spring/summer staple:

Yours,

Whisty Xx

Hello.

If you haven’t already sussed it yet, the S/S’13 trend most heavily represented so far on the high street is inches-wide stripes.

Stripes make regular appearances year after year, but something about this season’s stripes feels fresh and unique. Their width definitely feels new, the fact that the pieces are tailored yet loose feels new, but mostly I think it’s the way that the stripes clash. By that I mean they’re worn going in different directions. Horizontal, vertical, diagonal stripes meet and twist and repel each other on dresses, separates and suits. See Marc Jacobs and PPQ, Jonathan Saunders and Acne…

Top Row: Jonathan Saunders, Acne, PPQ

Bottom Row: Marc Jacobs, Marc Jacobs, Jonathan Saunders

Images via Vogue.co.uk

Here’s my take on it in this month’s Metro Herald column

At the first spring/summer fashion preview I attended last autumn, a single trend got me immediately; bold, brilliant, black and white stripes.  Inches wide and perfectly defined these stripes are inspired by Marc Jacobs’ bold, multi-directional black and white pieces, PPQ’s nautical inspired, off the shoulder dress, and the way Acne and Jonathan Saunders mixed perfect banded tops with plain white trousers. Graphic, monochromatic stripes are here in a big way for SS’13.

Not only are they unique and current, these stripes are definite and dramatic; not pretty, not fine and definitely not subtle. Too fine and from a distance your stripes merge into a dirty shade of grey, but you’re making a monochrome statement everywhere with this season’s take on stripes. Forget school-days, grunge-inspired faded stripes, these are well-defined lines to be worn with cool confidence, not scuffed-up Doc Martens.

Don’t believe that stripes aren’t flattering either; loose fitting dresses, separates and jackets, skim off shoulders and hips. These stripes don’t cling to your shape they merely highlight your angles. They’re easier to wear than you think; team vertical striped trousers with horizontal striped tops, and plain white or black outerwear. Mix up your stripes with accessories in neutral leather, bright patents, and top off the look with luscious red lips.

A key way that stripes were worn on the catwalk was with a flash of flesh, at midriffs, ankles and scoop necklines. These Warehouse trousers (pictured €63) combine this season’s stripes with an ankle-grazing length – a glimpse of flesh makes the stripes less aggressive. This New Look thick stripe jumper (pictured €29.99) is a casual way to combine horizontal stripes with plain white trousers. The chicest way to rock bold spring summer stripes is to team this high waisted ASOS skirt (pictured £40) with 1940’s inspired make up. If you didn’t do your fashion homework, then you’ve got detention, and you’re doing lines.

Top Row: Topshop, New Look. Middle: Warehouse. Bottom: ASOS, Penney‘s/Primark

Inspired by… perhaps?

Yours,

Whisty Xx

Hey all,

It’s been a while.

In case you’re wondering what’s been happening, here’s a photo diary…

Yours,

Whisty Xx

Hello!

Never one to shy away from putting my money where my mouth is…

Here’s May’s Metro column…Along with a couple of street style shots…

Blue Jaquard Suit and ivory chiffon vest all Topshop

Black two strap sandals, Primark/Penneys

SS’13 Blue Trends

Yours,

Whisty Xx

The Copy…

Cobalt blue was a big colour for Autumn/Winter ’12-’13; seen on catwalks at Lanvin, in the form of tailored wool shift dresses; at Sportmax in the form of loose silk trousers and matching shirts, and at Prabal Garung in the form of ultra-shiny slim, tailored trousers – note: models wore matching cobalt-coloured nail varnish. However, street stylers, bloggers, magazines and the high street have carried this trend through to Spring/Summer ’13.

Topshop’s silk high-waisted trouser suit (pictured €266) brings cobalt blue together with this season’s cropped trouser length. We associate blue with cooler colour tones but cobalt’s natural, rich pigment means it has warmth.

If you prefer your blue hues prettier and subtle there is a shade of blue for all tastes and skin tones. The Spring/Summer ’13 blues include other natural shades, like dusty cornflower and Provencal. Seen at Riccardo Tisci for Givenchy in floating fluttering frills; at Chanel in classic bouclé tweed and at Elie Saab, in dresses with sheer panels and shimmering, elegant ice blue lace.

AWear have translated the trend into this skater dress (pictured €65) in light blue tweed; while this Asos dress (pictured £150) teams pale blue lace with chic blue leather. Wear your spring/summer ‘13 blues with fiery gold accessories, nude nail varnish and open toed sandals. Perfect with bare, tanned summer legs, the key shoe style for this season is a high heeled, no-platform two-strap sandal.

Wear your cobalt blue, suit trousers above the ankle and embrace this shoe trend; you can’t go wrong flashing the flesh either side of an ankle strap. Penneys/Primark have the perfect, seriously comfortable pair (Pictured €15). I wore these to an awards ceremony last week and danced all night in them.

It might be a blue summer but this trend is red hot.

Yours, Whisty Xx

Hi all,

Here’s this month’s Metro Fashion Blogger Column

There’s no debate that summer coats are a necessity for our climate, so why don’t we bother? Most of the time what we wear over our summer clothes is a sartorial choice we hurriedly make just before leaving the house. When the hope that the weather will be warm enough not to wear one, finally fades we grab a jacket from behind the door; mentally aware that we daren’t leave the house in a single layer.

In SS’13, say goodbye forever to the white jacket pulled from the back of the wardrobe in May, for its annual trip to the dry cleaners. And don’t even think about wearing a Pashmina to that ‘do’ in July, just because you think it’s more appropriate than your black wool coat. A carefully chosen summer coat will stop the chilly breezes, (and accompanying Goosebumps – nice), and stylishly look the part for both afternoons in the park and evenings on the roof terrace. Best of all, chosen correctly it should look like it’s part of your whole look, not a weather-wary afterthought. This season’s ‘Car Coat’, comes loose at the waist with unstructured shoulders, has either a deep V or round neck, big low pockets and is tapered to the knee. Wear it open…

Echoing Louis Vuitton’s SS’13 triumphant yellow and white checks, this Zara coat (pictured €79.95) is perfect for this summer. If you can wear yellow that is. (Not jealous if you can at all, at all…). Team with white to keep it pretty or navy blue to add depth. At Jaeger, this Leopard vs. Dalmatian print coat (pictured €275) is great to wear over your shoulders (coats as capes, still big) with Ray Bans and cigarette pants. If you want to combine your SS’13 Car Coat with SS’13’s summer-leather trend, then (carefully) choose this Simone Rocha leather coat at Havana (pictured €3,240.00).

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Yours,

Whisty Xx