What’s Hot in Fashion this Summer 2011

The look this summer is bold and bright!

Bold for confidence and bright to make us feel good, how can you go wrong?

Well actually this season it is very easy to get it wrong and I will tell you why.

The fashion world calls them Block Colours which in simple terms is a solid colour put with another solid colour so a bit like building blocks. Do you remember the bright coloured Leggo building blocks. The trick is to stack one coloured block on top of another coloured block. This is the big fashionable look this season with bright canary yellow, bright sunset orange, electric blue, fire engine red, 80’s hot pink and British racing car green as the some of the main colours that are on show in-store.

How to wear them so that you do not look like a child playing dress up in mummy’s wardrobe whilst adding the mismatched lipstick in a bright block colour. They say that everything and anything goes this summer with block colours but has that ever been true, that anything goes?

After following rigid rules for so long from the fashion industry, is it really true that there are no rules anymore? Can anyone can put anything together or is this a new tactic to sell new product because everything else has been done?

Colour can make you feel good allowing you to beam with confidence but put the wrong colour in the wrong place, just like the wrong detail in the wrong place and you will create the most unflattering look. Not only do you have to think about style versus body shape but also bright bold block colour versus body shape, hair and skin tone so as you can see, this is the season where you can really get it wrong.

The good news is there are some fabulous new pieces out there to refresh your wardrobe or create a powerful and sexy new image so you can ooze that hidden confidence that you really have or really want. You have to know what you need and where to get it from, what goes with what and what suits you in both colours and styles.

What Should You Have This Summer?

The Dress

Whether it is a block colour or a mixture of block colours, striped or geometric in pattern, the style is shorter. Do not panic, it does not have to be that short. On the knee or just above is absolutely fine. The length of the dress should suit the body shape, this is more important than wearing a very short dress that is the look for this season. If the length is not flattering on your body then you certainly do not want that look for the season.

There are lots of different styles of dresses on offer this season including Maxi dresses so you can opt for long if you prefer. There is a new style this season and that is the Maxi/short dress. It is long at the back and short at the front but you really do need the great legs to carry off this style. Other various styles include dresses with frills, dresses with pockets, dresses with high necks and dresses with lower necklines. The emphasis is on colour this season rather than style so do think about both when choosing a style and colour for you this season.

The Pant

Full length or cropped. Pleated or not. Straight or skinny. Pink or Cobalt Blue. What will you choose this season? Remember that the emphasis is on colour, not so much on style when these pants are marketed to you this summer. Choose a style first that is flattering on your body shape and then indulge in a colour for fun.

A lot of people steer away from bold bright colours because they say you wear it once, then everyone has seen it and they remember it so you don’t wear it again. What a lot of people don’t realise is that even if you have 10 pairs of black pants in different styles, other people who have seen you in your 2 pairs of black pants (because you never wear all 10 pairs, they just sit in your wardrobe collecting dust) only remember you in black pants. They don’t remember that you are in a different style, even though it is very similar to the other pair and that is why you wear them because they are nearly the same (not like the ones in your wardrobe that you don’t wear, they are different and that is why you don’t wear them) so why would you not wear a bold bright colour, just like the black pants people have seen them before. Funnily enough, people actually remember prints more than colour so indulge in a bold bright colour for a change!

The Kaftan

Yes it is back and the colours are brighter than ever and the prints are bolder than ever. Whether you wear this piece over swimwear, shorts or on it’s own as a dress, depending on the length of course, enjoy the glamour of this style. It is such a feminine piece and can be dressed up or down, some Kaftans come with their own jewels and wonderful beading so there is no need to add anymore unless you want to add more glamour for that special occasion. Big earrings and bangles make the perfect compliment to this already glamorous piece.

The Kaftan comes in two variations this season and the most popular one is the Kaftan top. It is shorter so looks great teamed back with shorts or jeans. This particular style also has a drawstring on the waist so it can be adjusted to create that much needed shape that the typical Kaftan tends to lack. This is a piece that really suits a lot of different body shapes. The other variation of the traditional Kaftan is the Kaftan dress.

This has been around before but due to its lack of structure, it is not for everybody. This style looks great on a taller and leaner body shape. Shape can be created with a soft tie belt, not a heavy structured belt as this would look out of place on such a soft draping piece.The typical Kaftan is still around and always will be due to it’s muliti-use and demand. This is a great one for over swimwear as it tends to be just the right length.

The Jumpsuit

Or playsuit as some like to call it. This season, the jumpsuit or playsuit is short as in shorts rather than the pant style that was big last summer. If you have the legs then choose a great style and show them off with a pair of jewelled thongs and a collection of bangles. If your legs are in great shape and only lack length then choose a jumpsuit that suits your body shape, add wedges instead of flats, as the wedges will still dress it down, include a cuff and a pair of dangle earrings to finish the look.

The playsuit/jumpsuit comes in all styles, including strapless, halter-neck and shirt-like styles. Choose wisely for your body shape and depending on your age, choose your ideal block colour carefully. Looking like the wiggles in bright block colours, may only attract three year olds. There are some great jumpsuits around and if you can’t bare the thought of shorts, then there are still some options available for the pant style on offer but these tend to be more for evening rather than a great day look.

Jewellery, Bags and Shoes

So much to choose from in both jewellery, shoes and bags. It is really difficult to pick a selection of styles to write about this season because there are so many. The focus is on colour and block colours are the way to go if you don’t want the wiggles look in an outfit. Rather than buying a bright yellow dress, you can buy a black dress and add the colour in your accessories, like a yellow pair of shoes or a printed pair with yellow in it so it is a bit more subtle.

How you put colours together is really vital, just as vital as style so remember less is more and a touch goes a long way. No one wants to look like a set of traffic lights. This season there is so much on offer with styles, colour and detail but with all of that choice it is easy to make the wrong choice and waste a lot of money along the way so have fun with all of the choices and colour but just because it is in fashion does not mean it gets the tick of flattering for you. Every body shape suits different styles of accessories so choose carefully for your body shape and have fun with all of the colour this season.

Call or email me to book a one on one styling session to learn about what suits your body shape this season and how to utilize block colours to your advantage. It is a great season to indulge in colour and a very wise investment to book a stylist with endless knowledge and the experience of what suits your body shape.