Just got back from Pure Womenswear expo this weekend and I’m totally exhusted!!!  Walking around Olympia is very tiring but also great fun.  It’s like being in a sweet shop but for womenswear ~ you get the idea don’t you?  Just imagine rows upon rows of stands awash with ladies clothing, lights flashing, music playing, fashion shows everywhere and you’ll get the idea.  Two days of shopping on a grand scale ~ well it goes on for three days but i couldn’t do three, I’d be traumatised!!!  Oh!! there’s jewellery and accessories too but that’s a different story all together

I think I’ve found some great things and can’t wait till they are instore so I can show them off.  We have more Me & Thee coming in, I just love Jo and Brian’s great prints, mixed with great fabrics like silk/satin and heavy weight jersey I think this collection is better than their last, take a look at these babies!!!

We have great jersey, trousers and knitwear as well as beautiful evening wear and accessories coming our way soon, Can’t wait.   Check back and take a look http://www.citrine-online.co.uk/

I can’t help be inspired and it sent my mind on a whirlwind of ideas to use and impliment into my own home.  I don’t know about you but I struggle finding unique furniture too.  I love Phillipe Stark and his organic designs but I wanted to be resourceful and recycle.  Well look what I also found!!  Recycled furniture made even more beautiful with the clever use of wallpaper and a good quality paint!!   Bryonie Porter has produced some beautiful furniture by recycling old pieces.  Recycling, eco friendly and beautiful!!

I’m inspired, what about you?? 

Well this morning I noticed on my homepage an articule that made me stop and take notice.  I love, love, love fashion and great style so this I had to read ’10 rules on Summer dressing’,  an article that had been written by someone in ’The Guardian’, (sorry if you’re reading this author but I will find out who you are, honestly!)  This is the type of journalism I like reading, something that makes me giggle!  Have a read through and let me know what you think.

The 10 rules of summer dressing

1 Tights/Bare legs:

British summer fashion is a kind of collective madness. From about early May – even if, as with this year, it is actually still slippers-in-the-morning weather – we all have to dress as if going to a picnic. Wearing black opaque tights in summer, even if the skies are gunmetal, marks your card as a killjoy and a wuss. Hey, I don’t make the rules, OK? Deal with it. This, my friends, is why God invented cropped trousers. Unflattering they may be, but think of them like stabilisers while you adjust to getting your legs out, and pray that 20 minutes a week in the gym doing half-hearted lunges while watching MTV will get you Gwyneth Paltrow’s legs.

2 Playsuits:

Awful name. Sounds as if the wearer should be banging a rattle on the table while covered in ketchup. But then, in America they call these rompers, which is even worse. Absolutely nothing wrong with a playsuit, so long as you realise it is entirely impossible to convey the smallest amount of authority while wearing one. And no, banging the rattle harder won’t help.

3 Sunglasses:

Deciding which sunglasses to buy is simple. First question: are you the sort of person who remembers to put your sunglasses back in the case and back in your bag when you take them off. Second: do you cultivate friendships with the sort of people who will surreptitiously check out the side of your sunglasses to find out the designer label? Third: is your self-esteem affected by the name inscribed on the plastic arm by your ear? Unless you answered yes to all three questions, put a £20 cap on the purchase and buy yourself something useful with the difference.

4 Harem pants:

It’s tough, keeping up with fashion. You’d think wearing unflattering trousers would be enough, but no: you also need to wear the right kind of unflattering trousers. And so it was that at the precise moment in 2007 when skinny jeans reached their tipping point – probably when you started wearing them – the fashion-forward abandoned them in favour of a new type of ridiculous trousers. The harem pant was first launched as the drop-crotch trouser, a style that mimics the effect of a toddler with a soggy nappy. Even fashionistas, it turns out, have some self-respect, and the drop-crotch was refined into the harem pant. The moment you start wearing them, the cool people will stop, so why bother?

5 Maxi dresses:

The further a hem gets from the knee, the more difficult it is to wear. It makes surprisingly little difference if the direction is going up or down. If it works, a maxi dress might give you that insouciant Angelina Jolie look, without even having to shave your legs. If it doesn’t, you will look like Matron from an Enid Blyton book. To err on the side of Jolie, remember the golden mantra of impact: shoes and hair. Repeat after me: shoes and hair. Shoes and hair. Got it?

6 Holiday packing:

Most people spend too much time and money buying new clothes for their holiday, and not enough time packing the actual suitcase. The packing has as much impact, and is cheaper, although admittedly is less fun. This is the time to indulge your inner fashion nerd: lay out everything in outfits. Allow sufficient time, and come back a couple of hours later to reassess – there will always be at least one thing that you realise instantly you won’t actually wear.

7 Clogs/Sandals:

The only positive benefit of the return of clogs to fashion is that, by comparison, they make gladiator sandals seem both flattering and comfortable. Gladiator sandals are, of course, neither flattering nor comfortable: they make all but the most photogenic of feet look like slabs of undercooked meat, and the law of averages states that if you crisscross a hot pair of feet with 14 leather straps, then at least one of those straps is going to rub. But the alternative, this summer, is to wear clogs. Oddly, there is nothing that accentuates a tree trunk leg quite like attaching a log to the sole of your foot.

8 Swimwear:

The only sensible way to choose swimwear is to ignore all photographs posed on models. Buying a bikini because it looks good on Lara Stone is no different from buying a pair of earrings because they look good on her. It’s not your fault; the presence of a to-die-for body on the page messes with the balance of your brain. It’s a proven fact.

9 Summer weddings:

It is your duty as a wedding guest to look nice. Not look nice as in look attractive, but look nice as in look as if you are nice. The point of a wedding, you see, is that the bride gets to act out her perfect married-life scenario, to be the best-looking girl, the centre of attention, surrounded only by guests who will gush and whoop and give her presents and tell her husband how marvellous she is. And why not? It’s one day – give the girl a break. Your role is to look decorative in the album and add to the aura of wholesome, cupcakey gorgeousness. Any fashion that hints at negativity (wonky Belgian avant-garde charcoal raw-edged felt tunic) or potentially-threatening-to-the-smug-married-order vampishness (Versace slit-to-the-thigh numbers à la Hurley) are strictly ‘Verboten’.

10 Tribal trend:

Wearing “ethnic” is sartorial code for, “I am much too serious to bother myself with fashion. I choose jewellery that looks a bit like something you’d find in an obscure gallery of the British museum to show how cultured I am. My female friends wear artisan scarves and consider themselves evolutionarily superior to women who wear diamanté.” The tribal trend is an attempt by fashion designers to combat this. So good luck with that!.

guardian.co.uk © Guardian News and Media 2010

http://www.citrine-online.co.uk/

SOME trends are simply puzzling. Like the array of printed summer trousers out there – with brain-bending colours, zigzags and graphic manipulations worthy of an ambient screen saver.

Givenchy

Givenchy offers one of the best examples of how to elevate the look from the stalls of Brick Lane. Riccardo Tisci’s chic, sharp Op-Art suiting deserves to be stared at – think Magic Eye for the style discerning. Impress the summer social set with comments on your own ensemble -”Tisci’s appreciation of tone and dimension remind me of Bridget Riley”- as the clever patterns define your curves.

Duro Olowu

The artistic license continues at Duro Olowu - whose bright cotton harem pants were inspired by “the vivid colors and spirit of Picasso’s ‘mosqueteros’ paintings”. They will be quite the holiday master-piece paired with tan wedges and a clashing print shirt. If you are unsure how to dress your pegs for evening, take a cute cue from Marc by Marc Jacobs, whose midnight raw silk stripe strides made a successful coupling with a clashing bustier.

Marc by Marc Jacobs

Banish thoughts of your gap-year or that bizarre festival juggler, and look for a great cut in crisp cotton or shantung silk – they will instantly electrify your summer wardrobe.   Match your trousers with a simple vest, a man’s silk pyjama top or a white YSL rive gauche Le Smoking.

Or what about combining two trends in one, Harem pants and jumpsuit!  Take a look at this baby, our Silk Harem Pant Jumpsuit is just so ohhhh!!!!  Wear this with colourful bold jewellery and you’re ready for the Yacht, summer beach party or a night out with the girl’s.

View it here http://www.citrine-online.co.uk/coming-soon/aryn-k-strapless-harem-pant-jumpsuit/prod_173.html   Exerpts taken from review on Vogue.co.uk

After winter’s dark mood, prints emerged on the spring summer catwalks. There were hot hues, striking monochrome stripes and florals in every incarnation from delicate buds to exploding blooms, as well as fashion’s newest innovation – techno prints, inspired and influenced by computer generated designs and the continued collision between technology and textile design.

Floral (Roberto Cavalli)

Roberto Cavalli ushered in a new mood in Milan. Delicate chiffons printed with rose buds and spring blooms added femininity and lightness when layered over and under tailoring, knitwear and denim. 

Techno Print (Peter Pilotto)

 
Peter Pilotto are fashion’s hottest new design stars right now. The boys wowed London Fashion week with their accomplished collection of techno prints inspired by natural landscapes – which were showcased in dynamic, sculptural silhouettes like this striking dress. This is the label on everyone’s lips for spring 2010, confirming techno prints as the print to wear now.

Tie Dye (Proenza Schouler)

The Proenza Schouler show is a New York Fashion week highlight. This season Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez were inspired by scuba diving, surfing and skating – all sunny pastimes from their youths. The result? Beach inspired tie-die prints that looked modern and fresh – you could almost smell the sea.

Arrived is this ‘Fine Art’ dress, from a company called ‘Me & Thee’.  ‘Me & Thee’ are the brain child of Joanne and Brian, both trained and worked in graphics and printing for major High Street stores before deciding to venture out on their own.  Me & Thee incorporate both florals and techno prints in their collection, both of these printing techniques are to be found in our collection of ‘Me & Thee’ so check back at the end of the week to see our full collection.  One word ‘Beautiful’

View it here http://www.citrine-online.co.uk/evening/prom-dresses/cat_13.html

Focusing on both woven and knits that are ultra stylish, yet versatile,  Aryn K, proudly feature some of the most beautiful styles in market.

View them here http://www.citrine-online.co.uk/coming-soon/aryn-k-tie-dye-draped-silk-dress/prod_172.html

Seen on celebrities such as: Alexa Chung, Kristen Stewart (Twilight) and Guiliana Rancic (E! TV)

Kristen Stewart seen here in an Aryn K jacket.

You can now find Aryn K in numerous boutiques and specialty chain stores across the United States, Canada, Japan, Europe, South America and now the UK.      

Why not look at your local boutique??!!  We stock unusual brands that you won’t find on every high street, generally good quality and that won’t date as soon as you’re back off holiday!!!

Check out a couple of items below from a lovely company called ‘Star Mela’  They specialise in Holiday/Beach wear!!!  Beautiful embroidery, beading, bright colours and great fabrics.

The gorgeous kaftan will be a holiday staple for some years to come, in fact you could wear this at home with beige leggings or even skinnies, dress with a pair of ‘Toe posts’ and you have a great look.

Why not add ‘Laney’ embroidered dress to your suitcase?, again this sundress you can wear at home or on holiday, just add a denim jacket!!

Team with the beautifully embroidered pouch with plaited strap, this you could also use home and away, year after year.  Comes in ecru or black background.

View them here http://www.citrine-online.co.uk/holiday/resort-wear/cat_14.html

As faithful readers of Citrine’s blog no doubt know, boudoir-inspired styles are having a major moment right now and it’s all about lingerie galore this spring! While your mother might not approve of these lingerie looks, ’tis the season to reveal your underpinnings—in a fashionable way, of course! Of course, showing off one’s foundation garments can be a decidedly tricky proposition, which is why it’s good to know how directional dressers like Gwen Stefani and Irina Lazareanu execute this runway look in real life. 

Of course, it’s also intriguing to see how trendsetters are interpreting the trend—especially since the subsequent outfits are so fabulous! Much like the looks at Fendi, our favourite celebrity styles are perfectly tempered and offer a combination of diaphanous tops with covered legs. The most popular way to balance a lingerie-showing shirt is to pair it with some jaunty pants, as Irina Lazareanu and Margherita Missoni recently did, albeit in very different ways. Lazareanu turned up at Anna Sui’s F/W 10 show wearing a sheer YSL blouse tucked into wide-leg trousers and topped with a tux blazer, while Missoni attended a Tar Magazine dinner in Milan last week clad in Missoni’s Sissy Tank Top and Sofia Cropped Cardigan with a pair of floral Kenzo harem pants.

If you are inspired by the lingerie looks here check out our lingerie inspired dress below:

View it here http://www.citrine-online.co.uk/evening/prom-dresses/cat_13.html

WWD.com

Ashley Olsen

Jessica Alba

Jessica Simpson

Can’t afford ‘Rick Owens’?!! Then check out our very own ‘inspired’ leather jacket – available to order only.

When it comes to that closet workhorse, the leather jacket, we’ve got a new motto for spring: go big or go home!  Though boyfriend jeans and menswear -inspired blazers are de rigueur in any clothing conscious wardrobe, we would like to introduce the newest—and in our opinion—chicest iteration of any piece in your borrowed-from-the-boys arsenal: the oversized Moto. You see, cropped biker jackets have been around for quite some time, but this a-little-too-large look feels effortless and right, right now. Layered over your favourite simple sweater or vintage tee, the macro-moto (as we affectionately call it) is edgy, relaxed, and refined. In short: it’s the perfect way to stay stylish this spring!  Check out our Rick Owens inspired biker jacket below – available to order only.

Trend Report WWDd