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

How to wear it:

*mix textures, a stiff cotton jacket will set off a softly draped dress

*wear white over your slimmer parts; nude will flatter the rest

*for accessories think arm cuffs, strong necklaces and perspex bangles

Finish with polished, soft curls, use hot rollers for full on glamour.  Shoes are best in muted colours, but go as high as you dare!!

Scorching shades of red stormed the catwalks this season, drenching S/S10′s most covetable pieces with hues of vermilion, raspberry and coral.  Dive in with bright, clashing accessories and just a touch of contrasting black for a look that’s bold, brilliant and bursting with power!!  Have a look at our ‘Gypsy05′ organic cotton maxi dresses that are made in a solar powered factory in downtown LA!! 

Lauren Conrad of ‘The Hills’, pictured here, has it in every colour!  Want to look like a goddess??? You will in this dress, it’s gorgeous and good to the planet too.  (Also available in yellow and shades of grey)

How to wear it:

*romantic ruffles and soft draping jersey add texture

*highlight searing flashes of scarlet with accessories in fun clashing     colours or warm with luxe gold

*pair a long dress with a contrasting jacket for simple evening elegance.

Finish with a clash of colour with a sequin clutch (Check out Accessorize for them), add a bold gold tribal collar or cuff!!  Bright red lipstick would be too heavy, go for a red lip gloss instead!!

We will be stocking the usual high quality and unusual pieces that we stock online but with more added.  Look out for mongolian fur gilets, fantastic jewellery and beautiful butter soft handbags, all this coupled with excellent customer care!!

Drop in if you can we would love to see you X

For a true beach wave, look to surfer girl Cameron Diaz and queen of laid back boho style Sienna Miller, who wear their hair loosely waved.

Use big barrel tongs to get the look or plait your hair on holiday, let it dry and then comb out with your fingers. 
If you want to rock this look in the city, emulate New Yorker Chloe Sevigny who adds edge to the look by mixing waves with straight sections and texture. Use a texturiser to get this disheveled look.

If you’re more groomed than grunge, take your cue from so-chic Kate Bosworth. She gets the look right for night with perfectly prepped and polished waves pulled back into a loose ponytail. Use a shine spray to add extra polish.

What do you think? Straight or Wavy? Let us know we would love to hear from you x