Trends at New York Fashion Week - floral grunge

New York fashion week has recently wrapped up and London Fashion Week has come and gone. So I thought, this time, I would check out what the fashionable guests of NY Fashion Week were wearing and spot the most popular trend for this Autumn/Winter 2013.

The September fashion weeks around the globe give us an insight into what we’ll be wearing next Spring/Summer in 2014. But the most interesting part for me is seeing what the designers, models, celebrities and fashionistas are wearing to attend Fashion Week. The attire of these fashionable guests confirms the current trends for this Fall. And by the look of these street style snaps of visitors to New York Fashion Week, the big look for this year is “Floral Grunge”.

New York Fashion Week 2013 c/o The Citizens of Fashion

Top designer Henry Holland introduced this trend during the last NY Fashion Week back in February (below left) and style leaders Lashes of London have been featuring it throughout their Fall/Winter collections (below). This look is based on dark floral pieces that have been styled down by combining pretty dresses with tie-dye. Floral shirts can also be combined with textured fabric (such as torn denim, crochet and chunky knits) to get this look. New floral prints are darker in colour than our summer favourites and the flower designs have a smudgey smeared appearance or digital, pixelated quality. Tropical designs are mixed with thick Winter jumpers, dark leggings and boots.

Get this look for less…

And best of all this look doesn’t have to cost a fortune and you don’t have to rush out to buy a whole new wardrobe. I’ve been rummaging around in my closet to find items that I can use to recreate the floral grunge look for myself. And the good news is that any of my Spring/Summer floral dresses can be layered up with tatty cardigans, ripped denim and tie-dye grunge assessories. Have a look at what you already own and choose dark, grungy pieces to go with your florals to create a look that is fashionable, not just for SS14 but for right now!

Hot footwear trend for Spring/Summer 2014 from London Fashion Week

London Fashion Week has come and gone and I’ve been keeping my eyes peeled over the weekend for the hot footwear trends for Spring/Summer 2014. I know it’s super-early to be thinking about next season, especially when we’re only just getting our Fall ankle boots out, but it’s good to know what’s up-and-coming so that we can get stay ahead of the fashionistas and inject some S/S14 trend into our footwear wardrobe right now!

Top shoe designer Sophia Webster regularly exhibits at London Fashion Week so it was no surprise that her playful designs for Spring/Summer 2014 have been on show this week. These might not be your choice for every-day shoes, but for nights out and special occasions, they are a fabulous footwear treat! I particularly loved the cartoon designs emerging in this collection; With toes adorned with speech bubbles and superhero colours, this demonstrates that the geek-chic trend is far from over and that comic-book fashion will be fierce in Spring/Summer 2014.

Sophia Webster S/S14 shoes c/o Shoewawa

And this trend was further confirmed when footwear-giant Manolo Blahnik exhibited his Spring/Summer collection for the first time ever at London Fashion Week. His super-high heels featured bright primary colours, contrast outlining and garish patterns – the kind of thing that Supergirl would wear perhaps?! The playful colours don’t however give way to comfort, as Blahnik recently told Vogue, his shoes are rigorously tested by workers in his Milan factory to ensure they are comfortable and easy to wear, despite the sky-scraper heels. Manolo confirms that the secret is in the positioning of the heel; ‘One centimetre either way and the shoe is a flop’. His new collection was well received by the London audience, keen to get a glance at the designers first showing at LFW13 and I’m certain that this nerdy comicesque trend will be everywhere next Spring/Summer.

Manolo Blahnik S/S14 collection c/o Daily Mail

What do you think of this super-bright trend? Will you be wearing it next year? Or have you already got a comic-book print dress? I personally love the Twinkle Toes shoes and if I were getting married again, I would insist on wearing these underneath my wedding dress! At least we now know what we can expect to see in shoe departments all over the country next Spring and get one step ahead (excuse the pun) of the fashion crowd.

DIY fashion - adding ladylike collars to clothing

I’m a big fan of ladylike fashion and the popularity of period TV shows such as Downton Abbey has reinforced this trend, ensuring that is will remain fashionable throughout the Fall season. A great way to follow this trend without going OTT wearing period costume is wearing pretty collars on clothing. I love a fashionable peter-pan collar on a dress or top and I’ve recently been scouring my local thrift stores to find tops and blouses with collar trims - I recently picked up this black cardigan above from a thrift store and I’ve used it as inspiration for my DIY fashion blog post for adding pretty lace collars to your knitwear. I had a tatty old cream cardigan hanging at the back of my wardrobe that I simply never wore (it’s actually got a hole in the shoulder – you can just about spot it in this photo below!) and I decided to customise it by adding a collar around the neckline and either side of the buttons. You can pick up a cardigan to customise from your local thrift store for next-to-nothing, and while you’re there, hunt around for any lace trimmings or even crochet placemats to add to your cardigan.

DIY Fashion - adding ladylike collars to clothing:

You will need: A cardigan or blouse, lace trim, fabric doily or haberdashery collar, pins, matching thread, needle or sewing machine

1. I got this piece of embellished collar from Wholeport online shop, but you can use any lace or embroidered trim that you find – or even a fabric doily or the edge of a net curtain. I cut it in half to fit either side of the button seam, and pinned one half to the cardigan.
2. I used my sewing machine to stitch the lace along the edge of the cardi, but you could hand-stitch it or even use fabric glue to stick it in place. I then stitched around the outer-edge of the lace trim to keep it flat.

3. Do up the buttons on the cardigan and position the second half to match up with the one you have already stitched. Pin in place and repeat the sewing process to secure it in position.

I hope you’ll agree that it looks much nicer and by just adding a collar I’ve turned a cardigan that I have never worn into something that I don’t want to take off! And don’t to forget to add pretty collars to anything else that takes your fancy – maybe the neckline of a t-shirt or around the top of a dress? And little lace collars can look super-cute on children’s clothing, so think about adding a collar trim to your child’s clothing too!

A/W13 shoe style - Celebrity trends for Fall footwear

I know it’s still lovely warm sunny weather outside, but if you haven’t already started to think ahead to your Autumn/Winter wardrobe, you are way behind your favorite celebrity fashionistas and when the weather turns (as it so suddenly does), you’ll be wishing you’d thought about your Fall look in advance!

Really, the first thing to update is your footwear, because you’ll need to swap those strappy sandals for something more covered-up, warmer and sturdier. It’s one of the easiest ways of updating the previous season’s outfits – just get yourself a pair of statement shoes and the rest of the look will follow. If you haven’t got to grips with the Autumn trends yet, don’t panic, because everything you need to know about Fall footwear is right here.

The ultimate staple footwear for Autumn/Winter is always ankle boots and you can’t beat them for turning summer outfits into Fall looks with only a pair of leggings! This makes your old summer dresses suitable to wear throughout the colder months, just like Gwen Stefani has done above. Plus, these lazer-cut ankle boots are everywhere, and are great for showing little flesh while it’s still warm enough, but keeping things practical with a sensible heel and good support. When winter hits, go for a classic black leather Chelsea boot like Julianne Hough or funk up your Fall look with a monochrome buckled pair of ankle boots. Once you have found your favourite pair of ankle boots, like Nicky Hilton’s lace-up pair above, that’s all you’ll need to keep your wardrobe looking cool until next Spring!

A huge trend for this Autumn/Winter is flat shoes - From cute pumps to ballet slippers, and even the odd flatform – provided you keep it chic like Reece Witherspoon above – everything goes! These shoes are super-comfortable and will minimize slipping when the sidewalk is wet under-foot and especially practical are high-top sneakers like the ones Jessica Alba is sporting – very relaxed and cool, whist also being the easiest-ever shoes to walk in! Funky fabrics were all over the A/W13 catwalk so stay on trend by giving your flat shoes an unconventional twist – choose fabrics such as patent, velvet and perspex.

I hope you can use some of the tips above for updating your own summer wardrobe, so that you’re ready to be super-comfortable and on-trend during the winter months. What will you be putting on your feet this Autumn/Winter??

Footwear trends for summer shoes

After such a gloriously sunny weekend, my thoughts have turned to the rest of the summer and what I’ll want to be wearing. I’ve got a lot of pretty dresses that I can wear with bare legs, but not many pairs of shoes to go with them. I have plenty of high-heel shoes, but they are all in black, grey, burgundy and brown – great for winter and they go perfectly with tights, but are a bit too dark to wear with bare legs. So I’ve done a bit of research into trends for summer shoes in 2013.

There are many different styles that are fashionable this summer, including “flatforms” – flat shoes with a platform sole – strappy ‘gladiator’ sandals and chunky wedges. Traditionally summer is a time for flat flip-flops/thong sandals, which are perfect for a casual look and for wearing on the beach. Although flat sandals are often comfortable it’s a false economy to choose the cheapest pairs - hobbling home from a day out at the beach with broken straps, blisters and skin rubbed-raw by the toe-post/thong is not a good look! Really, you want to show off your pedicure in pretty sandals but without the pain!

Image courtesy of Cassiefairy.com

So for a more dressy summer style it would be good to find the perfect pair of summer shoes with a little heel – not too high that you can’t walk in them, but a little extra height will elongate your legs and will often be more comfortable for the natural shape of your foot than flat sandals. The challenge is finding a pair of shoes that will look good with bare legs and pretty dresses - in a color that would be neutral enough to coordinate with a whole range of prints and colors and could be used later on in the year too.

I’ve had a look at the summer footwear choices of my favorite fashionistas above and I have decided that a small wedge heel would work best for me – heels the height of those that Jennifer Aniston and the Duchess of Cambridge are wearing would elongate your legs without being painfully high. In contrast, Beyoncé’s usually super-long legs look much shorter in these flat thong sandals and I think they would make most women’s legs look stumpy! I like how Disney sweetheart Vanessa Hudgen’s choice of nude shoes make her legs look even longer, and anything darker than pink, mink or nude would cut off your legs at the ankle, making them look shorter. I also think that Vanessa’s peep-toe slingback shoes look summery with a pretty dress and could continue to be worn into autumn too.

When buying summer shoes, the best idea is to shop ‘in person’ rather than online so that you could try them on for comfort, because you will be walking in them a lot this summer and would be wise to make sure the height is okay before making a purchase. Also keep an eye out for straps that might rub around the heel and buckles that may dig into your skin – hot feet will increase friction, so any potential rubbing spots will definitely cause you pain! As a general rule, the more straps or uppers that the shoes have to cover your feet, the more firmly attached the shoes will be to your foot and there will be less chance of rubbing causing blisters. Let me know what you think about summer shoes - what will you be wearing on your feet this summer?

Footwear fashion trend - 90s platforms, flatforms & biker boots

Well, it’s true. The 90s are back. The catwalks are showcasing 90s-inspired fashion and the shops are packed full of ’last millennium’ shoe trends. I can’t believe that I’ve already reached that age where my teen years have become ‘retro’ and I’m seeing those outfits coming back the second-time-round. That’s the quickest way to make a girl feel her age!

But the good news is that, in truth, I’ve probably never really left the 90s. That was the best time for me: the music was my favourite cheesy pop and TV was not-to-be-missed – and not just because we didn’t have TIVO in those days – I loved Friends, The Fresh Prince of Bel Air (remember rapping the theme tune?), Dawson’s Creek and even earlier Saved by The Bell? The only thing that was less-than-brilliant was the fashion - I looked a right state in the 90s and nothing like Cher from Clueless!

But hey, if the fashion world thinks that the 90s are due for a revival, who am I to argue? So in my own small way I’ve embraced the new footwear trends and got myself a pair of Spice Girls-esque sparkly Union Jack platform shoes, like Ginger Spice used to wear. But that’s not the only footwear trend to pop up again – there are plenty of 90s-inspired shoes out there at the moment including flatform shoes and platform trainers – yes, the ones that Baby Spice fell off and ended up with her ankle in a cast – do we really want a repeat of this?

Jelly shoes have wobbled their way back into the shops and I’m pleased to say that Doc Marten boots are back in fashion! I practically lived in my DMs when I was a sulky teen, convinced that I looked just like Claire Danes in My So-Called Life, but where are my old Dr Martens now? I want to get them out and wear them again but they’re nowhere to be found and I’m sure I wouldn’t have thrown them away after months of saving my allowance to buy them. Here’s a few trendsetters including Jessica Alba, Amber Rose and Gwen Stefani who’ve been spotted in Doc Marten boots time and time again:

So to avoid the pain of falling off a pair of platforms (or the pain of being ridiculed for wearing flatform trainers over the age of 13), the best 90s footwear fashion trend to follow this summer is probably the biker boots, especially the blood-red ones like those above. If you invest in a good pair of sturdy DM-style boots, they’ll last you for years (probably even until the style comes around again in another 20 years) and they are super-comfortable, and no-one can complain about that!

February Sweetheart Styles: DIY Caviar Manicure

February is the Month of Love and that means it’s time to put together those February Sweetheart styles. Along with the perfect dress, shoes, and accessories, a bright and fun manicure can help pull the whole look together!

Tamagotchi L.i.f.e. is all about trying new trends, and what better time is there to try something new than in the Month of Love? Caviar manicures have been seen photographed on many celebrities and all over fashion runways. There are nail kits out there that sell caviar nail polish for about $25 a bottle, but these nails can be easily replicated with microbeads from a craft store like Michael’s and your favorite nail polish.

First, you want to make sure to pick a nail polish color that matches the beads in case the beads don’t completely cover your nail. If you will be doing a complete caviar manicure, it is important to paint one nail at a time so that the beads will stick before the polish dries.

Once you paint your nail, you want to immediately pour the beads over your nail, using a bowl to catch any beads that fall. If your manicure looks bumpy you can push the beads down with your finger to smooth it out. Be sure to let the nails dry completely before moving around too much so that the beads don’t start falling everywhere! Also, you might be tempted to add a clear top coat to seal the beads, but you shouldn’t because, trust me, it will make the beads bleed color and not look as 3D.

Once your nails are dry, that’s it! It’s so simple and looks just like the caviar manicure you would get from a kit. You can also change it up by only doing a caviar nail accent or mixing two bead colors together. However you do this manicure, it looks chic and stands out – just like you will this month!

Recipes for the Latest Trends: Colorblocking

Colorblocking has made numerous red carpet appearances, ranging from palettes of bold jewel tones to fun neon options to more muted hues, this trend can be interpreted in so many different ways. The best part? You can create the look from your own closet!

Sabrina Levine loves color just as much as Tamagotchi L.i.f.e. does and her closet is proof of it. It must be our lucky day because today this fashionable University of Southern California student shared a few tips on how to colorblock using the contents of your own closet.

Tip 1: Choose your first block
The simplest method to creating a colorblock outfit is to select a piece and build on it. Have a piece that steals the show? Let it have the spotlight! Sabrina’s bold blue blazer, complete with shoulder pads and sharp tailoring, is a great foundation for an outfit.

The Ingredients:

Tip 2: Building blocks
Add another solidly colored piece to the outfit, creating the colorblock look. If you are new to the trend and not ready to pair two bright colors, try pairing a bright color with a neutral shade.

Tip 3: Try some texture
If you think that wearing only solid colors is boring, play around with different textures! Sabrina’s skirt has a patterned texture that provides interest to the outfit, making it much more than simply a cream-colored skirt. And if you take a closer look at her black skirt, you are able to admire the vertical panels that make up the skirt.

Tip 4: Add accessories
Accessories provide a great opportunity to add another layer of colorblocking to an outfit. Try a boldly colored scarf or bright purse to punch up a look. Sabrina suggests layering a pair of colored tights, or even a pair of white tights as shown here, to achieve a chic look.

Tamagotchi L.i.f.e. is all about making a statement with your personal style! Follow these steps and you’ll be on your way to bold, colorful looks. Just remember to have fun with it and mix it up!

Blog Post By: Keanne Okabayashi, Los Angeles, California; with help from Sabrina Levine

Back to the Future: Oversized is In!

They’re BACK! Boyfriend jackets and oversized sweaters are all the rage again. Trendsetters have been sighted wearing them on the runway, around town, and in Tinseltown. The good news for Tamagotchi L.i.f.e. fans? You can get these oversized looks without having to empty your wallet. Boyfriend jackets are the perfect fit to flatter any body type, and so versatile that you can wear them with almost anything; dress them up by pairing them with jeans and heels, or dress for a casual afternoon at the movies in corduroys and suede boots.

Another style from the 80′s that has made a comeback is the oversized sweater. You may find one or two buried deep in your closet. Simply add an infinity scarf, or some layering, wear them with skinny jeans and you’re good to go! Both boyfriend jackets and oversized sweaters are great for after-holiday casual looks. They also come in handy for January’s colder weather because you can layer a shirt or two underneath either of these pieces to stay cozy and warm.

So, remember to think twice before you clear your closet of old favorites. They may hold promise for a future fashion trend, because you never know when they will come back in style with an exciting new twist…just like Tamagotchi L.i.f.e.! It’s inspired by the original Tamagotchi philosophy with new lifestyle products for those who want to express their personal style. Go to Facebook and take the Tamagotchi L.i.f.e. personality quiz at http://www.facebook.com/TamagotchiLife/app_455615964496482 to see what type of Tamagotchi you are. I’m most like Tarakotchi, who can be elusive at times, and is often mysterious. So true!

Blog Post By: Dilyara Castro, Southern California

All About The: Button-Down Top

When you think of button-down shirts, images of men dressed in suits with briefcases in hand are likely to come to mind. But this menswear staple is becoming a staple in women’s closets. The button-down top is no longer limited to the conventional white version, as designers offer their takes on the business casual classic. And with such a variety of button-down styles, it can now be worn for a number of occasions. But the best part is that the shirt’s professional roots still shine through, giving any outfit a polished look.

These are some of my favorite takes on the button-down top—capturing the range of styles that can be found in your local mall. Just as Tamagotchi L.i.f.e. has a great appreciation of color, don’t be afraid to mix it up and add some colorful accents to create a trendy twist on these classic styles!

Fun Prep
Echoing the iconic Ralph Lauren button-down, this green version switches things up and ends the buttoning mid-torso.

Wear it: with a pair of skinny cropped pants or jeans. Go with flats for the full prep effect or a pair of Converse for a more utilitarian aesthetic.

Free-Spirit
The pinstripes may remind you of the office original, but this version’s lightweight material and loose fit sets it apart from its predecessor.

Wear it: untucked and get the full billowy effect. For an effortlessly cool look, pair it with denim cut-off shorts.

Grunge
Perhaps the most well known update to the button-down is the nineties’ grunge staple, the denim button-down.

Wear it: buttoned, unbuttoned, sleeves rolled up, with a pair of pants, or even a dress…the possibilities are endless.

Artsy
It’s the little details that make this button-down seem as if it should be hanging in an art gallery. From the semi-sheer silk fabric to the watercolor-esque purple stripes—fashionistas and art lovers alike can appreciate this top.

Wear it: with a cami layered underneath. A neutral toned cami puts the button-down in the spotlight, while a colored cami makes for a fun look.

Glam Rock
Tie-dyed, 100% silk, and cutoff sleeves, this version is a far cry from the original. But that means it’s also a far cry from the confines of a cubicle—so, wear it out for some fun!

Wear it: out. Whether you choose to pair it with heels, flats, or boots, one thing is for sure…you won’t be mistaken for a businessman.

Blog Post By: Keanne Okabayashi, Los Angeles, California