The Floral Clutch

Statement accessories have fast become an essential finishing touch to any outfit, with bigger, brighter and bolder designs creating a role reversal, as we build our whole outfit around the seasons ‘must have’ key piece, instead of trying to find the perfect pair of shoes or the right colour clutch to match our new dress. 

Delicate embellishment, metallic finishes and oversized fastenings are just some of the key features of the essential clutch bag for Spring Summer 2013. However it’s the pastel shades of floral prints that I have fallen in LOVE with this summer.

Perhaps one of the most versatile accessories of the season, it’s the pretty little things that catch our eye which is why the floral clutch is great for updating a simple outfit, and making that transition from one season to another.

Erdem, Mulberry, House of Holland, Vivienne Westwood, Christopher Kane, Gucci and Matthew Williamson to name just a few have heavily featured floral prints as part of their Spring Summer 2013 collections. Naturally epitomizing the season and creating a sense youthful dressing, the designers unveiled an eclectic mix of pretty pastel eyes, matching floral two-piece tailoring, blooming hair accessories and statement jewellery to complete each look.

Erdem - Spring Summer 2013

The high-street currently has some great offerings, having taken obvious inspiration from the catwalk, to ensure we can all inject at least a little bit of this trend into our summer wardrobe. So while you may not be brave enough to wear floral from head to toe, the clutch allows you to capture the essence of the trend making it such an essential piece for Spring Summer 2013. Work it into your wardrobe by teaming it with a block colour shift dress, a tailored all-in-one or simple city shorts and wedge heels.

On trend key pieces from our high-street with the Dorothy Perkins
envelope clutch (Left) and the bold purse clutch from Coast (Right)

     

So while we have only had a hint of sunshine, in the past few weeks, the time has come to increase the contents of the accessory box injecting a mix of pastel shades and floral prints, so grab your bag because it’s time to go shopping! 

Piece created as part of my contribution to stylobalonline.com, check out their website for the latest news in luxury fashion and lifestyle. 

Words: Nathalie Dawe

The New Waistline

We’ve had the hipster, the high-waisted and the peplum but as we recap over the AW13 collections from London Fashion Week it is notable that the dropped waistline forms the structure of the new season’s silhouette.

Somewhere between the statement shift dress and the peplum – The dropped waistline incorporates a fitted top and structured bottom created with a peplum or a pleated stitch while the horizontal waistline sits just below the hips rather than around the natural waist.  

Featured as a key piece in the AW13 collections at Mulberry, Moschino Cheap and Chic, Alexander Mcqueen, David Korma, Temperley London and Christopher Kane. These designers have fully explored the innovative nature of dress design to enhance the female form and create a staple wardrobe update on a classic piece.

The Dropped Waistline from Alexanda Mcqueen (Left) Just Cavalli (Centre) Moschino (Right)

Although you may have become accustomed to cinching in the waist to meet the demands of previous trends – the drop waist influenced by an early 1920’s silhouette can help elongate the upper body, lengthening the torso to create the illusion of height.

The versatile piece can be worked into your own style by teaming it with a leather jacket, and chunky ankle boots for a cool day look, or style with sky scraper heels, an oversized clutch and a statement necklace for an evening outfit of the ultimate elegance.

Piece created as part of my contribution to stylobalonline.com, check out their website for the latest news in luxury fashion and lifestyle. 

Words: Nathalie Dawe