Topshop

For those who don’t already know, Topshop provides its customers with high street fashion at very affordable prices. They frequently have pieces designed for them by prestigious figures in the fashion industry. Topshop also collaborated with Kate Moss, making her a regular Topshop fashion designer. I didn’t used to like Topshop much, because the products we were receiving here in the Middle East were seasons behind. Now, however, Topshop in the Middle East is in synch with the stores in London, providing us with the latest fashions.

I adore Topshop now, and some of my favorite pieces are from there (including a jacket from the Kate Moss collection). So, I have decided to put up a couple of new pieces that I particularly liked, and thought everyone should have this spring. (Mind you, I am not one of those people who merely preach, I’m going try and get a hold of all these pieces myself!)

This babydoll dress came right on time for spring. It's fun, it flows, and it is nothing less than girly. I absolutely love it, labeling this a must have!

When I first looked at this dress, the candy pink was too much for me and the lace didn't mix in so well, in my opinion. For some reason, though, I now really want this dress. I feel like it could be pulled off both with and without a belt, and be worn both during the daytime and at night (depending on your accessories).

This dress is just plain cute. It follows this spring's colour code of pale and pastels, and has two little ribbons on it, what's not cute about it? It's the perfect every day dress that you can fall back on if you run out of things to wear. Also, because it's plain you can change the look up a lot by mixing and matching.

Sheer materials are back in fashion, and I am glad since I get another shot at trying to pull them off! This dress is very soft and feminine, the colour isn't too harsh, and it wraps so perfectly. Definitely something I'm going to try and get into my closet.

It is true, I'm giving in to the harem trousers. I was insanely against them, but I guess since their comeback they've started to grow on me. These are a cute pair, they're a nice dark grey and they're silk. I'm going to give them a shot.

I love vests, and this one looked unique to me. The colour is very earthy which will match perfectly with this springs pastels. It also seems like it would just drop into place once worn. I'm imagining wearing this over a cream coloured, short dress. Pretty!

Usually, if I were to tell you to match a cream coloured knit sweater with pearl accessories, you would naturally assume my target audience was aged 60+. BUT this sweater is an exception. It is so down to earth, and I'm already comfortable just looking at it through my monitor. Match this with pearls and cute jeans shorts, and you have a very cute outfit for this spring.

How do you try and get that "bad ass" look while still looking feminine? These shoes! Matched with a short black spring dress, this will keep you looking girly, but is kind enough to add a little edge to your look. Loving it.

I am hoping and praying that they included these in the shipments to the Middle East! I love gold, I love ribbons, and I adore charms, therefore making this the perfect bracelet for me. It looks like a lot of fun, meaning that if you were to wear it, you'd look like a lot of fun too. Thumbs up.

And of course, saving the best for last, my number one item on the list: Topshop's contribution to Fashion Targets Breast Cancer. It's going for only £16, it's cute, and it has the FTBC logo on the inside, to remind you of how you helped out.

Pictures from Topshop.com

Fashion Targets Breast Cancer 2010

Fashion Targets Breast Cancer is the genius way in which the fashion industry, namely the CFDA, have responded to the issue of breast cancer awareness. Along with raising awareness, it raises funds for breast cancer research and care for patients with breast cancer, among other things.

The 2010 Fashion Targets Breast Cancer campaign was launched today, with Kylie Minogue (who fought a battle against breast cancer herself) as the face of this year’s campaign. Claudia Schiffer and Sienna Miller will also be in this year’s campaign.

Additionally, FTBC makes it fun to be a part of this charity. Why, you ask? Well, because now we can fight cancer with fashion. A number of high street stores have picked certain articles of clothing to be a part of the FTBC collection. All of the money that these pieces bring in goes toward the charity. There are some very cute pieces at affordable prices, so for whoever is able I really encourage you to go out and buy yourself something. I am personally going to try and find the “love to love” vest top from TopShop.

Here is the FTBC collection for 2010:

So, if it's as easy as purchasing one of these items then why not? Show your support by going shopping. You'll feel good for contributing to the cause, as well as feeling good because you just went shopping! Help spread awareness about breast cancer, someone in the world's loved one is fighting it as we speak.

Pictures from the FTBC website

Who Wore It Best?

Even celebrities are faced with the biggest disaster when it comes to girls and fashion: wearing the same dress as someone else. Just because they’re famous, doesn’t mean they can avoid this problem. Same dress, different people… but who wore it best?

Jennifer Hudson (actress/singer) and Blake Lively (actress)

While both are in the same black stunning dress by Victoria Beckham, they don't both look equally as good in it. I personally prefer the dress on Lively, it fits perfectly on her body and gives off a soft and feminine vibe. Whereas on Hudson, it's a little bit too intense, she kind of seems like she's going to burst out of the dress. Comfort is the key to looking good, and Hudson looks anything but comfortable.

Lady Gaga (singer) and Christina Ricci (actress)

This Marc Jacobs dress looks like a piece of heaven sewn together into something wearable. It flows beautifully, and looks so light that it must feel like you're wearing nothing at all. Ricci pulls it off with class, matching it with her ruby red lips. While I must give Lady Gaga props for trying to make the dress look more unique and different, she didn't really succeed. She looks more like she just woke up recovering from the night before, which must have included a lot of salt, lemons, and tequila for her to look like that!

Paris Hilton (socialite) and Nicole Cammack (Big Brother housemate)

I never thought I would say this, but Hilton actually wears this Marc Jacobs dress very well. Cammack looks a tad too vulgar for my taste, but Hilton looks like the dress was made to fit her. White is not an easy colour to pull off, my advice to Cammack would be: maybe try black next time.

Shakira (singer) and Pink (singer)

Not only do these two have the same dress on, but they also wore it on the same night (2009 MTV VMAs). As for who wore it better, I'm undecided. I like the way Shakira matched the dress with boots, it gives it a very edgy and sexy look. At the same time, I adore Pink in her black heels and anklet, giving her a very feminine feel.

Stella McCartney (designer) and Joanna Lumley (actress)

McCartney, as always, looks great in her own design; and why shouldn't she, since she's the one who created this dress. I'm not too fond of Lumley's matching with leggings, I feel like the solid black makes the dress pop out a lot more, as opposed to the softer look on McCartney. Also, Lumley is wearing the belt a lot thinner, wide belts are always the way to go if the belt is going around your waist!

Sophia Bush (actress) and Elsa Pataky (actress)

I'm not a big fan of Gucci, but this dress does spark a little Gucci-love from deep within. I think both Bush and Pataky look great in this dress, it flatters the both of them. However, I do prefer Pataky in it, only because she's darker than Bush, and therefore the dress doesn't wash her out as it did for Bush.

Marion Cotillard (actress) and Jessica Stroup (actress)

Vivienne Westwood did a fantastic job with this dress, but who did a better ob wearing it? I would go with Cotillard. Stroup looks out of place in the dress, in my opinion, while Cotillard looks like she perfectly slipped into it.

Lauren Conrad (TV personality) and Pixie Lott (actress)

Without hesitation, Conrad look so much better in this Moschino dress. Lott looks like a new car seat covered in plastic, and the bottom of her dress looks wilted. Conrad pulls it off beautifully because the top of the dress is hugging her figure, and the bottom of the dress is more "alive".

Katherine Jenkins (singer) and Kelly Ripa (TV host)

Jenkins wins this round, the purple Victoria Beckham dress really flatters her. Another reason I like Jenkins in the dress more is that her figure fills the dress out. Her curves make the dress look so much better. Ripa looks the same way a plastic skeleton in a biology lab would look if a bunch of high school kids decided to put a dress on it for fun. Harsh, but it had to be said.

Victoria Beckham (designer) and Elle Macpherson (model)

Although Beckham designed this dress, I don't particularly like it on her as much as I like it on MacPherson. I think it has to do with the curves, once again. MacPherson's body fills out the dress and gives it a very "womanly" look. Beckham needs to take a trip down to McDonalds and get herself a few cheeseburgers (I love her, but sometimes you just need to be real).

Freida Pinto (actress) and Sophia Hesketh (socialite)

I think they both look equally great in this Christopher Kane dress. The dress in itself is stunning, and both women pulled it off from head to toe. I do like it a little bit more on Hesketh, though, just because she matched it with ankle boots, giving the outfit a slight edge over Pinto's.

Doutzen Kroes (model) and Zoe Saldana (actress)

Showing off an Azzedine Alaia deisgn, Saldana takes it to a whole new level. Kroes looks good, but that's about it, there's nothing outstanding about her in the dress. It just looks like it fits better on Saldana, from the top part of the dress which just falls loosely down, to the mid-section of the dress where it's hugging her waist, to the bottom of the dress which shows off a playful side of her.

Kristin Scott Thomas (actress) and Duffy (singer)

Hands down, Thomas looks so much better and so much classier in this Yves Saint Laurent dress than Duffy does. Duffy looks like she's heading to a wrestling match, the dress doesn't look good short, and it definitely doesn't work for her. Thomas looks very elegant and, well, pretty.

Flashback!

Looking through your parents’ pictures of when they were younger would usually make you laugh, right? I know that I haven’t held back on the laughter when I saw my parents’ pictures. The only reason I was laughing is because they looked so outdated. The hair, the clothes, it was all just so old. That’s when my mother said “laugh now, but next season this will probably come back in fashion”, and she’s right! It seems that every time I’m laughing at how they used to dress back in the day, the next season came around dragging trends from the 50’s, 60’s, and 70’s.

My good friend Ranya gave me the idea for this article. I am going to look at all the old trends that have come back, and compare them with their original look from the past.

1950's vs Today

Many designers are going back to the 50's for inspiration. The 3 pictures shown below are all Marc Jacobs for Louis Vuitton, Fall 2010.

1960's vs Today

The mod style obviously refuses to die, because I remember buying a mod dress when I was around 12 or 13. The 60's is still in the hearts of Miu Miu (first 2 pictures) and Chanel (3rd picture)

1970's vs Today

As I had mentioned in an older post, hot pants are back and very much in. They were big in the 70's, and today they're all over the runway.

Hot or Not: Spring/Summer 2010 Accessories

With a new season come new designs in the fashion industry. This means that the Spring/Summer 2010 collections are finally here. While clothes are always fun to look at, I would like to take the time to look at this season’s new accessory collections.

So, what’s hot and what’s not this season?

Chanel

While I absolutely love Chanel’s classic collection, I have to say that I’m extremely turned off by this bag. I don’t know if it’s the tweed, or the odd colours of silk, but to me the combination is screaming “DISASTER”.

Givenchy by Riccardo Tisci

I don’t know if it’s because I have a slight obsession with all things metallic (specifically gold and silver) but this bag is on my top ten for this season’s collections. It seems simple at the first glance, but its shape is unusual, which is what caught my eye. I also really like the texture of this bag.

Lara Bohnic

This bag definitely goes on my hot list. The shape is interesting, and the design is interesting. It kind of looks like a sac-style purse, that’s been opened up like a flower. Gold and black are always the classy colour choices. It’s just a great bag that can be carried around night or day.

Yves Saint Laurent

This bag is far too plain for me, and brown is not the best colour to choose when you’re going plain. I guess it’s practical in the sense that it can be matched with a lot of different things, and would be great when going for the simple look. I personally find it just plain boring.

Balenciaga by Nicolas Ghesquiere

Although I am not a big fan of yellow (or straw, for that matter) I have to admit that I actually really like this bag. You have the classic Balenciaga mirror on the side, mixed with a very fresh, very young, and very spring/summer look. Maybe I’ll reconsider yellow this season.

Charlotte Olympia

I’m going to be extremely harsh with this shoe. I don’t like the colour or the print. And I definitely don’t like the platform. I’m very short (5 foot, to be exact) so I’m all for massive heels and cute or classy platforms that help me pull off a significant height. However, these just look tacky to me.

Fendi

Usually when people say “Fendi” to me, I automatically think of their purses, and how much I don’t like their prints. I guess they’re better off designing shoes, because this one is beautiful. The pastel pink is perfect with this season’s trends, and the tulle gives it such a soft and feminine look. I would say this is definitely a must-have.

Faith

I think it might be the gold this time, but I actually like this design. I’m not usually a big fan of open toe heels that lace up at the front, but this is one of those designs that seem like it would look stunning when worn. My mind put them on my feet, along with cute brown shorts and a beige top… I think I found myself a new pair of shoes!

Lucy Hutchings

PEARLS! I have an unhealthy obsession with pearls, so oversized pearls will have a certain effect on me. I think this necklace is stunning, and if I can get my hands on it I would buy it without hesitation. It perfectly combines classy and chic, which is my favorite look for young women, and mixes silver and gold which are my two favorite “fashion colours”. I think it’s quite obvious that I am unbelievably in love with this necklace.

Pamela Love (at Liberty)

Not too fond of skulls, I have one faux-bijoux skull necklace which is miniature (so it just looks like a tiny ball of sparkle) and I barely wear it. This ring is not only a skull, but it’s a bird skull. I think my opinion on this ring is quite clear… not a fan.

Dolce & Gabbana

Once again, the combination of silver, gold, and pearls, with one extra ingredient: busy! Some may look at this necklace and think “way too much going on there”, but I love the mess of it. This is perfect for dressing up a plain dress or shirt. All in all, pretty brilliant.

Look out for more of this seasons newest designs!