The Hitlist: 2013

Wednesday 14 August 2013

Tuesday 13 August 2013

When I was an impressionable 13-year-old I remember listening, wide-eyed, to my older sister tell me that EVERYTHING comes back in, eventually. Everything. Even mullet haircuts. She mouthed the words like a teenager reaching the climax of a ghost story. I was aghast. I told her that the next people to have mullet haircuts would be the four horsemen of the apocalypse, and that would still be too soon. Lo and behold, despite my predictions, not more than a year later the new age mullet returned to the streets. My style innocence shattered.

The moral of the story is: there is nothing fashion cannot chew up, spit out, nibble again, spit out, and so on.

All this is a way of saying that either Alexa Chung has been glued into a pair for the summer as some kind of fashion joke, or dungarees are once again an acceptable dish on the style menu. And the most surprising thing is how brilliant they can be.

Essentially, it's business as usual. For evening, as you would when dressing up a scruffy pair of jeans, you need to combine denim dungarees with a printed shirt and statement necklace, plus smart shoes, and always heels if long dungarees are your poison. They are hungry for smartness - so feed them! Alternately, add converse and a striped top for perfectly pinafored weekend gear.

If denim is a throwback too far, opt for smart dungarees in a silky or stiff fabric. You can afford to turn the tapered sort up and team with brogues and smart socks for work-ready cool. If you eye a tapered leg with a healthy level of suspicion, take a patterned, flared number and add big wedges and a floppy hat for rad 70s chic.

Skirt, shorts or slacks; there's a plethora of possibilities. So strap in, turn up and come along for the ride! Don't let those horsemen bother you.

The Hitlist

Perfectly Prepped
ASOS, £30

Suits you, Madame
ASOS, £45

Back to the 90s
Motel, £60

What a pinny!
New Look, £11

Get short
Motel, £48

Remember that floppy hat we talked about?
River Island, £40

Utilitarian
Topshop, £55

Florally bibbed
Urban Outfitters, £345

The best basic
Topshop, £48

Saturday 1 June 2013

Shady Character

Friends, countrymen, lens me your ears. That yellow thing in the sky means only one thing - it's that time of year again. Time to sun yourself in some searing shades, that is!

Rather like the collar trend I discussed previously, strong sunglasses share the hallmarks that make attention-grabbing accessories so joyful. Namely, they're a striking but ultimately throwaway addition to an outfit. You may quake in your ankle boots at the thought of the head-to-toe pastel, mega prints or neon brights that this season demands of you. However, when these trends are just a flash on a frame, they become altogether more accessible. Use sunglasses to add a swipe of colour, a dab of print or a sharpness of shape to an outfit. If you're a sartorial wildcat, you'll relish the opportunity to add some pep to your peepers.

Sunglasses stood up to be counted on the SS13 catwalks. Gucci had colourful face-fillers, Versace showcased bold, wide frames with a hint of 50s flick, Valentino nude frames with pink-hued lenses. Stella McCartney and MaxMara both threw their glasses into the ring in a thick, square shape with bold animal prints, whilst Michael Kors' offerings were akin to lab glasses rendered in block colours (all you who were nodding smugly at the sartorial wildcat reference, consider this a challenge).

Of course, it's unlikely that any of us will be picking up a pair of Guccis. What matters are the key trends: pastels, heavy frames, prints, contoured rims. If in doubt, tortoiseshell proliferates as ever and the circular shape once favoured by John Lennon is a firm frontrunner.

So, show the world your sunny side and furnish your face!

The Hitlist

Buttercup frames
Topshop - £16

A squeeze of orange
Jeepers Peepers at ASOS - £18

Full metal brow
& Other Stories - £29

Flower power
ASOS - £12

Hide tired eyes in style!
Minkpink - £40

Gorgeous goggles - for the brave!
Whistles - £45

Feline fine
Zara - £19.99

Hidden talents
Jeepers Peepers - £16

Pearly queens
Urban Outfitters - £16

On the prowl
ASOS - £12

Up the two tone!
Sunday Somewhere - £170

A pretty pair!
Somewhere Else - £160

Tuesday 28 May 2013

Collar Me In

So, summer approaches and the statement neckwear trend shows no sign of abating. However, the dominance of the Peter Pan style collar is receding, which is good news for those of us (me) who fear that donning one brings with it the risk of a resemblance to Shirley Temple circa 'On The Good Ship Lollipop'. (Admittedly, I have still included a couple below as they were particularly ace, and reassuringly pointy.)

Fear this.

We’re now up to our necks in all sorts of collar creations, featuring every shade of the spectrum and every shred of embellishment available. From jewels to studs to metal to wood, anything is possible. You can bare jewelled brights with this jazzy number from ASOS, take a leap with size and shape with Tatty Devine's portable parakeet and flash fluoro tones with Topshop's spiky offering. Alternatively, choose a muted gold or silver option if you don't want to set your outfit ablaze! A collar popped on top of an old dress or jumper is a great way to refresh your look without splurging on a new outfit, just don't overpower it with lots of conflicting patterns and tones. Let the collar do the talking.

The Hitlist