Lady In Red

I recall seeing the Marchesa Fall 2011 collection back in February and being left breathless at the beauty of one particular dress. The silk organza illusion gown featured gothic red embroidery with a studding train that captivated me as it floated down the runway. But I found myself wondering just how this masterpiece would translate to the red carpet.

Step in actress Rachel McAdams. She managed to look dramatic and romantic at the same time, proving to be one of the best dressed at the Cannes Film Festival in France this week. Though I may be a bit biased, as I have a total girl crush on her! But seriously, I dare you to find someone that looked as stunning as her, she hit the nail on its fashionable head with each outfit she has worn so far. From said Marchesa gown, to the ‘oh so cute’ Maxime Simoens white couture dress. Whilst other stars such as Salma Hayeck may have gone for all out Hollywood Glamour (and well, might I add), my idol went for the chic, simple look in this one. And it worked like a dream. Some might think playing it safe, but those thoughts would have been blasted out the window as she wowed in that transfixing red number, and later as she rocked a gold Monique Lhuillier trouser-bustier combo, going against the red carpet grain of the dress.

SIGH. I just want to be her. Or at least have all her clothes.

The Festival Fringe

As the countdown to summer begins, celebrities are paving the way to the ultimate festival fashion must haves. Forget wellies, anoraks and those old clothes we aren’t afraid to get dirty, this year it’s all about fringing, hotpants and the maxi. Better start praying for some sunny weather then, hadn’t we?!

Although we may be tempted to pull out our comfiest and baggiest items from the back of the wardrobe, remember that festivals are the summer seasons catwalk. Which is very good in theory, but if I recall my experience at 2010’s T in the Park, my rucksack was full of extremely undesirable leggings and old vest top ensembles. In fact the one day I did strut about in denim hotpants, the heavens opened, and I was forced to stay in the tent for the remainder of the stay with tonsillitis and a cold. A big fat fail.

But the celebs at Coachella made it all look far too easy.  Fair enough, the festival is in a bloody desert, therefore guaranteeing sweltering hot weather, however they still managed to make me boil up with envy. Try as I might, I couldn’t go one hour without getting dirt/spilling drink/falling in a puddle at the almighty T.

However, if I manage to make it to the music extravaganza at Balado this year, I will definitely be paying a lot more attention to my wardrobe. As I already mentioned, fringing is nudging its way back into the limelight. It was used in the twenties to make entire dresses (think flapper, showgirl type outfits), and now it’s proving it has stood the test of time by re-branding itself for the 21st century in the popular form of embellishment on crop tops, bags, shorts...the list is endless. From top designers to the highstreet, the craze has spread like wildfire.

So as you cram your rucksack full of necessities such as baby wipes and the extremely important dry shampoo, spare a thought for festival fashion. Think positive as you pack a gorgeous tribal printed maxi dress (Warehouse have brilliant ones), or your denim short shorts. And of course the crop vest with fringe embellishment (Topshop are full to the brim with them). And rest assured in the knowledge that whilst it may not be a scorcher of a weekend, it most certainly will be a stylish one...

YES for Online Shopping

Gone are the days of trying on hundreds of outfits in those tiny square cubicles that shops like to call ‘dressing rooms.’ No longer do we have to risk knocking ourselves out as we battle to try on the seasons latest must haves in those enclosed, claustrophobic spaces, which always seem to have TERRIBLE lighting. I constantly look awful in those ghastly mirrors; therefore I am choosing to blame this on the lighting.  Please don’t try to tell me different, I am rather happy in my little bubble of denial.

No longer do we feel the need to spend money on items we are unsure of, convincing ourselves that ‘we just need to see it at home, in our own surroundings, you know?’ Don’t get me wrong, I am not judging at all. My goodness, I’ve done it more times than I like to count! And it ALWAYS ends up with me forgetting to return the items and ending up with a dress hanging in my wardrobe that I am never going to wear. With me seeing pound signs every time I catch a glimpse of it, as I imagine the money that could have been spent on a pair of essential shoes instead, had I just refunded it within those 28 days....

Yes, this is all a thing of the past thanks to online shopping, hurrah for the online generation! I can now order as much as I like (well, as much as my bank balance allows, which is always a lot less than I would ideally want) and try it on in the comfort of my own home. Where the lighting is ideally suited and I can pair it up with accessories I already own, saving me some much needed cash.  Consider my mother, for example. She has a wedding coming up this summer and ordered £700 worth of dresses to try on. Yes, that’s seven HUNDRED pounds worth of cream and green outfits. Can you imagine how long it would have taken had she been trailing around the shops looking for the suitable attire, with me following (a second opinion is always needed when shopping by foot, to reassure you it is just indeed the lighting making you look fat), it would have taken FOREVER. Instead she was directed to the exact location for formal dresses and was able to decide within half an hour of them all arriving on our doorstep. Again, thank god for online shopping.  (In case you’re wondering, she chose this one from Laura Ashley, looks gorgeous on her!)

So all in all, It would seem that this cyber world has improved our overall shopping experience. And it’s very helpful too! I've noticed many websites are now offering a ‘wear with this...’ section, in which it chooses out an entire outfit based on the item you are looking at. Yes, it’s a sneaky way to get you to part with your cash. But hey, if it helps a girl complete an outfit, I’m all for it!

Tim Berners-Lee, from online shoppers everywhere, I offer you our gratitude for making it so easy for us to stay fashionable! Bet you never considered that when you first created the first World Wide Web browser....