Closet Control: key item #2

To have a gorgeous wardrobe is every fashionista's dream, having a huge variety of unique but on-trend ensembles at the ready is perfection. However to each wardrobe there are basics that are a must, no matter what you're personal style without these basics you're wardrobe won't be at its best, over the next few weeks I'll post various sections of the 'perfect' wardrobe with pictures, diagrams and helpful hints on how to achieve you're very own 'perfect' wardrobe.

This post is about the second key item which will help you build your 'perfect' wardrobe, which is skirts.

I think that skirts should definitely be a basic item in a women's wardrobe because they're so versatile. The amount of options available is astounding, anybody can find a few skirts that suit their taste and their body.  Having a few gorgeous skirts on hand is an essential, if you want a girly look one day you can grab a pastel, A-line skirt throw it on over a white t-shirt, add a pair of cute ballet flats, a few layered necklaces and a waterfall cardigan and you've achieved your look. However if you want to look very chic, you could throw on a black, leather skirt, with a white collared shirt tucked in, then add tights, an oversized, slouchy bag, a pair of Jeffrey Campbell Litas and you're good to go! It's so easy to create a variety of looks with one skirt, but it's important to know different types of skirts, here are some of the most common skirts...

A-line 

An A-line skirt is narrower at the top and gently flares out so it becomes wider at the bottom, resembling a A shape. 

Bodycon 

A bodycon skirt is elasticated and very fitting, they're very good for showing off curves. 

Maxi Skirt

A maxi skirt is a tube/cone shaped skirt that hangs from the waist and covers all or most of the legs. 

High-low 

A high-low skirt has a shorter hem at the front, than at the back, they're a worldwide favourite.  

Peplum skirt 

A Peplum skirt is a skirt with a flared ruffle attached to the waist, the skirt is usually bodycon so as to accentuate the ruffle.

Skirts are the perfect key item because they can be worn with a variety of things to give a variety of different looks. With so many different styles, cuts, colours, patterns and textures anybody can find a few skirts to suit them. All you need is a little knowledge of what works with your body shape and an idea of what colour looks best on you and you're already on your way. 

My favourite thing about skirts is that they can look formal or casual and you can dress them up or down so easily and they're such an easy option they're instantly feminine and flirty.Have a look at my example of how to style a zipped bodycon skirt...

  

By wearing a casual tee with a logo over the skirt you instantly get a casual feel, by pairing it with knee high socks, converse and a hair bow you get an even more casual look, very easy to do and extremely stylish and fun. The look in the middle is a casual formal look, tucking in a slightly casual tee and pairing with a blazer gives quite a formal look but with no jewellery and edgy flats the ensemble feels more casual, giving it the perfect balance of casual formal. My final look, the one on the left, is the most formal look of all, paring it with a top that has an embellished peter pan collar, an embellished clutch, black tights and black, sky high Louboutins the whole look is very formal. 

When shopping for skirts it's important to buy ones that have the most potential outfit wise, ask yourself these questions when looking for skirts..

Does this colour suit my skintone?

Do I own anything that goes with this?

Can this be dressed up and down?

Can I create a variety of different looks with this?

Does the cut flatter my bodyshape?

If the answer is yes to all or most of these questions then you're on to a winner! The skirt is defintely a good purchase and you're one step closer to building your 'perfect' wardrobe.

I hope this post helps and inspires you 

Love Dixie

:) xox

Closet control: Key item #1

To have a gorgeous wardrobe is every fashionista's dream, having a huge variety of unique but on-trend ensembles at the ready is perfection. However to each wardrobe there are basics that are a must, no matter what you're personal style without these basics you're wardrobe won't be at its best, over the next few weeks I'll post various sections of the 'perfect' wardrobe with pictures, diagrams and helpful hints on how to achieve you're very own 'perfect' wardrobe.

Todays post is about you're very first key item which will build the foundations for your 'perfect' wardrobe which is Jeans

Jeans are my number one key item due to the fact they're such a common thing; everybody owns jeans and they're worn on a regular basis. Because of this to have a few really good pair of jeans will ensure you're wardrobe is off to a good start! 

First decide which style of jeans you prefer, you should take into account your body shape and you're own personal style, the most common types of jeans are... 

Skinny

Skinny jeans are tapered (gradually lessened) through the thigh and calf and generally made quite longer so they bunch up at the ankle, a quick way to solve this is to have them hemmed by a tailor or a cheaper option is to hem them yourself. 

Straight leg 

Straight leg jeans have no tapering, the opening at the bottom and the top are mostly the same. 

Boot cut

Boot cut jeans are generally tapered slightly at the thigh and there is a slight flair at the calf. 

Flared 

Flared Jeans are tapered very slightly at the thigh and flare out a lot at the calf, they have a very 70's feel to them. 

Boyfriend

Boyfriend jeans usually look as though they have been borrowed from a guy (the hint is in the name) So they are usually a loose fit, low rise with cuffed hems. 

Jeans are a perfect key item because you can dress them up or down, for a casual look throw on some boyfriend jeans, an oversized tee, a leather belt, wear your hair up and chuck on some large sunglasses, or for a more formal look wear some skinny jeans with a collared shirt and a fitted blazer with heels to pull of an elegant, more mature look. Jeans are so versatile, it's how you style them that defines whether they're a casual or more formal piece, for example look at this pair of skinny jeans in three different outfits... 

When shopping for jeans it's important to keep three things in mind:

1. The quality of the jeans

2. The stretch

3. Your body shape

The quality of the jeans 

The quality of the jeans is important because you need to invest in pairs that will last as these are a key item in your wardrobe, you're better off paying a little more than usual for jeans because you'll get a lot of wear out them. Look at places such as Topshop, New look and Hollister to find jeans because they do a range of different styles so that you can find that pair perfect for you. The jeans you are looking for should be neatly sewn and last a long time. If they have any rips, tears or stains they're not worth it, unless of course that's the style you're looking for! 

The stretch

The stretch is important because it creates a nice line for your legs, all denim these days has stretch built in, you'll find its best to look for denim with around  2% stretch (check the label) as no stretch makes them too stiff and hard to move in and too much stretch means they need to be washed a lot which can ruin the quality of the jeans. It's best to find jeans that are a as tight as possible, as long as you can do them up fine and move in them quite easily. 

Your body shape

This is super important because in your everyday outfits jeans will feature quite a lot so they should flatter your figure well. It's important to first know you're body shape and second to know what cuts and styles flatter your body shape best, use this helpful guide to help you find the perfect pair of jeans... 

  

Apple: 'Ample bust, rounded stomach and slimmer hips'

Pear: 'Small bust, narrow shoulders, bigger hips, thighs or bum' 

Athletic: 'Sporty, strong body with a few curves' 

Hourglass: 'ample bust, curvy hips and a defined, slimmer waist' 

Slender: 'Very slim with few curves' 

Inverted Triangle: 'Shoulders are broader than your hips' 

Body type - Best style of jeans 

Apple - Bootcut 

Pear - Flared 

Athletic - Bootcut or Skinny

Hourglass - Dark bootcut or Skinny

Slender - Bootcut, a Slight Flare or Skinny

Inverted Triangle - Flared

When trying jeans on it's important to bring a trusted friend with you so they can tell you what suits you, using your new found knowledge of your body shape and what style suits you best this should make the task of finding those perfect jeans a lot easier. I find its best to stock up when you find the perfect jeans so they'll last longer. 

I hope this helps and look for more Closet Control posts 

Love Dixie

:) xox 

Going for gold

I have been inspired by the Olympics to create a 'going for gold' post, this will consist of 5 gold fashion/beauty finds that are Olympic worthy! To kick off the list a piece of gold jewellery...

1. Gold Tone Diamante And Pearl Collar - £28

I adore this glamorous collar, this could instantly jazz up any plain tee or dress. The sparkliness of the colour is stunning. At £28 it is a little pricey however for a special occasion it is a reasonable price to pay, also you could definitely get a lot of wear out of this piece because it could suit dresses and tee shirts and make them look more glamorous.

2. Sequin Cross Back Bodycon Dress by Dress Up Topshop - £58

I really love this gold sequin bodycon dress from Topshop, the colour is very elegant and you could keep your look simple and team it with plain black court shoes and a simple clutch or you could be daring and add hints of colour such as bright tights, a statement necklace and a faux fur shrug that screams glamorous! 

3. Moda In Pelle Gold Sequins Platform Court Shoes - £59.99

These shoes can be described in one word, stunning. Everything about these shoes is stunning, the shape, the colour, the height - everything. You could pair these with a little black dress for a minimal glamour look or be daring and mix with a brighter dress such a royal purple or hot pink.

4. Gold cowl back metallic tee - £28

This tee is a more casual way of putting gold into your outfit, you could dress it down and wear it over light, straight leg jeans for a casual look. However you could also tuck it into a high-waisted,  mini skirt and throw on some heels, a fitted blazer and a large necklace and show off you're gorgeous new look! Metallic gold seems like a very formal colour however it's easy to dress up or down, it just depends on the cut of the garment and how you style it. 

5. MAC Nail Lacquer Screaming Bright - £10

My final 'Going For Gold' find is a beauty product, MAC Nail Lacquer is 'Screaming Bright' This golden shade is bound to put all eyes on you, the sparkling gold colour will glitter and when the light hits it it will radiate even more shimmers. I'm in love with this shade, you could wear rings of a similar colour to the gold or even go for a whole jewel theme to compliment the shimmer in the nail lacquer. 

I hope you've enjoyed reading my 'Going For Gold' list inspired by the Olympics! 

Love Dixie

:) xox 

Bargain Buy: Miss sporty nail polishes

Very recently I obtained a nail varnish obsession, and not for any nail varnish but for Miss Sporty nail polish! I bought one around a year ago it was a French manicure one in shade 07 however I was unsatisfied and never bought any more from their range until I was looking through voussontbeauetbelle's video's on You Tube and I noticed that she bought the 'Pop Fiction' colour and she gave it a really good review. She said it stayed on for around a week without chipping, the colour was gorgeous and she got lots of compliments about her nails. 

I decided to try out this nail polish so I went to super drug and saw that the nail polishes were only £1.99, that sounded so cheap I wasn't sure if the nail polish really was that great but I bought 'Pop Fiction'  and decided to try it out. I totally agree with Becca (voussontbeauetbelle) the colour is gorgeous, it's so bright and looks gorgeous. It lasted around 5 days which for £1.99 is amazing! It removes easily which I find can be an issue with some nail polishes, so far I haven't found a fault with this polish.

I loved 'Pop Fiction' so much i bought more colours including 'Popcorn' 'Coral gum' 'Green Lemon' and 'Grape fit'  

      

My favourite out of these four has to be 'Grape fit' the pastel shade is so on trend for Spring/Summer and it looks gorgeous along with the 'Pop Fiction' colour, I'm wearing both right now and they look gorgeous! Also 'Popcorn' and 'Coral gum' are also a brilliant combination together and look very bright and summery which I love. For £1.99 each you can't go wrong, they're bright colours, on trend, long lasting with a shiny, luxurious finish. 

I kept talking about these nail polishes so my boyfriend bought me some more colours to add to me fast growing collection, he bought me shades 'Raindrop' and 'Intimately' from the lasting colour collection and the 'Clubbing Colours Disco Tech Top Coat' 'Intimately' is a burgundy shade which I adore and I have worn countless times, the colour is bright and fun and also very edgy. I also trialled 'Raindrop' which is a dark green, almost navy tone, its a very A/W shade I feel. Finally my favourite the 'Clubbing Colours Disco Tech Top Coat' I thought this was an average topcoat, however it has a purpley hint to it, so when you put it over the top of a painted nail it alters the colour slightly I adore the colour it turns 'Raindrop'  

My advice is to get to your closest Superdrug store and pick up as many Miss Sporty nail polishes as you can carry because they're superb, for £1.99 and a huge range of colours Miss Sporty deserve some kind of reward for these nail polishes!

Love Dixie

:) xox

*I take no credit for any of the photo's used in this post*

How to dress like Aria Montgomery (Pretty Little Liars)

Aria Montgomery is a character from the hit US Tv Show Pretty Little Liars, I highly recommend you watch it! In order to dress like Aria first we have to unpick her style so here are some examples of her style...

In this picture Aria is wearing all dark colours, A dark polka dot dress with a black, sheer blouse underneath and black gladiator boots. Accessorising with simple gold bangles and a dark bracelet Aria's style is simple yet interesting.    

In this look Aria layers a leather jacket over a dark, floral print dress, she teams this with an oversized bag and knee high boots. She is also wearing big earrings, this is her signature style. 

Again here's a picture of Aria's signature style, the tough leather jacket thrown on over a dark toned simple dress, teamed with knee high socks and high boots, she's also teamed this look with a shoulder bag and layered necklaces. 

I really love this look, Aria is playing with layers and textures to achieve an edgy look that expresses her personal style. She wears two tone leggings, black and leopard print, a grey tee with skulls on the front, a burgundy waistcoat and then a leather jacket. Her burgundy creeper style shoes are a modern finish to this outfit. She wears her hair up which gives the look a more casual feel.  

Aria's style changes a little here, she wears a light coloured, feminine blouse, however she does layer it under a dark front zip, low cut dress and she pairs this black ankle boots and dark nail varnish which gives this feminine blouse a vampy makeover.

This is my favourite of Aria's outfits, probably because I adore this dress, if I owned one I would wear it to death! This short denim dress with slightly flared skirt is gorgeous enough but the added bonus here is the studs on the shoulder, they're exactly my style and modernize this dress completely. She again wears knee high boots to complete this ensemble. Finally Aria's hair looks very casual in this relaxed side ponytail and the long earrings add interest to the outfit. 

This is one of Aria's more simple outfits a strapless, sweetheart neck-lined mini dress, under a black blazer teamed with gladiator boots and a long, chain necklace. With her hair worn up the outfit looks more formal, however the blazer keeps it from being too dressy for the occasion.  She looks polished and tidy but is also showing her personal style.

In this ensemble Aria wears a grey asymmetric top, under a Burgundy, faux fur gilet, She wears this with black ladder style leggings and charcoal coloured biker boots, she teams this with a knitted charcoal coloured beret and a large, statement necklace. Overall this look is very casual but typically aria due to layering and the dark colour palette mixed with unique pieces.

To sum up Aria's look its unique, dark and layered. Her style is very modern yet she likes to mix vintage and new pieces in order to create a unique look, Aria expresses herself through her clothing and see no boundaries in what she wears, to achieve this look you need 5 simple steps...

1.  Use a dark colour palette
Although Aria wears various patterns, styles, cuts, fits and textures she rarely changes her colour palette, she is often seen in charcoal, burgundy, black, dark grey and navy tones,  rather than bright pinks, oranges, yellows and greens. To channel Aria's style stick to a dark colour palette, including tones such as these...

2. Wear items that have unique touches

Aria's style is set apart from others due to her touches of uniqueness in her outfit, whether its a kitsch brooch or a hat from a thrift store she manages to add her own to touch to any outfit. This is a key point of channelling Aria's style, invest in a variety of clothing items that are unique and different to anything you've seen before, thrift stores, vintage stores and eBay are great places for these finds, look for kitsch buttons on a blazer, a creative motif on a jacket or layered necklaces that are unique, these touches will make you're outfit original which is key when recreating Aria's style. 

3. Leg wear is key

9/10 of Aria's looks consist of some interesting leg wear, this is an easy step to achieve. Invest in an array of coloured tights, knee high socks, patterned leggings, ankle socks and thigh high socks. You should try to find, block coloured ones, patterned ones, and different lengths as this gives you more options when creating various outfits. You can be a s crazy as you want with the leg wear as long as the colours aren't too bright because Aria's colour palette is very dark. 

4. Mixture is the key to success

A very important tip to remember is to mix and match colours and patterns in order to achieve an Aria inspired look, for example; throwing a leather jacket over a dark, floral printed dress, mixing black, burgundy and charcoal garments or wearing both gold, silver and bronze jewellery. The key is to combine various colours, fabrics, patterns and textures to create an original ensemble. 

5. Boots are your new best friend 

To finish everything off correctly you have to get the footwear right. Aria's signature shoe is the boot, you can interpret this into almost any boot, knee high, thigh high, ankle, biker, fringed, leather, suede anything really. To get it right stick to dark colours and the more unique the better, use the examples bellow as a guideline...

I hope this post helps and inspires you into creating your own Aria style ensembles, just remember you're personal style should also be included as the biggest faux pas is to dress as something you're not
Love Dixie
:) xox

5 MUST SEE looks of the week

1.
Who: Jessica Biel
Where: NYC Premiere of Total Recall
Wearing: Ellie Saab couture dress with matching shawl and Jimmy Choo pumps
Let's see!

Jessica's ensemble makes it onto my list this week because I feel she looks uber-glamorous in this Ellie Saab couture dress. I love how she paired the dress with the Ellie Saab gold clutch, it gives the outfit a pop of colour which I adore. The shoes are a good match to this outfit, however the pointed toe is not my first choice, I'm all for a rounded toe but these are good with the outfit too. I also love her bright nails against the white dress. The shawl is debatable but personally I love it, you don't see many shawls around and I think it was a fashion forward move! 

2. 

Who: Kerry Washington

Where: Hollywood Foreign Press Association's Luncheon 

Wearing: Pink and red striped Dior dress and nude Louboutin heels 

Let's see!

I absolutely adore this dress. It's very fun, flirty and feminine which are always qualities to look for a dress. The colours are gorgeous and I love that they clash together but they work so well. The nude Louboutin's go perfectly as they keep the attention on the dress, Kerry's hair looks extremely glamorous and the bright lips match the red blocks of colour. A perfect ensemble here from Kerry. 

3. 

Who: Ashley Tisdale 

Where: Instyle event 

Wearing: Erin Fetherston blouse, grey skirt, Edie Parker clutch and Jewelled sandals 

Let's see! 

This look makes it onto my must see list because it's simple yet glamorous, this look is definitely something I would wear. I love the blouse tucked into the skirt, it suits her figure well and looks effortlessly gorgeous. Although the colour palette is very simple the whole outfit is interesting. The statement jewellery works so well here, the large necklace gives the blouse a classy finish and the cocktail ring adds interest to the whole ensemble. Ashley's hair looks gorgeous in this slightly pinned back style and the very lightly dipped pink ends add a youthful feel to this look, top marks to Ashley! 

4. 

Who: Khloe Kardashian Odom

Where: Muscular Dystrophy Event in L.A.

Wearing: High-low bright red dress and nude platforms

Let's see!

My first thought when I saw this picture was 'Khloe looks stunning.' This dress shows of her figure and it really works well for her body. The cut is very on trend; the high low skirt is amazing! The colour suits her perfectly with her new hair colour the bright red compliments her beautifully. I love the gold necklace adding a glamorous touch to the dress and the nude shoes work well here as the attention is on the dress and her new hair colour. My final comment is Khloe's skin looks so radiant and healthy here, she's a true role model of beauty. 

5.

Who: Dianna Agron 

Where: In Paris working on her new film Malavita 

Wearing: Grey-striped pinafore dress with ruffled sleeves, teamed with pink heels and a black clutch

Let's see!

Dianna looks stunning in this simple ensemble. The dress is very feminine and girly, the ruffles at the sleeves add texture to the dress and balance out her shape making the dress very flattering. One thing I love about this look is Dianna's hair, a side parting and neat, low ponytail make this relaxed but polished and neat which I feel is very important. I love the simple elegant touches such as the black clutch and the shimmery pink shoes. 

These 5 looks are extremely gorgeous and this week have all been very simple and polished, something I will try and recreate in my outfits in the upcoming week, I hope you enjoyed reading 

 Love Dixie

:) xox

Fashion trend alert: Embellished outerwear

This weeks FTA (Fashion Trend Alert) is Embellished outerwear. I am really loving this trend, I first spotted this in Topshop and I had to research further!

On Topshop's website they show a huge variety of gorgeously embellished outerwear, it's all very edgy which suits my style perfectly, here's a few of my favourites

 Peace Studded Leather Biker Jacket - £180
This real leather jacket is amazing! The jacket itself is so on trend for Autumn/Winter and with the studded detail it gives it extra style points. This is definitely a statement piece and would suit so many different occasions such as shopping, cinema, out to lunch etc. this is a very edgy garment and would look amazing, paired with a simple t-shirt and leggings or thrown on over a girly dress paired with biker boots for a grungy look.

MOTO Premium Stud Denim Jacket - £80

This is a more casual embellished piece and is probably more wearable due to the fact it's denim and not leather. Leather can be seen as quite harsh and can be difficult to dress down in comparison to denim. I Adore the studded detailing on the top of the chest, the shoulders and along the top of the back again it's very edgy which is why I have fallen in love with it, this jacket has  definitely earned a spot on my wishlist! 

Skull Studded Leather Biker Jacket - £180
This Jacket is a lot like the peace one in terms of style and fit, however the design is different. It shows a skull and cross bones, this makes the jacket even more edgy than the last one. Again this could be thrown over a girly frock or paired with  a simple tee and leggings and both would look effortlessly stylish.

MOTO Premium Skull Jacket - £90
This is absolutely gorgeous! this denim waistcoat has a huge embroidered motif on the back which makes it stand out, it also has an abundance of gems and studs along the top of the back. It also includes frayed denim around the arm holes and all over the front a few gems are scattered for a care free, fun vibe. I love the fun energy of this garment and in my opinion it is definitely very modern and stylish.

Union Jack Studded Biker Jacket - £75

I really love this patriotic leather jacket. 2012 has been an extremely patriotic year for England; holding the Olympics  the Queens jubilee etc. These events have shown why there are so many reasons to love Great Britain and this Leather Jacket expresses that with the Union Jack shown in studs on the back, not only are you expressing your love for the country, you're expressing you style too!  

Celebs have also been spotted sporting the trend including Kim Kardashian, Demi Lavato, Nicole Scherzinger, Rita Ora and Miley Cyrus, here are some of my favourites...

Demi tocks her studded Denim Jacket with pink dip-dyed hair and a black dress, leaving the jacket as the statement piece. 

Kim again uses the embellished jacket as a statement piece in her ensemble, keeping to all black in order to show off the elaborate detailing.  

Rita chooses an electric blue jacket as a twist on the trend and rocks it with a simple tee and a lot o wrist wear. 

This spring embellished jackets appeared on the spring/summer runways at Balmain, betsey Johnson and Versace

 And they've also popped up on the Autumn/Winter showcases too like this stunning one here from Kanika Saluja 

That's this weeks FTA, I hope you enjoyed reading 

Love Dixie

:) xox