When Did Star Wars Get Stylish?

Did I miss something? When did Star Wars move from every geeky teenage boy's fantasy to high fashion favourite? I was surprised to see C-3PO crop up on the Rodarte catwalk during New York Fashion Week, but the trend for Star Wars chic, as I've dubbed it, looks set to continue in London. Preen have taken inspiration from the chiseled features of Darth Vader. Now, I know in some circles the shiny black helmet is seen as somewhat of a design classic, but I was not expecting it to make an appearance at LFW. At least there was no sign of Princess Leia's gold bikini - but with Milan and Paris Fashion Weeks still to come, who knows? We might yet see some Chewbacca-esque faux fur creations for A/W '14...

Wedding Belle

Congratulations to Keira Knightley and James Righton who have got married in the south of France this weekend. Breaking the trend of flashy (and often trashy) showbiz weddings, the couple were keen to have a low-key ceremony and made their vows witnessed by just a hand full of close friends and family. And as for the all important dress...

The bride was spotted skipping out of Mazon town hall wearing a short tulle prom dress and Chanel jacket, accessorised with Ray Ban Wayfarers and a string of daisies in her hair. It's a very sweet look - but have we seen that dress before, Keira?

Keira's choice of wedding dress looks strikingly similar to a Rodarte number the Pride & Prejudice star wore to a pre-BAFTAS party back in 2008. Well so what if it is a recycled wedding dress. She looks beautiful - and hopefully this will send out a positive message to other brides-to-be.

See, you don't necessarily have to spend £1000s on a dress you'll only wear once. Far too often we hear about couples amounting massive debts so they can get married in a castle, have a horse and carriage, release turtle doves and who knows what else. I say well done Keira!

The Downton Effect

Like all good things, the latest series of Downton Abbey must come to an end tonight - but fans can rest assured that the period drama will return for a third series.

For me, one of the main attractions of Downton has to be the costume design. The fashions not only reflect the characters themselves, but reveal a great deal about society at the time. I relish the parade of lace, brocade, chiffon and jet beads as the ladies of the house sit down to dinner.















Dressing with such rigid formality, attention to detail and above all, class distinction may be something which was lost in the post war years, but the ladylike silhouettes seen in Downton have not entirely disappeared. The latest collection by Rodarte could very easily have been taken from Lady Mary's wardrobe.





















With the first world war over, we can look forward to the next series set in a whole new decade - the roaring 20s. The Jazz Age, encompassed by the exotic decadence of Art Deco, boyish haircuts, dropped waists and raised hemlines is one exciting era!