Go Wild!

The big cats are big news this season - leopard and cheetah prints can be found everywhere at the moment, whatever your budget. This leopard playsuit (pictured left) is only £15 from Primark.

Animal prints can be difficult to wear, and so often look cheap. I recommend picking one statement piece - then keep the rest of the look simple. Or why not hint at your wild side by introducing just a small amount into your oufit by wearing a skinny cheetah spotted belt. Topshop have a great winter coat with leopard print collar for £85 (see Look Book below).

Cocktail Dresses by Warehouse
Shoulder Bags by Topshop

Mad Men

You can't fail to take notice of U.S. phenomenon, Mad Men. With a hand full of Emmy awards and a bevy of beauties as its stars, the show has taken the world by storm, and is currently having a huge influence on the fashion world.





















Betty, Joan and Peggy in all their finery

Set in a fictional New York ad agency during the early '60s, this is one period drama the makers are intent on keeping as authentic as possible. The men drink and chain smoke like there's no tomorrow, whilst their female counterparts are discouraged from working out (you'd never have seen a lady with Madonna-esque biceps back then!). But it is the costumes that have caught my attention. Enormous attention to detail has been lavished on the wardrobe, so much so that the women even have to wear the conical bras and girdles of the time underneath their immaculate tea dresses.

Many A/W '10 collections are full of '50s and '60s influences. The ladylike silhouette of cinched- in waist and full mid-length skirt was perfectly illustrated on the Louis Vuitton catwalk. These are dresses for women with curves! Mad Men star Christina Hendricks, who plays Joan, no doubt owes her title of Esquire's Sexiest Woman to her figure enhancing outfits on the show.




















Louis Vuitton A/W '10

Here's how to get the look:

Evening Dresses by French Connection
Clutches by New Look

The Emmys

And the nominees for best dressed are ...






















Lea Michele has gone all out to distance herself from her goody-two-shoes image as Glee's Rachel Berry - who's style is described as being a cross between that of a toddler and a granny on the hit show. Lea opted for a ruffled Oscar de la Renta gown in midnight-blue - which turned out to be the colour of the night, with a whole host of other stars wearing a similar hue.























Kelly Osbourne oozed old Hollywood glamour in a sophisticated black number by Tony Ward, which showed off her post Dancing with the Stars figure to full effect. I LOVE this dress!























Mad Men was the big winner on the night, and star Christina Hendricks stole the show in a feather-trimmed Zac Posen gown ... who'd have thought that this is the woman who was struggling to find any designers willing to provide a size 14 dress for the occasion. The Daily Mail quoted her saying: "People have been saying some nice, wonderful things about me. Yet not one designer in town will loan me a dress. They only lend a size 0 or 2. So I'm still struggling for someone to give me a darn dress." She should have designers queuing-up at her front door after seeing how stunning she looks here. Christina is definitely my winner!

The Return of the Sloane Ranger

Since finding a couple of gems in a local charity shop I've found a new love for Sloane Ranger style. The look may have peaked over two decades ago (and gained negative associations with Hooray Henry's who have more money than sense since then), but the reign of the Sloane Ranger is far from over. Epitomised by the '80s wardrobes of archetypical Sloanes, Diana and Fergie, the ideology continues today with neo-Sloanes like Kate Middleton working a very British upper-class look. They adorn themselves in traditional British lables without appearing too showy - so it's not usually the sort of look to achieve on a budget - but I managed to find a Burberry purse for £3.50 and an Aquascutum blazer for £10!

Gossip Girl

The countdown is on ... the hotly anticipated 4th season of Gossip Girl premieres on Monday 13th September over in the States - so it shouldn't be too long until ITV2 catch-up (although there's always You Tube if you just can't wait a second longer). Will Chuck survive? Is Georgina really having Dan's baby? Will Dan and Serena ever get back together? So many questions ... but one thing is for sure - there will be a myriad of fabulous outfits to lust after, and a whole lot of scandal to boot! I have posted the promo to get you in the mood, plus Blair and Serena Lookbooks - enjoy!

XOXO

Longsleeve Tops by Paul & Joe
Heels by Office

Skinny Denim by 7 For All Mankind
Boots by Halston

OMG! LBD Makes OED

Fashion writers love to coin new words (or just shorten existing ones) to describe the ever changing style landscape. Emergent hybrids are given compound names - although, maybe we could live without skort (skirt/shorts) and batchel (bag/satchel). Then there are a whole host of initialisms ... VPL, OTK - OMG, doesn't anyone communicate in full anymore?! But it is LBD that has truly established itself in our collective vocabulary, as well as our wardrobes. Now the gate-keepers of the English language at the Oxford English Dictionary have decided to include LBD in recognition of its widespread usage and agreed meaning (I mean, I for one am still confused whether LOL stands for laugh out loud or lots of love). No woman's wardrobe is complete without a trusty little black dress. It's the fallback and the statement, sexy yet classy, stylish without appearing try hard. What's more, it's never been out of fashion since Coco Chanel shocked Paris by wearing what had, until then, been classed as widows' weeds. Now its well and truly here to stay. Simple, accessible and wearable - as Vogue correctly predicted, the LBD has become 'a sort of uniform for all women of taste'. The LBD is your BFF!

A/W Accessories

This fake shearling bag from ASOS (£36) is one of my favourite pieces for A/W '10. The satchel shape and shearling trim are both key trends, plus it's really roomy. You just can't go wrong!

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Gran Glam

Lady GaGa has become the latest celeb to try out the trend for grey hair - posing on the cover of Vanity Fair with little more than swathes of silvery grey locks to preserve her modesty. While most women dread the onset of grey, the likes of Kate Moss and Kelly Osbourne have also chosen to embrace the gran glam look.I have to admit, it's not something I'm eager to try out myself - it is definitely a look best left to blondes.

However, gran glam isn't just limited to grey hair - fashion is also high on the agenda. Pair a cosy knit with a floral tea dress, not forgetting a string of pearls, for a ladylike take on the look.

Longsleeve Tops by Great Plains
Flats by Office

The Great Outdoors

Sleeveless Tops by Stella McCartney
Boots by Ralph Lauren

The 'outdoorsy' look is set to be huge for A/W '10 - even if you don't intend on venturing anywhere beyond Bond St. I mean, you wouldn't actually want to go anywhere near mud in this stuff! Having heels on your walking boots is definitely a bad idea if you want to go mountain climbing, but they do look great. Chunky Fair Isle knits (the kind that used to be thought of a nightmare Christmas pressie from your Auntie), tweed jackets, and lots of sheepskin accessories complete the look - think of the Queen on a trip to Balmoral.

Boots by Dorothy Perkins
Boots by New Look

Here are my bargain pair - £15 from Primark!