As the finale of Fashion Month has taken place in Paris, I firstly wanted to have a look back at the splendor of Milan Fashion Week with some of my favourites from the Spring Summer 2015 shows.

Luisa Beccaria  was a stand out show, which had an air of A Midsummer Night’s Dream about it, the colours were warm and perfectly combined with detailed floral prints and layering. The show really was the epitome of Spring Summer, down to the soft fabrics and flowing skirts and sleeves, the kind of dresses any girl would long to wear.

Ignoring the supposed back stage drama concerning one reality star turned high fashion model and her fellow models, the Ports 1961 show was utter elegance. The simple colour palettes worked perfectly with the uniquely tailored designs and mix of light and flowing fabrics and heavy striking leathers. The designs were completely at home in the Milan surroundings and, even though it’s not a European brand, illustrated great European fashion.

Giamba, the new younger line for Giambattista Valli, is exactly that, I have two words for you, spotted tights. The fun designs were supremely girly as if you were dressing your favourite doll from childhood, only these dolls are 5’10 and walking the biggest cat walks in the world. As well as being girly the show was full of 60’s mod inspirations, from the daringly short dresses to the graphic floral designs, all combined to make a refreshing show.

And finally, you can’t really talk about Milan Fashion Week without the mention of Dolce and Gabbana, which as ever delivered. I have loved the ‘family’ campaign the brand have ran over the past through seasons and the Dolce and Gabbana woman seems to only be getting stronger. The show had an underlying theme of costume drama, with matador suits and supremely Gothic gowns there was something quietly haunting about the show. There is something undeniable about Dolce and Gabbana and that is its brand identity and every aspect of the Ready-to-Wear show exemplified this.

Luisa Beccaria S/S 15
Photo: http://www.vogue.co.uk

Ports 1961 S/S 15
Photo: http://www.vogue.co.uk

Giamba S/S 15
Photo: http://www.vogue.co.uk

Dolce and Gabbana S/S 15
Photo: http://www.vogue.co.uk

London Fashion Week has finished and Milan is in full swing, however I’m still thinking about the greatness of LFW. I am a proud Londoner and am happy to see how important this great city is in not just fashion but music, Mary J Blige recently announced her new album The London Sessions, all recorded in London with the likes of Disclosure and Sam Smith playing a massive part.

The music scene and fashion scene have always put our capital on the map and these were my four highlights from LFW, starting with Giles. Animals, pink and stripes, never a combination one would put together but somehow this show simply worked. From the preppy stripes to the stunning and whimsical over sized jungle prints there was (dare I say it) something for everyone to fall in love with.

Free and feminine the best possible way to describe Richard Nicoll’s show, if ever you could imagine a great Summer wardrobe (of dreams) which would take you from day to night it’s this. The layering was soft and flowed effortlessly combined with Summer greys, perfect lilacs and splashing of metallic and deep deep blue. Stand out outfit for me was the light sleeveless trench with a matching a metallic cami and metallic sliders, simply combination but executed so well.

Marchesa is always something of a spectacle and as the US label made its one off appearance at LFW, it surely didn’t disappoint. I’ve said it before and I will say it again Marchesa is something dreams are made of, a feast for the eyes, something that you could look at and simply be blown away by the detail rich accents of each design. No doubt it will be seen lining the red carpets, adorned by the most beautiful of stars.

I don’t think I could round off without mentioning my favourite show, Temperley London. I’m a sucker for the androgynous look, if I could wear culottes and a co-coordinating blazer I would be happy, only this body of mine wouldn’t quite allow it. Temperley London was a beautiful mix of tailoring and fantastic prints. For me, there was something very 80’s inspired, through the layering, prints and alternative representations of the blazer. There was also the ongoing them of fashion week so far, in both obvious and subtle forms, checked and gingham print.

I’m already excited about what I have seen so far in Milan….So, until next week!

Giles S/S15
Photo: http://www.vogue.co.uk

Richard Nicoll S/S15
Photo: http://www.vogue.co.uk

Marchesa S/S15
Photo: http://www.vogue.co.uk

Temperley London S/S15
Photo: http://www.vogue.co.uk

Shirts….. for me there is nothing better than an oversized shirt and a skinny jean, that is my ultimate comfort zone. As a matter of fact my outfit today is my Mom’s denim shirt circa 1980’s, Jamie white jeans from Topshop, with my own knee slits added and black sandals. A new fashion in the shirt has come flying onto the scene and needless to say I am a fan.

The sh*t shirt has re-appeared. Whether it be the humble Hawaiian shirt a firm favourite of mine since last Summer, (when I stole my Dads) or the 80’s-90’s random graphic shirt. I personally combine it with a skinny jean or for a festival look combine with a bandeau and denim shorts. Or if like me you prefer something a little different to a pair of denim shorts, try a cami dress and leave the shirt open. I leave for Ibiza in 6 days (not that I am counting at all) and these are already in my outfit schedule for the week.

Be careful when purchasing these shirts though, the best ones are the ones you find, so look around in random places. Not so random, but the best place to purchase has to be ASOS Marketplace, the price’s can range from that’s too cheap not to, to well I will wear it loads. Highly recommend for any amazing vintage finds and bargains. Or if like me your Dad is partial to a Hawaiian shirt have a rifle through his closet.

Don’t be afraid to go all out!

ASOS Marketplace

Vintage – Dad’s Closet

ASOS Marketplace

So as my 25th Birthday creeps up closer and closer, my friends and I started talking about when we should dress for our age, replacing the crop T-Shirts with chiffon blouses?

But the concept itself is a curious one, as I have gotten older I have found myself wearing what I want more so than ever before and I hope this mantra only grows as I age. Dressing for your age runs along the same lines as dressing for your size, it’s not so much the clothes on your back but the look on your face. It’s simple the more comfortable you are, well you know how it goes, the better you look!

It always fascinates me how certain staple items of clothing can run through generations and only ever look classically chic, take the white shirt, always worth the investment as you can hold onto it for as long as possible, take Carolina Herrera, who manages to make the white shirt look like a new invention and not to mention look stunning whilst doing this at the age of 75.

I think there is also a way to combine items to make them a completely different look, my outfit choice for today is slim fit boyfriend jeans with rips, a white T-Shirt, black sliders (new Summer favourite) and a black blazer with a leather trim. Now if I were to take the blazer off and maybe the Michael Kors cat eye glasses, I would be all set for a trip to the cinema. But with these elements I feel set and ready to work, I also feel that oh so bit more mature.

I am definitely not ready to ditch my sometimes Brixton style, but will be tempted to more and more throw in an element to take me from my long lost teen years to my ever changing (and exciting) twenty-something years.

Today’s Style

When it comes to Summer there are a things that come to mind… the ever disturbing rate of shrinking in the length of shorts, cold beers, festivals, the mind set ‘desperately seeking tan’, however my mind turns to maxi’s in all forms. I have a love hate relationship with the maxi style, I love that I feel comfortable in them, I hate how I depend on them. Unfortunately for me Gisele Bundchen stole my legs and won’t give them back, so I am not one to have my legs on show and especially not during the day.

There is risk you take when wearing maxi dresses or skirts, the possibility of looking frumpy is always one, or the possibility of looking ‘boring’. So, this summer when you reach for your staple maxi try mixing it up.

Colour is always important, a black maxi dress or maxi skirt is always a firm favourite but why not try to step out of your comfort zone and go for a lilac or bright cobalt blue.

Try different shapes; there is one thing that a maxi dress can do and that is help shape different types of figures if you’re an hour glass shape then try and go for slimmer maxi dresses or ones that have a cinched waist to accent it perfectly. If you’re not comfortable with just the slim style of maxi, team it with a kimono to give you a cover up as well as help you make a statement. If you’re feeling a little braver try a graphic maxi skirt with a crop tee or cami!

Always remember accessories don’t go a miss, but don’t over do it! Try a chunky necklace and bright lip for a fun day time look, or combine with a light blazer and clutch bag for an evening dinner.

Summer’s not just about short shorts so if you’re anything like me and the maxi dress or skirt is always in your wardrobe, this season, have a little fun with it!

We all know fashion likes to make re-appearances, yet it still amazes me the come backs that so many styles can do.

I’m lucky enough to have a Mother who holds onto to her fashions dating back to the 70’s, our loft is a wash of 80’s jumpers, jeans and clothing from around the world. I am doubly as lucky as my Father tends to hold on to a valuable few pieces of clothing dating back to I don’t even know how far. I still have a green Lacoste polo shirt, which I adopted as a teenager later to find out that the Grandpap (on my American mothers side hence referring to him as Grandpap, a Pittsburgh saying) that I never had the pleasure of meeting, had given to my Father years before I was born, needless to say this polo shirt will always stay with me, along with a thick woven woolen jumper which was also given to my Father by my Grandpap. There is a wardrobe that over the past year or two I have been raiding for new inspiration, anything from one of my Dad’s Hawaiian shirts, which he claims ‘every Dad has right to have one’ or a pair of Mom jeans which funnily enough my parents can’t work out whether they are Mom jeans or Dad jeans, we’ve gone with Dad as they Wranglers which are my Dad’s choice in denim attire.

The problem, with this however is that I unfortunately struggle to throw things away at the best of times, so when clearing out my wardrobes before moving out of home again to the bright lights of South-London, I could only think to myself ‘well if jelly shoes have come back, maybe this could too’. Sometimes I think I should have kept hold of my purple glittery jelly shoes, could argue they wouldn’t fit me now but then again, the rest of me hasn’t grown so I doubt my pixie feet have either.

I often have to employ the help of a second opinion to deter me from clinging onto a baby pink ra-ra skirt circa 2004, please don’t judge, you know we all had them and of course loved them.

If there is one thing the fashion come backs often can teach us is to remember to have fun with fashion, rather than think where can I wear this? What can I wear this with? We should be thinking I’m going to wear this and what shall I wear this with? Embrace your inner child I say.

I mean what’s more fun than a jelly shoe?