Vogue has written their A to Z of Spring Summer 2010 trends. I have to warn you, some of these emerging trends may terrify you:

Low Heels
Rejoice as you may now be able to comfortably walk! Hells are getting lower and your chances of arriving somewhere unscathed/ not falling to your death have increased dramatically. They are only losing a few inches but at least the platform trend is subsiding; I know, I love my platforms too but my bruised knees do not.

Cycling Shorts
Seen on the catwalks of Louis Vuitton, Prada and even Topshop Unique, these will be making their way onto the high street soon enough. Leggings are one thing, and shorts are one thing, but I am slightly worried that the combination of the two will cause more faux pas than any other new trend. I could be wrong though because the next new trend is…..

Underwear as Outerwear
This trend is going to be big. Whether it’s a bra top, a lacy negligee style dress or, just wearing a corset as an outfit, it will be inescapable. So it’s either time to embrace your inner harlot, or tut as girls in their underwear walk past you on the street.

Milkmaids
Think wooden heeled clog-like shoes, white pinafore dresses and wide eyes for this look that has been showcased at Chanel, Alexander McQueen and Bottega Veneta.

Bum bags
I don’t think that needs any further comment.

Yellow
With yellow, you have to be really careful with the shade that you go for as they wrong one may go against your skin tone and wash you out. Make sure to try on whatever yellow pieces you like before you buy if you’re a paley like me, but if you have gorgeous dark skin, go crazy for this colour.

So I’ll see you in a couple of months in my yellow cycling shorts, low heeled clogs and lacy black basque.
 

So I’ve noticed a lot of the recent posts featuring in this blog have been “new season this, new season that”… very fall-centric. But I personally haven’t invested in a lot of new pieces for the autumn season and instead I’ve been clinging onto my summer tops, dresses and shoes for as long as humanly possible, as well as raking in the last of the in hopes they’ll still be in style next year.
The temperature’s dropped but I seem to be handling it ok. Here are some quick tips I’ve been using and hope you’ll draw inspiration from on how you can wear your summer pieces while making a statement for the rest of the year:

Open toed shoes

Definitely keep the shoes alive throughout fall. With coloured tights, printed tights, stirrup leggings, regular leggings and of course the all important leg warmers, there’s still hope for sporting the peep-toe and hosiery style until it gets too icy to wear them. If peep toe boots are the new style, why can’t we pull this off for a few months longer?

Summer dresses

If you have a lot of thin material summer dresses, this one is a lot of fun in the experimentation stage: Pick ones of different lengths, putting on the longest first and the shortest last. The layered effect looks great on the bottom (especially when there’s a big mix of patterns for a nice boho-chic look). Top it off with a chunky cardigan and a waist belt for shape.

Invest in a long sleeve tee

I bought myself some basic long sleeved tops and they are proving to be the most practical buy I have made. They look great under cardigans, but they can also be paired with summer tanks, t-shirts and dresses. Plus it feels like wearing a completely new outfit when all you’ve done is added an extra layer – love it!
Layer
…Everything – 3-quarter length leggings with tights, shorts with leggings, short sleeved blouses with chunky cardigans. Layers make for a unique and personal style statement so experiment as much as possible – you’ll be surprised how many outfits you can create from a few summer pieces.

Being able to mix and match pieces in your workwear wardrobe with those you would normally wear on a night after work can sometimes be tricky. Read on to discover how you can ensure you step from the office to a party with minimum effort, and maximum style.

1. Shirt
a work shirt is one of the most versatile pieces in your workwear wardrobe. With a quick change from your work trousers to a pair of straight leg jeans tucked into boots, you can go from the office to drinks with friends in no time at all. Complete the look with a matching handbag, and chunky beaded necklace.

2. Skirt
coordinate your workwear skirt with a few key pieces from your wardrobe to create a smart evening look that’s perfect for going out with friends and family. Switch your flat shoes for a pair of new season heeled sandals, and change your shirt to a flowing georgette top. Add some sparkle by wearing coordinated accessories, and if it’s a special occasion, take a clutch bag to complete your look.

3. Trousers
The best way to dress up your workwear trousers is by trading your shirt for a colourful floaty top. We love georgette this season and fabrics that skim the body are perfect for creating a stylish weeknight look. Add a pair of heeled court shoes and matching bag and you’ll be ready to go.

I found this video on YouTube of  a quick interview with Julien MacDonald, who’s catwalk show was set in an English Country Garden but reflected ‘under the sea’ materials and colour schemes. Vivienne Westwood also comments about coming back to England for more fashion shows – check out the video and the transcript below:

This is “Scuba Chic” – the latest in the catwalk designs. Set in an English country garden background JUlian MacDonald has revealed his latest spring/summer collection – Underwater Love.

The Welsh Designer said he got his inspiration for the designs from a deep sea diving trip to the Red Sea.

“Well all of a sudden I was diving underneath the ocean with tanks on my bank and basically I really love and got inspired by scuba suits – the suits you wear when you go diving.”

His underwater theme is shown in his bright colours, wet suit designs and outfits designed on fish scales.

“The clothes are expensive but if you got St. Tropez you want to wear very ‘expensive’ colours. The colours are very intense. There are intense reds, washed out pinks and white. White really is the new black of fashion.”

Keen to get a first glimpse of next season’s style were former spice girl Gerry Halliwell, Girls Aloud singers Sarah Harding and Nichola Roberts.

Following on with an English theme was the doyen of fashion Vivien Westwood, choosing her colours to reflect the English weather. She says she may make London Fashion Week a permenent fixture:

“I might come back to England as more and more designers are coming back to England you see.. And it makes a difference who’s there as well.”