The star spangled banner......

Whilst I was studying at University, my good friend Jennie and I spent a year on an internship in the good ol’ US of A. I’m sure if you’ve ever taken a ‘vacation’ in America, you’ll be in agreement when I say they are a different culture! During my time as an honorary resident in Newport, Rhode Island, I experienced quite a lot of differences between us Brits and the Yanks. To name but a few…they love coffee, we are a nation of tea drinkers; they eat blueberry pancakes with bacon for breakfast, we eat bacon on a butty; their fresh bread tastes as sweet as doughnuts, our bread is a taste sensation; but more noticeable than anything coming from a stylish city like Leeds is their lack of everyday style!

Now don’t get me wrong, for a country that churns out the likes of Sarah Jessica Parker, Dita Von Teese and Nicole Richie, I’m not applying my opinion to America as a whole, just a lot of those Americans who can’t afford the designer togs and the expertise of a stylist.

And it’s not like I’m saying it’s their fault, I’ve been there and experienced the shopping and some stores just ain’t pretty! Trying to find a decent outfit beyond the casual sportswear and basics produced by such as Abercrombie & Fitch and Banana Republic anywhere on a high street budget beyond New York was a struggle. At times, even The Big Apple was trying if there wasn’t anything decent in H & M….. Hey, it’s only my opinion after experiencing the shopping there for a year, but anyone who has ever stepped foot in Forever 21, which was once the US equivalent of Topshop, will tell you the same (well, I’m sure my friends would anyways!).

Anyway, opinion out of the way and back to the trend in question…. So, considering that America is quite often behind Europe in fashion trend terms, what a surprise it was to see an American influence smattered across any of this season’s catwalk collections. A funky twist on the nautical colour palette of red, blue and white, Chanel and Jean-Charles De Castelbajac cleverly dissected the star spangled banner and put it back together again to recreate like only they could with some stunning pieces.

Jubilant star patterns also shone prominent on the runway, with the likes of YSL and Pucci demonstrating the versatility with multi-coloured accessories, shoes and glitzy star prints. Not forgetting the fabulous star spangled Chanel piece Kate Moss wore for her birthday celebrations!

A cartoon and a cowboy theme could also be seen riding the runway, but more on those trends later.

So, feeling inspired by the catwalk (but with the lack of catwalk budget) I hit the high street in my endeavour to recreate an outfit with a nod to the American dream. Adorning myself in big and bold glittery stars just isn’t for me, but I am partial to the print in miniature. So, I’ve played safe with this one and stuck to the basic colour palette. Take a long navy blue and white striped shirt dress, add a splash of red with Mary-Jane's and a belt around the waist to create curves, and throw in a scattering of stars with a cute neck scarf to create a pussy bow and voila….. channelling the Chanel look on a Primark budget Stacey style (now who would have ever thought those two brands would have been featured in the same sentence!!)

Nautical as a nipper

Looking through some old photographs the other day I came across this cute pic taken of me and my sister in the late 80's. With our nautical tees and Kate Moss fringes, this is proof if ever I saw it that what goes around comes around in fashion!

S/S 2008 - Nautical and Nice

The maritime moment we’ve been enjoying remains on the horizon for Spring/Summer 2008 as the nautical trend has firmly dropped anchor to survive yet another season. An all-American colour palette of smart navy, crisp white and cherry red reigns supreme, and go overboard for bows, buckles and brassy buttons – feminine details that add the finishing touch that emphasise the chic sophistication of a trend that owes inspiration to the 1950’s and 1960’s sex kitten. Sail into style with a sea of stripes, rope detailing and anchor prints that dominate tops, shirts, cotton dresses, bags and accessories, and the classic sailor-style bib collar gets a new lease of life in the form of dresses and smock shapes. Loose linen, denim, wide-legs, crops and full skirts are the bottom of choice to save you from sinking in the style stakes.

If top-to-toe sailor style isn’t your thing, just focus on the sharp core colour scheme for a look that is simple plain sailing - small touches like adding a red handbag to a plain white t-shirt and jeans, or this stripy handbag from Primark. Alternatively, hint at the trend with key accessories, such as big bangles in bold red and navy or an anchor pendant – often seen on celebs. My anchor necklace was a bargain from New Look at just £3.50, and I also have it in silver, but for a wider range of nautical accessories I recommend Ebay - you can even pick up original vintage accessories.

My take on the trend….

The high street is awash with nautical inspired wear, but as the nautical trend first hit the fashion scene decades ago thanks to the likes of Audrey Hepburn and Marilyn Monroe, being the vintage addict that I am, this for me is the perfect excuse to ‘hoist mizzen’ round vintage and charity shops to pick up some genuine pieces that have survived the decades – as you can see from the piccies, a successful shop all round!

For the office, marry minimal maritime details with a basic white cotton shirt and black trousers to introduce a more subtle nautical theme.

For the office...

• For a look that fuses two trends, a white and navy blue anchor print neckscarf used in the form of a statement pussy bow ticks the boxes for the beautiful bow trend.
• The nautical-inspired trousers with their brassy buttons gives a nod to the slouchy androgynous style seen strutting the catwalks.
• A flash of red brightens the classic work uniform and adds a colourful edge.
• Alternatively, team a basic red or navy top with a sexy pencil skirt team or these grey sheen sailor front crops from Warehouse, and accessorise with a neckscarf or chunky bangles.
• Stand out in stripes with a candy striped shirt, with my favourites being these from Warehouse and the online store Boohoo.com.
  Wear a striped cardigan over a plain white t-shirt or blouse for ‘sailor-meets-geek’ chic.
• Remember, stripes are infamous for making even the waspiest of waists seem wider, but the red stripes and wide navy waistband on this multi-striped cardigan from Topshop draws away the eye.

For the Pub...

• This full skirt with maritime inspired buttons is the key for perfect pub outfit. Try a denim skater skirt (where) or this rope-detail pencil skirt from Topshop also to enjoy a multi-trend moment by mixing nautical and denim.
• If you’re feeling brave and bold, go for these red shiny shorts or a red pencil skirt, both from Boohoo.com.
• Keep the focus on the skirt’s details and team with a stripy, anchor print or plain coloured vest.
• A vintage neckscarf adds an original touch reminiscent of the outfits worn decades ago – even better if you can find one with a nautical-themed print.
• Alternatively, try chunky accessories for nautical in the noughties.
• Add a flash of racy red to these sailor style dresses from Topshop with a skinny belt like this one from Primark and a red handbag.
• ‘Toe the line’ with a pair of red or navy heels – adding flats will dress down the outfit for a warm summer afternoon in the beer garden (not quite possible just yet!!)
• Add a pair of coloured tights to hide any white legs that have been snuggled up in winter woollies for the past few months.

For the Weekend...

• For a weekend look, team a printed vest with denim – I’ve gone for my favourite high-waisted black jeans, but a blue pair would enhance the nautical fee. Try the new flares out in the shop for a 70’s edge.
• Wear a pair of ballet pumps to ensure your feet can carry you shopping til you drop.
• The red hat is colourful yet practical touch to keep you warm until the sun comes out.

Accessories...

S/S 2008 - The New Tailoring... Wide-legged Wonders

JJ Park metallic rosette sleeve top - ASOS £65
White rib frill vest - Topshop £10
Faceted beads and charm necklace - Miss Selfridge £8
Black Trousers - River Island £34.99
Quilted Mary Jane pumps - Topshop £25
Carta - Faith £55

You see, I am a great believer in investing in quality staple garments that will last last me many seasons, such as a perfect fitting pair of skinny jeans and a classic LBD or killer heels, but for some reason I have an aversion to spending anything over £20 on an item for work! I'd rather rummage through the sales for a bargain pair of trousers or shirt, which isn't very logical considering 4 days out of the 7 demands a specific dress code for work so really I should be spending a lot more money on items I have to wear the most (Friday is 'wear what you want' day, my favourite dressing day of the working week!).

So, with my new monthly shopping fund sitting in my bank, what else was a girl to do on Saturday except hit the stores - with the plan to find myself a new pair of work trousers, straight leg being my preferable choice for a change. After scouring the usual H&M, Dorothy Perkins and Primark for the perfect pair of (cheapish) trouse rs, I was out of luck and in despair heaving round my unexpected heavier environmentally-friendly M&S shopping bag bulging with a few unplanned purchases I just had to have (You know the kind I mean!).

Until I came across these black beauty's from River Island. The fact that it was in River island was a shock - is it just me or have they transformed their rails from what was once a range of sequin clad lycra to a new fab collection complete with pretty details, fabulous fabrics and hot handbags, shoes and accessories!

With a feminine edge on masculine tailoring riding high in the fashion stakes and a military theme with a classic, old-school influence adorning the catwalk, these trousers with their nautically nice buttons and wide-leg, slouchy cut tick a combination of trends that will see me through to spring - and what's more, they were the only size 8 in short length, which for a girl at just 5 foot is an absolute blessing that you don't find often... it was a sign I just had to buy them, they were obvioulsy made with me in mind!

There's nothing more powerful than a woman dressing in tailored men's clothing and black trousers are a necessary staple for any girl. The buttons on these make this particular pair even more versatile.

• Tick the box for sheer tailoring and team with these beautifully bowed peep toe heels and black rosette sleeve blouse to create that perfect desk-to-dawn dancing outfit.
  
• Or keep the silouhette slim and dress down with a this pretty frilled vest. Take the look into S/S 2008 with statement jewellery.
• For a smart weekend look add cute quilted flats.