For the most part, Karen Millen has been broadly recognised for its evening dresses; always on the steeper side of the high-street, but accordingly designed to suggest high-end. Where the brand fell down in the past were separates and casual wear.

For their most recent collection, this attention has become more of an ardour. I was thrilled at their recent Press Preview to see cute tailored shorts with a definite nod to Stella McCartney’s tropical summer offerings, and a Peter Pilotto-inspired shell top  (Pictured 1. €115) that makes for perfect office-wear teamed with tailored white trousers, or weekend-wear worn over turquoise skinnies or black leather pants.

Another hero piece from the collection was a butter soft biker jacket (Pictured 2. €399).  The dark tan colour is ideal for contrasting against the season’s luminous colour palette, as well as coordinating seamlessly with summer-staple muted dessert tones.

The Karen Millen woman is ultra-feminine so lace is always a staple season after season. This time around though, it had definitely matured to a more high-fashion interpretation: heavy embroidered lace came in refreshing daisy yellow tones and punctuated white a-line minis. Elsewhere, broderie anglaise collars conjured up images of Louis Vuitton’s candy cane collection and gave the collection a greater awareness of what’s going on in haute design houses.

The accessories department was also treated to a high-fashion over-haul this season, with one standout piece being a very on-trend snakeskin and tribal patterned clutch  (Pictured 3. €210) that is very similar to the Anya Hindmarch Red Gracie Sea Snake bag (€1,100). Smart phone and iPad cases in primary colours with stud detailing (Pictured 4. €115) are a novel addition to the accessories department.

The new Karen Millen woman appears to be a little more clued in to what’s on trend and how to work that with versatility into all aspects of our life; from the board room to the bar.

Effortlessly embodying the cool, new KM woman is Tali Lennox, who is the face of the High Summer 2012 campaign. All in all, things appear to be on the up in Karen Millen.

Have a browse at some of the lookbook shots below and be sure to take a visit to your nearest outlet within the next two weeks.

 - Gillian Brett

[View with PicLens]

If collars, metallics and leather are your thing then read on.

It was the collar, which we’ve expressed our love for previously on WSW, that caught our attention most yesterday.

BT2, Brown Thomas little sister, is the first shop in the world to sell Karl, the diffusion label from Karl Lagerfeld. The collection, which hits stores on 8th March, includes a take on his own personal style with metallic and leather shirt collars (€130) – a great alternative to a statement necklace, fingerless leather gloves that Madonna would wear (€49), button-down-collar shirts (€130) and sequinned shorts (€200).

Check out the collection for yourself in this short clip we took when viewing the collection yesterday. To view, just click on the arrow in the image above.

The statement shoulder metallic jacket (on right) will set you back €350 – a far cry from the Chanel prices which Lagerfeld is accustomed to charging. The most expensive item in the collection is this leather biker jacket (€1,000) pictured left, worn with a t-shirt (€70) and a metallic, leather skirt (€330).

Availability: BT2 from March 8th 2012. Online at Net-a-porter

Tighten those laces and snap on the braces, we adore the gentlemanly brogues which have come into prominence of late. Our American friends call them “Oxfords” but we call them “Brogues“. Some of you may not always opt for girlie garb when adding new wardrobe pieces, hence, these Oxford style shoes are classic, practical and no nonsense solution. Brogues are perfect for Autumn/Winter and add a fashionable austerity to any office rigout.

We’re not encouraging you to ditch your Louboutin heels, ankle boots or thigh highs, but rather offer you some smart options for those days when you would rather keep your shoe selection a little more down to earth.

If ever there was a trend which injected a little comfort and practicality into your business or street attire, this is it. Blame Agyness Deyn and everyone’s favourite indie chick, Alexa Chung, for the recent resurgence of these shoes, which are typically laced, made from heavy leather, and decorated with a perforated toecap.

The brand that jumps to mind for this style is Church’s, the British purveyors of hand-crafted brogues since 1873. These were once reserved for the gentry of the country and London bankers, but now they’re now available for sale on net-a-porter.com!

On the catwalk, Prada created a stunning pair of studded brogues a little earlier this year and left women wondering if they should adopt the look.

How to wear brogues

Go for patent or soft black leather brogue or try off white with metal detail.  Wear your brogues with black drainpipe trousers, a boyfriend blazer and soften the look with a beaded beret. If you’re a spectacle wearer, all the better, as it completes the look. You can also team up with a waistcoat – there are literally hundreds to choose from right now.

To help you achieve your own style success story, we have also gathered some celebrity examples to inspire you. The City star Whitney Port and new fashion debutante Emma Watson are both fans of this Annie Hall inspired look and will give you some visual tips for wearing these unisex shoes in the correct way.

Emma Watson’s brogues are two-tone (blush and black) which add a touch of femininity to these borrowed-from-the-boys shoes.  Seen here out for a walk in NYC, Whitney Port wore a pair of black-and-white brogues which we think, add some “polish” to her otherwise grungy look. Port mixed Topshop’s Kameryn Brogues (€125, no longer for sale) with Current Elliott’s The Boyfriend Jean (€304,80) in Super Love Destroyed, Wildfox’s Rose Raglan T-Shirt ($85 online, we couldn’t find it for sale this side of the Atlantic). She rounded off her tomboy look with DOMA’s Cropped Washed Leather Biker Jacket (€729.32, Net-a-porter).

Where to buy

You can purchase these unisex style shoes from Melissa  Black Flock Joy Lace Up Rubber Brogue (€78) or a particularly fancy patent pair from Christian Louboutin (€448.81), if your budget can stretch that far. For a posh alternative at a reasonable price, try Steve Madden’s Melin Brogues ($100, €68 from Steve Madden online).

If not, trusty Topshop has a selection of brogues too which are “just spiffing” as the folk at Church’s would declare; Kruz leather lace up in off white (£50, €55) or the Kandle brogue (£60, €65) in black patent.

Whichever you decide to try, we hope you enjoyed the shoe selection and examples we have chosen for you.

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Blazer, Bomber, Biker Jackets

Wardrobe staple: Waistcoats

Top 5: Graphic T-Shirts

Outspoken Brit pop starlet Lily Allen has gone from bad to good in the style stakes. What used to be a chav, hip hop girl (gold chains and Nike Air runners), she has now gone towards a girly look (Marc Jacobs or other designer handbags and cute vintage dresses).

Although she hasn’t ditched the attitude or the runners (for day wear), her style has evolved into a more glamorous and polished look.  Karl Lagerfeld describes her as “fun” and she’ll be photographed by him for a handbag advertising campaign for Chanel soon.

Pictured far left

Lily Allen makes dresses look casual with a pair of runners (cutt off the photo here) when was spotted out near her home in North London. She was wearing a Miss Selfridge grey leopard print dress with a long cardigan. She accessorized with her favourite YSL handbag.

You can pick up a similar granddad style, long cardigan from Zara.

Pictured middle

While at Selfridges in London celebrating the 100th year of the shop, she was alongside the London Mayor, Erin O’Connor (a previous Muse of the Month), Jodie Kidd and others.

Lily shows that she knows how to wear bold colours in a fresh way. The pop star rocked the biker jacket trend and wore Acne’s Smith Biker Jacket (£590 from Net-a-porter) in a shade of jungle green suede (it’s also available in crimson and black ).

The loose fit makes it the ideal piece to throw over a dress as she does here.  On another occasion leaving the Tabernacle music venue in London she wore the jacket with boyfriend jeans.

A huge fan of designer handbags and a key part of her look, Allen is pictured left with an Yves Saint Laurent one. She has also been seen in the past with a Prada Royal Calf Rosette Clutch.

Pictured far right

Lily Allen went floor length sophisticated in a fab dark blue dress (no it’s not black) for an evening at Automat in London. Again her green suede Acne jacket came out, the third outfit we’ve seen her wear it with. We are loving the nude shoes, Chanel pearl necklace and dark nail polish on her too.

Although she has come under fire in the press of late because of her romantic involvements, we still love Sienna Miller’s style at whatshewears.ie.  The girl is an actress, fashonista and owner of the brand Twenty8Twelve. For someone who practically invented the bohemian look, Sienna Miller still manages to be constantly reinventing her style. Watch out Sienna, last month’s whatshewears.ie Muse of the Month Amy Huberman just got engaged a month after the article was published… will the same happen here?

Sienna Miller’s boho look came to the fore yet again at the recent First Light Movie Awards in London. Touching on a festival type of look where the brave Sienna went bare legged, she wore a floral All Saints dress, biker jacket and suede boots.  Her hair wasnatural and wavy – you can achieve this natural look here.

Previously Sienna Miller has been known for her Heidi plaits also. If you missed our February post on it, read how to pull the boho plaits look off here.

Steal Sienna Millers style

All Saints, Ditzy Ezra Dress, (€105)

Faith, tan leather boots, (€38)

New Look , Jersey Biker Jacket (€19.99)

House of Fraser, silver cuff (€85)

For another event, namely The Edge of Love premiere in London last year – Sienna’s  glamour level upped a level while still maintaining her individual style - she wore vintage Dior, Christian Louboutin shoes and a Sergio Rossi clutch.  She is very on trend here with her mans watch, a gold Rolex which is still a key accessory to have now (a masculine looking watch – it doesn’t have to be Rolex).

With the clocks changing next weekend, it is nearly time to dump your winter coat for another year and turn to a lighter option of wearing a jacket instead. Here is a quick guide to this wardrobe staple. Read on to find out if your style is biker, blazer or bomber. The whatshewears.ie team urge you to choose your jacket with your figure in mind, not a specific trend.

Biker Jacket

Once the style associated with burly Hells Angel’s types, the black leather motorcycle jacket, with its sharp collar and industrial-looking zipper is now showing its feminine side. This look is a bit rock-and-roll, yet still a classic and a wardrobe staple  that is always in fashion.  The biker jacket is such a versatile piece to own – it can be mixed in so many ways to achieve different looks.

For evening wear, biker jackets don’t have to be worn with denim – it can give a sexy edge to your going out dress without covering it up.

For day time, wear your biker jacket with jeans or a day dress, black opaque tights and bright pumps.  Biker jackets are great for festivals too – start planning your Electric Picnic outfit now!

WSW tip #1: Make sure to find one that is fitted and the length should be right at the waist or just slightly below.

WSW tip #2: Choose classic black and let the jacket be the focus point of your outfit, no need to accessorize with bangles or necklace.

Blazer

A blazer can upgrade day wear or office wear, can be added to a flirty dress and looks smart with a sharp pair of trousers.  If your style is more jet set, choose a blazer.  You can achieve a grown up, European look by wearing slim jeans, flat pumps and a smart blazer.

In general, blazers make a great cover-up solution for spring or summer.  If you’re unsure about skinny tailoring a la Kate Moss, a neck scarf can soften this style for you. So if you want to look effortlessly polished; look no further than a blazer. Luckily, the shops are full of blazers at the moment so you’ll have no trouble finding one you like.

WSW tip # 3: Choose a blazer that is cut shorter and narrower than a suit jacket. If you’re feeling even more confident, roll up the sleeves.

Bomber Jacket

You may have seen plenty of bomber jackets last autumn and winter . This laid back style is another key piece that pretty much stays in fashion year in year out.

There are a lot of shades of brown bomber jackers out there, tan being the most popular. A tan coloured bomber jacket can be worn with high waisted flairs to get, a cool, retro look but note that  this colour doesn’t always suit Irish girls. Luckily there are bomber jackets in black, navies and even grey. Oasis, River Island and Urban Outfitters are great shops for bomber jackets. Orlando Boom, pictured here, is wearing a bomber jacket under his leather jacket; I guess it must’ve been cold that day?

WSW tip # 4:  Bomber jackets are usually cropped, showing off a higher waist and giving full visibility to long legs (if you have them!). Not so good on shorter gals who, if they wear high platform heels, can pull this off.

Shown right, River island jacket (€160)