The day Kate Middleton married Prince William, a new style icon popped onto our radar… Kate’s younger sister, Pippa Middleton.

The beauty of Pippa’s style is the simplicity. Her clothing is always unfussy, tailored and structured. Her colour choices are rather limited; however she avoids looking bland, often choosing different hues of one colour for each piece of her outfit, with a contrasting solid block of colour as punctuation for her look.

Pippa favours high street stores, albeit the higher end of high street, such as French Connection, Reiss, Whistles and Warehouse. Her uncomplicated choices make her style very easy to emulate.

Pippa does love a blazer. Much has talked about her figure and that bottom, but she actually has an athletic boyish frame. Wearing a tailored blazer with a structured shoulder and nipped in waist, gives the effect of a curvier silhouette than she actually has.

When not in her favourite skinnies and ballet flats, Pippa will sometimes wear a dress, but always with a defined waist and straightforward block colours, or a simple pattern in similar hues. With a blazer of course.

Look 1: Pippa Middleton steps to it in London, sporting a colorblocked Zara sundress, oversized navy cardigan and an L.K. Bennett handbag. Pippa keeps her laptop under wraps in a case from Knomo.

Look 2: Emerging from the Goring Hotel in London the day after her sister’s wedding, Pippa wore simple white skinny jeans, a cream button down shirt with ivory and gold loafers. This was punctuated wonderfully by the (now sold out) Zara blazer in royal (how apt!) blue.

Her favourite accessory is a large leather holdall – her one is from Modalu – so frequently worn on her arm, the company have renamed this style after her!

Look 3: Showing she dresses down as well as she spiffs up, Pippa paired a sheer chambray top with light denim skinny 7 For All Mankind jeans, classy cream flats and an L.K. Bennett “Annina” bag.

Look 4: For a day of post-wedding shopping in west London, Pippa swapped her Alexander McQueen dress for a printed style from French Connection worn with beige wedges.

Pippa’s Accessories

This girl really does like it uncomplicated. Pippa generally favours just one or two pieces of simple gold jewellery, and often wears long earrings.

Little sisters are sometimes outshone by their older ones, but in this case, Pippa wears the crown.

Have your say. Do you like Pippa Middleton’s style?

- Louisa McDonnell

More Pippa Middleton style in the gallery below

Pictured left to right: Pixie Geldof, Burberry,Whistles.

By Siobhan Lam

Yes, it’s that time of year again, when wearing a coat becomes a necessity rather than an indulgence. And what comes before the wearing of the coat?  You guessed it, buying the coat… but the trick is in buying the right coat for you.

This season, there is pretty much a coat type for each fashion trend and within that type there are numerous variations in style and colour – so it is a fantastic time to invest.

Burberry Military Coat

To start with, I know that I refer to Burberry ALOT and if it were at all possible to avoid mention of the label, I would, but alas it is physically impossible to discuss desirable and chic jackets for this season without mentioning the iconic label.

For Autumn Winter 2010, Burberry focused on structure and strong lines with its outdoor wear and military coats were a highlight of this collection. With an emphasis on strong shoulders and a structured waist, military coats are great for giving a body definition – especially during the winter months, when our shape can get lost under warm layers!

Karen Millen Military Coat

Karen Millen has an almost identical military coat to the Burberry version, and naturally it costs significantly less. The heavy twill coat is double breasted, available in black and grey and features silver buttons and a waist cinching belt.  At €399 it’s not cheap  – but it is a classic military coat that will last and last.

For something a bit quirkier, embrace the example set by Pixie Geldof – she wears her military coat a little shorter and with some offbeat sartorial details thrown in. The almost too amazing ASOS have a similar cheeky military (€99) number in their virtual store at the moment; it is available in navy (which is the perfect colour for military, don’t you think?) or red and features intricate gold embossed buttons on the pockets and shoulders.

If you’ve had enough of the military trend, worry not – there are plenty of other options out there.

Minimalist Coat

For those of you who like a more simplistic look – Celine should be your go-to-label for style inspiration. Celine kept their look incredibly simple this season, with a huge emphasis on neutral shades.

Vera Moda, believe it or not, have some stunning pieces in stock this season, including a Celine-esque, asymmetrical tweed grey coat (€105.88) from their own ‘Very’ label, that would work especially well as a work coat.

Camel Coat

For a slightly androgynous look that is still on trend, look to Whistles.  The Celeste Crombie Coat (€298) has the nonchalance of a vintage camel blazer but the look of a couture piece.

Embellished Jacket

Now for something completely different… if you wanted to try a look that is utterly outside a ‘trend’, may I suggest an embellished jacket?  It certainly won’t keep you warm on a cold November’s eve but you’ll look fantastic as you freeze!   Embellishment is a fad that returns without fail every winter, and this year the choice is fantastic.

I adore the sense in an embellished jacket:  jacket + skinny jeans + black tank = cool and easy outfit. French Connection does embellishment incredibly well and has a sequin-heavy jacket in store, in the form of the Faulks jacket, with a mesh overlay design and exaggerated shoulders, at €165 it’s a pretty decent price and I guarantee that you will wear it to death!

So, which winter coat will you be wearing this year?

Related articles

Trend We Like: Trophy Jackets

Still Lingering: Duffle Coat

Winter Coats Under €150

If there was a People of of the Year award on WhatSheWears.ie, Tess Daly would get it.

Sticking by her husband’s side despite infidelity rumours (this has been dubbed the Year of the LoveRat after all), Tess marches onward on camera, ever radiant and professional as co-host of TV series Strictly Come Dancing.

And then there’s her style. Week after week, the fabulous frocks continue – but it’s not just her on screen style that we like (remember when she appeared on our very own The Late Late Show back in April?).

Her red carpet style mixes designer with high street, where Daly can work any hem length and still look good. Let’s see how you can steal her style.

Tess Daly at the National Lottery Awards

Most recently, we witnessed Tess on the red carpet at to the National Lottery Awards in the UK . Tess wore this cream studded dress from French Connection (€245 – it also comes in navy).

With such studded detailing, there’s no need for necklaces or earrings – keep it simple with a metallic clutch and a statement cuff on your wrist.

You could even work this dress in colder weather, pairing it with black opaque tights and adding some edge with a black leather jacket, or black blazer.

Tess Daly at the Launch of Strictly Season 8

Where would our winter TV schedule be without Strictly Come Dancing? At the launch of season eight, Tess looked radiant in this red dress by British designer Amanda Wakeley which she wore with a crystal-studded Jimmy Choo heel. The dress is from Amanda’s main label (she also designs a collection, Elements, for Littlewoods) which is available on Amandawakely.com

Little Black Dress

Back in July, Tess Daly attended a Formula 1 party with her husband Vernon Kay. The couple looked very smart as they posed in co-ordinating ensembles.
Tess wore a gorgeous black one shoulder dress by Olivia Rubin. It has a sheer black layer with knotted shoulder detail – the perfect LBD for any party!

Images: Getty

What She Wore: Solved is a free service for WhatSheWears.ie subscribers. Every day I get asked about what certain fashion frontrunners and celebrities of our small screens are wearing. The X Factor certainly keeps me on my toes, but there are also other leading ladies outfits which you write in about. Here are some recent queries answered, I hope you’ll delight in the fact that they are all party dresses to get you in the mood for the upcoming festivities!

Holly Willoughby

I’ve been inundated with requests for Holly Willoughby’s dresses on the Xtra Factor, understandably too, as she is a size 12, which is the nation’s average size apparantly. Holly buys most of her dresses in the High Street and some from her own online shop which she owns with Fearne Cotton, very.co.uk.

Lots of requests also for Holly Willoughby’s black dress with sweetheart neckline and lace detail, she also wore a white version on xtra factor the following weekend – Holly’s black dress is by Tadashi and is available to buy online from the US here http://www.edressme.com/wj85989.html.

On to the ones I did find – the very curvaceous red zipped dress on one of this year’s first Xtra Factor shows is a design by Isabella Oliver which also comes in black (€179 – LOVE the way this website immediately knows you’re based in Ireland and quotes the prices in Euros!).

This dark blue dress that Holly is seen pictured in here, is one of my favourite dresses and I have it in red. It’s the curvy jersey knot-front halter dress from Victoria’s Secret ($65, approx €43 + shipping) which also comes in red, chocolate brown or black.

Alexa Chung

Vampire fever has officially hit the country, with the latest instalment, New Moon, having hit the big screen last weekend. Alexa Chung was one New York-based-Brit who attended the NYC premiere, catching my attention in a navy blue, Katy Rodriguez dress.

While I can’t buy this American designer’s collections over here, I’m comforted with the amount of elegant navy party dresses in our shops, in particular this silk one from Topshop Boutique.

I’d like to think that Alexa read our tips on leopard print accessories as she sported a Marc by Marc Jacobs Derby Bag (€195) which she wore with an ubertall pair of Marni sandals and opaque tights.

But alas, Chung is her own stylist always rocking a quirky look, which I’m not always a fan of, but on this occasion I am.

Nicky O’Callaghan

As we move closer to home, I also received quite a few emails asking which dress last year’s Apprentice runner-up Nicky O’Callaghan wore on The Apprentice You’re Fired on 9 November last.

After trawling through YouTube to see it again (she was only on screen for a few minutes), I immediately recognised it as the white version of the Damask style by French Connection (£179, approx €198).

Nicky elegantly wore the white dress with a black print version whereas it’s also available in the reverse colours (black with white print) and in black with a blue print. A year on since her appearance on deapprentiss as they call it on Twitter, I think Nicky’s looking fantastic and am especially loving her new bangs!

“Cast not a clout ‘til May is out” is a saying my Mum comes out with each year when she sees the Nation stripping off at the first sign of sunshine.  The saying basically means that one shouldn’t wear summer clothes until May is over. The following day it usually rains and the same folk are back to covering up again, and so it repeats.

There is one item however, that I always keep on hand in my wardrobe for “in-between weather” days like these – and that is a pair of city shorts. I wear them with opaque tights on the chillier days or barelegged with a splash of fake tan on the few summer days when the sun does come out.

It was only a matter of time before high-waisted shorts made their way into my wardrobe, following the jeans, trousers and skirts predecessor versions.  The high-waisted style is flattering as it lengthens your legs and avoids any “muffin top” becoming visible.

Pictured here on the far right, TV presenter Alexa Chung casually struts her high-waisted shorts with a printed Marc Jacobs T-Shirt and sandals.

The opposite to Alexa’s fuller leg, slightly longer shorts, there are also those styles which come out at night, often replacing miniskirts and made of luxurious fabrics such as silk and satin. Take, for example, these slinky Marc Jacobs silk shorts worn by model Karolina Kurkova (pictured centre).

Chloë Sevigny also opted for a super short scalloped style of shorts, part of her allover Chloé outfit, where the hems of both her blazer and shorts are the same length.  Sevigny knows how to wear her on-trend blazer with the sleeves scrunched up.  However,  not everyone has killer legs like Chloe so it might be hard for us normal girls to pull off such a short style.

So we’ve seen who wears these shorts – now to the best bit, where to buy them.  The shops have high-waisted shorts galore so we had to narrow down the selection to a select few:

Top Shop have high waisted shorts similar to the ones Alexa Chung wears, which are now at steal at €16.50.

A much dressier version like Karolina Kurkovas are shiny silver-coloured city shorts curtesy of  Marc by Marc Jacobs (€187).

And finally, for a nautical twist on things choose these high waisted “naval” shorts available in navy or white from French Connection (€61).

Floral is an easy pattern to find this summer for weddings, garden parties and holidays.  Maximise your purchase by finding a dress that will suit both daytime and evening wear.  Read on for three tips on how best to wear floral and our Top 5 floral picks from what’s available in the shops.

How to wear floral

WSW Tip # 1:  Add accessories in one of the colours from the pattern to balance the overall look.  For example Jennifer Aniston matched the grey colour in her floral dress with her Christian Louboutin shoes.

WSW Tip # 2: Choose the right size pattern for your figure relative to your height and build. Petites don’t go for big, bold, abstract patterns. This will drown you so to speak.

Taller or fuller figured should avoid too small a print as it makes you look even bigger. To select the right print size, it needs to be in proportion with your body.

WSW Tip # 3: Stick to one floral item. If you don’t want to embrace this full on trend, go for floral accessories – a bag, shoes, jewellery or even a scarf.  Limit this to one statement accessory at a time.

Top 5 florals

1.  Jennifer Aniston stepped out of her comfort zone and wore a blue, grey and white floral dress at the Paris premiere of Marley & Me.  Aniston teamed her Balenciaga dress with opaque tights and elephant grey Christian Louboutin shoes, an outfit perfect for the transition from winter to spring when you’re not sure quite what to wear with a dress.

To steal Jennifer Aniston’s style, French connection comes to the rescue with a near identical take on the Balenciaga dress with this fairytale panache dress (€62) with square neckline.

2. This Maxi dress from New Look (€39) means you go head to toe in this pretty trend for summer 2009.  The Maxi dress is super long and still going strong since its style resurgence in 2007.

Wear as a day dress for an unexpected option with a simple pair of flat sandals which can be swapped for a high heeled pair for a night time look.  If your dress is long such as a maxi dress, the  colour of your shoes won’t matter as much as they won’t be seen.

3. This mid length, Piano dress (€123) from Monsoon is an elegant option for those of you who like black with a hint of colour. The halter neck style is best for larger busts and comes in 100% silk.

4. This French Connection shift in green with navy and floral detail also comes in black, white or blue backgrounds. The online French Connection shop has a specific floral section on their website where you can search for dresses or separates.

5. Finally, if you think that  a floral dress is too much for you, opt or a skirt like this “See by Chloe”skirt from Urban Outfitters (€230) which is ultra funky with its geisha like print. It has pleat detailing down the front with two pockets at the hips.

To complete the outfit, pick one of the colours from the skirt and wear as a top so that it blends together rather than your top sticking out like a sore thumb.

Each month we feature a muse we like, and hope that it can give you some tips to steal their style.

If you have trouble dressing – which we doubt is the case if you’re on this site – think to yourself… is my shape more like, for example Scarlett Johansson’s or Kate Moss? Then, using magazine photos, or those that you see on whatshewears.ie, check out which shapes suit them best and then apply it to your own wardrobe. In time, you will be able to judge if a dress will fit you by which celebrity or model is wearing it.

Back to our February muse…

Amy Huberman is nominated for this years’ VIP Style Awards which take place in the Shelbourne Hotel, Dublin on March 7th.  This doesn’t surprise us as her eclectic mix of high street and designer gives her a unique style. Sometimes described as boho, she is equally stunning in shift dresses or full on Hollywood glamour and seems to love embellishment on her dresses.

Pictured from left to right:

As seen at the 2009 IFTAS (Irish Film and Television Acting Awards), Amy Huberman wore an ivory embellished dress by Irish designer, Joanne Hynes. Liking her brunette hair,  we wonder did she take a leaf out of Kathryn Thomas’ book?

Amy may have set the standard for what to wear to the Oscars 2009, as we think her 2008 IFTAS dress is REALLY like Jennifer Aniston’s 2009 Oscar style!

Amy also has great pins, ideal for those short hemlines. Here she wears a navy shift dress with embellished collar and cuffs from French Connection (€199), which also comes in white.

WSW Tip #1 Order this online from the UK and it will only cost you €159, (£140) (including delivery). Better still, pick it up on your next trip to Belfast.

WSW Tip #2 We have found a similar, capped sleeve version of the French Connection tunic dress, which comes in a range of colours. Available from MaxC London (€60) at Impulse, ground floor , Arnotts, Dublin.