By Gillian Brett

This season Monsoon has been going to great lengths to embrace the seventies trend: long floaty maxi dresses, slinky jumpsuits and floor-skimming flares are all key pieces in their spring/summer 2011 collection.

Channel Seventies Siren Farrah Fawcett with a a cute cami and a fringed waistcoat (€102), tucked into wide leg jeans (€85), flaring over towering platform heels, topped off with a wide brimmed hat (€30.50) and accessorized by a macramé bag (€54), stacked bangles (€30.50) and a pair of Perspex framed sunglasses (€25.50).

Modelled by face of the moment, Lily Donaldson, the new collection oozes a carefree approach to summer styling, in which just one or two pieces are needed to make a big sartorial statement.

Take for example the stunning ‘Delano Jumpsuit’ (€161, pictured on Lily above right). Shrinking violets look away now, as this palazzo pants style all-in-one features a flower bed of botanical prints. Florals are a wardrobe essential this season and you’ll look like a walking Monet in the adorable water lily print shift dress (€203, pictured left) from the Monsoon Fusion range (a partnership with Topshop).

The blurry, floral print is very like those favoured by Erdem in his spring/summer 2011 collection. The British-Turkish designer’s digital print dresses have been the toast of the fashion scene since Michelle Obama flaunted his frocks throughout the American presidential election.

Prada also appeared to have played an influence as the kitschy banana earrings from their spring/summer jewellery collection (as seen sported by Miuccia Prada herself) were reincarnated in Monsson as a juicy little necklace (€10.00). Coming in at a mere fraction of the Prada-version’s price, it’s the perfect way to add a dash of fun and some high-fashion know-how to your summer wardrobe.

Other highlights of the collection included Studio-54 inspired, maxi dresses (€238) in a vibrant colour palette of hazy pink, orange sunset, sky blue and fizzing fuchsia and a variety of prints from paisley and stripes to tie dye.  Teamed with pretty flip flops (€59.00) and a statement necklace (€30.50) from Accessorize, these are the perfect dresses to take you from afternoon barbeque to night-time glamour—just pack a pair of platforms in your bag for later.

A little birdie told us that the fashion scenes’ youngest and savviest stylista Willow Smith (the nine-year-old daughter of Will Smith and Jada Pinkett-Smith who sat front row at Dolce & Gabbana and Armani this year) was spotted buying the Amalfi Map Weekender on a recent trip to Dublin, so be sure to pop that at the top of your bag wishlist!

Monsoon Accessorize spring summer 2011 Image Gallery

Pictured: Dress €88, red cropped skinny jeans €56 , umbrella detail blouse  €53

Today we went behind the scenes at the Oasis spring summer collection press day at Oasis flagship store to show you the collection in the flesh before it hits the shop floor!

Check out the video (3:35 mins) where WhatSheWears chats to Sinead Whelan of Aurora Fashions, who shows us a Farrah Fawcett inspired 70′s range, Isabal Marant-esq red cropped jeans (they also come in navy), a brown jumpsuit, draped dresses, clean 70′s cuts (the white suit is very Bianca Jagger) and cute retro knits.  Nudes, mushroom, blush, blues and whites feature strongly.

One of my style icons since her appearance on X Factor last year is Dannii Minogue. X factor was all about full length and cocktail gown glamour, but Dannii is also a dab hand at pulling off some serious low key style, especially as a mum to be.

Pictured here wearing an anchor print top teamed with skinny jeans and a tan handbag, she oozes her effortless day time look, perfect for pottering around town or lunch with the girls.

Imagine my delight when I went along to see a new collection recently and found this very top in white (€55 by Ruby Rocks), which is sold in Zuku by KSO. It’s located upstairs in the space that’s called the Attic at A|wear in Grafton Street and Henry Street (and soon to come to other locations in Ireland).

Zuku by KSO

Other labels located at Zuku include cool L.A brand Nicola (for kaftans, jumpsuits, dressy coats and shift dresses) floral dresses by Pepper Tree and Trollied Dolly oriental style dresses.

I found the cutest tea dresses (called “cutie pie”, pictured below in white) with v necks and capped sleeves which I’ve since tried on in both red and navy (and adore both!).

Kate Scully Owens is the buyer behind this idea and you can see her eye for style evident in the stateside labels she’s sourced. The best thing about this boutique type space are the prices – I was blown away by the high end looks which averaged about €60 for a dress or smock top, coats at 95 €- 110 € with T-shirts and blouses for €19-€25.

I did rush out and buy a grey top in Zuku by a designer label called Gracia New York (75 €); they told me in Henry Street that it was the last one in stock so it felt ever the more exclusive! It’s a rock chic style top with a detailed studded neckline which look goods with leggings or skinny jeans.

So, with your wardrobe’s best interest at heart, I’d like to urge you to check out Zuku by KSO now.

[View with PicLens]

It’s May and that means only one thing. It’s officially summer if we stick by the rule book and, although we don’t have “continental” weather, we can prepare for the summer with the following wish list from WhatSheWears.ie contributor, Jennifer Ennis.

Before Jennifer shares her summer favourites with us, let’s take a moment to get to know her.  This gal lives and breathes fashion and her favorite collections include Isabel Marant and Balmain.

She is inspired by Olivia Palermo and Rosie Huntington-Whitely in the style stakes and when she’s not working her day job or writing for WhatSheWears.ie, she takes shares her own fashion ramblings on Jennifer’s Closet.

Playsuit

This summer I am all about the playsuits. I have bought a few nice ones in Topshop and am waiting for J Crew to hit Net-A-Porter this month as they have a striped one for £78 which has caught my attention.

I love wearing them with a cardi and flats or boots during the day, and upping the glam factor to wearing them with heels on a night out.

Summer footwear

Even though the month of May is here, I’m still wearing my boots (my favourites all season have been my laced up heeled military ones from River Island, €101) but I am gradually moving to ballet flats and soft brogues as my summer footwear of choice. And naturally, when the sun shines, I’ll be showing my pedicured toes in some nice gold sandals from Office (pictured).

I love experimenting with different colours and patterns. Flats and skinny jeans are certainly a summer staple for me.

Tinted moisturiser

With the change in season comes a lighter makeup for me. A tinted moisturiser is what I’ll be reaching for soon and Dior’s Hydra Life Pro Youth Skin Tint (€39) is the best tinted one have found.

Bronzer

My blusher is ditched for bronzer and I love Chanel’s Soleil Tan de Chanel Bronze Universal (€37) for the perfect sun kissed glow. Often sold out in Brown Thomas, you might find it at the airport before you head off on your holidays (if it’s possible with this ash cloud saga?!).

At the lower end of the scale, you can’t go wrong with Rimmel’s Sun Shimmer bronzer.  I dust it on my shoulders and chest before going out at night.

Mascara

The best mascaras for my summertime look are Bare Minerals Flawless Definition mascara (€18) and Cover Girl’s Lash Blast which can sadly now only be bought on eBay (but great bargains of only €10 shipped from US to Ireland).

Lipstick

I recently ditched my beloved gloss for lipstick! My favourites are Chanel’s Rouge Coco in La Pausa and Rimmel’s Moisture Renew in Nude Delight.

If I am going for bright lipstick, I stick to the rule of a soft eye and if I am going for smoky eyes, I rock a nude lip. Simple.

Perfume

In my books, summer always needs a fresh, fruity scent. My current perfumes are Dolce & Gabbana’s ‘Rose The One’ (€71), Chanel’s Chance Eau Tendre (€58) and Givenchy Ange ou Demon.

Pictured, Jennifer with her go-to products for summer:

Dior Hydra Life Pro Youth Skin Tint SPF20 (Image: sephora.com)
Chanel Soleil de Tan Bronze Universal (Image chanel.com)
Chanel Rouge Coco lipstick (Image chanel.com)
Dolce & Gabbana Rose The One perfume (Image strawberrynet.com)
Denim playsuit, Topshop  (Image, Topshop)
Office sandals ( Image, office.co.uk)

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Isabel Marant a w 2009

Trend We Like: Trophy Jackets

It’s hard to even think of this spring summer as we are all currently still trying to keep warm mid winter, but even the dullest of days can be cheered up with a glimpse at what’s to come this season.

Colours that come round each year such as pastels and nudes for spring and khakis for summer will grace our presence again in their own revamped ways, but here are some additional trends to look forward to this season.

This time I’ve added a “wear-ability rating”, where I’ve rated how wearable I think the trend will be on a scale of 1 to 10 (with 1 being the lowest and 10 the highest). Please let me know what your own ratings are! Thanks.

Wedges

Thank God I’ve hung on to my few pairs of wedge heeled sandals from seasons past, as these are set to stay on this summer. Sometimes as high as a stiletto heel, wedges have the added benefit of making your ankles appear slimmer so are a great summer option when your ankles have to be on show.

These are a summer staple for me as they offer height, slimming factor and can be worn causally with jeans to dressing up a dress.

If the wedges at Celine (pictured far right) are anything to go by, the kitten heels from Giles Deacon and Chanel’s clogs won’t even get a look in.

Wear-ability rating: 10/10, for all the reasons above.

Underwear as outerwear

I quickly touched on lingerie on display in October when D&G marched their catwalk models out in upper body underwear for their spring summer 2010 collection.

The corset or basque is set to make a huge comeback worn as a “top” (Christina Aguilera is already there). Besides corsets; sheer, see-through fabrics will abound.

Wear-ability Rating: 6/10. I can see corsets taking off in summer as a going-out option or as a top and skirt option for a certain vintage look. They really suit some figures.

Overalls

Dungarees and overalls are the casual cousin to the playsuit which was a big hit in 2009. Although the jumpsuit is still popular (apart from festivals, the longer version is easier to wear in Irish climates I would think), the dressed down all in one is back in 2010.

Wear-ability Rating: 4/10. I had a set of dungarees when I was 15 which are no longer in existence. Perhaps I’d wear them to a festival? New fabrics and fits are promised so until I see them, I’m sitting on the fence on this one.

Mid Blue Denim

This year’s denim will go from 80s stonewash to a mid blue colour (See the Stella McCartney style pictured far left).

Wear-ability rating: 6/10. Reminds me of the blue Levis shirts and skirts we wore in the late 90’s when Levis was the only denim we knew. Some guys still wear this kind of shirt so I can see a borrow-from-your-boyfriend factor kicking in and denim skirts are always a hit in summer.

Accessories Galore

This trend probably doesn’t surprise you, what with the rise of bib necklaces and chunky chokers last year. But now accessories are set to get bigger and bolder, with huge earrings, hairbands and necklaces piled on, sometimes all at once ( although to me, this latter option sounds like overkill). Ladies, get set to be weighed down, in a good way.

Another trend will be silver jewellery, which will be everywhere this year. I’m not saying to ditch your gold jewellery, (which will always come back ) but  if you’ve none hanging around your jewellery box, it’s a look-changer that is fairly easy to acquire, especially on the high street.

Wear-ability rating: 9/10. I love accessories, so will have no problem trying this out.

All image credits: Style.com

We celebrated Earth day this week and to mark the occasion we invited Jo Gallagher, co-founder of the GreenMe.ie website for green consumers, to give advice on what to look out for if you are a fashionista with a conscience.

The economy may be in the red, but our appetite for all things “green” is booming.  In the UK, the most recent Ethical Consumerism Report  – which monitors expenditure on all products deemed to be Fairtrade, organic, sustainable and energy-efficient – shows that eco spending jumped from £31 million £35.5 million in the last year alone.

Thankfully, eco fashion is no exception to this.  While the idea of eco-friendly fashion may seem a contradiction in terms, more and more fashion designers, boutiques and high street fashion chains across Europe are converting to ethical, sustainable and ecologically-aware clothes products.

Green is the new black, and ethically-produced ranges are becoming increasingly popular.

Being green and trendy is not always the simplest lifestyle choice, but it’s far easier if you can buy clothes with a conscience on the high street.   But beware, we need to establish some ground rules about what to look out for when shopping for ethical and eco-friendly clothing.

What to look out for when shopping for ethical and eco-friendly clothing:

• If it’s cheap, ask why it is so cheap?
• Check to see what it’s made of (e.g. is it Fairtrade or organic cotton?)
• Can it be recycled?
• Is there excessive packaging?
• How many air miles did it travel to reach the clothes rail?
• Is it washable? (Dry cleaning has an extremely negative impact on the environment)
• Has it been made in China, where working conditions are questionable to say the least?

…and that’s before we even tackle the question of whether “my bum looks big in this”!

It’s a simple case of supply and demand.  We, the consumer can be a powerful economic and environmental force as we shift our spending patterns to greener alternatives, but many high street retailers need to wake up to these changes.

Here are three stylish pieces which we have chosen with whatshewears.ie for a less guilty way to shop.

Wedding dress (photo by Michael Kelly) Oxfambridal (€70 – €450) Georges St, Dublin 2
As vintage wedding dress demand soars, check out Oxfambridal for a great selection. They had their first fashion show in February 2009 where four brides-to-be walked away with their dream wedding dress. If an Oxfambridal wedding dress sells for €250, this can buy two families a goat for each father, a vegetable garden for each mother and school books and musical instruments for the kids.

Edun Tribal Jumpsuit (€298)
Founded in 2005 by the Irish activist couple Ali Hewson and Bono, the collection uses organic cotton where possible and is all about sustainable employment in developing countries. On trend with this jumpsuit made from 100% silk, we applaud Edun for their early adoption of eco fashion.

7 For All Mankind  Bootcut jeans, House of Fraser (€168)
With many jeans labels now using organic materials it’s great to see this industry making progress with the green movement.  7 For All Mankind has lots of eco styles for 2009, all made from cotton which has been harvested from pesticide-free plants. One such example are these boot cut jeans –we recommend buying jeans with a percentage of elastane (usally 98% cotton and 2% elastane) so that they will hug your figure.

First spotted in the shops last summer, we thought that it took a very fashion forward lady to wear a jumpsuit, but it appears that there’s a style out there to suit everyone. From full length to hot pants length, you can make a statement or be subtly confident with this key piece for Spring Summer 2009.

The full length version is very ’70s-inspired and is suitable for evening wear whereas the shorter length playsuit is more fitting for your holiday wardrobe for sunnier climates.  Our blue French Connection jumpsuit was worn to death on last year’s beach holiday – teamed with with black espadrille sandals and a black basket bag for evening wear and flip-flops and the same basket bag for day wear.

Alternatively, for Spring (or indeed for an Irish summer!) wear your short jumpsuit/playsuit with black opaque tights. Topshop, as always, has the widest choice of long and short jumpsuits around.

Here the whatshewears.ie team have picked our top 5 jumpsuits:

Pictured left to right

1. Heidi Klum was brave enough to wear a Michael Kors’s black-strapless version, accessorizing with a wide belt and simple jewels. You can buy a  ”Black Halo” strapless jumpsuit from asos.com, €293 which is a dead ringer for the Michael Kors version.

2. Silk waisted jumpsuit, Warehouse, €84. Bang on trend with its cobalt blue hue.

3. Vero Moda, €43. This soft cotton jumpsuit is for the more casual gals amongst you.

4. River Island playsuit, €43. Team with flat gladiator sandals for this day time look. We found Kate Moss ‘ favourite Steve Madden “Banglez” gladiators ( €120, pictured) in Cocobelle, Hibernian Way, off Dawson Street, Dublin 2.

5. (Not pictured) Belted check playsuit  from Topshop, €53. Quite the 50′s glamorous look, this retro, short playsuit will show off your waist.