You are here: Home / Fashion Advice

Shoes: What’s Hot This Autumn

September 28, 2011 By admin

If you know anything about fashion, you will know that no outfit is complete without the perfect air of shoes – think SJP in Sex and the City and you will know just how important footwear is to the final effect of any outfit.

So, as we leave summer 2011 behind, and slip off our sandals in deference to the chance of season, what shoes should we be shopping for to keep us up to date this autumn?

Autumn 2011 catwalk shows offered an exciting range of shoes trends for the serious fashionista to follow, with footwear broadly falling in line with the pervading themes of the season, shoppers can expect a exciting mix of vintage and modern inspiration in the collections on the shelves of such stores as Kurt Geiger and Nine West, with a few surprises thrown in along the way.

If you are looking to bag a bargain then think about trawling the online auction sites for recycled fashions, or try looking out for money off vouchers for your favourite stores.

Autumn Shoe Trends: Materials

The catwalk shows for the upcoming season showed three standout winners in the material stakes for the autumn show collections. If you are looking for Fall 2011 footwear then think about buying something that uses one of the following:

  • Patent Leather: This favourite of 1980s schoolgirls is making a catwalk comeback for the coming cooler weather, offering a touch of luxury to styles that might otherwise be considered utilitarian.
  • Suede: An impractical favourite for the wetter weather, suede designs pervade the autumn collections. Thinks bold shades to bottom off a colour blocked combo, or neutral tones in keeping with the seasons trademark shades.
  • Faux snake/alligator/crocodile: If you are looking for something a little more edgy this season, then replica reptile skinned shoes are where it’s at. From full length boots to smart and sensible slip ons – choosing faux-skin shoes is a great way to add a little rebellious touch to otherwise conventional clothing.

Autumn Shoe Trends: Heels

As always heels this autumn come in a range of shapes and sizes, but the catwalk previews for the season revealed three distinct trends to watch for, which were:

  • Wedges – the chunky heel substitute is better known for its use in the summer sandal, but will be seen all over this autumn.
  • Chunky heels – a massive relief for many, the chunky heel with its additional stability and ankle friendly design is making a return to footwear fashion. Last seen in earnest in the early nighties, this practical piece of design looks set to prove popular.
  • Spike heels – for those who want to fly in the face of the abovementioned nod to comfort and practicality, the spike heel will also be a feature of the autumn lines. Great for nights out and posing purposes, not so easy to wear around the office.

Autumn Shoe Trends: Features

The 2011 “Fall” footwear collections offered a selection of exciting features to liven up this dull time of year, key themes that emerged from the catwalks included:

  • Buckles – with military and biker styling influencing autumn fashions we will be seeing quite a bit of the buckle.
  • Laces – with vintage Victorian one of the influences in play this autumn look out for lace features, especially on boots.
Filed Under: Fashion Advice Tagged With: , ,

All You Need To KNow About Vintage Clothing.

June 29, 2011 By admin

Stores featuring vintage clothing became very fashionable lately, but many possible customers are interested in the most significant difference between vintage and just ordinary. Most commonly, clothing produced before 1920 is believed to be antique, deserving of collecting or showing in a museum though not for regular wear. Most clothing produced between 1920 and the late 1970s is considered vintage by most dealers, but some will extend this cut-off date to the mid-1980s. The term ‘retro ‘ is frequently used convertibly with vintage, but many vintage outfitters only consider clothing of the 1960s and 1970s to be actually ‘retro’. Clothing produced after the mid-1980s is normally said to be bargain-priced or a charitable donation. One of the few exceptions to the age rule is top-end designer robes. One-in-a-million designs by designers like Halston or Versace can be considered vintage after 2 or 3 years. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Fashion Advice Tagged With: , ,

Faux Fur – Choosing the right fur!

May 24, 2011 By admin

Faux fur is simply fake fur. Fake , which is articulated like the word “foe,” is French for “not real.” Today, pretend fur is a preferred alternative option to real fur. Some fake fur representations are so like the appearance of real fur that it can be tricky to tell the difference. This wasn’t always the situation. Early fake fur was frequently regarded as inexpensive or bad, and quite simple to split from the “real thing.” People who couldn’t afford true fur might select pretend fur to replicate styles they couldn’t afford. It was sometimes connected with the lower classes. Today, many love fake fur as it means no animal has been raised and rubbed out for the purposes of fashion.

While there are still many that love real furs, this number has gradually fell. Major designers, who once worked with real fur only regularly are put under pressure by organisations like Folks for the Moral Treatment of Animals ( PETA ), to change to fake fur as an alternative. Many have felt PETA has valid points or out of their own conviction feel that there is no need to use animals to provide fur attire. The best pretend fur is made from fine acrylic fibers. Acrylic can be dyed to represent the colours and patters of real animals. Pretend fur can give a specific amount of heat to a garment, but it won’t be as warm as real fur.

From an alternative perspective, there are really few climatic conditions that call for the wearing of real fur. Even in cold and snowy weather, fake fur jackets with acceptable padding and lining are probably going to provide satisfactory heat. The sole areas on earth where fur could be more obligatory are the intense North, as in Alaska and Siberia, and the extraordinary South, as in the Antarctic continent. Even in these areas, new manmade materials are sometimes chose to fur. In many ways pretend fur has been utilized for many years on quite familiar objects. Most preserved creatures have pretend fur, generally acrylic. One exception in make is the gorgeous and costly Steiff preserved animals. Their fur is typically made from a cotton / wool mixes and they use few synthesised fabrics. Fake fur is also a preferred trim on shoes, women’s underwear, ornamental pillows, rugs, and as accents to clothing.

Quality of fake far can change. Some fake fur simply sheds. Look for pretend fur that when stroked doesn’t release lots of its hairs. Also, some fashion trends have reflected making pretend fur look quite fake. It could be dyed in terribly bright colours and have long fibers or loops. This is going to be fun to wear or can be worn as a statement the fur is indeed “faux.”.

Filed Under: Fashion Advice Tagged With: ,