Hollywood Style With Asymmetric And One Shoulder Dresses At The Golden Globes

Just about every fashion magazine and blog has covered the Golden Globe Awards and the after show parties this year, but many seem to have failed to notice how the Hollywood red carpet was awash with floor length asymmetrical and one shoulder dresses.  All the Hollywood stars and starlets making this style work for them are too numerous to mention here, but to name a few were Drew Barrymore in an architectural peach crystal scatter dress by Atelier Versace, Kate Winslet (pictured here) in a navy Yves Saint Laurent gown, with Tiffany & Co jewels and Jennifer Aniston in a black, plunging Valentino gown. All of them demonstrated that the asymmetrical or one shoulder dress works for all types of figures and styles. Why not try it out for yourself, here are a few simple tips for wearing asymmetrical or one shoulder tops and dresses.

• Look for classical and even rather plain styles when wearing an asymmetric or one shoulder style dress. Kate is wearing a well fitted navy Yves Saint Laurent gown which she accessorised with Tiffany & Co jewels. YSL gowns may require rather too deep pockets for many of us, but similar gowns can be found for a fraction of the price, and with the right hair-do, makeup and sparkling accessories, can still look stunning.
• Look for one-shoulder dresses in black or navy or if you are brave enough to make more of a statement go for a dark red or cream dress and match it up with a pair of classic killer heel pumps and clutch bag.
• If you choose a simply styled, black asymmetrical dress it can be dressed up with sparkly, high heels, evening bag and jewels, or dressed down with a wide belt, black leggings, flat pumps and big slouch bag for a casual look.
• An asymmetrical mini dress can be worn with patterned tights and Mary-Janes for an office-girl look and then changed for the evening to be worn over skinny jeans and long knee boots for a night out.
• Remember the gorgeous SATC Carrie dress in cream with the beautiful corsage? Try this out yourself with a one-shoulder dress, by attaching a pretty corsage in colours matching your dress, or contrasting colours which can be matched with shoes and bag.
• There are lots of different ways to wear asymmetrical styles, look for off centre necklines, pointed sleeves, hemlines and off-the shoulder styles.
• If you are wearing an asymmetrical evening dress keep your jewellery simple. A large central pendant does not look correct with a one-shoulder or asymmetrical neckline. Instead, centre your jewellery around earrings and bracelets and leave shoulders and neckline bare.

How To Wear Layers To Look Fantastic - And Keep Warm!

Yes, its autumn time and heading towards Christmas and although we all want to keep looking great on a Saturday afternoon in town shopping, dressing for it sometimes comes down to a choice of looking fantastic and being an itty bit chilly, or keeping warm and looking like a big bundle of all the contents of your wardrobe thrown together.

Have a look at this picture of Megan though - doesn't she look fantastic, and that is because she is following all the rules for successfully dressing with layers. If you look at each individual item she is wearing, none of them are really amazing and if they were worn individually you probably wouldn't give them a second glance. However, layered together with a cool hat they look great - so here are a few tips for layering up which you can use with items from your own wardrobe.

• Choose lots of light and breathable fabrics, several layers of these types of fabrics work a lot better than two layers of thicker fabrics such as wool or cotton.
• Using light fabrics means you can still wear some of those pretty summer strappy tops - coloured and patterned ones look great worn over a white scoop neck lycra long-sleeve top.
• Remember those leggings you have been wearing all summer, they look fantastic under longer casual skirts, worn like footless tights, especially the ones with lace or sequins around the bottom for a boho look.
• With patterns, like the striped vest top in the picture, they need layering with plainer fabrics, but you could get away with a subtly striped top worn underneath a plain jacket or blouse with a flowered lining for a more interesting look.
• Hoodies still work for me over a vintage denim jacket, but only if they are teamed up with a feminine skirt or girly-top underneath, otherwise it can just look too boyish. A fantastic look is materials such as denim or leather mixed with chiffons and silks - so cool.
• If you love bright colours wear them in moderation when layering - go for layers of neutral colours, such as greys, creams, chocolates, and add a belt, scarf or bag in a bright colour such as this season's purple or scarlet.
• Even scarves can be layered, a favourite look of mine is to take two small pashmina type scarves and lay them out one on top of the other, then twist them together. Fold them in half, wrap around your neck and tuck the ends in - you have a unique look no one else will have. With other accessories, layer up your necklaces - look through your jewellery box for some of those long beads and chains and mix them together.
• Remember to give yourself some definition, if you are wearing a flared jacket or top then team them with skinny jeans tucked in boots, but if you are wearing a flared skirt or wide pants then wear a fitted top or jacket of pull in your waist with a wide belt.

Do You Want To Sparkle And Shimmer This Season - Here's How To Make The Most of A Glittering Wardrobe

Wow, this season it is hot, hot, hot to wear anything that glitters. Sequins were more than abundant on the autumn/winter catwalks of 2009 and this trend has also made its way out into our high street and designer stores. This is fantastic as we are flying towards the party outfit season but how much of our outfit should shimmer and glitter? What do we wear with our glittering dress, how much glitter is too much glitter?

Here are some great tips on how wear this latest trend, so you can sparkle with style, alongside Jennifer Lopez who actually wore this shimmering bronze dress to a celebration at the White House this month (picture courtesy of Getty Images).

• Jennifer looks fantastic in this sweet, short, bronze dress, which suits her darker skin tones and hair - but many of us might feel uncomfortable in something which glitters like gold, so look for the LBD which is accessorised with sequins - this looks very classy, but the sequins will add glamorous shimmer.
• If you do want to go for a gold or silver dress think about accessorising in black, with a black clutch bag and sandals and possibly a black shrug or pashmina to throw around your shoulders.
• Black opaque tights will also look fantastic with a coloured, sequinned dress, or if you have lovely pins then get them out and wear your short sequinned dress with some of the latest ankle boots for an on trend look.
• If you want to wear a toned down glittering look, wear a sequinned or shimmering skirt with a black top and again either opaque tights or ankle boots.
• Remember if you are dressed in a shimmering ensemble, then the jewellery you choose to accompany your outfit should not distract from it but complement it. Look for simple designs - if you are wearing a black, sequinned dress look for simply designed silver jewellery.

The Mulberry Bayswater Handbag Has A New Look At London Fashion Week - Do You Want One?

Well I do! I am as happy as any girl to tote around a new handbag - seriously it can make or break my day, and the new Mulberry Bayswater handbag in coral smudged leopard print is a seriously heart-breaking handbag with its postman's lock and tiny hidden padlock. The only thing stopping me from clicking on the buy-it-now button on the Mulberry site is the price - around £650. Yes, I know this is an iconic bag and brand that we are talking about but can I seriously justify paying what is the equivalent of a month's rent for a bag? Plus, my other half would seriously be unhappy .... So, I decided to do some investigating to find out what the more errm.... thrifty options were, and I did manage to find these rather more pocket friendly alternatives - plus remember everyone, it won't be long until the season of goodwill is upon us, so you might want to add one of these little beauties to your Christmas wish list.

The Cheap And Cheerful Alternative To The Mulberry Bayswater Bag

For those who have under a tenner to spend, and who are searching for the Mulberry look, this bag makes a very good attempt. It's not leather but it is in a fashionable raspberry shade and has a great little padlock on the front. Slightly bargain-basement, but still a very good bag with lots of room - great to take to work and available in lots of colours.

• Padlock detail
• Zip-top closure for security
• Soft faux leather material and the lining inside includes pockets for bits and pieces aherend your mobile.

The Everyday Alternative Bag to the Mulberry Bayswater Bag

This bag has the ever popular crocodile effect finish in a lovely brown shade and is the perfect tote size which will fit either hooked over your arm (very celebrity style) or on your shoulder. Still a pretty pocket-friendly alternative but a very smart looking bag.

• Lovely shiny faux brown crocodile skin finish
• Padlock detail
• Lining with lots of pockets and generally a lot of room - this bag can even be used as a weekend bag.

The Alternative To The Bayswater Bag To Put On Your Wish List ...

This bag is gorgeous high quality leather, and it has a super twist lock on the front which is very similar to the postman's lock on the Bayswater - it is super roomy too and promises to be a long lasting and stylish bag.

• Lots of pockets inside and out, including a mobile phone pocket and a feature detachable outer front Postman's lock pocket.
• Beautiful and soft premium leather and a luxury fabric lining.
• Double handles which can be unfastened and clipped together diagonally to create a cross-body bag.
• Complete with a dust bag for storage.

STOP PRESS: - the big news is that you can now have the opportunity of winning a fantastic Mulberry bag for free until the beginning of December - there are still plenty of bags left - all you need to do is click here to go to the Kinder Bueno website, who are running the promition, and register to enter to win a bag each day - you never know you could be the lucky one!

New Season Colour - Be Proud To Wear Purple

No one would suggest that wearing purple from head to toe is a great fashion idea, but accessorising or wearing one signature item in the classy shade can bring the romantic and mysterious side out in you. All shades of purple and particularly the punchy bright shades are the most on-trend fashion statement for this autumn. Rachel Stevens shows here just how beautiful a plum purple dress can be - she looks classily gorgeous in this sweetheart neckline gown.

Choosing One Signature Item Of Clothing In Purple

For the daytime, perhaps in the office, look for pretty feminine vest tops in purples, magentas or lilacs. Wear one under a crisp white shirt to bring out your naughty but nice side. A great idea is a classic black trouser suit with a white blouse or shirt, but make the difference by wearing some purple high heels - quirky is great.

Purple Accessories and Jewellery

Purple jewellery is an all time favourite - particularly Amethyst jewellery (which is the birthstone for February). Amethyst jewellery can be found in its more natural state shaped into boho pendants, or can be polished to a fine finish and inset into gold and silver jewellery. Purple accessories look best when teamed up with black, neutral or white outfits. I recently saw a photo of Alex Curran wearing some cool purple sandals with a summer tunic dress, which looked fantastic.

How To Use Purple Make Up

Purple make up should be used with care during the day - look for plum shades of eye shadow or lipstick or lip glosses with a plummy purple tint. Deeper shades of purple eye shadow and eyeliner can be used by sweeping purple colour over the eyelids and lining the eyes both top and bottom with purple liner to create a dramatic evening look.

How to Wear A Purple Dress

Dresses, particularly for the evening, look fantastic in all shades of lilac, plum, magenta, mauve and deep purple - there is something very mysterious about darker shades of purple. Accessorise with either black or silver shoes and bag.