Everyone Is Wearing White - How To Look Cool In A White Dress For Summer

There is something absolutely stunning about a white dress like there is with no other colour. With the on-set of a heat wave for the UK this summer it's going to be pretty important to know how to dress to be cool for sun-drenched days. There are some pitfalls when wearing white however, but here are some tips to ensure that you are looking your best ever.

Do I need a tan to wear white?

No, you don't need the all over bronzed appearance to look good in white, but nevertheless, a light golden tan does accentuate a white dress. If you are very fair with light blonde hair then white may make you look washed out, however, I love this sequined white dress on Nicole Kidman who is very fair skinned and a strawberry blonde.

What About White Dresses Being See-through?

Unfortunately some white fabrics are pretty see-through. I think this can add to the fun of a white dress with carefully chosen coloured underwear beneath, but you have to be very careful with your bottom half. It can be slightly off-putting to see the outline of a thong through the back of a dress. Test out the fabric before buying by running your hand up inside the dress and holding it up to the light - if you can see the colour of your hand through fabric you can guess what else will be visible when you are wearing it.

I Already Have A White Dress Which Is Too See-through - What Can I Do?

Remember those slips that your gran used to wear that she bought from Marks and Spencer - they still sell them, but they have been totally updated. A full body, silky slip will be perfect under a white, slightly see-through dress and a bit of lace poking out of the bottom of your hem only adds to the fun.

What Style Of Dress Should I Look For In White?

Unless you have the gorgeous, slim figure of Nicole pictured here, a tight white dress can be more than unflattering - look for one which flares, frills and flows - think more Marilyn Monroe style unless you want every bump and dimple to be on show.

What Colour Shoes Should I Wear With A White Dress?

Ideally not white as this is rather overkill - white dresses ideally suit sandals or super high heels. Match your dress to shoe colours such as brown, croc patterns, silver, bronze or metallic.

What Type of Jewellery Should I Wear With A White Dress?

Ideally simple jewellery - elegantly styled silver jewellery is perfect, but another great match which is perfect for holidays too is wooden jewellery such as bangles and pendants.

PS Just so everyone is aware it is the height of bad manners to wear a white dress to a wedding unless you are the bride - talk about trying to up-stage her!

Why Did Carrie Bradshaw Love Her Carrie Necklace So Much in Sex And The City?

When I first thought of name jewellery, I was horribly reminded of those rings that you can buy from some high street jewellers - you know the ones I mean - the chunky yellow gold rings that say "Dad" or "Best Mum". Hmmm, pretty tacky I thought. But then sprang to mind one of my all time favourite books and shows, Sex and The City and the Carrie necklace. Any fan of the show knows what her necklace meant to Carrie, and the heartbreak she suffered when she lost it in Paris.

As Carrie herself said, her Carrie necklace was worth practically nothing in monetary value, but it was priceless to her. The $55,000 diamond necklace her boyfriend, Aleksandr Petrovsky, buys her as a replacement is gorgeous but Carrie believes that nothing can replace her own necklace. Luckily for Carrie, she later finds her necklace in the ripped lining of her Dior clutch bag whilst waiting for Alexsandr. She realises then that, as the diamond necklace cannot replace her own Carrie necklace, her life in Paris with Alexsandr can never replace her life in New York with her friends.

The Moment When Carries Finds Her Necklace ...

This is also a brilliant clip as it shows the part where Mr Big slips past Carrie in a limousine when she is frantically trying to call a cab in the middle of Paris - neither of them seeing the other!

Why Was Carrie's Necklace So Important To Her?

The story behind the importance of the necklace is that Carrie found the necklace at a fair whilst she was out with Charlotte, Miranda and Samantha. Although the necklace costs her next to nothing, she buys it and the necklace became a personal reminder of all their good times together and her true friendship with the three other women - her best friends in all the world.

I Have My Very Own Carrie Necklace

I am lucky enough to have my own Carrie necklace - with my own name on it of course, but in the very same style. I love it as it reminds me a tiny bit of Carrie's story when I wear it, and also of the importance of friendship. I think if you are a fan of SATC (or even if you are not) they make a perfect gift for a special friend.

Use the promotional code "SRHF" on www.mynamenecklace.co.uk and obtain a further 8.0% off the purchase price at checkout.

The Story Of Toe Rings And How To Wear Them

Toe rings are an essential accessory for Spring and Summer this year as they add that extra sparkle to quite ordinary feet and individuality to the plainest of flip-flop sandals.

Who Wears Toe Rings?

Toe rings have been worn by Hindu women in India for hundreds of years as a symbol of marriage. The Hindu tradition is to wear toe rings in pairs, rather than a single ring on one foot and they are normally ornate in style, sometimes fashioned with bells as decoration. Traditionally Hindus are not allowed to wear gold below the waist as the precious metal has a respected status, but modern Hindu brides are now demanding gold and diamond toe rings after marriage.

In the West, the modern way to wear a toe ring is normally on the second toe of either foot, however, personally I like to wear them on the third toe if wearing a shoe with a thong, as this shows off the ring better and prevents it being damaged by the shoe.

What To Wear Toe Rings With

• There is no strict rule on how to wear toe rings. Normally, I will choose to wear either a gold or silver toe ring depending on the type of the other jewellery I have on that day, although you could match the ring with the colour of your sandals. Silver rings look gorgeous with black, silver, grey, turquoises and cooler coloured sandals, whereas gold rings glow with browns, bronzes, reds and warm colours.
• A shiny silver or gold toe ring looks outstanding on a tanned foot, but don't fear, I am not recommending the sun-bed or drastic tanning - just dust a bronzing powder over the top of your foot and toes before slipping on your shoes and ring, they will look lovely.
• Toe rings can be worn with casual sandals and flip flops perfectly, but if you are dressing up with some fantastic strappy shoes, look for a toe ring with some "bling" as this will add sparkle to your toes on a night out.
• As most toe rings are adjustable, you can ensure they are tightened up before heading out as the last thing you want to happen is to lose a ring, particularly if you have invested in gold or silver.
• There are no hard and fast rules, but toe rings look perfect when worn on the top half of your toe, rather than nearer the bottom.

Oscars 2009 - Whose Dress Would You Rather Be Wearing - Jennifer's or Angelina's?

Many of the blogs and sites that I have been scanning for fashion news of the Oscars have reported that they were rather disappointed at the lack of glamour displayed on the red carpet this year. However, the dress which was worn by Kate Winslet has been described as making her look like a "dominatrix" by a well known UK newspaper, which could I suppose be called glamourous in an ever so slightly seedy kind of way? It was actually a black one strap gown by Yves Saint Laurent which did make her look quite statuesque and stunning.

Two of our favourite stars were of course at the Oscars and were really head-lining the event this year. As has been widely reported, this is the first time that Jennifer Aniston and Angelina Jolie have crossed paths and been in the same room since Jennifer found out that Angelina admitted falling in love with gorgeous Brad whilst they were filming Mr and Mrs Smith, which is when Jennifer labelled the lovely Angelina as "uncool". Hmm ... well as can be seen from the pictures here, as well as disagreeing over various issues in their personal lives, their styles and dress sense are very different. I know which one I personally prefer, and in a few lines their differences and styles are listed below:

Angelina

• Angelina dresses in long and lean curves which accentuate her fantastic figure.
• Her outfits involve a lot of silks, satins and leather.
• Casual wear involves well fitting jeans and clingy tops, which are usually accessorised with luxury ethnic style jewellery and belts.
• When younger, Angelina's style was pretty gothic and there are echoes of this in the dress by Elie Saab she chose for the Oscars this year, which was brightened out of it's severity by a pair of huge emerald jewelled earrings and matching ring.

Jennifer

• Jennifer has been crowned as "The Best Dressed Star In Hollywood" in the past and her style and popularity has in no way wained.
• Jen dressed for the Oscars in a metallic Valentino strapless gown, accessorised with sparkling Fred Leighton jewels and Jimmy Choo “Jag” satin sandals.
• For casual wear Jennifer likes to wear jeans, t-shirts and blazers, she dresses like the original "girl next door" and looks fantastic and not overdressed like many other Hollywood actresses.
  
• Like Angelina, Jennifer wears a lot of black, but mixes this with browns, greys and beiges for casual wear, to creams and silvers for formal dresses, which accentuates her normally golden tan.

Which one of these golden girls' style do you prefer, leave your comments ...

What To Look For This Spring In Floral Designs - Flower Power Is Still Number One!

Floral patterns from pretty rosebuds to oversize bright flowery designs are still new and fresh for this spring as can be seen from the new season lines that are shooting up in the high-street stores - and which were preceded by the spring-summer fashion shows.

However, after several months of winter dressing, sometimes a helping hand is needed for the transition to spring-wear, especially where bright colours and vivid patterns are involved. No worries, however, as following a few simple tips will help you easily build colour and freshness into your wardrobe.

• The easiest way to bring colour to your life is to look for a blouse or top that you love in a frilled, floral design, and then team this with some really casual jeans and sandals for a laid-back look.
• The prettiest way to wear floral is either a sun-dress or tea-dress in a retro floral fabric. Wear this with tiny pearl beads at the neck and wrist and wedge sandals or espadrilles and look super-girly.
• Look for pretty fabric corsages that can be pinned to a vest or t-shirt, which match one of your other accessories or garments for a quick and easy floral-girly hit.
• Similarly, flower jewellery adds a feminine touch to even a plain outfit, look for sterling silver and semi-precious or murano glass flower jewellery.
• Shoulder bags can be glammed-up and brighten up a spring outfit when made from fabrics which incorporate floral patterns and designs.
• Hair accessories are great - use combs or slides decorated with flowers to pin up your hair into a super cool chignon.

What's your favourite floral item and why do you like it - let us know.