Wedding Guest Dresses Summer 2014

Wedding Season is upon us, which means it's time to dust off that pretty little party dress in the back of your closet....or even better, shop for a new one. Whether the wedding theme is classic, modern, formal, vintage, indoor or out, I located a few different looks to help inspire you. These occasion wear pieces are from one of my favourite online stores, Coast.

A Cobalt and Coral Cocktail

From top to bottom: Branda blue peplum top £35. Herona coral cropped jacquard trousers £45. Coral necklace £20. Jango drop earrings £18. Marcha coral maxi dress £95. Groucho blue earrings £12. Amy printed bandeau dress £115. Michela coral sandal £30. Lucy cobalt blue lace detail dress £160. Layla blue suede clutch £45. Zaza floral printed clutch £22. Lupita coral fitted dress £95.

Under the Summer Sky

From top to bottom: Ginivie white sequined top £55. Harper sky blue skirt with floral overlay £75. Harper sky blue cropped top £45. Cozette silver metallic midi skirt £85. Milo bracelet £12. Milo necklace £17. Ciel pearl earrings £12. Juliette metallic lace dress £125. Mirade mono clutch £22.

Tropical Destination

From top to bottom: Niah printed maxi £135. Neon orange sequin clutch £22. Cali cord necklace £45. Amaline yellow jacquard dress £85. Isadora yellow python heels £35. Margeaux emerald green maxi dress £95. Hera multi-hue earrings £7. Alaina coral lace dress £175. Cerise envelope clutch £17. Michela peach & orange heels £65.

Black Tie Affair

Top to bottom: Rio white feather top £75. Cannizaro printed midi skirt £75. Willow sequin clutch £28. Rex perspex cuff £17. Michela mono sandals £30. Margeurite zigzag clutch £20. Rozelda jumpsuit £115. Floral earrings £85. Mancnini mink tulle gown with ribbon belt £220. Phia bib necklace £12. Glamour bow dress £85. Linnea cuff £10.

Watermelon & Mint - Picnic in the Park

From top to bottom: Poppy aqua mint one-shouldered dress £85. Naomi mint clutch £28. Thalia earrings £5. Cherry Blossom maxi dress £115. Telma pink cropped jacket £39. Floria high-neck mint dress £145. Talia tassel mint bag £20. Thalia bracelet £15. Super perspex necklace £17. Telma pink pleated dress £49.

Vintage Romance

From top to bottom: Thalia blush embroidered dress £250. Padme pearl necklace £25. Rupal hair comb £9. Keleste cropped blazer £75. Anakin pearl earrings £7. Ali pearl beaded shoes £40. Lisbeth lace corset gown £250. Pacha pearl cuff £35. Elspeth embellished mini dress £85. Pearla clutch £60. Peach drop earrings £15. Tiana flower embellished heels £35. Lori Lee petal pink maxi dress £175.

You can shop all these dresses and accessories at Coast.com

Which Wedding Guest Dress Theme would you pick?

The Party Dress Edit 2013

Party Dress Ideas
For The Holidays 2013

It's that time of the year where party invitations flow freely and there's a fancy event to attend around every corner. Be it the annual office affair, a formal Christmas dinner, a summer soiree (here in the Southern Hemisphere) or a New Year's Eve bash, you will be guaranteed to need a show-stopping dress to make the date even more memorable. I have selected my favourite Party Dress picks from around the net to inspire you to find your own ideal holiday outfit. Please click on the images for a larger view.

Season's Sparkle

Festively Red

Slip Dresses

Gold Spice

Sugar Coated

Draped Dresses

Monochrome

Feathered Frocks

Which of these party dresses would you pick for your holiday event?

Prom and Party Dress Ideas 2013

This post comes as a special request from a lovely reader looking for some prom dress inspiration. Here in Safrica, we call this end-of-school event a 'matric farewell' and it is known as being the biggest and most important day in a girl's life, other than her wedding, that is. 

Whist trying to find the best source of beautiful and tasteful prom dresses, I stumbled upon far too many tacky showgirl-type looks with more glitz than the Vegas strip and rainbow ruffled nightmares. Thankfully, my taffeta torment ended when I uncovered the elegance and glamour of Alyce Paris. The French-American based brand are favored for their exquisite and refined evening wear that will turn any Cinderella into a Prom Queen.

If you have passed that prom stage, they also create looks for weddings, bridesmaids dresses, engagements, parties, pageants and any other formal occasion. The prices range from $250 for a short party dress, to around $350 for a simple chiffon evening gown and $500 - $1500 for a look that's heavily embellished. See more of these beguiling styles at the Alyce Paris website. P.S This post is not sponsored, I just happen to really like these dresses ;)


Be Enchanting

Pick a pastel shaded gown in floaty chiffon with silver crystal embellishings to bring out your feminine side. Enchant in lilac, rose, coral and peach sweetheart strapless dresses.

There are also shorter flirtier options to dazzle your date with.

Be Pretty in Pink

Keep in trend with a range of pastel pink empire waist dresses in high-low & maxi lengths.

Be Enigmatic

There is nothing more classic than a well constructed black dress that flatters any shape.

Your end-of-year party look dilemma is solved with elegant cocktail dresses that are accented with ornate gold embroidery and sheer detailing.

Be Dynamic

If you're out to make a bold style statement, there's no better way to say it than in red. Lace and tulle fabricate these stunning curve-hugging mermaid dresses.

For a more youthful and less formal approach to this power colour, a sleek chiffon frock with minimal beading is bound to do the trick.

Be Bright

Set the dance floor alight in vivid hues like fuchsia, chartreuse, cobalt and yellow.

Be Serene

A soothing blue oceanic mood is translated no better than by these sweeping circle-cut skirts.

 Be Sparkly

Outshine the others in an extravagantly sequined gown that will ensure you are the 'light' and sparkle of the party. I mostly see of these types of dresses at weddings I've attended here.

Be Golden

Get the Midas touch in a scintillating gold gown that ranges from demure to 24 carat couture.

Which Alyce Paris dress would you pick for a formal occasion?


*Just a note: My next post will be on Friday.

Shopaholics Series - Coast London

I often post on dreamy designer dresses that most of us would require winning the lotto to buy. It's not impossible to get that celebrity red carpet look that we swoon over, for much much less. I recently came across the label Coast London and got hopelessly lost in their beautiful collection of party dresses and evening wear, which not only look luxurious, but cost a fraction of any couture dress. Coast creates exquisite occasion wear, paying detailed attention to feminine silhouettes, sumptuous fabrics and intricate detailing. 

Why not have our very own glamourous moment in the spotlight - even if that mean twirling around in a tulle skirt under fluorescents in your local trendy hangout - Just Kidding, Don't do that...unless you really want to. Here are my favourites from this irresistible range. 


Blush Tones

Fuchsia Fancy

Prints

 Brights

Wispy Whites

Radiant Reds

Midnight Matters

Metallics

Coast London has their flagship store on Oxford Street, and there are also 147 boutiques around the world. If you can't find one in your city, try shopping online at Coast-Stores.com

Which would be your ideal Coast Red Carpet look?

Wedding Guest Dresses 2013

It was my search for a feathered cocktail dress that lead me to the Little Black Dress website. A site, once discovered, unlocked a treasure chest of hundreds more beautiful party frocks at prices to smile about. Now I know why people have five credit cards...this is the reason. 

There's always a place for a few more party dresses in your closet, especially moving into wedding season, along with bridal showers, birthday soirees, engagements, summer parties and any general celebration. The look you choose will depend on the theme of wedding or event you're attending.These are my favourite picks from Little Black Dress, who stock stunning designer dresses to suit any type of wedding guest style. Formal to fun, glamourous, flirty and every pretty little dress in between. Click on the images for a larger view.


Little Black Dresses

Orange-Ade

In Neutral

Raspberry & Rouge

Navy Blues

Brights

Pastels

Blush Tones

     
You can shop all these splendid dresses and many more at Little Black Dress. 
Postage is free anywhere in the UK and they also ship internationally...Yay us!
Which dress suits your wedding guest style most?

Who Wore H&M Better?

Who Wore It Better?
H&M Conscious Collection
Spring 2013 dress

I love seeing celebrities wear something other than designer dresses on the red carpet. It shows humility on their path, and it also proves that a cheaper chain store brand can look just as good as any ten thousand dollar ensemble. 

In this edition of 'Who Wore It Better', we see two young starlets wear the same ruby red cocktail dress from H&M's Spring 2013 Conscious Collection. The dress forms part of the Swedish brands' eco-friendly range of party wear, that offers sustainable fashion using organic and recycled materials.

* Swedish beauty Alicia Vikander looks radiant in the red fitted dress, which is laden with delicate rose appliqués. The 24-year-old Anna Karenina actress wore the frock earlier this year to the Swedish Film Awards. She accessorized with a gold Chanel clutch bag & black sandals.

* Teen actress Chloe Moretz looked endearing in the rosy red dress during Paris Fashion Week, opting to style her ensemble with nude ankle strap sandals.

* In the H&M Spring 2013 lookbook, the romantic red dress was shown with a beautiful matching floral netted fascinator.

This dress is currently available at H&M stores for $129.

As for 'Who Wore It Better?', I love the styling on the model, but from the celebrities, I would have to pick Alicia Vikander, I think the dress fits her better, although I would've preferred a more exciting pair of shoes. It does look lovely on Chloe too, but I think it is a little aging for a girl of only 16. What are your thoughts?

Who Wore It Better - The AnnaSophia Robb Edition

Who Wore Alice + Olivia Better?
The AnnaSophia Robb Edition

You may recognize AnnaSophia Robb as the breakout star of TV's newest fashion-frenzied series, 'The Carrie Diaries'. Playing a young Carrie Bradshaw, the 19-year old actress has displayed a flair for style on-screen & on the red carpet. AnnaSophia has a longstanding appreciation for design label Alice + Olivia, as seen in this edition of 'Who Wore It Better?'

Round 1

* AnnaSophia films an episode of 'The Carrie Diaries' wearing a charming watercolour printed dress with A-line skirt. Her eye-catching ensemble has been styled with a floral denim jacket, cerise pink belt, turquoise tulle underskirt and pastel shaded Giuseppe Zanotti slingbacks.

* TV actress Sami Gayle wears the same embellished collared Alice + Olivia dress with matching belt, accessorized with an orange reptile clutch and winsome heart-print heels.

* In the Alice+Olivia lookbook, the dress is kept consistent with matching pastel printed shoes.

The Verdict: I love this dress as it has been simply styled on the model, but I also admire the creativity and multi-shaded styling on AnnaSophia. That's a look made only for the fashionable thrill of TV, (and perhaps New York Fashion Week).

 Round 2

* Smash star Megan Hilty wears a lace bodice dress from Alice + Olivia's Fall 2012 collection with burgundy pumps, also by the brand.

* AnnaSophia Robb was spotted in the same black and white peplum dress. Her choice of black flat Salvatore Ferragamo pumps were a bit puzzling to me.

* Heiress Lydia Hearst showed off her modelesque height in the same cocktail dress, opting to style it with a cutesy black hat and pumps by Alice + Olivia.

* On the model, the dress was shown with a black skinny belt and sheer yoke.

The Verdict: My vote goes to the model, the dress needed the definition of a belt and also the sheer yoke makes the beautiful lace detailing more prominent.

Round 3

* AnnaSophia was delightful in a black, green and pink floral print dress with halter straps from Alice + Olivia's previous Spring collection. She added a stunning pair of Yves Saint Laurent metallic gold and black T-Bar strappy sandals.
* Modern Family's Ariel Winter was also seen in the same frilled bottom dress, stepping out in black pumps and an enchanted braided halo hairstyle.
* The model's dress has been fitted with a wide leather belt and nude wedge platforms.

The Verdict: I am on the fence here...I liked Ariel's adorable hairstyle, but I also think that AnnaSophia's heels were the perfect shoe choice. Any thoughts?


 Round 4

* Holland Roden was captivating in a romantic white feathered frock from Alice + Olivia's Spring 2013 collection. The 'Teen Wolf' star was accessorized with gold Jerome C. Rousseau sandals, a white leather clutch bag and bold red lipstick.

* We recently saw AnnaSophia Robb wear the same lace embroidered white dress just last week. Her dreamy look was styled with silver Stuart Weitzman pumps.

* The dress is just as magical in the lookbook, worn with leather cut-out sandals.

The Verdict: I prefer AnnaSophia in this dress, the fit is better on her and I like the more subtle makeup. It's the type of dress that looks splendidly pretty on all three.

I would love to hear your verdicts on 'Who Wore It Best' in each round.

Enchanted by Izmaylova

The makings of a successful up-and-coming fashion brand:
*Take the remarkable talents of two forward thinking designers; 
*One from Moscow, the other Paris;
*Both design graduates from London College of Fashion and Central Saint Martin respectively,
*Who cite their influences as 'Russian Imperialism' and 'Contemporary England',
*Move their atelier to London, Stir it all up and you have Izmaylova.

Releasing their first pret-a-porter collection in 2012, designers Antonia Izmaylova & Nathanael Gam debuted to a stellar response. Their concept of fashion is based on wearable luxury, a neoteric sense of design & artistically engineered pieces that are modern and distinctive.

For 2013, Izmaylova flaunts geometric lines, sharp cuts and sculpted shapes in canary yellow, black, white and golden sandy beige. The razor-edged ensembles are allayed by lush fabrics like silk organza, georgette, metallic lace and ostrich feathers. Strapless built-in corsets, asymmetrical peplums, cut-and-paste pieces and sheer linear inserts are the key constituents of this stirring collection. Click on the images for a larger view.

All of these exquisite looks can be purchased via the Izamaylova website. Ideally suited for an engagement party or wedding reception, cocktail dresses range from £315 to £695 and £735 for an evening gown. Although the brand is fairly new to the world of high fashion, I predict big things for them in future, and a few celebrities (Emma Roberts, Elizabeth Banks, Nicole Scherzinger and Lucy Hale) will surely agree. 
I've been enchanted by the 'Dahlia' & 'Candytuft' dresses. How about you?


*All images found via Izmaylova.co.uk