August 1st 2014.

STUN IN THE SUN!

Stride into summer with the hottest sunshine signatures!

Image sourced from Prima Donna 

Work the weather this summer by treating yourself to the latest sunny staples and statement silhouettes. With this season’s sensations you can expect plenty of pink, bold punchy prints, jewelled embellishments, technicolour collections, athletic influences, a string of slogans and a dash of denim, sugary shades, earthy hues, and a tropical and tribal trend. Rails are bursting with popping palettes, effortless elegance and an exotic flair, with pieces ranging from simplicity and sweetness to those sexier with spice, so whether your warm-weather wardrobe prefers delicacy or daringness there is plenty of fashion flavour to choose from this season.

The summer scenic shelves are adorned with the holiday hottest and city chicest items that followers of fashion just can’t get enough of. For trendy textures and summer fabrics we’re seeing the timeless denims and washed out vintages, stretch materials, silks, satins, eyelets, chiffons, lace, crisp cottons, and sleek and sheer shifts. Statement styles are pleats, pencils, minis, midis, flares, fringing, culottes, typography, preppy pieces, synchronised separates, spaghetti straps, sleeveless cuts and trench and summer coats. The colour craze to hit the mainstream will range from canary combos to fiery hues, to modern mono mixes, pretty powder pastels and sorbet shades, to a splash of rainbow, pure whites and a prominent display of orange, blue, blush pinks, roses and fuchsias. Patterned prints will vary amongst the perennial primaries such as stripes, polka dots and animal designs, to the new up and coming favourites of tribal, graphic, floral and embellished bursts. Clash your patterns for an ultimate effect and keep an eye out for snakeskin and butterfly prints, which are tipped to top the trend!

Image sourced from Betty Barclay

Trendy two-pieces and cute co-ordinates are proving popular, making their way from catwalks to the red carpet to high street hotspots and our local boutiques, an outfit choice which perfectly plays across the daytime to night-time transition. For day-to-day dressing opt for pretty playsuits or casual jerseys and crop tops, whilst sport chic collections are being weaved into summer wardrobes and dominating everyday dressing. Cotton kaftans, thin slips and light linens are beachside sartorial signatures and are the best thing to wear during prime-time holiday heat, with loose cuts creating a breezy and fresh feel. Additionally, spring scarves are so versatile that they could be worth investing in, which work as sarongs, makeshift dresses or as a gentle wrap for cooler nights. Find out more about this by taking a look at Nordstrom’s online video, which will show you sixteen ultra-chic ways to style your scarves. For summer evening ensembles opt for forecasted fashion favourites, with fluted skirts, tailored and floaty trousers, maxi dresses, shirt dresses, biker and bomber jacket shapes, and the classical clean and minimal aesthetics being key runners on the trend track. Ace accessorising by choosing chunky and colourful additions as a blooming bouquet of floral fashion starts to largely feature within the jewelled-jungle. Red tones are predicted to be hot throughout the handbags, with rucksacks and minis flying off the shelves. Flat sandals and heels in striking suede shades are taking the summer season by storm, whilst eyewear is particularly popular amongst mirrored, rounded and oversized pieces.

Wow in the waters with the superior swimwear styles that promise to be poolside popular. Cut out costumes, high-waist bottoms, bralets, bandeaus, fringes, frills and triangle shapes will be leading the seaside trend. For those who wish to tame the tummy, opt for one pieces or high-waist briefs that will sculpt your curves and keep you looking trim, shapely and neat. Wear frilled, fringed or busy patterned bikinis if you lean towards the petite end of chest sizes, whilst halter necks are perfect for giving fuller chests a boost. Shouty swimwear is being crowned as the beach-lover’s lust, with loud designs, creative cuts and mismatched mixes introducing a twist to the traditional two-piece style. Alongside the classic matching black and white hues, funky fashionistas have taken to the quirky queue and are donning clashing prints, interchangeable colour blocks and top-to-bottom contrasting combinations.

So whether it’s savvy style, preppy panache, crafty colour combos, exotic ensembles, sweet saccharine staples or the petal power players that you prefer, this summer is fuelled with the hottest fashions yet and you have plenty of choice to pick from! Just remember, whilst it’s always fun to tap into the trends, style is about so much more than following them. Whilst traditional key pieces such as the LBD dress and A-line staples will never date, dressing to suit your individuality, practicality and comfort whilst incorporating the latest fashion favourites is always best.