Style Blog

Today we celebrate the 72^nd birthday of the quirky fashion designer, Vivienne Westwood. The world renowned fashion creator is notoriously known for her vivid designs and huge personality which has truly transformed the fashion industry of the 21^st century. Here we take a look at some of her most influential collections that have inspired other designers and made fashion what it is today.

Pirate

In 1981 Vivienne Westwood took part in her first catwalk show with a collection that she named ‘Pirates’. The range included extensive research into historical dress, inspiration taken from Native Americans and a variety of ethnic cutting techniques.

With the Grand National having taken place over the weekend, many will be celebrating or crying as they count their winnings or their losings after the biggest horse race in the sporting calendar. Over the weekend, this world famous horse race attracted thousands of horse lovers and those who have a fondness for the equestrian sport. The Grand National is the most anticipated horsing competition of the year and is one that many hope to race to victory and pick up the winning title.

Last Friday also saw ladies day take place. Ladies day is a long running tradition that occurs at most horse racing events including major dates such as Ascot, Cheltenham and of course the Grand National. It is a chance for women to come along, dress up in their finery and enjoy a day of betting, champagne and plenty of fancy fashion.

In the coming months there are plenty of horse races and ladies days due to take place. If you are attending one over the next few weeks and are not sure what to wear, then why not take a look at our style inspiration for adding some sparkle and glam to your ladies day look. 

Look 1

Choosing the perfect piece of jewellery for a child can be difficult, there are many things to consider like what colour, style and expense. So, if you're looking for the perfect gift for your child and you need a little help, here are a few pointers to help you on your way. 

Things to consider

The age of the child will alter what you should buy. For younger children you don't want to buy anything too glamorous or too expensive, primarily because children tend to lose and break things. A piece of jewellery with too many diamonds or other stones would not be appropriate and could be uncomfortable for your child. Don't despair though! There are many items of jewellery that are appropriate and a fabulous choice for children. For older children jewellery can be the perfect present especially if they are entering their teenage years. Jewellery is vastly varied so think about the child's favourite colours and personality then decide what best expresses that. Jewellery should be something that they keep and cherish forever, so make sure it's special.

Charming Jewellery

Charm Bracelets are a fantastic piece of childrens jewellery. As a present for a birthday, wedding or any other occasion you want to remember charm bracelets are excellent. You can continue to add charms over the years, it really is lovely to watch them evolve from a simple bracelet with one charm to one with many. Charms can vary from colourful beads to silver shapes to charms that represent a hobby, talent or interest. Customise it to create individual, personal piece of jewellery and they will get excited about adding new charms to their bracelets. Charm bracelets also have a great sentimental value; when your child grows up they will not only have a fabulous charm bracelet to wear, but a bracelet of memories and a piece of jewellery completely individual to them.

For children with pierced ears, earrings are really exciting. Earrings are great to collect and usually not very expensive. From simple studs to golden hoops to twinkly diamonds, earrings are so varied in style that you really are sure to find a pair that you and your child love.

Simply Stunning

For more expensive jewellery for children, perhaps for a special birthday, it can be best to stick to simple as they will likely keep this throughout their life. Simple jewellery doesn't mean it is boring, but beautifully understated. Necklaces that are simply a gold or silver chain can be the perfect way to say, 'I love you' without being over the top. For a daughter or a niece, a necklace with one simple, sparkling stone can be brilliant choice to let them know that they are your little princess.

So, If you think about the personality of your child (or whoever you're buying a gift for) you are sure to find a piece of childrens jewellery that is both age appropriate and beautifully stylish. Jewellery really is a great choice if you want to give a gift that lasts forever.

AUTHOR BIO:

Leanne Everwood writes regularly about childrens jewellery and fashion for a range of jewellery websites and blogs. She has been writing for web and printed media for many years, keeping up-to-date with new trends.

In the UK, we're into the coldest April for decades, but the action on Style Review is continuing to hot up.  We're looking to do more automotive reviews, not something I've done a lot of in the past, but what better way to start than with a look at the superb Madza 6  Others will follow in this category, and we're aiming to give a bit more of a user insight than just tech specs.

Back on the movie theme, I'll be taking a look at sci-fi blockbuster Oblivion this week starring Tom Cruise and Olga Kurylenko  In fact, if you caught the Graham Norton show recently, Tom and Olga joined Gerard Butler in some suitably madcap conversation with Norton at the helm.  Interesting that despite the glamour and the millions that come with stardom, the hard work still has to be done on promoting movies via non-stop world tours.  Nice work if you can get it I guess, but I suspect Tom Cruise spends most of his time at airports with the amount of releases he puts out.

Incidentally, going by the clip on the Graham Norton show, Gerard Butler's new action movie Olympus Has Fallen definitely looks worth checking out, so I might have to add that one to my review list.

So, that's it for now, join me on Twitter @jsmithwriter for other updates and I'll be posting my Oblivion review real soon!

The new season is upon us, so time to start thinking about adding some new styles to your wardrobe. The warmer weather is finally starting to arrive and now we can say good bye to the cold and dreary winter and hello to long days of much needed sunshine. The spring season is the perfect time to give your look a bit of a change. The nicer climate allows us to strip off a few layers and experiment with a little more colour. T shirts, thin blazers, plims and even a pair of shorts or two is the usually attire for the warmer temperatures. So if you are thinking of adding a few extra pieces to your wardrobe for spring, why not check up on the latest styles to see what’s hot for the new season?

There are plenty of new looks and trends to try out and one that seems to be sweeping the board is the colour blue. It’s everywhere this season. Navy, duck egg, ocean, midnight, name any shade of blue you want and I am sure you will find it in at least one of the latest collections from the top designer brands.

If you are thinking of incorporating some spring time style into your look, why not check out some of these blue pieces to incorporate into your outfits this season. 

Just a simple blue t shirt would brighten even the dullest of wardrobes. This piece from Armani Jeans is ideal for wearing with cargo shorts on your up and coming summer holiday abroad.

With the sun finally showing its face and the winter weather finally leaving us, we can now enjoy updating our wardrobes for the warmer weather. The woolly jumpers can now be thrown to the back of the cupboard and the skirts and dresses can now be brought forward and worn once again. The summer is a time to adorn lighter and brighter colours, gone are the blacks and greys and out come the beiges, browns and whites. There are always plenty of styles on offer at this time of year, so if you are in need of a wardrobe update, now is the time to start shopping.

Gabor has recently released their latest collections and many fashion fans will be very pleased with what is on offer for the spring / summer seasons. The designer label always offers a vast selection of stylish and on trend pieces and this summer is certainly no different. If you are thinking of adding some new shoes and accessories to your clothing collection this season, why not browse their latest collections. We have picked our favourites for you to check out.