Remember the time when glasses were confined to the realms of geekdom, and leaving the opticians with a pair of specs meant automatic relegation to nerd, before you could even say ‘four-eyes’? Well, those days are long gone, and the latest craze is wearing prescriptive-style glasses, even if you don’t need to. Just last week I noticed a gaggle of girls lining up to try on fake, NHS-style spectacles in Urban Outfitters in an attempt to update their look, so why this current change in thinking?
As always, it’s those big boy designers that have got something to do with it. The Autumn / Winter catwalks were awash with frames in every style, shape, size and colour. Michael Kors picked tortoiseshell to complement his neutral palette and animal print designs, whilst Chanel opted for classic gold. Also helping carve the trend were Tom Ford, Prada and Paul Smith.
A fantastic way to change your look, in the same way sunglasses can enhance your
features, so can a pair of see-through specs. They can add personality and character, but also act as an extension of your beautifying process too. Glasses mean make-up doesn’t need to be as heavy, and rather than eyes lined in thick, black kohl, dark frames serve a purpose in highlighting and opening up the eye area.
Functional and fashionable, this new era of optics also means there are a lot more celebrities that are ‘out and proud’ about their glasses-wearing needs, and are starting to favour frames over contacts. So if you’re the real thing and you’re lucky enough to own a pair of designer specs, this is definitely the season to flaunt your frames!
One trend continuing to shine through this season is star led fashion, and we don’t mean star in the celeb sense either. No, it’s hard to miss the amount of star emblazoned accessories and outfits twinkling at us on the shop floor and we have to admit, it’s one stellar look that shouldn’t be ignored.
First seen on the Chanel, Yves Saint Laurent, Pucci and John Rocha runways, the star gazing craze really kicked in when Kate Moss rocked up at her 34th birthday party sporting a star print Chanel jumpsuit, closely followed weeks later by Alexa Chung, also in a Chanel ensemble but this time a dress; no-one does an all-in-one quite like Kate. Before long everyone was getting a little bit star struck and Kylie, Mary Kate Olsen, Miley Cyrus and Peaches Geldof were all seen donning the mystical motif.
But taking on this trend doesn’t have to mean adorning yourself in stars from head to toe, so do what Peaches did and start small by choosing an accessory to show off the design. Printed scarves are a must-have anyway this season, so why not go for the lunar look and tick two trends off at once. Shoes, bags, belts and jewellery are another great way to get your fashion fix and there are some great high street copies of YSL’s strappy star sandals.
It’s important to bear in mind that print can be powerful, so wear in moderation and try and choose more monochrome based prints in black or navy or it could start looking a wee bit garish. If you’re keen to work some more colour into the outfit, pair the print with bold block colours or add a red and white striped blazer á la Chanel for that all American feel.
Tags:When it comes to fashion we all need a little inspiration from time to time. For us, the humble fashion follower, we have the trend setters to do most of the hard work in setting the scene for the lastest season’s fashions. However, even designers need the occasional muse, proof in the unmistakable 1950’s theme rocking the S/S08 runway.
The likes of Gucci have honoured the decade with their ‘rockabilly chic’ theme and Chanel have brought a hint of the Riviera with nautical designs that owe inspiration to the 1950’s and 1960’s sex kitten, thus taking us back in time to an era where looking perfectly polished and glamorous at all times was of the utmost importance. An era where leaving the house without those necessary final accessory details was a cardinal fashion sin, and so it’s never been a better time to ‘Think Pink’….. Come on girls, we’ve all recited that famous phrase from Grease in the pretence that we are as cool as Rizzo or as innocent as Sandra D, well now’s our chance to literally step into their shoes!
What’s more, the 1950’s saw our imagination take flight in the Fifties as we began to lose our inhibitions and embrace designs that had style and humour to match our lifted post-war spirits. At this time spectacles and sunglasses became much more than functional objects as wings and diamantes were used as decoration. So, come on, lets pay homage to our grandparents and ditch the plain and boring eyewear in favour of wild and wacky shaped frames, get your bling on with twinkling diamantes and be bold and brave with bright colours. But don’t forget the rule, its great to experiment but just make sure your chosen frames still make the most of your fabulous features!
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