Dolce & Gabanna had scarves as part of their Country Life collection for autumn/winter 08, adding a touch of elegance to the outfits.

Scarves come in different styles, sizes and colours and are very versatile. There are small scarves like handkerchiefs to bigger pashmina wraps. They can be rectangular, square or triangular and made of different fabrics like silk, cashmere and cotton.

The beauty of scarves is that they can add a splash of colour and effortless elegance to an outfit.

Here there are some suggestions on how to wear a scarf:

- Shawls can be worn as a wrap to style a dress or a short sleeve top, around the neck in cold days, as a head scarf and even as a sarong for going to the beach or swimming pool.

-Squared scarves can also be worn around the neck, as head wear (on those bad hair days they can be a life saver), over the shoulders as well as a bandana.

- Rectangular scarves can be used as a belt, front tie, as head wear and around the neck.

- Silk or satin scarves in rich colours & patterns are ideal to spice up any outfit.

- Plain scarves work best if you are wearing patterns or different colours in your outfit.

Here is an elegant selection from the LOSVE Square Scarves

Originally from Persia, the Scottish town of Paisley became the major site for manufacturing the print. When the Beatles went to India in the late 60’s paisley really took off  - John Lennon even had his Rolls Royce painted with paisley prints.

The Paisley print can be seen in ties, shawls and bandanas. The boho trend gave a revival to Paisley and both Gucci and Dolce & Gabanna backed the trend for Autumn/Winter 2008.

D&G

Make sure you don’t want to miss the trend and there are plenty of options including those from LOSVE.

Paisley Tops

Paisley Tops

Miss Selfridge Pasiley Smock LOSVE Paisley Tunic Oasis Paisley Tunic Warehouse paisley Tunic

Paisley Dresses & Skirts

Paisley Skirts

Wallis Paisley Dress LOSVE Green Paisley Skirt Principles Teal Paisley Dress LOSVE Brown Paisley Skirt

Paisley Accessories

Paisley Accessories

LOSVE Silk Paisley Scarf Monsoon Paisley Bag Jasper Conran Paisley Wash Bag

Michelle was probably making a subtle statement with a strong red colour - she was not about to fade into the shadow of her president elect husband. I also think red is a colour that really suits her and she has shown again her elegance and sense of style.

Michelle’s style has been compared to former first lady Jacqueline Kennedy and her fashion style is attracting a lot of fans!

Here is a simple alternative to Michelle’s outfit

LOSVE Red Tunic Dress Barrats Red Patent Courts

Victory Speech

Like many, I thought the dress did not flatter Michelle. She has a great figure but the combination of the cardigan with the design of the dress was disastrous. The red splash made her hips look huge and busts small, plus the length of the sleeve made her shoulders look wide and the upper part of the arms chunky. A black dress in a simple design and gold accessories would have been a better choice for Michelle.

USAToday ran a poll about the dress and 65% of readers said: “This fashionista had an off day”.

At a more sombre venue, Cindy McCain wore a yellow silk suit from Oscar de la Renta Spring 2009 Collection. The 60’s style design suited her although the jacket looked slightly big.

Cindy McCain

If you managed to avoid the media coverage of the US elections, Sarah Palin is the candidate Vice Peresident and was given a sensational allowance to prep her for the election race.

In one of her speeches she called herself as “your average hockey mom”, while she wore a $2500 (£1500) Valentino jacket!

Like her or not, I think her make over looks great. Her style is elegant and breaks the mould of traditional suits. Here are a couple of pictures of her new wardrobe.

Sarah Palin New Wordrobe

Skinnies started in the 1950’s and were popular with male stars like James Dean and Elvis, Marilyn Monroe and Audrey Hepburn also wore them.

Now, skinnies don’t suit every one and just because they are still in don’t feel compelled to wear them. There are other styles that can also be flattering and better suit your body shape.

Celebs can wear skinny jeans with anything and get away with it but we have to work a bit harder.

There are different styles of skinny jeans like straight leg, skinny and extra skinny. The straight leg cut ones are not as clingy and are a good alternative if you don’t feel like wearing them fitted. I’ve got some tips to help you pull off a great skinny look:

• - Wear a skinny tucked into high boots. The chunkiness of the boots will make your legs look slimmer and help balance your hips and bottom.

• - High heel shoes will add height and create an illusion of longer legs. The best of both worlds is to wear heeled boots. Try stilettos and a floaty satin blouse for an evening look.

• - Avoid flat shoes, they will make chunky thighs look even bigger and exaggerates your butts and hips.

• - Dark colours have a slimming effect, so wear black, dark and grey jeans.

• - Chunky cardigans and voluminous tops paired with dark skinnies will make your legs look slimmer.

• - For a graceful elegant look, pair skinnies with long tunics and cardigans.

• - For a more fitted look, wear a belt on the hips.

Evening Outfit

Asos skinny jeans LOSVE Satin Tunic Miss Sixty Belt Topshop shoes New Look Ring Dorothy Perkins Clutch

Casual Outfit

LOSVE Green tunic Topshop Brown Boots Warehouse Straigh Leg Jeans Aldo Brown Bag

So when did high heels become fashionable? European noble men wore them to keep their feet in stirrups, but it was the petite Catherine de Medici who started the craze, when she asked for them to be designed for her wedding day.

Just in case you didn’t know, high heels come in kitten, tapered, block, blade and stiletto heels. There are also different heights to choose from low, medium and high.

Despite the health problems related to wearing high heels, they are very popular. According to The Independent, the NHS spends £29 millions a year on high heel injuries, Unbelievable!

For an example of what high heels can do even to a professional model, here is a video from a Vivian Westwood show where the model falls over twice !

So if you are like me and regularly look for a stylish high heel alternatives check out my picks ( as if you need an excuse to check out nice shoes!). I have chosen wide heels in a low and mid height as these can be stylish and more comfortable - they still give you some height and can be the best of both worlds. Another great advantage of wide heels is that you don’t have to worry about getting the thin heel stuck in pavement gaps!

These medium high courts and ankle boots look gorgeous with skinny jeans. You could also pair them up with wide leg trousers and skirts.

Faith Courts Dune Ankle Boots Faith Ankle Boots

High boots are quite versatile. You can wear them with skinny jeans and long skirts - my personal favourite.

Faith Black Boots Dune Brown Boot

Going Out Options

Court shoes are ideal for going out. I like texture in my court shoes and here are some options for you:

Topshop Black Courts Asos Patent Shoes Mango Courts

Work options

Wide and low heels add more support to the feet making them a good option if you are stood on your feet for long periods.

Dune Courts Barrats Tan Courts Miss Selfridge Mary Jane Shoe

The 60 second film oozes Chanel elegance and unlike the last Chanel film there is no dialogue. We see Keira Knightley spring through Coco Chanel’s apartment (probably a reconstruction of the Rue Chambon pad) and then on to Paris streets. Few things really stood out for me:

• The elegant red silk gown worn by Keira, combined with a diamond necklace -  classical Chanel.
• The sound track is one of those you have got to lisen to again and again. I found many people online  asking “whats the song on that Chanel advert”, the soundtrack is called L-O-V-E by Joss Stone.
  

Here the advert including the track. Enjoy, I certainly did.

We are experiencing a bit of a rush in fashion TV in Britain (hurrah). The latest of these is British Style Genius, which aired last night on BBC2. The series is well timed with many of us in the mood for fashion on the back of the fashion weeks in New York, London, Milan and Paris.

The British Style Genius promised to be different to programs like Gok’s Fashion Fix, in that its in documentary format and will examine what makes British fashion so distinctly unique.

Here is a quick summary of the series:

Episode 1: High street look, the story of the of British High Street Fashion.
Episode 2: Tailored look will examine the history of British tailoring.
Episode 3: The Rebel look.
Episode 4: Country look examines the essence of classic country clothing.
Episode 5: Street Look explores the styles created on the street, for the street.

The series include contributions from Kate Moss, Sir Philip Green, Vivienne Westwood, Twiggy, Alexander McQueen, Michael Caine, Paul Smith and Suzy Menkes.

Episode 1: High street look

The first episode starts with behind the scene look at the Kate Moss calibration with Top shop and the stampede that followed on Oxford street. I found the scene where Kate pretty much loving all the pieces the design team showed her a little annoying, but in fairness she is not trying to pass herself off as a designer.

It was a 1 hour episode with a lot to fit in, but I still felt it was unbalanced and focused too much on Topshop. Although M&S was featured I was hoping for a wider coverage of the high street. Sir Philip Green heads Arcadia, which owns Topshop, Burton, Dorothy Perkins, Evans, Miss Selfridge, Topman and Wallis (pheww), but what about Debenhams and Next ? to name a few.

It was probably right to have Jane Shepherdson comment on Topshop given her achievements there - Jane left Topshop and the rumour was she fell out with Philip Green over the decision to get Kate Moss, she is now at Whistles.

If you were expecting catwalk after catwalk show of British designers then you would have been disappointed. The episode highlighted snippets of British fashion history and even ‘fast fashion’ only got a quick mention at the end.

Over all I liked the episode and will tune in again next week (BBC2, Tues 9pm). You can catch this episode on BBC’s iplayer for 14 days.

I like to combine both elegance and comfort in my day wear and I have included outfits for the office, students and mums, because they work too !

Smart Casual

For the smart casual look I suggest simple lines and minimal accessories. The wide leg trousers add a classic touch and the grey shirt dress is pure elegance, its a LOSVE piece so I am going to say that right!. The jewelled shoes complement the look ensuring it is smart without making it formal.

LOSVE Grey Short Dress, Mango Wide Leg Trousers, Carvela Low Heel Shoes

Casual outfit

For a casual look I love the grey LOSVE tartan long skirt, combined with a chunky knitted cardigan for a classical autumn feel. I will be layering this outfit so I have chosen a simple top in a light fabric with the cardi on top. The long skirt has plenty of detail so I used matching plain colours to complement the skirt. The low heel dark boots add the final touch to a this casual outfit.

LOSVE Tartan Long Skirt , Wallis Black Top,  Warehouse Chunky Cardi, Top Shop Black Boots

Formal

If you need a formal look then dark colours are always safe (black, white and grey) - I will do another post soon for more adventures formal colours.

To make this outfit slightly different I chose a feminine long skirt and a funnel neck jacket. As the skirt is long I used mid high court shoes to add height to the overall look - I would avoid killer heels.

LOSVE Black long skirt Principles Ivory Blouse ASOS Black jacket FCUK Court shoes

Mum outfit

Being a mum is a busy 24×7 job especially If you have young children. As a mum of two I am always on the look out for practical clothes that also look good. So for the busy mums I suggest the following outfit.

The brown shirt dress is loose fit and the front buttons easily unfasten if you are breastfeeding. I went for dark shade colours as they are harder to stain - a big plus for mums with young kids. I paired the shirt dress with dark denim jeans for a stylish look. With the arrival of winter a warm coat is important, particularly if you walk frequently or push a pram. The flat brown shoes are practical, match the shirt dress and keep the colour scheme simple.

LOSVE Brown Shirt Dress Fat Face Jeans, Topshop Parka jacket, Barrats Casual Shoes

Student outfit

I have good memories from my days at university but I don’t miss the exams at all!. There is lots to do at uni including getting to those 9am lectures on time!. As as a student you have got to work on a limited budget but that doesn’t mean you need to look shabby.

This purple tunic shirt with flared jeans is a great combo. Purple is the new black for autumn winter 08 and this tunic is a practical item that you can add to many other outfits.  The flared jeans have a great 70s retro look and the black coat adds a young trendy edge; combined with the flat ankle boots should keep you warm and dry and this winter, specially if you are some where wet like Manchester (UK)!

LOSVE Purple Tunic, ASOS Flared Jeans, Republic jacket, ASOS Boots

These outfits are a suggestion you don’t have to match them in the exact way I have done. You may need to adapt some of the items to suit your body shape and complexions - feel free to get in touch for specific advice.

Silvia - blog@losve.com