Pile it on
Sienna Miller,celebrity style
Sienna Miller
Ah, the T-shirt dress. This surprise hit was a component of the \'80s revival, which is only just beginning so don\'t ditch those House Of Holland slogan tees yet. Leggings were the other runaway success, which also led to layering - a logical success when the weather has been as unpredictable as Kate and Pete\'s wedding plans. Layering went hand in hand with our out-of-control shopping obsession - the more you buy, the more you can wear, simply keep piling it on!
Planning ahead
dress,designer,catwalk
Christopher Kane catwalk
And going forward to 2007? Dresses, dresses, dresses. Every designer of note majored on dresses, especially \'80s sheaths (at Christopher Kane and Preen), swingy smocks (Anna Sui and Emma Cook) and babydolls (Anna Molinari and Gucci). Girlie details continue to charm – come February we\'ll be wearing our frocks and tops garnished with bows, puff sleeves and Peter Pan collars
Glamorama
Keira Knightley,Rachel Zoe,celebrity style
Keira Knightley
And then there was the Rachel Zoe factor. The Hollywood stylist credited with zhuzhing up the likes of Kiera Knightly and Lindsay Lohan, she made teens aspire to be groomed, glamorous and accessorised to the hilt
The trends that refused to die
Lindsay Lohan,it bag
Lindsay Lohan
You\'d be forgiven for thinking fashion moved way too fast this year but you\'ll be glad to know some trends are in for the long haul. Hanging around like a bad smell were skinny jeans (it took us forever to find our favourites an we\'re not giving them up now), ballet pumps and good old trench coats - set to be even hotter next spring. It bags were more covetable and expensive than ever, while Primark continued to be the cult label you most love to flaunt
Planning Ahead
rubber,catwalk
Balenciaga catwalk
The flip side to the romantic, feminine look is a double bill of futurism and S & M (think patent dresses and rubber leggings). Expect to see the edgier Hollywood stars sporting it on the next round of red carpets. And if you think spring is about muted pastels and brights - which it is - don\'t be put off. There\'s a big injection of disco-chic metallics and sequins in store, so rest assured your Primark sequin tunic has plenty of life in it yet
More fashion on handbag
fashion,handbag
jools oliver
Find out what some of our favourite people in fashion are planning as their
New Year\'s resolutions. We have a brand new favourite colour for this month,
purple. Plus we take a look at the
australian designers making it big at home and away
Top of the flops
trousers,catwalk
Fendi catwalk
And what of the high waisted trouser? The designers tried, the press tried (we really did) to initiate a move away from tired old hipsters but no, you weren\'t having it, you were adamant you did not want those high waist slacks emphasising your paunchy tummy and short torso, and frankly, who can blame you?
Glamorama
Dita von Teese,celebrity style
Dita Von Teese
Alongside the slouchy grunge of \'80s layering sat the ladylike silhouette with its just-waxed legs neatly crossed and Lanvin-gloved hands folded. Couture-style tailoring was something new to try and we fell on it like a long lost lover. The three-quarter sleeve coats, the elegant bell skirts and flattering trapeze jackets - we all fancied a bit of that Balenciaga action
Top of the flops
model,designer,catwalk
Lanvin catwalk
But it wasn\'t all sales and successes, fashion had its fair share of failures too. Braces anyone? This precursor to the androgynous trend died an instant death, it was simply too gimmicky and damn difficult to wear. And ditto for kooky bow ties. Cute on models but too costumey and contrived for real life (sorry Alber Elbaz)
Top of the flops
designer,catwalk
Diane von Furstenberg catwalk
Likewise, gorgeous though they looked on the hanger and the catwalk, those chunky seven-ply knits wouldn\'t shift. Blame it on all the layers underneath, ultimately they just made us look fat. Elsewhere on the high street it was all about houndstooth check. We had high hopes for it at first. It was graphic, it was \'60s but that was part of the problem, it was so distinctive and oh dear, it was everywhere.
Planning ahead
designer,high street
Katherine Hamnett t-shirt
And finally, if all this shopping talk is making you feel guilty, don\'t be. The biggest trend going forward is ethical chic. Designers like Katharine Hamnett, Edun and Noir are making sure that whatever we buy is helping a good cause. So don\'t delay, go forth and shop!
Go large
Nicole Richie,sunglasses
Nicole Richie
2006 will surely be remembered as the Supersize Me year. Everything but everything went big-scale from bags (remember Balenciaga\'s backbreakers?), to sunglasses (Nicole Richie made an entire career out of them) and the hugest trend of all, the wide waist-whittling belt (if you weren\'t sure about the voluminous tent dress trend you could cinch it in with one of these fashion lifesavers). Platform wedges were another biggie - who didn\'t use them to anchor their tulip skirts and XXXL T-shirt dresses?
