Avoid zips and studs, buy ruffles
Stella McCartney,designer,jean paul gaultier,high street,shopping,Autumn Winter 2009
Avoid zips and studs, buy ruffles
You know what it\'s like. You\'ve been knee-deep in brocade, leather and colour-blocked separates for months now and suddenly 50% off stickers are spreading over everything you\'ve been lusting after all season like a rash. You\'re tempted to clean up. It\'s a bargain, right? Well... maybe not.
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Don\'t end up blowing your hard-earned Christmas cheques for pieces that will look dated by the time that pesky New Year\'s Eve hangover has worn off. Smart girls shop savvy, which is why we\'ve rounded up the trends that will carry forward into spring/summer 2010.
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First up: you know all those fierce zips and studs that have characterised the punk-goth mood of autumn/winter 2009, as seen at Jean Paul Gaultier (left)? Leave them on the rails. Fashion\'s mood is softening for spring. Instead, opt for floaty fabrics edged with pretty ruffles, à la Stella McCartney.
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Picture: Jean Paul Gaultier, autumn/winter 2009; right: Stella McCartney, spring/summer 2010.
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Don\'t miss the handbag.com winter sale guide
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Avoid punky leggings, buy jumpsuits
designer,lanvin,roberto cavalli,high street,shopping,Autumn Winter 2009
Avoid punky leggings, buy jumpsuits
Leggings proved just how far they came from their humble beginnings in autumn/winter 2009, with the very coolest of the bunch coming slashed to pieces and adorned with all manner of hardwear. They\'ve reached their peak for the minute, though; don\'t be tempted to take things any further. Spend your money instead on a versatile jumpsuit, the likes of which were all over the spring/summer 2010 catwalks - most notably at Lanvin, Ralph Lauren, RM by Roland Mouret and Moschino Cheap and Chic.
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Picture, left: Roberto Cavalli, autumn/winter 2009; right: Lanvin, spring/summer 2010.
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Don\'t miss the handbag.com winter sale guide
Incoming! What\'s new at... French Connection?
Avoid mini skirts, buy mid-length
Marc Jacobs,designer,balmain,high street,shopping,Autumn Winter 2009
Avoid mini skirts, buy mid-length
While the mini is a perennial favourite (particularly for the party season), if you are looking to buy a skirt in the sales, go for one that taps into spring/summer 2010\'s grown-up, lady-like vibe. The hippest new skirt length on the block is one that sits somewhere between the knee and the ankle, providing the perfect basis for building a modern, on-trend silhouette (as seen left, at Marc Jacobs).
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Picture, left: Balmain, autumn/winter 2009; right, Marc Jacobs, spring/summer 2010.
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Don\'t miss the handbag.com winter sale guide
Incoming! What\'s new at... French Connection?
Avoid thigh high boots, buy mid-height heels
designer,chloe,high street,rodarte,shopping,Autumn Winter 2009
Avoid thigh high boots, buy mid-height heels
File away your inner dominatrix and step away from the killer thigh high boots! While we\'re not expecting temperatures to soar anytime soon, they\'ll look dated before you know it. Fashion has long been sounding the death knell for killer stilettos so veer instead towards a chic, mid-height heel, as championed by Anna Wintour. The ones on Chloé\'s spring/summer 2010 catwalk were our faves.
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Picture, left: Rodarte, autumn/winter 2009; right: Chloé, spring/summer 2010.
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Don\'t miss the handbag.com winter sale guide
Incoming! What\'s new at... French Connection?
Avoid fur, buy leather
Gucci,designer,high street,celine,shopping,Autumn Winter 2009
Avoid fur, buy leather
Fur - whether it was detailing on collars and cuffs or an out-and-out yeti-style coat - was an absolute must-have for winter (and is it any wonder, really, considering the record snowfall?) Leather, too, was ubiquitous. Two classic winter fabrics, one clear winner. Fur has fallen off the fashion radar for spring but leather remains very much on trend. There should be plenty of it on the sale rails (try Nicole Farhi, DKNY, DSquared, Michael Kors, Prada, Pucci), to ensure that you bag a bargain to see you through to autumn/winter 2010 and beyond.
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Picture, left: Gucci, autumn/winter 2009; right, Celine, spring/summer 2010.
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Don\'t miss the handbag.com winter sale guide
Incoming! What\'s new at... French Connection?
Avoid velvet, buy underwear (as outerwear)
Dolce & Gabbana,designer,christopher kane,high street,shopping,Autumn Winter 2009
Avoid velvet, buy underwear (as outerwear)
We blame Lady Gaga. One not-so-ladylike fashion trend the less shy and retiring among you might like to seek out in the sales is underwear worn as outerwear which, for spring/summer 2010, hit the big time on the catwalks of Dior, Jean Paul Gaultier, Christopher Kane, Dolce & Gabbana (to name but a few). Steer clear of velvet - it\'s got \'holiday season\' written all over it.
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Picture, left: Christopher Kane, autumn/winter 2009; right, Dolce & Gabbana, spring/summer 2010.
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Don\'t miss the handbag.com winter sale guide
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Avoid bold colours, buy pastels
designer,emanuel ungaro,high street,shopping,Roksanda Ilincic,Autumn Winter 2009
Avoid bold colours, buy pastels
While red was wildly touted as the colour of the season and designers galore were upping the brightness quotient for autumn/winter 2009 (a sign of defiance in the face of the recession, a more erudite fashion critic may have suggested), things are more subdued colour-wise for spring/summer 2010. Seek out anything pastel - be it blush pink, mint green, lemon or baby blue - for a smart buy. Check out Burberry\'s washed-out palette or the shiny ice-cream colours at Roksanda Ilincic (see left) for inspiration.
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Picture, left: Emanuel Ungaro, autumn/winter 2009; right: Roksanda Ilincic, spring/summer 2010.
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Don\'t miss the handbag.com winter sale guide
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Incoming! What\'s new at... French Connection?
Avoid plaid, buy gingham
Vivienne Westwood,designer,christopher kane,high street,shopping,Autumn Winter 2009
Avoid plaid, buy gingham
When we think plaid, we can\'t help but think of Gap\'s Christmas ads. It seems the world\'s designers have the same problem, as heavy tartans have been replaced as the hottest check of the season by gingham for spring/summer 2010. Christopher Kane did it big, putting prairie girls in Dorothy Gale dresses on his runway, and it was there at Chanel\'s barnstorming hoedown, too. For bonus points look for girlish, flirty pieces that flash a sliver of Lolita-esque flesh.
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Picture, left: Vivienne Westwood Red Label, autumn/winter 2009; right: Christopher Kane, spring/summer 2010.
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Don\'t miss the handbag.com winter sale guide
Incoming! What\'s new at... French Connection?
Avoid brocade, buy metallics
Dolce & Gabbana,designer,preen,high street,shopping,Autumn Winter 2009
Avoid brocade, buy metallics
The baroque elegance of brocade won\'t extend far beyond the end of 2009, so give it a wide berth. But if you can\'t live without a bit of glitz, never fear - the smart money will be on metallics, which are back with a vengeance to add a cool, ultra-modern edge to spring/summer 2010\'s sweet-as-sugar aesthetic. To get the most bang for your buck, opt for clean lines, neutral tones and nothing too overtly futuristic.
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Picture, left: D&G, autumn/winter 2009; right: Preen, spring/summer 2010.
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Don\'t miss the handbag.com winter sale guide
Incoming! What\'s new at... French Connection?
Avoid black, buy white
Chanel,alexander wang,designer,high street,shopping,Autumn Winter 2009
Avoid black, buy white
To conclude, a bit of a no-brainer. Black may be flattering, chic and eternally stylish but when the sun puts its hat on, you\'ll look silly sweltering in funereal hues. The spring/summer 2010 catwalks were a white-out, with a noteworthy number of designers using white as the basis for their entire collections (Osman\'s in particular had us drooling). It\'s always nice to wear a crisp, clean white cotton come summer but we couldn\'t help but feel that there was something a little deeper going on here - like a cleansing of the palette, ready for a new, prosperous year. And we\'ll drink to that.
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Picture, left: Alexander Wang, autumn/winter 2009; right: Chanel, spring/summer 2010.
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Don\'t miss the handbag.com winter sale guide
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Incoming! What\'s new at... French Connection?
