5 Fashions: Autumn/Winter 2010

The dresses have been packed away, the startling make-up removed, the catwalks dismantled- Fashion Week A/W is over for another year. But, the real work is just about to begin.What we saw in fashion week is now being fervently carbon-copied by every store nationwide- and here's my guide on the top trends to be coveting before they become 'cool' in autumn.

1. THE LONG SKIRT

This fashion week was all about practicality over sexiness- the garments we saw were made to adorn the high-powered business woman, not the screen siren. This means the skirts are getting longer- say 'goodbye' to bodycon and 'hello' to a much more mature cut. Inspired by the likes Marc Jabobs, Asos' A/W collection is taking the 'long skirt' to even more extreme lengths in the form of the maxi skirt. Stylish, practical and able to hide a multitude of sins, you can pick one up here for a mere £28.

2. THE STATEMENT COAT

Outerwear in itself was a big concept- whether it's camel skin, tweed or fur, the more outlandish the fabric, the better. If you're not quite brave enough to attempt an electric blue and black furry number, as seen at Doo.Ri, perhaps the Camel Coat is for you. The gorgeously cut one above is from Jigsaw- it may be £149, but this season's outerwear is such a key wardrobe staple, it's important to buy quality.

3. THE WIDE-LEG TROUSER

Nude is still a heavy-hitter this season, but with a slight twist. The pastel pinks and peaches of summer are to be replaced by more earthy beige tones. If the camel coat isn't your cup of tea, perhaps try another one of the season's trends- the wide-leg trouser, seen at Chloe. The Esprit trousers above are ridiculously on trend- not only are they loose-fitting and beige, but also upturned and tapping into the adrognous trend. Snap up a pair for £39.99 whilst you can.

4. THE VELVET DRESS

Run and hide, velvet is making a comeback. I wish I was joking, but Dolce and Gabbana, Karen Millen, Thakoon and Alexander Wang are all at it. A particularly prominent colour appears to be burgundy (a la Altuzzara and Dolce and Gabbana, above). Should you wish to attempt this trend, the high street hasn't quite caught on, but you could opt for the slinky 'Goddess Dress' by Isabella Oliver ($194)- however, this one does show alot of thigh, so isn't massively in line with the mood of this season. Guess we'll just have to wait and see if the high street catches on...

5. BREASTS

Yes, you did read that correctly- according to those in the know, 'Buxom is the new flat-chested, daahling'. If your own décolletage leaves alot to be desired, opt for another seasonal trend- the ruffled dress. The exaggerated ruffles have moved further inwards from the shoulders of last season, and should now be used to accentuate the bust, exemplified by Prada (above). The new O&O range(available at Urban Outfitters, click here) is perfect for this- the dress above is just £40, and boasts Prada-esque nude tones and bust ruffles.

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5 Of The Best: Floral Dresses

Summer is well and truly here, I know because my boyfriends back is well and truly lobster colour. So I can find no better excuse then jumping on the internet and finding myself some cute little garden party dresses. All dresses featured can be brought in the UK and in the US and are at affordable prices.

Motel Sisi Dress - Rose Garden Navy
>This delicate little dress can be found here @ Motel Rocks. I can see this dress rocking a BBQ with friends or a drinks party in the garden.


Palm Print Zip Front Dress
This dress, found here @ Topshop is all about the beach. Sling it over a bikini, slip it on with some flip flops. You are good to go!

Rare Floral Bandeau Dress
This cute little Bendeau can be spied here @ asos. A dress of simplicity, with a pretty pink pattern, perfect for that tropical bar on the beach.

The Naturalist Dress
This 50's housewife style dress is found here @ Modcloth. Absolutely perfect for do's where you have to impress or walks in the countryside.


Printed Scallop Edged Dress
Find this here. With its deep orange and red pattern, this dress is a taste of the exotic and perfect for holidays.

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5 Fashions: Top 5 Vintage EBay Sites

There's been a notcieable resurgence in vintage garments in recent years- not least on auction site extraordinaire, ebay. For as little as a few dollars, you can use ebay to open up a veritable treasure trove of timeless vintage pieces- and here's my personal picks of the best ebay has to offer.

1. Noir Ohio

My personal favourite, Noir Ohio has it all- the uniqueness and eccentricity of vintage, but with a more contemporary streetwear edge. They've been around now for over five years, so something's got to be working for them.
Get it now:

Acid Wash Bandage Dress
Plaid Blouse with Ascot Bow Tie


2. Mama Stone

Describing themselves as a store for 'fashion forward foxes', Mama Stone mainly specialise in dresses from the 60's, 70's and 80's. A great spot to pick up some quirky designs, and floral pieces you won't find on the high street.
Get it now:

Purple Crochet Mini Dress
Floral Bodycon Mini Dress


3. Liebe Marlene

For the vintage fanatics with a taste for the delicate yet sophisticated, Liebe Marlene is here to tickle your tastebuds. Mainly specialising in pretty sundresses and quality coats, Liebe Marlene has new stock each week, and tends to be dirt cheap.
Get it now:

Blue Chambray Sun Dress
Rose Print Pleated Mini Skirt


4. Thriftwares

Inspired by youth culture from the 60's 70's and 80's, Thriftwares offer one-of-a-kind (and often designer) garments for pretty reasonable prices. They're also setting up a store in New York soon, so Big Apple fashionistas will be able to try before they buy.
Get it now:

Leopard Print Playsuit
Bishop Sleeve Minidress


5. Ladywolf
If you're looking for fashion pre-dating the 1960's (the starting point for most of these sites), try Ladywolf. A comparatively small store, but it stocks some very original stuff- a little pricier than some on this lift, but oh-so-worth it.
Get it now:
Plaid Wool Military Coat
Guess Green Skinny Jeans

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5 Fashions: In the Nude

Nude is a trend that refuses to go away- despite blogging about it last summer, it seems that the our wardrobes for 2010 are going to be filled with the same ice creamy, pastel tones. If you're a bit clueless when it comes to this softer, more fragile palette, never fear- I'm here to tell you everything you need to know.

1. PRETTY IN PINK
For all of the girly-girls out there, a pastel pink is bang on trend this season. Go for something a little more low-cut and curve flattering, such as this gorgeous parachute dress above (a steal at Asos for only £20) to add a bit of sensuality to this delicate look.

2. LACY AND RACY
For those who aren't much feeling the cute and innocent look this season, you could always opt for a lace dress. The dress above is in at Topshop for £45.00, and perfectly combines the risqué lace (which seems to be everywhere at the moment) with a more demure pastel tone. It also features those straight-off-the-catwalk exaggerated shoulders to boot- lovely.

3. VINTAGE
Continuing the lace theme, a pastel palette may be the perfect thing to get you acquainted with your vintage side. Although the skirt above is Miss Selfridge, it does that have that gorgeous aged look about it- although if you can, have a rummage in a local charity shop. Although most of it will be crap, spending an afternoon knee-deep in used orthopaedic shoes we be worth it if you find a perfect, one of a kind piece.

4. DENIM SHIRTS
Another blast from the past, the denim shirt is everywhere at the moment. Plus a lighter denim (such as this one, Dorothy Perkins £26), could be the perfect best friend for many of this season's pastel accoutrements. Although, I must ask you not to do double denim. PLEASE. The 80's finished over 10 years ago, and really wasn't all that great. John Lennon died, the Cold War happened and there was widespread economic difficulty- why would you want to relive that?!?

5. ORANGE, BUT WEARABLE
As I predicted, orange has been rearing its ugly head. But fear not- thanks to pastels, a new shade of orange is gracing the high streets, and it's actually wearable! This beautiful peachy dress (Topshop again, £35) is a perfect example of how orange is becoming wearable for the masses.

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5 Fashions: Music is My Hot, Hot Sex

DISCLAIMER: Ahem- Eileen would like to clarify that the tile is inspired by the title of a CSS song, and she's not some weird pervert who humps CD's in her spare time. Thankyou.

So, I reckon this might be the last post we here At the Sinema make as an homage to 2009. We've discussed our favourite music, films- even our favourite people to follow on Twitter.

This time, I'm going for something completely different. Having been inspired by some of the simply wonderful album sleeves I've seen on the shelves this year, I have decided to concoct some fashion looks, using these pieces of art as my muses.

Confused? Well, yeh- confusing is sort of my thing. For full infomration about any of the pieces, simply click on them to be taken to my newly-formed, shiny Polyvore account, which should give you all the information.

1. Piano Music's Ovations

Piano Magic by MissSinema featuring Poetic Licence shoes

This look is inspired by the slightly haunting and slight romantic cover of Piano Magic's 'Ovations'. I like to think of it as sort of a modern take on the classic outfits one might wear to sohisitcated dinner parties of yore, where scandal was rife and there was always a good murder or two. Well, this is the case if 'Gosford Park' was to be believed.

2. Loko's 'In Love'

In Love in Neon by MissSinema featuring Marc Jacobs bags

The colourful and abstract nature of this cover required mismatched neon- lots of it- but pulled off with a certain finesse, so you don't look like the victim of an explosion in a glowstick factory.

3. U2's 'No Line on the Horizon'

Horizon by MissSinema featuring TopShop clutches

Boring band, boring album, but I quite like the front cover. There's something beautiful about the simplicity of the black and white shot of the horizon. For this, I chose a more muted palette of colours, and quite feminine, delicate accessories.

4. Jarivs Cocker's 'Further Complications'

Further Complications by MissSinema featuring Marc by Marc Jacobs bags

There's something quintessentially British about Jarvis Cocker. Cool, and kind of sexy in a straight-lace, geek-chic kind of way. So, I went for a shirt and tie, with a smart pair of shoes- but to add a bit of a classic British quirk, I threw in some denim and a few bangles.

Bitte Orca by MissSinema featuring Alexander McQueen shoes

I went for a slightly ethic-y, hippy feel, complete with bangles, leather fringe bag and leather shoes. I also added a dinosaur ring, because, well, it's awesome.

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5 Fashions: Kooky Stocking Fillers

Just when it seemed that I might have to abandon '5 Fashions' (because, let's face it, we'll all be hiberating in trackies and wooly jumpers for the next month or so)- I had a brainwave. I'll use 5 Fashions as an otulet for my surplus amount of quirky gift suggestions! Because, really, there's nothing more a la mode than being generous at Christmas time.

1. The Indie Rock Colouring Book, Yellow Bird Project, $10 Ever wondered how colouring books could be made any more awesome? By allowing you too 'Wiggle yourself through the intricate Broken Social Scene maze, color Bon Iver's enchanted water supply, or slide down the psychedelic playground of MGMT', of course! Yes- it's a colouring book with activities inspired by indie-rock musicians. And yes, it's freakin' awesome. My particular favorite feature is 'Draw Rilo Kiley's current hairstyles!'- endless hours of fun right there.
MP3: Rilo Kiley- Portions for Foxes

2. Bacon Bandages, Perpetual Kid, $3.99 I have a little saying- 'everything's better with bacon'- and now, even your minor cuts and grazes can bask in the glory of my favorite pork-related food product! As mouthwatering as they are sterile, each tin contains 15 plasters.

3. Lego Wallet, Color By Numbers, £20.00 It seems you can get everything lego-fied these days; and wallets are no exception. Each hand-made wallet features white, yellow, black, lime, brown, oprnage, blue, green and red bricks.

4. Origami Sticky Notes, Perpetual Kid, $3.99 I'd love to know who comes up with the product ideas featured on perpetualkid.com. How do we plasters more exciting? Make them look like bacon. How do we sex up post-it notes? Have printed instructions on them, so you can transform them into beautiful origami creations once they've served their purpose. Whoever comes up with these knick-knacks is quite clearly a genius, and it's probably of great benefit to mankind that they're fighting for good and not evil.

5. Stacked Paperback Wallpaper, Anthropologie, £127.59Ok, so this would only be considered a 'stocking filler' by people who heat their house by burning hundred pound notes, but it's simply too awesome to ignore. If having endless amounts of bookcases isn't enough to prove your bookishness, then Tracey Kendall has the answer- this handy wallpaper, featuring a print of stacks of books. Inspired!

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5 Fashions: Spring and Summer 2010

Each Autumn, the fashion conscious flock to the world's most celebrated cities to catch a glimpse of the future of the fashion world. Come Spring of the next year, every shop and boutique alike will be stocking up on garments that we saw shimmy down the runway during fashion week.
So, with that in mind, here are my 5 picks from London Fashion Week, and how you can make them work for you.

1. MONOCHROME
It's almost a given- monochrome is a timeless look that crops up time and time again on the catwalks, each with a slightly different take. This year, apart from being much more playful (such as being paired by quirky sunglasses at Giles Deacon, above), monochrome is also alot more casual- there's a lot less of the two-tone block colour affairs from last year, and the tailoring is alot less fussy. The 'Monochrome Maude' dress for Emily and Finn, above, is bang on the money, with a simple, fluid outline and a block print- a key trend from last summer that's set to continue.

2. PASTEL
The main focus of this year's London Fashion Week was romantic, playful pieces in a palette straight from the candy shop. Pastels were particularly big at Christopher Kane (above), who also branched out into translucent fabrics- another big hitter, but maybe a little daring. The delicate and beautiful pearl-coloured 'Tiers in Heaven' Dress, above, with three layers of scalloped, opalescent fabric really embodies the delicate playfulness we saw on the catwalk.

3. LITTLE WHITE DRESSES
You may be more acquainted with Little Black Dresses, but all the big fashion houses have been tapping into this much softer take on a wardrobe staple. Most are simple, often with some black detailing (inkeeping with the monochrome theme), such as those seen at Issa. This bandeau dress by Rise at Dorothy Perkins, above, is classically cut and a complete steal at £40.00.

4. ORANGE
There were some more tropical and vibrant shades amidst the ice-cream coloured pastels, and orange in particular reared its ugly head at several shows, including Erdem Moralioglu, above. If you really must try this trend out for yourself, stick to burnt or dusky shades of orange, rather than a full-on vibrant shade. The shift dress from DKNY is playful and flirty, and just about inconspicuous enough to keep you from looking like a satsuma.

5. BIG SHOULDERS
The 1980's sprung up everywhere from Giles Deacon to Burberry Prorsum (above), with power-dressing shoulder pads and a touch of rock and roll being the order of the day. Don't start raiding the wardrobe for 80's throwbacks just yet, though- more often than not, it was a subtle suggestion of 80's fashion than the full-on Bananarama. To best capture this look, your safest bet is following another seasonal trend, and adding shoulders. The Rebecca Taylor dress above takes elements of the pastels, metallics and 1980's shoulders, and combines them into one gorgeous garment.

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5 Fashions: The Notebook Edition

You might question it, but notebooks are very much a part of fashion- everyone who keeps a notebook has a different opinion on what a good notebook is. Some want precious leather ones to fill with their best writing and ideas; some want quirky, handmade books that are one-of-a-kind; some want them plain, so they can feel free to let their creative juices flow. Above are some of mine- as you can see, there's a mix of cheap (such a the Woolworths one in the bottom right corner, covered with pages from Vogue) and beautiful (like the top right one, purchased from the Centre Pompidou. Here, I bring to you five different notebooks that are beautiful in their own way.

1. The Moleskine Museum NotebookStart with the classic- a moleskine notebook is 'A simple black rectangle with rounded corners, an elastic page-holder, and an internal expandable pocket.' This simple, classic notebook has been used by the likes of Van Gough (above) and Hemingway- and even appeared in the film Amelie.
Nowadays, they come in all different sizes, colours, and for different purposes (such as writing, sketching and collecting). The museum sketchbook was launched in the Van Gough museum in Amsterdam, and are silk-covered notebooks with close-ups from famous paintings that come in seven brilliant shades.

2. Jane and Jeremy Envelope Books
If you're the sort of person who wants to fill their notebooks with things- receipts, postcards, cuttings- the envelope book is a must. The name says it all- the book is made from collected envelopes, in which you can store whatever your heart desires.

3. JungAe Burgundy Mini Leather Journal
If hand bound leather journals are more your cup of tea, check out this exquisite journal. It has all the decadence of your straightforward leather journal, but the quirky binding and tie at the front give this book a character all of its own. Grab it for the meagre sum of $13.50- but be quick, there's only one left!

4. Marquand Editions Modern Handmade Blank Book Journal
For those who prefer a blank canvas to let their creative juices flow, Marquand Editions do wonderful, high-quality notebooks. In addition, all the notebooks are made from recycled paper, and also use a special stitching method that make the books lie flatter, meaning its easier to scribble and sketch away to your heart's content.

5. Yellow & Red Rescued Cover Journal
I love this journal- aside from being easy on the eye and made with good-quality paper, the covers are made from covers of books the binder found in the Discarded Book Bin at her local library. You have to agree that's fairly awesome- not only will you be getting a one-of-a-kind notebook with a story to tell, but you're helping to save that cover from certain doom at the hands of the library system.

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