Dallasselma

After New York and London, it is Milan’s turn to be the home of fashion shows. Between 22^nd and 28^th of February, Italy’s fashion capital welcomes the greatest designers to present their latest collections and to reveal new trends for the Autumn-Winter season of 2012-2013. Gucci, Fendi, Max Mara, Giorgio Armani and Jil Sander are just a few names that appear in Milan Fashion Week’s program. To the general surprise, Milan fashion houses stand out this season by offering chic and refined collections for the winter 2012-2013. All the elements of luxury are present: fur, leather, feathers, velvet, brocade and silk.

Frida Giannini – Gucci’s artistic mind – brought on stage a very commercial collection featured by long dresses similar to Halston’s and by plenty equestrian influences. Everything is, of course, beyond beautiful and glamorous, but dark. Furs, leather, python and boots combine with orchid patterns, velvet and silk to provide an overall atmosphere of sumptuous elegance. Black and dark shades of grey and purple make this collection’s palette. Only rarely more vivid tones are used to contrast with the black and to enhance its effect.

Miuccia Prada managed once again to reinvent her style while preserving the core of this Italian label. This winter collection gives pride to the sleeveless tunic worn in an Indian style – over the shirt – and to the slightly flared trousers. One could easily notice the return of colors and prints specific for the 70s. Coats are worn with a wide belt that draws a very high waist and whose color is often white, to contrast with the dark background of the whole outfit.

With Jil Sanders, black is the general tone when it comes to classical items. Without being afraid of clichés, Raf Simon presents back and white outfits of a high level of elegance. However, her last collection with this fashion house also introduces a wide range of pastel colors, reconfirming the designer’s modern spirit.

After the asymmetric tops, the diagonal goes down to women’s dresses and skirts. Asymmetric dresses come in two forms: on one side, left or right revealing a leg, at least up to the knee and the front-back type, which looks a bit like a train in the back and a miniskirt in the frontal part.

We could think at first sight that these asymmetric dresses and skirts are too elegant, especially because of the train. However, they can be worn during the day as well as in the evening. It all depends on the texture. Thus, you can keep the glitz and glitter for the evening as a simple cotton wing will produce enough effect during the day.

The same dress or skirt can very well be a part both of your winter and of your summer wardrobe. During the cold season, you can wear it with leggings, preferably black if you want to take fewer risks. For those who are more adventurous in style, colored tights are also an option. In this case, your tights must be the only touch of color within your outfit, especially if they are flashy (yellow, green, red or pink). They will place the focus on your legs that emerge from a monochromatic outfit.

These asymmetric dresses and skirts will certainly not go with low heeled shoes. Therefore, forget about your comfortable ballet flats or sneakers if you want to make the most of this modern and chic outfit. In point of style, you can reinforce the little opera rat effect these fashion items bring along by matching it with a tight top or a leotard. A perfectly molding pull will have the same effect during winter.

However, if you are not the daring type, do not go for this type of dresses and skirts as they will only look good on you if you wear them with style and self-confidence.

It can be really difficult to go outside in the cold after putting on a sleeveless dress or a top.  This is why having a bolero is very useful and it can be a great top part for your outfit that will enhance some of the best aspects of your body like your waistline or hips if you have a tight outfit.

The bolero, also called a shrug, will cover the top of your body, the shoulders and your arms while revealing the rest of your waist and hips. It’s a perfect piece of clothing to wear over something that is too revealing or to have around when the weather gets too chilly. This is also perfect for brides as they can cover the top part of their wedding dress if it doesn’t have any sleeves.

There are many types of bolero jackets or shrugs, made from different fabrics. Some of the most common are those made from wool or other warm materials as they can be easily worn throughout winter. Also, there are also bolero jackets that are suited for more classy and elegant outfits so they can be worn indoors.  They can also have buttons or be wide open but it’s best to get one with buttons if you plan on wearing it during winter or autumn. The ones that don’t have buttons typically only consist in a fabric that goes along your back with sleeves attached to it.

There are some interesting combinations you can make with your bolero jackets. If you have a very dark outfit you can add a bit of color with a brighter bolero. On the other hand, you can soften bright colors with a more neutral bolero jacket. It’s up to you to find which combination suits you better. If you are good at knitting, you can create your own bolero, there are many patterns on the internet and you can easily find one that you like and make it on your own. If you are not good at crafts, there are thousands of shops online and shops around your area that have a great selection of bolero jackets.

Wide belts are for sure fashion items you have to always have in your wardrobe. They look amazing with almost anything and you can easily transform a boring outfit into something really fabulous. So get yourself a cool looking wide belt and start looking amazing.

The great thing about wide belts is the fact that you can easily update your outfit even if it’s out of fashion. Adding a belt that is trendy will definitely draw the attention to it rather than the rest of the clothes.

There are different styles when it comes to wide belts and if you don’t want to risk just buy a belt in a neutral color that would work well with any outfit. A simple, glitter free belt will definitely do the trick if you are thinking of using it at the office. A glamorous, more colorful belt is perfect to help you be the center of attention at the club.

Wearing your belt the proper way is also important. You need to remember that wide belts are not worn lower on your hips, they are meant to shape the look of your stomach and make your body look like an hourglass. So there are two ways to wear them, either very high under your rib cage or just on your tummy. You will have to use these belts to create a focal point to draw attention to that middle part. You can also use a variety of colorful belts to add some interesting features to your bland costume.

Wide belts are a great way to accessorize without looking that you overdid it, they are wonderful ways to change your look without having to spend too much money.

When Chanel invented the little black dress in 1920, she created a revolution in the fashion industry. Sure, the dress got a bit modified since then. Nowadays a little black dress is much shorter and it usually shows more cleavage than the original one, but the idea is kept. The little black dress is that fashion item no woman should live without. Actually, many fashion gurus stated the fact that this item is one of the most popular items and it has become a fashion icon itself. The little black dress is not just a dress it’s “that” type of dress because it managed to remain popular for more than 90 years.

If you are planning to buy a little black dress make sure that it’s not part of any visible trend. It needs to be as simple as it can, not too short or too long and with straight lines. This way you will make sure that the dress you wear is timeless and it works well with any accessory.

The little black dress can be very versatile. There are at least three ways you can wear it: you can wear it alone paired with some elegant shoes and a clutch handbag, you can also wear it with a jacket on top if you plan on looking more business like, and you can even wear it over a pair of jeans and even with a leather jacket and some boots if you want a really cool casual look.

What’s great about the little black dress is also the fact that it is, well, black. Although black was considered indecent to wear if a person was not mourning, the dress created by Chanel gained a lot of popularity pretty fast. This is mostly because it was more of a fashion statement back then. Women were using it to show their independence. Another reason why it became so popular was the fact that it looked good on everybody. Because it is so simple and it has a dark color, it works well with slim and curvy women. Also, stars like Audrey Hepburn, Edith Piaf and even cartoon characters like Betty Boop, they all managed to increase the little black dress popularity.

Next time when you are not sure what to wear at a dinner party or a formal event, think about the little black dress. Pair it with Chanel no. 5 perfume and a lovely diamond necklace and you will be beyond exquisite.