So here it is the final 5! As with the previous post I will post the links to the various websites for your viewing and possible buying pleasure! Hope you like these ones guys, there are some real special treats here!
5)http://www.debenhams.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/prod_10001_10001_008010572060_-1?breadcrumb=Home%7EWomen%7EDresses
At number 5 is this gorgeous dress by BEN de LISI brought to you by Debenhams. I put this at number 5 simply because of the back detailing. No other dress I have found has had this much sculpting and detailing at the rear of a dress. This is one of those impressive subtle uppercuts most boxer's get in when closing a match!
The beautiful bow that sits in the centre of the back almost obi-like provides a simple yet elegant central eye line so as the rest of the detailing does not get over complicated.
Add in the pleats above and the small swathe of fabric below, simplicity is retained whilst embellishing in all the right places. This dress is pure elegance with it's 50's A-line cut and will give any man more reason to look back after you pass him by!
4)http://www.monsoon.co.uk/claudine-lace-dress/invt/15315603/&bklist=icat,5,shop,women,dresses,eveningdresses
This beautiful little number had to go forth as it proves to all how being feminine can come from the most understated of dresses. This little LBD with it's small but powerful splashes of baby pink provide such a simple yet elegant look. With a lace finish to really hit home the femininity of this piece, it's the subtlety that claimed it it's position. You don't need to have a massive princess dress, or swathes of fabric draped over you to look feminine and sexy in a dress. All you need, as this gem proves, is the right accents or colour, texture and cut to really show off that cracking figure!
3)http://www.topshop.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?beginIndex=0&viewAllFlag=&catalogId=33057&storeId=12556&productId=3981912&langId=-1&sort_field=Relevance&categoryId=208523&parent_categoryId=203984&pageSize=200&refinements=category~%5B209717%7C208523%5D&noOfRefinements=1
Ok forgive me on this one. I understand this isn't strictly a dress and nor does it conform to the majority of my criteria but in all honesty playsuits are and will always be for those leggy women who want to show off their height by making their legs look like the go on for miles!
The reason why i popped this one in was because it has so much appeal to the market at the moment. Think Samantha Jones (Sex & the City) with it's Gold rhinestone embellished bodice. Teamed with it's billowing legs, shows that even if you're tall then you can get away with looking fabulous without resorting to flats or a maxi dress.
Topshop have played a blinder with this one, as after looking around they seem to have one of the nicest jumpsuits on the highstreet. Granted Linea by House of Fraser do a good job (if a little understated) but this one won out with it's glam/bling opulence! If you want to look glam and different this Christmas then jump into this jumpsuit and strut girls! A guy loves a girl with confidence and this screams just that!
2)http://www.selfridges.com/en/Womenswear/Categories/Dresses/Evening/Copperfield-gown_238-2001420-COPPERFIELD12162141/
Selfridges at some point had to make the list. Yes they're high-end, yes they're expensive but i said there had to be wiggle room... even if it is £1,965!
It was such a hard choice for the top two. The beautiful lines this has made it a top contender from the start. It's classic fishtail cut is the epitome of style and class; simple, elegant and more then enough of a statement with it's flared base. But what really stole the show for me? How sassy it looks in red! Go and have a go with the colour change feature- seriously looks amazing in either colour! I find this so hard to get sometimes when you cross colours with dresses, some just don't cross-over well enough and can look cheap in something other then the original.
Roland Mouret has done a superb job with this dress, from its simple yet beautiful lines to the rolled accent under the neckline. If you ladies want to look the picture of elegance, the epitome of style and the sexiest lady in the room then this is for you! (That's providing you can afford the price tag! Sorry girls!)
1)http://www.lipsy.co.uk/store/sherri-hill/sherri-hill-beaded-corset-maxi-dress/product-is-DR05860_011
And finally we come to our top spot! This one I will explain.
I have had a very rough relationship since I was introduced to Lipsy London this year. Their dresses typically feature more body con then anyone else (aside from New look!) and tend to gear their clothing to a younger demographic. However what sold this piece to me was it's break from the norm 9much like number 10 the Hobbs military dress).
It screams fun but at the same time highlights all the key areas of the body. From the top down, it's subtle sweetheart bodice lovingly frames the bust which is then delicately shaped with the rest of the upper body by the inbuilt corset. As you reach the waist a midriff empire line slashes you in two and then a beautiful gradient cut-away front guides the dress softly backwards to frame the legs. Finished with a small train at the rear, this piece could be worn for any office party or red carpet event!
What i also love about this piece is that for once Lipsy haven't gone overboard with the bling. This dress is subtle enough with it's beads to make sure the key areas of the waist and bum are accentuated just enough for it to provide volume to your frame where you need it. The dress shows thought, design and care. This is why it is at the top for me.
What i have taken away from this is not only are there some cracking pieces out currently for you ladies to try and show off to us lucky guys but also there is a lot more thought, design and care coming into dresses for the highstreet. Big names are realising that more thought is needed with key pieces to collections and mass production is by no means a way to dress the masses unless you can churn out gold! To that end the pieces I've listed all show that even from big chains or little boutiques there is finally some divergence away from money making Prom or poorly fitted middi dresses. Although not a massive difference it shows that change is on the cards if you really look for it.
I hope you've enjoyed this, the first top 10 I hope of many! If you have any ideas for my next then please drop me a line via my twitter account (twitter.com/Kurstylr or @KuroStylr if you're already a follower) or drop me a line here in the comments section! Always glad to hear from you guys!
Many thanks guys! Hopefully will have some highstreet gems for the boys next week! So keep watching ladies and gents!
Wednesday, 7 December 2011
Monday, 5 December 2011
Top 10 Party Dresses for Christmas 2011 Part 1
So I may have been a tad lax in posting recently what with traveling and work but thankfully having had a weekend off and subsequently a day or so to finalise my favourites, below are the first 5 dresses I think would make any Christmas party a blinder! The criteria I had were varied but I managed to stick to at least 3.
1. each dress had to be from the highstreet.
2. All of them had to be affordable to an extent (with wiggle room here and there)
3. All of them had to be different. There had to be something that set them apart from all the others you see on the highstreet these days.
With that in mind i have spent the better part of 3 weeks scouring the internet for some of what I think are the best dresses for the 2011 party season. Links are provided below and if you would like nay more information please shoot me an email or failing that hit my up on my twitter account: www.twitter.com/KuroStylr
So from 10-6 here we go!
10) http://www.hobbs.co.uk/index.cfm?page=1017&productid=0210-5987-2623L00&productvarid=0210-5987-2623L00-BLACK-8&refpage=1387
First up we have this lovely little number from Hobbs. The L.E Military dress is a far cry from Hobbs' usual fair and I have to compliment them for adding something that is so unusual for them. This would be something for the more adventurous and for those of the strawberry persuasion, body shape wise. Maximising shoulders and then balancing out with the waist detail this dress speaks volumes at any Christmas party letting the boss know you aren't to be messed with but know how to show your fun side!
9)http://www.monsoon.co.uk/carnaby-print-dress/invt/15313576/
A somewhat more floral affair from Monsoon for number nine, I chose this simply because it shows that florals can be styled up to look glam without having to go too far! On it's on this dress offers a lighter side to the party dress style but with it's A line skirt and fitted bodice still conforms quite nicely to the overall effect you want. Team this little beauty with a bit of sparkle like a gold stole or a black cape and you're away!
8)http://www.topshop.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?beginIndex=0&viewAllFlag=&catalogId=33057&storeId=12556&productId=3294296&langId=-1&sort_field=Relevance&categoryId=208523&parent_categoryId=203984&pageSize=200&refinements=category~%5B209717%7C208523%5D&noOfRefinements=1
No party can be without a little Eastern Jewel! And this beautiful number from Topshop is just that! The tapestry design on the front and back is gorgeous and had to put in the top 10 simply because you cannot find anything like this on the highstreet without going either tacky or too expensive! Thank god for small mercies!
The mandarin collar provides a sharp contrast to the rest of the dresses and as it stops mid-thigh it provides elegance yet an element of fun! Not for the feint of hearted but with a patent pair of peep toed heel and a pair of sheer tights you will look like you have stepped right off the orient express!
7)http://www.marksandspencer.com/Speziale-Pure-Animal-Print-Dress/dp/B005LQO5JU
Oh M&S you never fail to provide! More specifically PerUna. I have been a fan of PerUna for years (helps that I worked with them!) And this animal print maxi dress doesn't fail to impress! With an embellished asymmetric shoulder, this dress adds something a bit different to the classic maxi dress. But where there is detail there is simplicity! The cinched waistline pulls the body in beautifully, addressing the ever monumental task of balancing any body shape. Then with it's vertical print slims whilst making sure you don't look like a blobby mess which some prints can do.
This is not just any dress- this is a M&S show-stopper that any foxy lady or demure diva will look fab in!
6)http://www.asos.com/French-Connection/French-Connection-Halter-Maxi-Dress/Prod/pgeproduct.aspx?iid=1809405&cid=8857&sh=0&pge=0&pgesize=200&sort=-1&clr=Gold
A recent find for even me, but thanks to a friend and her selfless mission to be the most stylist woman in IT, ASOS have slipped this gem onto their website. The plunging neckline is a joy to see as so many dresses currently avoid it in favour of a peter-pan or scoop necked cut. The benefit is that this will enhance your bust two fold- one it'll show off your cleavage without making you look like an exhibitionist and two provide height to those girls who are on the shorter side by making the torso look longer via an open neckline view.
Granted with the slit down the centre of the dress it looks somewhat like a glitzy dressing gown without sleeves but this for me was a lovely change from all of the body-con dresses that seem to over populate the market.
So that's it for part one ladies- please have a nose at the lovely offerings above and enjoy! I have in my research found many a dress that may not have fitted quite the top 10 criteria but are nonetheless fabulous! Look out for those after my next post, 5-1 later this week!
1. each dress had to be from the highstreet.
2. All of them had to be affordable to an extent (with wiggle room here and there)
3. All of them had to be different. There had to be something that set them apart from all the others you see on the highstreet these days.
With that in mind i have spent the better part of 3 weeks scouring the internet for some of what I think are the best dresses for the 2011 party season. Links are provided below and if you would like nay more information please shoot me an email or failing that hit my up on my twitter account: www.twitter.com/KuroStylr
So from 10-6 here we go!
10) http://www.hobbs.co.uk/index.cfm?page=1017&productid=0210-5987-2623L00&productvarid=0210-5987-2623L00-BLACK-8&refpage=1387
First up we have this lovely little number from Hobbs. The L.E Military dress is a far cry from Hobbs' usual fair and I have to compliment them for adding something that is so unusual for them. This would be something for the more adventurous and for those of the strawberry persuasion, body shape wise. Maximising shoulders and then balancing out with the waist detail this dress speaks volumes at any Christmas party letting the boss know you aren't to be messed with but know how to show your fun side!
9)http://www.monsoon.co.uk/carnaby-print-dress/invt/15313576/
A somewhat more floral affair from Monsoon for number nine, I chose this simply because it shows that florals can be styled up to look glam without having to go too far! On it's on this dress offers a lighter side to the party dress style but with it's A line skirt and fitted bodice still conforms quite nicely to the overall effect you want. Team this little beauty with a bit of sparkle like a gold stole or a black cape and you're away!
8)http://www.topshop.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?beginIndex=0&viewAllFlag=&catalogId=33057&storeId=12556&productId=3294296&langId=-1&sort_field=Relevance&categoryId=208523&parent_categoryId=203984&pageSize=200&refinements=category~%5B209717%7C208523%5D&noOfRefinements=1
No party can be without a little Eastern Jewel! And this beautiful number from Topshop is just that! The tapestry design on the front and back is gorgeous and had to put in the top 10 simply because you cannot find anything like this on the highstreet without going either tacky or too expensive! Thank god for small mercies!
The mandarin collar provides a sharp contrast to the rest of the dresses and as it stops mid-thigh it provides elegance yet an element of fun! Not for the feint of hearted but with a patent pair of peep toed heel and a pair of sheer tights you will look like you have stepped right off the orient express!
7)http://www.marksandspencer.com/Speziale-Pure-Animal-Print-Dress/dp/B005LQO5JU
Oh M&S you never fail to provide! More specifically PerUna. I have been a fan of PerUna for years (helps that I worked with them!) And this animal print maxi dress doesn't fail to impress! With an embellished asymmetric shoulder, this dress adds something a bit different to the classic maxi dress. But where there is detail there is simplicity! The cinched waistline pulls the body in beautifully, addressing the ever monumental task of balancing any body shape. Then with it's vertical print slims whilst making sure you don't look like a blobby mess which some prints can do.
This is not just any dress- this is a M&S show-stopper that any foxy lady or demure diva will look fab in!
6)http://www.asos.com/French-Connection/French-Connection-Halter-Maxi-Dress/Prod/pgeproduct.aspx?iid=1809405&cid=8857&sh=0&pge=0&pgesize=200&sort=-1&clr=Gold
A recent find for even me, but thanks to a friend and her selfless mission to be the most stylist woman in IT, ASOS have slipped this gem onto their website. The plunging neckline is a joy to see as so many dresses currently avoid it in favour of a peter-pan or scoop necked cut. The benefit is that this will enhance your bust two fold- one it'll show off your cleavage without making you look like an exhibitionist and two provide height to those girls who are on the shorter side by making the torso look longer via an open neckline view.
Granted with the slit down the centre of the dress it looks somewhat like a glitzy dressing gown without sleeves but this for me was a lovely change from all of the body-con dresses that seem to over populate the market.
So that's it for part one ladies- please have a nose at the lovely offerings above and enjoy! I have in my research found many a dress that may not have fitted quite the top 10 criteria but are nonetheless fabulous! Look out for those after my next post, 5-1 later this week!
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