Fashion Hookup

Keeping You Up On The Latest Fashions

Get Retro Through Your Sunglasses

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I love sunglasses for three very good, easy reasons:

1. They can snazz up an outfit or look in an instant -Without glasses- ordinary Olive/ with the new Oliver Peoples – Jackie O!

2. They are the cheapest form of wearing a designer label – $250 for the latest Prada shades, $800 for the latest Prada bag

3. They serve a practical purpose – Protecting your peepers from the sun while holidaying in Martinique or from the undesirables while on a sidewalk cafe in Paris.

On Vogue‘s website, I found a great article on the latest sunglasses trends, and the retro styles were decidedly my favorite for the season.  Here are my picks!

1. Ray-Ban Clubmasters – I love the candy summery colors of this Retro style, like the red ones pictured above. They’re much cooler than the Risky-business-Wayfarers I think, and can instantly make you feel and look like a Hollywood ingenue. From $120 at Ray-Ban.

2. Lacoste Limited Edition Capsule Eyewear – Stretchy Lacoste shirts are a useful weekend staple for any girl’s closet, and their limited edition sunglasses made for their 75th Birthday are a great accompaniment. I especially like the clean, understated look of these pristine white ones. The men’s versions are even more retro, with a CHiPs feel.  Sooo worth pulling over for!

3. Lulu Guinness Ingrid Sunglasses – I love, love Lulu’s ladylike styles which make me want to don a shift dress and have tea and mini sandwiches with my French poodle. These Ingrid sunglasses have the most adorable polka dots which are perfect for the summer. Around $150

Green Undies From Marks and Spencer

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I love the idea of green undies. I suppose it’s because they are the one article of clothing closest to our skin, and when one reads all this awful stuff about how these ordinary products are actually treated with scary chemicals and made under dodgy conditions, it makes sense to be extra careful.

So when I found out that Marks and Spencer, one of my favourite brands of undies since I was a child, had built what is probably the world’s most eco-friendly factory in Thurulie (not far from the capital, Colombo), Sri Lanka, I was excited and pleased.  It’s amazingly a 100 per cent carbon neutral, 100 per cent green, 100 per cent ethical factory – in a lush, green, tropical setting that looks more like the latest eco-friendly boutique hotel rather than a factory. Apparently, after seeing Al Gore’s “An Inconvenient Truth”, M & S chairman Sir Stuart Rose made a plan to actually do something about climate change through his business, creating a “5-point 100 step initiative” which involves things as simple as reducing plastic bags and hangers to building amazing factories like this.

The undies are very reasonably priced too. Like the “Per Una” Organic briefs above (panties) which range from £2.00 – £6.00 or under $12. Bras are no more than about £15 or $30.


The MAN show on the Catwalk

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The men finally had their day in the sun in the show MAN, during London Fashion Week which took place last week. The show featured Topman (the fashion-forward Brit label Topshop‘s male side), and three other up-and-coming designers, JW Anderson, James Long and Christopher Shannon.

To get on the MAN show is a real coup as it pretty much dictates what the hip young men will be wearing that year.  However, I’m not so sure about things like JW Anderson’s man skirt pictured below:

All I can say is that a man has to have major confidence (in his masculinity or femininity) to pull that one off.

James Long also showed off more trends that were usually reserved for the ladies, like his red patent “man” bag and leggings (shredded). Christopher Shannon saw a lot of color banding, mixing thick bands of salmon and orange with neutrals in sand and greys for his jumpers and track suits (very 90’s raves)

Topman’s collection was obviously the most wearable, being the most commercialized of the three. Jersey was a big influence here, and the overall feel was that of the 50’s, the Spring collection reminiscent of childhood seaside holidays – check shirts, deck shoes and shorts in bright hues. Watch the video here.

The Tulip Skirt Trend: How To Buy and Wear One

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Given the choice between skinny jeans and a skirt, I’ll always take the skirt. No matter how many times I tried, wearing skinny, nearly painted-on jeans always made me feel incredibly uncomfortable and not very feminine.  More Jim Morrison than Audrey Hepburn.

So anyway, when the latest skirt trend this autumn came in the form of the tulip, I was excited. What a lovely name, if not for anything else. But what is a tulip skirt? Its a skirt which is obviously shaped like the famous flower from Holland.  Cinched at the waist, ballooning slightly outwards in the middle, tapering down.

Now many fashion bloggers have attested that this style is NOT for the average woman (read: over size 4), as it has a tendency to make the hips larger.  But I beg to differ.  In fact, there are a multitude of styles of tulip skirts out there, and provided you find the right one that suits your body type, you’ll wonder how you ever lived without one in your wardrobe.

To get an idea of this, check out Styleshop.  Here you’ll see what I’m talking about.  If you’re happy with your legs, you could try the fun mid-thigh soft, wooly version by Urban Outfitters, a steal at $48.  For a more glam look, Banana Republic has a longer, purple one in taffeta perfect for the holidays, or if you feel like a splurge, Marc Jacob’s silky heart-print with black belt could be ideal.

But before you buy, its always a good idea to try on first.  So browse through your neighborhood shops and see what style suits you best.  And don’t forget these great tips I found at eHow:

1. Choose a tulip skirt with top pleats. If you are looking to create the illusion of having more curvaceous hips, buy a tulip skirt with pleats at the top, near the hips.

2. Buy a tulip skirt that flares at the bottom if you are top-heavy. A tulip skirt with a flirty flare on the bottom will help balance out the overall shape of women who have larger upper bodies.

3. Search for a tulip skirt with a slightly flared hem at the bottom for work. A tulip skirt that is fitted throughout, but flares ever-so-slightly at the bottom will add a dash of fun to your work wardrobe while still looking professional

4. Decide on a long tulip skirt with soft pleats. A long tulip skirt with soft pleats running vertically will add romantic charm to your wardrobe.

The New Depression-Era Look

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D & G Spring 2009
D & G Spring 2009

With the world in economic turmoil, the buzzwords these days of “bailout”, “recession”, “credit crunch”, “cost conscious” and so on, have now also hit the fashion world. The look is very much reminiscent of the depression era of the 30’s – tweeds, hats, waistcoats and grey, grey, grey, which is actually perfect for the autumn. Watch out for it in the high street shops like the Gap and H & M.

Also getting into the depression-era look, but not quite slumming it was D & G’s Spring 2009 collection which had the models decked in Deauville-inspired nautical pieces paired with modern touches like platforms and fishnets, strutting to the tune of “La Vie en Rose”.

And in Paris, where collections wrapped up just last week, talk of seriously slumping retail sales made everyone nervous, as reported by the associated press:

“Honestly, we don’t know. It’s all a big guessing game,” said Ronald L. Frasch, president and chief merchandising officer for Saks Inc. The executive described the economic crisis affecting the North American retail sector as “maybe the worst I’ve ever seen.”

“Clearly, the ones who are in the best position are the ones who have the strongest brand names. The ones who have the most difficulty are the ones who are either beginning to develop or trying to get their goods onto the market,” Frasch said.

Popular items were the swimsuit-wrap dresses by Jean Paul Gaultier – two designer peices for the price of one!