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Trousers

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Cargo trousers - this seasons most wanted item

I am sure alot of us will remember the 90s era when cargo trousers were made famous by girl bands such as All Saints and the Spice girls and will not want to re-live those crunchy cotton wearing days. The cargo trouser is making a comeback and it will be this season most wanted item. But, like us, it has grown up. Yes you can find a true form of the 90s version out there, but I will be wearing my cargo trousers in a smart way.

Taking inspiration from the cult brand The Frankie shop who’s cargo trousers sold out many times last year, the high street have now followed. I brought a pair of stone trousers in the Me + Em sale in the Summer and have loved styling them Summer into Autumn. What excites me about cargo trousers styling is wearing them with boots, trainers, flat shoes, heels and eventually sandals when the weather warms up. They are versatile. Forget about the pockets and treat them as a stylish alternative to jeans that you can wear casually or smarter depending on your footwear and outerwear.

My advice would be to not think about how you used to wear them but to see them as new trouser to add into your wardrobe that’s going to up your style this year. I have already worn mine for evening, day and work appointments all with different shoes and outerwear, if you keep them smart then they won’t feel like you are trying to re-live your youth.

My cargo trouser picks

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Get me out of my Jeans!

It’s probably one of the most common asks from my clients, what can they wear instead of always defaulting to jeans. Now more than ever there is a trend towards being comfortable post pandemic but whilst also looking stylish. So how do you pull this off? What trousers can you wear without looking like you are going to the office? There are a number of options when it comes to changing your jeans out for other trousers, but your shoes and the rest of your outfit also need to work with the trousers to ensure you have the whole look nailed. What I mean by this is for example wearing trainers with smart trousers, wearing chunky boots with knitted trousers or loafers with leather trousers to ensure your look is paired down, casual and perhaps the opposite of what you might normally wear with said trousers. For more styling inspiration make sure you follow me on Instagram where you can see how I pull these looks together.

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Right now there are a number of trousers that I am seeing alot of, that I want to wear and also lusting after, these are rounded up below. Think about what you already have in your wardrobe and you might own a pair of smart trousers for example and it could be all about how you style them rather than buying a new pair. But if you are looking for some newness this season then check out the best pieces there is to buy online right now.

5 trousers to own right now

1. Stirrup leggings - I often clear out many pairs of leggings from Women’s wardrobes, excluding ones you exercise in, old maternity leggings or black stretch cotton leggings are a mainstay in alot of wardrobes still. I often point clients in the direct of a fabric called Ponte Roma which is a heavier weight jersey, much more flattering, thicker and will last longer. This year a new style is becoming very popular and it might make you feel like you should be horse riding as they have a stirrup detailing at the hem of them. You can of course wear ankle boots or long boots to cover this bit up but styling wise wearing loafers or trainers are a way of updating this look for this season.

2. Leather trousers - I have owned a pair of PU cropped trousers for a number of years and a pair of leather leggings that I pull out every single Autumn with out fail and get so much wear out of them. So this year I am totally lusting after a pair of leather trousers. An investment yes but after doing quite a bit of research and knowing how much I wear my PU ones I know it will be something I own and wear for years. Leg shape is really important, a tapered leg thats high waisted is very flattering and will never go out of style.

3. Knitted trouser or legging - this is something that started cropping up last year due to the huge appetite for loungewear when we were all in lockdown. The other driver of this is the rise of the co-ord in fashion, this is when 2 separates match each other in fabric, colour or print, it’s is a co-ordinating piece. Alot of loungewear is co-ordinating so the knitted trouser just takes this to another level. It’s loungewear you can dress up, wear outside with boots or trainers and also keep warm in too. I brought a set from Zara last year and styled it very much with chunky boots and the knitted hoody, but this time I want to wear it with over-sized shirts and blazers.

4. Smart trousers - it’s funny now that we are spending less & less time in an office environment we have less need to dress up and dressing for work has become much more relaxed. Saying that the trend for smartwear, suiting and wearing smart trousers has been around for a while now, what is key is what you wear on your feet to ensure you don’t look like you are going to an office (even if you are). High waisted shapes are great, be careful about pleats at the waist as more often than not these can be vey unflattering and make you look bigger than you are, so flat fronted trousers are a better option.

5. Smart joggers - these trousers have been around for a number of seasons and are so versatile to wear instead of jeans. It’s all about fabric with this trouser, ensuring they are not in a jogger like fabric but slightly smarter like crepe or heavy jersey and they have a coloured stripe down the side seam. The shape of the leg and the hem are also key, you might want a wide leg or a tapered leg and you might not want an elasticated hem so they look less jogger like. Check out my options, there are so many to choose from but these are tried and tested trousers that clients have feedback how fantastic they are.

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6 Spring items to elevate your Winter wardrobe

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Trends. I used to talk trends all the time back when I was a buyer for high street retailers, they were relevant but not always right. Now as a personal stylist I know what trends are influencing what is instore and online and I interpret that for my clients. For me it’s all about spotting what’s stylish, what will last and what won’t date rather than what Vogue writes about. This season is exactly the same, I will not be advising clients to wear midriff bra-lets like Vogue is suggesting or strappy tops that wrap around your midriff, instead I look to what is selling, what is commercial and what I know my clients will part with their money for.

Even though we are in the depths of Winter, Spring is starting to come through online and we can always rely on the change of season. A change in colour comes first with pastels being prominent in updated knitwear shapes, florals are starting to pop up and as always there will be a monochrome and navy stripe theme somewhere along the way. But what I want to concentrate on is giving you 6 items to update your wardrobe now and that will see you through Spring and into Summer, items that you can add seamlessly into your wardrobe but will update and elevate pieces you already have in there, therefore giving you loads more outfits to play around with.

We are spending weeks in lockdown and lots of people have decided to make do over the Winter with what they have in their wardrobe, choosing to buy practical pieces like walking boots, coats and loungewear as there has quite literally been nowhere to go. But if you are over what you have in your wardrobe and need a little pick me up, clothing can really increase your happiness and mindset - it gives your confidence a boost that you have something nice to wear again.

My fashion fix gives you 5 pieces that can as one client said this week gives you “an injection of excitement'“ . So if you need a little pick up then please email me for some clothing inspiration, but do check out this blog post first.

So this post isn’t about Spring fashion trends but great pieces that will last you that give you a stylish edge and my predictions of what I will giving to every single client come April when we are out of lockdown and I am pulling together online shops (fingers crossed!). So while our diaries are empty now and for a few more weeks to come, I know first hand that receiving a little lockdown lift in terms of your clothing will certainly give you a new Spring in your step.

6 Spring trends to shop now

Trench coat

Trench coats for many are a wardrobe staple, an investment and finding the perfect one can become an obsession. Trenches were predicted as a trend item last year but I often think sometimes items need a couple of seasons to warm up. The oversized coat and belted maxi coat has been big the past 2 Winters so now I feel is the right time for the trench to be as big as blazers. Wearing them slightly oversized, unbelted and in neutral colours will mean that they will go with everything in your wardrobe and can be layered over heavier knits for early Spring too.

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Loafers

Trainers and boots have certainly had a great run of it over the past few years but I have a feeling the chunky boot trend (re Dr Martens) is now going to transcend into loafers. Chunky soles, chains just like the original Gucci ones or the crazy giant JW Anderson ones, or with a mensy feel. Wear them now with chunky socks, printed or plain and then without socks when it gets warmer. These shoes are massively versatile, I will be wearing mine with dresses, trousers, skirts, jeans and my jumpsuits when I get my hands on my perfect pair.

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Knitted vest

If you haven’t brought one by now, then it’s time to take the plunge as the knitted vest is not a one season wonder, it now comes in every colour, every neckline and works over everything. This is the perfect top to layer up over your Spring t-shirts, shirts, dresses and lighter weight tops to keep you warm but not too hot. Then when the temperatures do rise you can wear it on its own.

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Shirts

Shirting this season is a tale of two halves, on one side you have the continuation of the pretty vintage collars and on the other side it’s the resurgence of the longer line masculine shirt. The pretty collars still steal the show, wearing them under cardigans and sweaters and you will also find them moving into dresses for Summer too. The minimalist lovers will be continuing to wear the mensy shirt with a casual styling feel, in stripes, with pockets, tucked in or oversized. Choose your side or dip into both. Victoria Beckham showed the white shirt on her catwalk for 2021 to be prepared to see this make a comeback too.

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Trousers

I think most people have not been wearing jeans for the best part of a year now due to loungewear and joggers being the trousers of choice. Leather is also going to continue to reign a popular fabric to wear in Spring but formal trousers are making a comeback. A pair of black trousers is often associated with office attire and can often make you look like you work in the city. So this trend is all about how you style your formal trousers. Shoes are the biggest styling factor, you must wear white trainers, chunky heeled loafers or even chunky boots where you tuck in the hem of the trousers to ensure you are making a styling statement. The overall look should be more casual pairing the trousers with t-shirts, lightweight knits tucked in and and soft blazers.

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Check dress

It all started with the Ganni check dress 2 Summer’s ago and this season check midi and maxi dresses will have their moment in the spotlight, they are great for now as you can layer knitwear over the top and then discard it when the temperature increases, so finding the perfect one now will see you through weeks of wearing. Plaid has been coming through on coats, blazers, skirts over the past couple of years so there is no reason why the print trend won’t continue its rise into dresses.

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Leather trousers - how to style them

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If you’ve ever seen that Friends episode where Ross gets stuck in his leather trousers ( I mean who hasn’t? ), you may have been a little more than wary of this season’s trouser trend. I must admit, the skin-tight leather leggings championed by Kate Moss throughout the early 2000’s are particularly hard to pull off and even I found it difficult to see their appeal after that. But leather has established itself as the material of the season.

This season, though, as we’ve all started to embrace our autumn wardrobes, it is a trouser that alot of my clients are interested in shopping for. They are versatile, you can wear them dressed down with trainers or make them work in the evening in heeled boots or court shoes. It’s all about a smooth luxurious looking leather not a distressed biker look from back in the 90’s.

The high street is well known for having amazing faux styles as well as great value real leather pieces so it’s a great place to look for the pair of trousers you want. There’s a plethora of different styles available for this season that are really flattering, the straight leg especially and casual shapes such as the luxe joggers.

So, whether you’re thinking of dipping a toe in the pond with a faux style or ready to invest in the perfect luxury leather pair, here are some options and styling ideas to inspire you to get out of your jeans and into something new.

PAPERBAG WAIST TROUSERS

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LUXE JOGGER

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CAMEL TONES

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SKINNY TROUSERS

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