Who knew, that come lunch time on a recent fabric trip to Barcelona , grabbing my camera (and a sandwich) I would provide myself with some much needed inspiration!
It turns out, the fashionistas of Barcelona have some nifty little styling tricks up their sleeves!!
I adore the sheer simplicity of this whole outfit! It also kind of makes me miss my long hair.
My absolute favourite!
I’m still rooting for Harlequin.
Amazing what a pair of wedges can do!
Since Yves Saint Laurent popularized androgyny in women’s fashion decades ago, stealing your boyfriend’s blazer has become the thing to do.
It seems every season, designers bring baggy pants, waistcoats and tuxedo jackets down the runway ,in new shapes and combinations.
This season’s mix of masculinity and feminine sexiness is more funky and edgy than the femme fatale look, seeing sharp shoulders, over-sized vests, and long blazers delivered to the catwalk once more.
But where do we go when we can’t afford Wang, Jacobs or McQueen?
Why your boyfriends wardrobe of course!
First out of the closet is, undoubtedly this seasons key piece, the trusted Boyfriend Blazer.
Take a look at last weeks blog ‘The Boyfriend Blazer” for inspiration
Next up, I dug out my boyfriends only pair of ’smart’ suit trousers. Sexy.
Roll the bottoms up to show a bit of ankle and team with heels.
The oversized shirt appears to be everywhere at the moment. Mostly because it is so versatile and can be worn in a million different ways.
Belted, tucked in, left loose, you can’t really go wrong.
If you want the shirt to be worn as a dress, try to find a shirt that’s big enough to be long, but that still fits reasonably well around the shoulders. If the shirt is long but fitted it can be crisper, while a more oversized shirt will sit better if in a lighter fabric.
Roll up the sleeves. The hands and wrists are quite a feminine body-part and therefore balance out the masculinity of the oversized shirt
The Boyfriend Jumper can be incredibly sexy. with a belt, bare legs and heels or tucked into skirt or trousers.
A simple and effortless look.
White t-shirts, oversized, t-shirts with a rock-band on, everything works here. Just make sure it’s not too big. Roll up the sleeves a little bit for that cool factor.
When accessorising, don’t forget that a belt can completely change the look. For some other ideas, try layers of bangles, a vintage neck-scarf, or men’s pocket handkerchief. Some tousled bed-hair or a simple pony-tail will set off this look perfectly.
Be creative and you’ll see that there’s a lot fun in the mans wardrobe.
Everything that looks stylish on you is just to grab. There’s no rules here, be playful and have fun!
And so, it looks as though the blazer is sticking around for another season. Whereas a classic blazer is undoubtedly a must have in every wardrobe, this seasons school boy blazer trend is a great and easy way to incorporate the staple suit piece into your outfits.
Look to the catwalks for inspiration.
My absolute favourite designer for tailoring is Stella McCartney. Her slouchy, slightly oversized tailoring captivates and completely inspires me, and has caught on in a big way.
The longer boyfriend jacket with the strong shoulder and the pushed-up sleeves that she showed in her Spring Summer 2009 collection, worn over little cocktail dresses or with cropped pants has become a big trend.
Not advisable in these credit crunching times…
but worth a peek at what £1,025 will get you.
If you don’t have enough stashed away for this incredible Stella Original, then fear not. There are plenty of High Street alternatives.
First stop, Ebay. To be honest, there are a lot of boyfriend blazers on there, especially vintage, but due to obvious high demand and popularity now, prices aren’t as barginous as expected.
OVERSIZE BLAZER DRESS JACKET TOP £39.90
Next stop, Asos.
They have a good selection Jackets, not a cheap as I would have liked, but worth a look.
ASOS Jersey Boyfriend Blazer £40
If it helps you a little bit more…
Free delivery on all ASOS orders over £50 using code APRILDELIVER
(during April only)
Newlook are considerably cheaper, but I find they don’t always fit as well.
My favourite for nailing the boyfriend blazer trend is loyal Topshop. Completely overpriced but a great match for Stella McCartney
I recently dug deep and pulled out of my wardrobe a blazer I’d purchased about 5 years ago. All it’s taken is a quick dust off and a roll up of the sleeves, and teamed with a pair of leggings or layered over a dress and I’m all set for the season ahead…
