Leopard prints continue to charge full steam ahead as one of the top trends of the A/W 2010 season but the majority of them tend to be quite literal translations of the motif.
An interesting take on the theme is coloured leopard prints, or more specifically, blue leopard. It's more funky and playful than the usual brown leopard print but the cool tone of the blue keeps it easy on the eyes.
If you're feeling the blue leopard print as much as I am, check out the gorgeous, stylish pieces below.
Looking at the photos above, I realize that I don't have nearly enough yellow in my life. All the shades on the yellow spectrum, whether buttery, lemon-y or mustard-y, are absolutely fantabulous in my book. Yellow tends to be a colour associated with summer as it best reflects the warmth and cheerful mood of that season. In colder seasons dominated by the darkest, most dreary colours, a bit of yellow is always a surprising yet most welcome addition.
Below are some of my picks of stylish yellow pieces to brighten up a winter wardrobe.
After a dark and dreary winter, there's one thing that most people look forward to when Spring rolls around: bright, mood-enhancing colours.
However, this Spring will see many fashionistas in neutral tones and muted colours as this is a hot trend for the upcoming season.
Nude, grey, brown, khaki and other similar tones and colours were featured prominently at various Spring 2010 runway shows such as Marc Jacobs, Alexander Wang, Celine and Balmain (below).
photos courtesy style.com
The trend has been dubbed utilitarian chic and is seen by some as a statement in response to the current economic state of the world.
Many individuals who can afford to be flashy and flaunt their ability to afford frills are now taking a more minimal approach to fashion, perhaps out of respect for those who can't.
This may or may not actually be the case but one thing is for certain - what the desaturated looks of the season lack in colour impact, they most certainly make up for in statement-making style.
The utilitarian fashion of 2010 ranges from soft and fluid feminine shapes to sharp and tailored menswear inspired pieces and the hottest trends such as harem pants, safari jackets as well as classic pieces such as the trench and oxford shirts are all being interpreted in an array of neutrals and subdued colours.
When colour is removed from the equation, it really forces you to observe and appreciate the actual design of the garment.
The high street and department stores have wasted no time in adapting the trend and some have even made this look a key feature in their new collections. Below are some of the clothing stores around London displaying their stylish but desaturated Spring looks.
Uniqlo
United Colors of Benetton
Fenwick
Basler
Pinko
Zara
Jigsaw
Of course, there are incredibly fashionable women on the streets of Paris, London and Stockholm, among others, who have interpreted this trend in their own distinctive ways and have been snapped on a number of street-style and fashion blogs.
photos courtesy style.com, blogs.elleuk.com, copenhagenstreetstyle.dk, easyfashion.blogspot.com, stockholmstreetstyle.feber.se, vanessajackman.blogspot.com and waynetippets.com
Plenty of stylish celebs have also been spotted at various events in dresses and ensembles which are only one or two shades away from their own skin tones.
Anne Hathaway wore a cream suit with a light brown blouse to announce the Academy Award Nominations 2010, Keri Hilson wore a nude mermaid-hem gown to the Grammy Awards 2010, Drew Barrymore donned an embellished champagne gown at the Golden Globes 2010 and Ginnifer Goodwin wore a light taupe dress to the Calvin Klein Men’s and Women’s Spring 2010 Collections Preview Benefit.
photos courtesy justjared.com and yahoo.com
If you think this trend is for you, take a look at the clothing suggestions below to help you zap the colour but pump up the style in your wardrobes this Spring.
I love bright colour and and am always inspired by it, but you don't have to be covered from head to toe in it to make a statement. One of my current trend obsessions is the combination of splashes of lively, bright colours with neutral colours.
For example, check out these neon accented looks from the S/S08 runways of Costume National, Marc Jacobs, Anna Sui and Jil Sander.
photos courtesy style.com
On the streets, intense colour highlights on clothing and accessories help these girls stand out from the crowd. The mostly muted colours of their outfits help to balance out the blindingly bright colours for a great mix of playfulness and sophistication.
photos courtesy damstyle.blogspot.com, hh-streetstyle.blogspot.com, hoyfashion.co.uk and streetpeeper.com
Each of these fabulous ladies below incorprates this look to suit their personal style. Laia rocks out her neon green miniskirt (Geometric Sleep), Silje looks lovely in her turquoise blue jacket (Silje's Fashion), The Seeker brightens up with vivid red shoes (Searching the Inner Me) and Nourahshammari's yellow clutch adds a pop of colour to her simple and chic casual outfit (Nourahshammari's Chic Blog).
Some of you might remember, I even tried this look myself a little while ago with a dark patterned wrap blouse over a bright yellow dress and black accessories.
If small doses of bright colour is what you're looking for, check out these items below.
I've always loved wearing bright colours because of the way they instantly make me feel more alive and confident. My outfit post below was inspired by all the lovely, bold colours I've been seeing everywhere that will be even more prominent when summer arrives.
Some of my inspiration came from the Resort 2009 collections which were subdued for the most part but colour intensity was seen here and there such as on the runways of Christian Dior and Oscar de la Renta.
photos courtesy style.com
Colour was outstanding on the red carpets and at other events at the Cannes Film Festival. Eva Longoria, Natalie Portman, Salma Hayek and Dita von Teese looked positively stunning in their gorgeous, highly saturated dresses.
photos courtesy justjared.com
These fashionable ladies on various street style and personal fashion blogs show they're not afraid of wearing the boldest of colours, whether in the form of a dress or separates. There was the lovely lady in pink from France (Garance Doré), the wonderfully stylish Silje from Norway looked divine in a red dress (Silje's Fashion), California girl Lulu worked a funky yellow top (Lulu's chic blog), New York fashion stylist Julie Ragolia was chic in a green skirt (The Sartorialist), Copenhagen girl looked cool in a purple skirt (Copenhagen Street Style) and in Austin, Texas, this lady was beautiful in a blue and purple dress on a night out (Austin Style Watch).
These guys also show their lack of intimidation when it comes to wearing bright colours.
The picture of confidence in a purple suit in Munich (Style Clicker), a stylish blue short trench in Paris (Street Peeper) and a pair of bold red jeans in New York (Street Peeper).
In this gorgeous editorial spread from the May/June issue of V Magazine, models Jessica Stam, Doutzen Krous and Lily Donaldson look extra radiant in brightly hued clothing and accessories.
photos courtesy fashionising.com
You can bring some colour into your life and style with these items below.
Leopard Print Scarf
Alfani Sweater
