OIP STYLE GUIDE-KEY WINTER LOOKS

I’ll be honest there isn’t too much that I love about winter. I’m definitely a summer girl, but there is something lovely about winter fashion and layering up with shirts and cardigans and coats. I’ve never been someone to shy away from colour in the cooler months either – grey clouds don’t mean grey clothes. In fact, it usually has the opposite effect on me! This Autumn/Winter there are so many gorgeous and wearable trends that can easily translate from the catwalk to your wardrobe. But as I always say to clients, you don’t need to embrace every trend. I always look at the key trends that are coming through the catwalks and get a feel for what styles will suit my shape and which resonate most with me and my personality. There is definitely a benefit to being a season behind New York, London and Paris…I can prepare! As such I’ve picked a few of my favourite A/W looks, having sourced pieces from affordable and accessible stores.

PRETTY PINK & PLAID

Trenery coat, Topshop knit, Topshop trousers, Zara shoes

Pastels, in particular soft pink, are the hottest hues of the season. Pastels offer you the opportunity to wear colour, without having to be loud, and always work well with traditional winter colours like black, grey and tan. You certainly don’t need to deck out your whole wardrobe with pastels, rather a few pieces such as a coat, sweater or scarf, could be all you need to add that bit of pretty pastel to an outfit. But if you are so into pastels, don’t be afraid to wear head to toe in one colour of varying hues. This is absolutely acceptable and certainly encouraged! Plaid is another trend that has taken off, thanks to brands such as Celine, who featured it heavily in their A/W14 collections. Thankfully plaid has moved on from its glory days of green, red and navy sofa upholstery, with local stores such as Country Road and Trenery, offering plaid in both the pretty and edgy variety.

TOUGHEN UP

Gorman dress, River Island Leather jacket, Zara shoes

One of my absolute style icons is Jenna Lyons – Creative Director of US clothing store J.Crew. In a recent J.Crew catalogue she perfectly summed up what I love about her style and J.Crew’s fashion philosophy…”We think it’s better to clash than to match. We like to break the rules and appreciate a good surprise. We temper tomboy with heels. We pair old with new, matte with shine and high with low.” The outfit above is a perfect example of against the fashion grain; teaming pieces that are a little unexpected. Firstly, this fun crocodile and stripe dress is in itself an expected combination – a child-like illustration on a classic Breton stripe. But it’s taken to another level again by adding a tough black leather jacket and studded shoes. Don’t be afraid to mix your textures and prints.

A LADY IN CAMOUFLAGE

Topshop skirt, Seed sweater, Witchery heels, Asos bag

Following on from breaking away from the rules and expect the unexpected, pairing khaki with lilac is perhaps not the first combination that springs to people’s minds. This outfit combines a number of this season’s big trends – full midi skirts, the camo print and pastels. The super pretty lilac skirt would work so well with a gorgeous white shirt and simple black heels, but I wanted to offer a different take on how you could make this ladylike skirt edgier. Because the top, skirt and bag are solid colours, it’s the perfect opportunity to add some interest with these fab camo print pumps. So I hope this has provided you with a little bit of inspiration for your winter wardrobes! Contributed by Victoria from The Style Mission