Subway Gallery is possibly THE coolest gallery in the world. Just because of what it is and where it is. Totally at random you could be walking through the dank, dreary streets of Edgware Road, past the maximum security police station and down into the pedestrian subway by the Bakerloo line station and there out of nowhere is a little subterranean oasis of creativity.
The guy who runs it is an artist himself, he wrote the Him Book, the book that accompanied the wax works of Charles Saatchi (shown in various exhibitions including Zoo Art Fair last year if anyone remembers) one of which has taken up semi-permanent residence in the gallery. Subway attracts a unique crowd from one visit there to an opening you can tell there are certain regulars, all rather quirky figures which form part of what seems to be little community. A completely different vibe from the white cubed space of the Lisson Gallery, the closest gallery to it, or any other mainstream gallery for that matter. And thank god for that.
This month’s exhibition is a solo show of Charlie Baird’s work. It comprises some strange paintings centring on the theme of chance and fate. Some are like rather unfashionable early 90s style murals with tarot card imagery, a sort of painted version of a Phil Collins album cover. However, other paintings have a sense of modern anxiety and purpose. Scenes of urban apocalyptic turmoil, burning cars in the sky, flyovers (very much like the Westway directly above Subway) are now playgrounds for disaster.
Subway exhibitions change each month and vary from contemporary instillation, to more conservative paintings to documentary photography and much in-between. Keep you ears peeled for the new exhibition opening around the first week of December.

One of Fifi Bijoux creations.

‘RE:Fashion is a brand new fashion phenomenon, set to transform social and environmental standards in the fashion industry within a decade.’ Its awards night on November the 13^th was held in the spectacular ShoreditchTown hall, the venue chosen for Elton Johns star studded 60th Birthday. Hosted by fashion wordsmith Louise Roe the night showcased the work of designers who endeavour to make fashion with a conscience not only wearable but spectacular proving that being thoughtful to the environment/workers doesn’t mean sacrificing style. This movement is the most prominent in the fashion world this century so it is only fitting that the success stories should be applauded for their hard work and dedication and I was excited to see whether my favourite ethical brands would be recognized.

As well as giving out well earned awards, the catwalk showcased some of the fabulous clothes, firstly the work of the shortlisted designers then  the grand finale The Iconic Catwalk ,where one-off designs created especially for RE:Fashion were unveiled and modelled by girl of the moment Daisy Lowe (wearing fabulous Vivienne Westwood) and other well known young style icons such as Pixie Geldof, and Portia Freeman. The inclusion of these ‘cool’ young beauties was very savvy move, a great way of raising awareness to these wonderful developments in ethical fashion and likely to mean the news will reach a younger and mouldable audience. As well as Vivienne the girls wore creations by other designers including Zandra Rhodes, Preen, Bora Aksu, Allegra Hicks, Todd Lynn, Aimee Mcwilliams, and Jonathan Saunders.

Apart from a few admissions(Enamore) I was extremely pleased with the results. I have fawned over Fifi Bijoux pieces for ages now and their exquisite jewellery deservedly received the Accessories Commendation. Marie Claire magazine who always feature helpful and easy to follow pages on how we can become more green were applauded with the Consumer award. Designer Izzy Lane has been gaining recognition of late, popping up everywhere including You Magazine and rightfully won one of the most prestigious awards of the night- Designer of the Year and Estethica Prize. Among other winners were Adili -a great one stop for all your eco buys , Made,Amana, Sophie White, Pachacuta , Veja , Mantis/Sunflag,Tescos, Pant to Poverty and From Somewhere who won both Fashion Designer of the Year and the Use Award.

After the success of the night and with the influx of new ethical designers taking the fashion world by storm I am sure next years event will be even better and the awards will become a staple in the fashion elites calender. It is nights like this that really help to transform the industry and have a positive affect on the consumer and their shopping habits.

Trench-River Island £64.99          One Shoulder Dress-Next £55

Red is the colour for fashion followers and singletons alike this winter. Research carried out at the University of Rochester has concluded that a lady in red appears prettier, more desirable and more likely to be asked on a date (and a more lavish date at that) than one adorning another colour –she will also find herself conveniently on trend.

Hues of Crimson, Scarlet, Coral, Rust and burgundy have set the catwalk and high streets alight with the most prominent and desirable being Tomato Red. As with all trends you can use the runways as inspiration tentatively, perhaps just with a tinted Hollywood lip, a hot heel (which adds punch to a LBD)or coloured opaque tights. Alternatively go for impact dressing with gowns such as the dreamy full skirted Alexander McQueen example, the red carpet worthy Marchesa, via suiting a la Dior, or cocktails dresses with eccentric oversized details such as Giambattista Valli. If you wish to adorn a florid dress but wish to dim the beacon follow Christopher Kane and mask with translucent chiffons or adopt materials with mixed thread, beading and patterns such as Balmains body- con strapless print dress or DKNYS metallic number.

If like me you don’t often get the opportunity to don an show stopping gown an easy way to incorporate red into your work wear (part from the tights as mentioned before) is swapping your classic white shirt for a red blouse- Oscar de la Renta and Moschino Cheap and Chic showed wonderful examples with ruffle detail using sumptuous materials that grab the light beautifully. This winter has also seen the return of knits that feature Navaho designs often featuring blocks of red .These often oversized pieces look great with leather boots and skinny trousers, are great for weekend wear and easily adapted for the high street shops(with cheaper price tags).

For those who seek fashion inspiration from their favourite celebrities they too have been a blush with Nicollette Sheridan at the National Television Awards in a strapless Oscar de la Renta fishtail dress, stunning Bond girl Olga Kurylenko wearing an usual Valentino couture gown to the Royal premiere of the new Bond film and Calvin Klein body Eva Mendes wearing a classic satin shift dress by Michael Kors at Macy’s 150th birthday celebration-These very different beauties showing how different bodies and colourings can pull off the tricky colour.

TIP

Black and red look striking together, combine a black pencil or dirndl skirt with your blouses, black tights or leggings with your tunics and dresses, a t- shirt under you jackets and for the fashion forwards and beauty braves among you a matt black lip can add an interesting twist.

For great affordable options try Next, Debenham’s, Rover Island Freeman’s, BHS, and M&S among other faithful high street shops.

Mosst successful to date

Although I am yet to buy anything from the Kate Moss collections at Topshop-mostly due to its popularity and the anxiety that it could lead to a horrific matching outfit scenario at a social event, I must say I am impressed wit her current Christmas Collection.

I found her first foray slightly disappointing; apart from a few standout dresses such as lemon one shoulder (which was inspired by a one of her own vintage dresses) it was predominately uninspiring basic tops, waistcoats and shorts.

Each collection has shown more promise with the summer collection featuring some beautiful pieces (such as a bolero) which incorporated intricate embroidery and bead work worthy of a design label.

When the latest collection launched on the 28^th October more than 200 Kate devotees queued outside the Oxford Street store, some as early as 7.45am. The £100 Panther dress which Kate has been papped wearing sold out in 2 hrs online and 15 minutes after the doors opened to the store, the fastest selling design being the triangle rock dress. The stunning sequinned gown inspired by Kate’s 30^th birthday ensemble with the most expensive price tag of £400 also flew off the rails presumably by those wanting to emulate her unfaltering style at a Christmas shindig. Amongst the timeless leather jackets, t -shirts and jeans amongst the casual offerings and the stunning dresses (full length and short) for me the most covetable is a beautiful fringe jacket(£80), inspired by a vintage opera jacket found on her travels. It would look incredibly chic teamed with jeans and boots and over a graphic tee or over a simple shift dress in the evening.

So try and grab yourself a piece of this collection before it sells out (or keep an eye out on eBay!!)

My family have never really adopted (or approved) of Halloween. My mother always felt it a day that encouraged kids to not only be greedy (expecting treats from perfect strangers) and to be naughty (punishing those who didn’t). My only memory of this ghoulish night is being traumatised at Fright Night Thorpe Park after a pale faced man on stilts thought it would be hilarious to chase me!

For many, post acceptable age to trick or treat, Halloween can be a great excuse for a party - a chance to release your outlandish or gothic side. I can’t remember the last time I went to a party without a fancy dress requirement so rather resent that fact yet again I won’t be able to show off my latest fashion purchases and actually attempt to look nice, on a positive note it usually showcases an array of inventive and humorous guises that are sure to gift us with a fun night.

At every Halloween party as well as those who go ‘all out’ are those who try to do sexy scary, adopting Michelle Pfeiffers cat women skin tight all in one or a maid/nurse/cheerleader Ann Summers set. With my finances in a rather scary state my outfit will be an amalgamation of any black, scary, grotesque items I can find in the loft that I will pretend is homage to a character from a gothic novel (that of course they have never heard of!!)

In usual girly fashion my friends and I have been swapping details of who or what we are going as to avoid any unfortunate matching outfit scenarios, and it seems the most desired look is that of troubled Amy Winehouse(supermodel Cindy Crawford was even papped dressed up as Amy Winehouse for Kate Hudson’s pre Halloween bash).

Whether the images in the press of her blood stained ballet pumps, footage assaulting a fan at Glastonbury or bluesy lyrics has made her a dark icon or whether girls merely want an excuse to adopt her iconic signature look she is sure to be taking over the streets and parties of October 31^st.

So as well as the backcombed beehive wig, flicked eyeliner, mini skirt and high heels one vital ingredient will be the body art (or tatts!)

For those not wanting to use their artistic talents and get the felt pens out, revert to childhood (when we would wear power ranger or my little pony transfers under our school shirts) or go for the real (and painful) deal why not try these tights by Pins and Needles. Whether you wear them as intended or fashion them to create arm tats they are quick way of giving yourself very rock n roll and very Winehouse skin accessories!

For those of you opting for a more sophisticated Halloween or embracing the gothic glamour of this season, accessorize with some wonderful statement jewellery.

As well as Givenchy’s look which has become a favourite of the UK fashion glossies (layers of skulls crosses and chains) and Burberrys amazing geometric dark purple gem necklace, the A/W collections saw a great selection of gunmetal and black jewellery

For those who can’t afford the catwalk options but still want to get that feeling of indulgence with their jewellery purchase The Earring boutique has a wonderful range of earrings ranging from around £40-£110. Particularly perfect to capture this trend is the Decodize range where Art Deco shapes are given a 21st century makeover. Industrial design inspires the gunmetal, brushed rhodium and silver plate while the jet and clear crystal stones give a clean monochrome palette for a harder edge to a feminine accessory.

When you visit the website be sure to check out the rest of their varied selection which is sure to deliver something to suit various styles and occasions. I purchased by first pair from the Winter Romance selection, every wear of my chandelier earrings creating a stir amongst my fashion hungry friends. They look equally as opulent as the more expensive examples and make you feel special minus the worry that wearing ludicrously expensive items gives you .They have the ability to add instant glamour to a rather staid black polo neck and look very Hollywood 1950’s starlet against your winter faux fur stoles, wraps and coats.

If you are choosing to shop from home as the chill sets in The Earring Boutique delivers your sparkling earrings in a beautiful luxe, tassled gift box so you can keep your treasures safe for years to come!

P.S Keep an eye out for their guest designers who add a different dimension to their selection every season.

www.theearringboutique.com

There have been questions surrounding the timing of Westfield’s launch. Engulfed in a period of economic uncertainty creating a £1.6billion space (spanning 9 postcodes ) may seem unwise , but as the crowds swarmed the shepherds bush area it seems the shoppers were out in force to defy the doubters…. and the credit crunch. Floppy haired Mayor Boris Johnson opened the centre in his typical humorous and eccentric manner answering the cynics and positively protesting the shopping centres arrival as a ‘fantastic vote of confidence in London as the worlds greatest venue for buying and selling of good services’ and that ‘confidence will be repaid because this shopping centre will still be here when this recession and the next and the one after that have faded into memory’. Boris also touched on something else that rather concerned me as I looked around at the hoards of people anticipating the performance from X factor winner London songbird Leona. Although wonderful and comforting to see the hundreds of consumers ready and waiting to be unleashed onto the shop floors I wondered why they weren’t at work? Perhaps it was to grab some of the amazing bargains and deals that were on display…….

News of the potential freebies had leaked via the daily news papers a few days previous to the launch which meant crowds of shoppers eager to steal a deal jostled outside before the doors opened at 9am. Everyone loves getting something for free but in these times of purse tightening it seemed people were even more determined, I witnessed some olympic standard bargain hunting , the early punters in particular laden with paper bags, full of gifts.

For those who missed out on yesterdays treats it might be time to look away ….Stores including The Body shop, Dune, Rigby and Peller gave goodie bags to the first 100 customers , Tommy Hilfiger and Boots to the first 50, with most stores offering discounts and entry into prize draws. Indulgence was key for the launch with stores offering champagne, canapés and chocolates , massages, demonstrations and makeovers the only thing detracting from the feel of luxury being the shuffling and pushing and people shouting move it and get out of my way(or to that affect) in attempts to ensure they didn’t miss out to their rival shoppers!

For those who couldn’t make it there is still plenty to cheer your shopping soul. Uniqlo are doing great deals on cashmere, a must for every winter wardrobe and a true style staple. Gap also has great deals on jumpers with £10-20 off a selection of their chunky knits.Boots have some handy 3 for 2 deals and extremely reduced cosmetic sets-which are perfect Xmas gifts. Tom Wolfe’s very first stand alone store invites you to go to www.tomwolfe.co.uk and download a 20% off voucher.

As well as the offers and events (Dj sets 1, 8 November in Bench, and 15% off and free champagne at Aldo on 8^th November) retail experts predict that we will see some of the best sales on the run up to Christmas with discounts of up to 70%.

Many stores including the extremely plush House of Fraser (whose ranges include the fashion editor’s favourite, Lanvin) advertised their store/credit cards which offer a discount or points with purchases. This can be a great way of saving money with many offering 20% off purchases when you sign up, but they can be financially hazardous so make sure you read the small print, only use if necessary and make sure you pay the outstanding money on time!

Many of the stores also had alluring draws with great prizes on offer such as Topshops amazing trip to New York and a shopping spree at Ted Baker. It is free to enter so why not enter as many as you can, it will increase your chances you never know you may be the lucky one!

Whether you are on a small budget or an enviably large one the Westfield will have the shops for you. With its combination of well known high streets brands, 16 new brands, high end clothing, accessories and jewellery brands it will become an accessible place away from manic Oxford Street where we can shop in the warmth sheltered from the rain (or snow) with a choice of 50 eateries to satisfy any dietary desires and boost our flagging energy.

If I haven’t managed to silence the cynics I must also point out that as well as the delivering vast options to the consumer Westfield offers a great deal of opportunities to London’s unemployed. It has put 3,000 local people through pre employment training, 40% of the Westfield staff have been hired from the surrounding boroughs alongside 7,000 retails jobs. In addition the new Wood Lane station(as well as the improved White city, Shepherds bush stations and buses) makes it a relatively easy destination to get to for those wanting to avoid tackling London’s traffic and for those who cant abide public transport its situation outside the congestion zone makes it a more attractive journey.

Keep reading in future weeks as I review some of the designer shops such as Versace, and Louis Vuitton which were unfortunately not ready in time for the opening day.

http://uk.westfield.com/london/

During my school years my flat black loafers were a loyal accompaniment to my grey pleated skirt- the same skirt that miraculously rolled up as soon as my mum disappeared from the gate. At this time I would have given anything to have blistered and aching feet like the other girls in school, but this forced shoe attire inadvertently lead me to being ahead of my time in the fashion stakes.

My mothers opinion that putting naïve, still forming feet in high heels was not only foolish but inappropriate has now meant I can rather smugly say ‘I’ve been wearing them for years!’

For those of you who, like me, have weak ankles, high arches, bunions etc there is now a more practical shoe out there. Thanks to eternally cool young style icon Alexa Chung whose appearance wearing a black patent version on channel 4 programme Freshly Squeezed lead to an influx of sales at Russell and Bromley, the relic from shoes history is once again cool.

They look simple and chic with skinny jeans and a loose cashmere jumper and have the ability to stop a pretty or floaty dress looking too saccharine, adding a contemporary harder edge. Alternatively you can flaunt you inner Katherine Hepburn androgyny and team with high- wasted wide leg trouser and an austere shirt.

I bought my new pair from Topshop, opting for a white pair called kasbian. They manage to transform any relatively plain outfit to pleasingly quirky. I am looking forward to having another pain free yet stylish option for winter walks and giving my well worn flat leather boots a rest! So come and join me and do comfortable chic.

Going to Frieze Art Fair is a bit like shopping at TK Maxx. You sift through the good, the bad, the humorous and the downright bizarre-what-is-that-actually-meant-to-be-anyway? And leave after three hours (you have lost the exit) feeling confused. Your own idea of taste has been so diminished by the sheer amount of stuff you have been bombarded with in a short amount of time you leave with a pair of purple leather trousers that you will never wear (ok that’s just TK Maxx).

The difference with TK Maxx, on a Thursday afternoon is that Hugh Grant is not milling around with a French Brunette on his arm.

This year the good stuff was great.

The bad were shocking. The photos of strategically naked Japanese women tied up with rope were really quite fowl.

And there was a lot of indifferent.

Talking of the good, Dirk Skreber’s incredible painting Air Force 4.0 at Gallery Luis Campana was excellent to get up close to and see in the flesh.

Arndt and Parter Gallery, Berlin, had some really cool stuff, including one of those tattooed pigs that have been making the headlines recently. Unfortunately it was a stuffed one. They also had exciting work by Reena Kallat. Stamps (as in the librarian type) had been arranged inside a glass container to create the impression of a face. Doesn’t sound that special but was really well done.

Ruby Sterling’s work seemed cropped up twice, impressive sculptures made out of Formica, a type of plastic, melted and reformed into huge dripping sculptures that resemble a wax. It was nice to see a Tomory Dodge, a sublime rainbow-on-black abstract painting typical of his most recent work at the CGR Gallery, from New York.

Talking points this year were parrots that had apparently been taught to bark like dogs. Although this seemed highly dependent on the parrot’s mood. And singular glass smoking booths, a working installation, each smoker entirely exposed to an audience as they puff away on the most public fag they will ever have.

Sadly little of the renowned London galleries stood out from the pack. The White Cube for instance displayed Damien Hirsts we have all seen a thousand times before and not much else of any interest. It could have been the exactly the same works as lasts year. Damian could have preserved the whole thing in formaldehyde for this year. Nobody would have noticed.

The thing is, when it boils down to it, Frieze is a fair and the galleries are here to sell.

Curatorial concerns are not top of the list. Most galleries play it safe; they exhibit one or two works from each artist they represent including the ones they find it difficult to sell so that a passing collector can see the full range.

Those that had guts, and treated their space like they were putting on their own exhibition centering on a theme, separated them from the rest.

A gallery based in Old Street, Cabinet, covered the top of their room to create a darkened, quiet atmosphere, and exhibited caricatures and projections. You could put headphones on and listen to Tris Von-Michelle as he jabbered away in stunted conversation whilst taking in the rest of the works. The black and white theme also pulled it all together.

Appetite Gallery from Buenos Aires, billing themselves as ‘radical and contemporary’ lived up to their name. Their space from top to bottom was a controlled mess of art and rubbish, used paper coffee cups lining the sides. A crazily dressed Argentinean lady was asked whether you would like an appointment with ‘the Cotton Man’. Most people survive this meeting apparently, but not with all their clothes in the state they arrived in.

It is just a shame that with this lack of concern for cohesion and the huge concern for the big sale, the galleries have lost sense. They have no interest in producing something for the rest of us, the little people. The ‘general public’ has to pay 20+ pounds to see this hyped jumble sale. Grow some balls galleries! Put on a show next year please!

The Truman Breweries’ triple art fair extravaganza: Kounter Kulture, Saatchi – 4 New Sensations and The Future Can Wait, are most definitely worth a visit and more so as they are exactly zero pounds entry.

The Future Can Wait stands out as being something special due to the diversity of content and the vast warehouse setting lending the perfect space for mind-bending installations.

You are greeted by a huge statue of Bert from Sesame Street (by Christopher Davies) rotating continuously, creating what can only be described as a perpetual mono-brow. Genius.

Janak Odedra’s clever ‘Project KA’ is an assemblage of found car-parts recreated into the shape of a car. The parts now defunct from commercial purpose are transformed into useful objects of artistic purpose.

Aisling Hedgecock is another artist who uses human debris as a material for her work. ‘Saracen’ is a group of hefty structures made up of mini polystyrene balls which now resemble a futuristic coral reef. Their appeal is their transient state, unlike Project KA their form is not fully complete, a live organism.

‘Licking Dogs’ by Angela Bartram is beyond the bizarre, but apparently not beyond the realms of contemporary art, as it is a video of a woman snogging a dog. Snogging; defined by full tongue on tongue action. The dog, it must be said, is now probably very confused about human interrelations.

Among other gems are Andrea Gregson’s ‘Borrower-sized’ fantasy worlds. Peep through wooden boxes taken from her Headspace and Wonderland exhibition in 2006. Also Kim Rugg’s intricate collages made from the front page of The Guardian. Each letter down to the very smallest type has been painstakingly cut and re-arranged so that they are in alphabetical order and stuck back on the page.

And Gordon Cheung’s enormous triptych, ‘Death Cuts Full 1’ with his signature background made from stock listings, draws you into a fantasy landscape of trippy perspective.

Kounter Kulture centers on themes of sub-culture; heavily concentrating on the ‘Street Art’ genre, kitsch, cartoon and pop art legacy, print and graphic design trends.

Pieces from old favourites such as Eine put up a minor appearance alongside the main body of less established artists, there also a few pieces being flogged from high ranking artists such as a David Hockey print and a spot painting print signed by Damien Hirst going for around 25k. Probably the most highly priced art work in the whole fair.

William Tuck, is exhibiting a very Koons-esq series of oil paintings, smoothly painted to the point of giving the impression of lamination. They consist of porn-star women recreating Bottichellian style scenes. Questioning how the original paintings might have been received in the Renaissance by some, along with presenting a merge of high art with newsagent top-shelf literature. Interesting, but perhaps something not particularly ground-breaking.

Snuck into a corner are Laurie Hodgekin’s Vanitas paintings of evil technicolor monkeys, intricately painted so each hair on the monkeys has a spiky realism. Although small paintings, these are significant as they push against the mainstream with their heavy gold frames, Dutch master painting style and warped Gremlin figures.

Stephen Dryden’s, ‘Undo‘ and ‘What About My Mother‘ are rather more removed from the central theme of the fair. They are faceless figures made out of woollen threads which unravel past the shoulder into a woollen mess, as if they are melting into the floor. Very Antony Gormely in a fresh and inspiring way.

Works from Stuart Semple and Nathan James including paintings from the MASH UPS exhibition are also present (see earlier review on Art Sleuth).

And Wang Zhi Jie series ‘ Little Girls’ portraits with blown up heads and popsicle colours twist the Manga genre.

Unfortunately 4 New Sensations, an art competition in collaboration with Channel 4 was not entirely sensational, but showed the budding possibilities of fresh out of college artists. Which is the whole point.

Definitely worth a jaunt, among the four winners, Mark Davey’s moving rotary contraptions and the paintings Robert Sherwood stand out.

Photos all from The Future Can Wait in order from top to bottom:

© Aisling Hedgecock, Gordon Cheung, Kim Rugg, Angela Bartram, courtesy of The Future Can Wait www.thefuturecanwait.com

Much like animal print, lace is a trend that delivers difficulty. Whilst it can create elegance it can also convey erotic (and not in a good way). The conundrum of how to wear lace has put many people off experimenting, but with the great offerings the catwalk has displayed and the vast amount of wallet friendly versions (Zara, Topshop, Godiva, Asos) on the high street I hope people will dare to try.

It was all over the catwalk this season the highlight being the Prada catwalk that created designs that used lace to portray an understated but elegant look. Unique Beauty Tilda Swinton wore one of the more unusual hues of the lace dress to the Met Gala which was greeted with mixed critique but proved you didn’t have to be boring to capture a trend.

How to wear the trend

If you have held on to your Victorian blouses that were a huge trend in 2005 (and have constantly reappeared under various other guises such as austere and romantic) many examples feature small lace details and inserts which is a subtle way of using the trend for those wanting to ease in gently.

Tights are no longer just a necessity to keep your legs warm in winter. Since the trend for bright opaques, they have become a style feature in their own right. The range of lace, patterned tights out there is huge. Try the more costly but long lasting Falke or Jonathon Aston or the inexpensive Accessorize and Topshop.

Although many looks for A/W are rather grown you can use lace to create many different styles. For drama and theatre adopt Alexander McQueens look or combine it with dramatic patterns and motifs for the punky appeal. For those who do vintage but aren’t necessarily concerned with currents trends you will be aware of the huge selection of one off lace pieces you can find in second hand shops, the full skirt pinch in waist prom dress style or the 80’s shape body con versions.

Lace is a great way of doing sexy without showing too much flesh, much like the power of the sheer stocking, the v neck, slightly open white shirt: they give a hint of what’s underneath without giving away too much….far more alluring.

Beware

If you wear lace which looks like it has been bought as underwear or was actually worn as underwear you have to be extremely careful how you create your look. It can look great worn underneath a shirt or tuxedo jacket but worn with a short skirt and bare legs etc it can create a look better suited to a street corner.Obviously you have to be your own critic here and some of you will want to pull off more extreme or overtly sexy looks.

Another danger is opting for a colour other than black. If you manage to avoid the looking like you’re heading to your nuptials there is a danger of falling into a slightly vulgar trap. This is not always the case as there are some wonderful cream and midnight blue pieces in store - but just be aware!

In terms of accessorising lace if you want to carry on the vintage feel pearls look wonderful as do cameo broaches or take inspiration from the Givenchy and layer gothic tarnished gunmetal crosses, chains and skulls although many will argue that lace is intricate enough that accessorizing is unnecessary.

So go on give it a go in your own way…

image-dress from Goddiva  £35.99 http://www.goddiva.co.uk/home.php?cat=14