Phoebe Philo, former designer at Chloe has showed her long awaited first Celine collection for Resort 2010, a few weeks back. The designer who is hoped will turn the Celine label around with her beautifully designed clothes, is playing it safe for her first season with a collection of very wearable utilitarian pieces characterised by zips and other chunky details. The collection was a stark contrast to her usual fayre of frilly and feminine charm. The clothes were made of Italian fabrics rather than French because of their more masculine textures.

The collection included Celine bags and Celine shoes which are much awaited by many Philo fans. She obviously has not lost her amazing talent for designing irresistable accesories and I expect that most will sell out pretty quickly. My favourites were the shoes which will definitely be added to my ever growing wish list.

If you can’t wait until Phoebe’s debut Celine shoes are available, Celine do also have some very desireable summer shoes like these high heeled sandals.

With temperatures soaring into the thirties this week and the heat wave promising to stay for a while, many people are getting more than a little hot under the collar. For those, like myself with long and thick hair wearing it up is an absolute necessity to avoid become too hot to do anything except take a dip in a swimming pool. This is a time when comfort and keeping cool becomes really important, almost as important as looking stylish. Of course it goes without saying, that the red shiny face and complete heat exhaustion look is not at all stylish, so a ponytail is the answer for both style, comfort and keeping your cool.

The high pony tail is  a great way to keep cool it keeps your hair completely out of the way. It also is a fresh and youthful hair style. For me one of the biggest bonuses is that it adds a bit of height and makes me appear a bit taller. Here is how to get the perfect high pony tail.

 1. Start by brushing the hair around your head, whilst holding it in a pony tail, with a paddle brush to achieve a smooth finish. If you like spray a little hair spray onto the brush to tame any loose strands or frizz, which can be a particular problem in hot weather. The pony tail will look very different depending on how high it is, experiment with different heights until you find the right one for you.

2. Once you have it right secure with a non elastic band. You will need to loop the band around until it is quite tight for a secure pony tail that does not fall down.

3. Clip back any loose pieces of hair that are not long enough to fit into the pony tail.

4. Now the fun bit, you can leave your ponytail as it is or decorate as you like by clipping in hair extensions, lots of little plaits (if it is long enough) and also using a decorative band or necklace around the base of the pony tail. For a really elegant way to wear your hair up, I love this Balmain Elegance Cannes Style Clip-in hair piece.

I always think there is a fine line to draw between art and fashion, in the case of these artistic clothes it is a very very fine line.  I like to think of fashion as a kind of wearable art form, no different to a painting really but it is more practical to wear (usually) and washes better (sometimes). Some times the distinction between art and fashion becomes even more blurred. When traditonal artistic prints or designs are put onto clothing they satisfy both the art lovers and fashonistas amongst us.

Some artistic prints on clothing can include drips of paint randomly splattered onto a garment but more interestingly, a very striking landscape picture can be used to create a very eye catching piece. A landscape can evoke strong feelings that are related to memories of that place. The memories are very personal and so each persons thoughs about a particular landscape will be very different. If you catch people staring at you whilst wearing these T shirts, they probably cannot help it because you are a moving work of art.

I love this top with Time Square in black and white. It makes me think of New Years Eve and the city that never sleeps. The beads and sequins add to the business of the design.

The colours and image on this Artscape San Fransisco T Shirt make me think of a vibrant and bustling place.

Imagine yourself floating around the mediteranean on board a large yacht, the sea is glistening, the sky is bright blue and the sun is hot. You are of course sunning yourself on deck of the yacht in a classic nautical bikini. Nautical swim wear conjures up images of expensive and exotic holidays by the sea. With Chanel also showing a nautical theme at the resort collection this year, you can’t really go wrong with nautical for swimwear that oozes money and class.

The classic nautical style usually involves navy blue and white with horizontal stripes and sometimes some red gold or yellow trim or detail. This combination looks great on swim wear and bikinis. Nautical bikinis are a classic style that will always be in fashion. I love this halter neck nautical bikini with it’s flattering style of top and modern tie bottoms.

In the summer time, many people live in their flip flops. They are elegant and casual at the same time. They also keep your feet lovely and cool. But if you want your feet to look gorgeous in flip flops then a little preparation is required. You could invest in a professional pedicure but it is not really necessary. You should be able to get your feet looking gorgeous for wearing flip flops with this Butter London Pedicure Collection.

If you suffer from dry skin then ensure that your feet are silky smooth using this Ped Egg. The rub on plenty of moisturiser.

You can the add the finishing touches by painting toenails with a bright summery colour like this orange from Opi

Then all you need to do is choose yourself some gorgeous flip flops. My favourites are Havianas but there are also plenty of gorgeous beaded and sequinned flip flops to choose from.

Slim Season Tomato Havianas

Sequin Flip Flops

Everyone likes to wear a t shirt now and then and the key to looking really good in casual clothes is finding a t shirt with just the right cut and fit to suit you. Colour is also  important and whilst many people opt for the classic white or black t shirts, there are lots of other colours that will compliment your hair colouring and complexion. If I find a t shirt with just the right fit, I buy a few of them in different colours. Not only does this mean that I have one to wear if one is in the wash, but also I can add a bit of variety and colour to my life.

My favourite t shirts at the moment are the American Apparel 3/4 length sleeve boat neck T shirt. This length of sleeve is very flattering on me, although I don’t know why and the boat neck balance out my hips. I also love the way it fits. It is perfect for everyday casual wear with jeans or sometimes it can look good under a suit jacket for work. With such a rainbow of colours to choose from, I can find one to match almost anything. I like the idea of an eye popping combination of bright coloured jeans with a brightly coloured t shirt.

As so many of us tend to gain a little extra weight around our hips and thighs especially as we get older, finding flattering clothes is key to looking and feeling great. There are a few basic rules that can be applied to choosing clothes that will help or hide or minimise the lower part of the body whilst balancing out with and drawing attention to the upper part of the body. Trousers with wide bottoms are also great for pear shapes as they also have a balancing effect making the width of the hips and thighs less noticable. Pear shaped women should also avoid bright colours, patterns or details on their lower halves and tops that finish on the widest part of the body. Scoop necks, wide shoulders horizontal lines and detailed necklines are all great options though.

Striped Neck T Shirt

Haines Tasty Boat Neck Top

Portfolio pure cotton boat neck jumper

Picture from www.style.com - Alexander McQueen SS09 

Striking prints are everywhere this summer from Kaleidoscope to monochromatic to digital and pixellated patterns. They are bold, bright and can’t be missed. Alexander McQueen led the way at the Spring summer 09 catwalks with his shattered crystal or mosaic prints. The look was computer generated and challenged the eye in the way that no ditsy floral print ever could. The key to wearing these eye catching prints in a stylish way is by choosing key simply cut clothes like shift dressed and t shirts, the patterns do not need any further complications. Go as bright and multicoloured or as simple as you like, there is plenty to choose from. This is a great modern way to wear this seasons neons without looking like a raver that got lost in the wrong time zone.

If you though you couldn’t do graphic prints then try keeping it really simple with this monochromatic Pharmacy Industry Top

During this dark recession driven times, we are constantly urged by fashion editors to invest in key classic pieces that are timeless and versatile to ensure maximum value for money. One piece of clothing that is probably the ultimate classic and versatile item is the little black dress. you can be sure that it will never go out of style, goes with almost anything and is suitable for so many different occasions. Here is our pick of some of the best little black dresses for 2009.

This La Redoute Creation Sleeveless Black Dress is so flattering. It is both elegant and business like, perfect for wearing to the office.

This Great Plains festival of light dress is a stylish variation on the classic shift dress with layers, a bow and gathers at the front.

This black sleeveless dress by Promod has a retro feel about it but also has very modern cut and detailing.

On my list of clothes to buy for the summer is a pair of casual and practical shoes that will look great with jeans, shorts and other casual wear. I have never been  fan of trainers and prefer to wear them when I do sport, which is a fairly rare occurence. I do however have a fairly active life and like to walk every where whenever possible so a comfy pair of casual shoes is essential.

I love these vintage style Fred Perry tennis shoes. Fred Perry, by the way, was a famous tennis player known as one of the worlds greatest players. He was also known for his relationships with film stars including Marlene Dietrich and Helen Vinson. He became associated with his own clothing brand that was associated with polo shirts with the famous laurel logo. These polo shirts were adopted by the Mods in the late fifities and ever since Fred Perry has become associated with British street style.