8 of the best STATEMENT necklaces

I am so in love with statement necklaces at the moment, they jazz up any outfit that would otherwise look quite plain. Spring / summer is the perfect time to wear a statement necklace as bright hues are embraced.  With this dreary weather we've been having there is even more reason to sport a dazzling statement piece. I would really recommend in investing in one as they cheer up any work or daytime look. If you've got some cash to spend then I would recommend Topshop. Their necklaces may set you back £30-£40 but they do some fantastic jewellery. If you are on a budget try New Look, they have some really eye catching pieces for less than £10.

Accessorize, Natalie Statement Necklace, £15.00. http://uk.accessorize.com/view/product/uk_catalog/acc_2.9/4820764200

This Accessorize piece may just be very popular since Millie Mackintosh was spotted wearing it for one of her Style Diary looks. This may be a subtle, but its very pretty and is for those that want to try wearing statement jewellery but don't feel confident enough to wear a heavy, chunky piece. This would look fantastic with any daytime look and can be worn at night as well.

MY FLASH TRASH, Ciara Hynes Pink Jia Necklace, £75. http://www.myflashtrash.com/streetstylejewelery/necklaces/pink-jia-necklace.html#.Uc7aTPm3-So

This electric MY FLASH TRASH necklace is perfect for after work cosmos.

Topshop, Rhinestone Flower Collar, £40.00. http://www.topshop.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?beginIndex=1&viewAllFlag=&catalogId=33057&storeId=12556&productId=10851111&langId=-1&sort_field=Relevance&categoryId=208556&parent_categoryId=204484&pageSize=200

This Topshop necklace may be simple in colour but its chunky jewels are very dominant. If you are a classic kind of woman then this necklace might just be the one. It dresses up any outfit with just the right amount of sophistication. Just watch the magpies hovering around!

New Look, Neon Orange Bungee Rope Gemstone Necklace, £8.99. http://www.newlook.com/shop/womens/jewellery-and-hair-accessories/neon-orange-bungee-rope-gemstone-necklace-_283933380

This New Look Bungee Rope Gemstone Necklace is such a striking, fierce orange. This colour is very in this season as well, so with this necklace you will be ticking all the right fashion boxes. I personally think this necklace would look amazing on anyone with a darker complexion, as bright colours really flatter olive / dark skin. Something like this would be suitable for a festival, where you want to wear something bold but in-expensive so there's no guilt involved if it gets damaged.

New Look, Silver Pastel Stone Bib Necklace, £19.99. http://www.newlook.com/shop/womens/jewellery-and-hair-accessories/silver-pastel-stone-bib-necklace_284328499

Pastel hues are a MUST for summer and so is this necklace. With bright jewels it is something which is a key holiday piece.

I Love Designer, OUTHOUSE Marrakesh Necklace, £240. http://www.ilovedesigner.com/jewellery/necklaces/marrakesh-necklace-outhouse.html

This OUTHOUSE necklace has a very decadent feel, which I love. Inspired by the Baroque era, it has an antique feel. This necklace may look high maintenance but its guaranteed to get you noticed.

I Love Designer, DOLORIS PETUNIA Athens Necklace, £3250.00. http://www.ilovedesigner.com/jewellery/necklaces/athens-necklace-doloris-petunia.html

With bright neon hues this necklace is guaranteed to help you stand out from the crowd. Plus neon is very in this season. Let the exhibitionist in you shine!

Topshop, Statement necklace, £30

This Topshop necklace, which is nearly all colours of the rainbow will bring a splash of colour to any outfit. What's brilliant about it, is that you can team it with any top in any of the colours found in this necklace, it will bring out the hue wonderfully. Although not available online you can find it in store.

Will you be wearing a STATEMENT NECKLACE this season? Do you think they are a one hit wonder or a wardrobe staple? Let me know in the comments box below.

The Hong Kong Holiday Wardrobe

My attempt to "reform" my holiday packing style for Hong Kong 2012... think minimal NOT overcrowded packing...



Hong Kong.

Packing for a summer holiday is something that a lot of people seem to dread. How will I fit all my favourite clothes in a suitcase? What shall I leave out? What if I haven't packed enough clothes?

These are just some of the questions which us fashion conscious people will worry about whilst we pack our holiday suitcases.

I will just admit it now, last time I went to Hong Kong, back in 2010 I was swamped with clothes.

This may sound like the fashion stylist's dream but in reality I had brought an overwhelming amount of clothes and didn't end up wearing half the clothes in my suitcase.

Every morning, I got up and looked at my suitcase which was full to the brim with clothing. Thus, making outfit choosing feel more like wading through a jungle, as opposed to walking through a park.

I literally had a suitcase stuffed full of clothing and I was convinced that I would wear it all and did I? No!



In Hong Kong, 2010.

In hindsight I look back and think that if I had just packed a few of my favourite summer essentials then it would have been a lot easier to make fashion decisions in the mornings, leaving me more time to sunbathe and less time worrying about what to wear.

Having thought about my dream packed suitcase the other day, the ideal would be one which I could open and immediately see a few of my favourite clothing items smiling out at me, rather than a mountain of them.

In my head, the definition of this ideal suitcase would be MINIMAL. Only the really special items would make the cut.

The sensible option would be to pack around three of my favourite dresses and fourteen of my favourite tops for a two week holiday. As opposed to packing twenty of my favourite tops.

With packing kept to a minimum, it will mean that I will have more valuable space left in my suitcase for any souvenirs or unique items which I find in the markets out there.

The way I have described my ideal "reformed" Hong Kong holiday wardrobe may seem like something akin to a military operation. But, I am certain that if I make all the fashion decisions before I go away then it will ensure a more relaxing holiday.

The last thing I want to worry about on holiday is that I can't find my favourite dress because it's buried under a pile of clothes in a suitcase...

A sneak peek into my new minimally packed suitcase:

What I will pack into my suitcase... who said packing a suitcase couldn't be turned into an artistic creation?



• Two cut out style dresses from Miss Selfridge and Topshop which are suitable for an evening out on holiday (pictured top left).

• One green dress with appliqué detail from Warehouse (pictured top right) and an Optical Illusion print dress from River Island (pictured centre front) - a great variation from a singular toned dress. 

• Two playsuits - great for wearing during the day (far left and far right).

• A classic pair of old denim shorts from Topshop (pictured bottom, centre).

• A roomy leather bag from Vera Pelle at TK MAXX - perfect for fitting all the summer essentials in for a shopping trip abroad (pictured far right).



HONG KONG HOLIDAY WARDROBE = REFORMED!





Sexy Slit Dresses OR what I like to call The "Peeping Tom" dress.

Currently, fashion cannot get enough of what I like to call The "Peeping Tom" dress.

You may ask yourself; oh I thought a Peeping Tom was a guy that weirdly peeped on people? Well, not according to my dictionary!

A "Peeping Tom" dress is by my definition, a dress which has a hole big enough for people to peep through and see some flesh. This may sound like a crude analogy, but it's actually quite sexy and can be tasteful.

Ever since I invested in my first white "Peeping Tom" dress from Topshop, earlier in the year, I have seen quite a few dresses on the high street which bear the same resemblance.

Holes here, holes there. Mostly these dresses seem to have two symmetrical holes directly under each bust which reveal a cheeky glimpse of flesh.

High Fashion has also taken an interest in such a dress style, as a friend recently pointed out a feature entitled TREND WATCH: THE MIDI-MIDRIFF in last Sunday's The Sunday Times Style magazine which stated that a lot of fashion-forward women are daring to bear their midriff's, wearing these new kinds of dresses.

Wearing my Topshop white "Peeping Tom" dress at my friend's 21st birthday party in March.

These dresses are definitely current and very this year. I was wearing my white Topshop dress as far back as March, thinking WOW I love this dress style.

I remember wearing my white dress at my friend's 21st Birthday back in March.

Wearing my white Topshop dress I continued to refer to my dress as a "Peeping Tom" one:

'Do you like my Peeping Tom holes?' I asked friends who laughed their heads off at my new phrase.

My answer to my own question is a resounding YES, I do like them!

Before, a lot of dress styles had passed me by, but, there was something new and sexy about this new style of dress.

It catches people's eye because for what seems like the first time we are seeing a flash of skin which is something other than leg or boob!

In fact, I liked this white dress so much I couldn't resist buying a Miss Selfridge Black "Peeping Tom" dress recently - (the Gold Bead Cutout Maxi dress).

Out for cocktails. Check out my Miss Selfridge Gold Bead Cutout dress on the far left.

I was excited to buy this dress because it was not only a lovely maxi dress, but also had holes beneath the bust which would reveal sexy snippets of flesh.

Plus the dress would be a nice new addition to my other white "Peeping Tom".

These sexy slit dresses are so NOW and so sexy. So what are you waiting for?

DARE TO BARE!

For the Miss Selfridge Gold Bead Cutout Maxi: http://www.missselfridge.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?beginIndex=0&viewAllFlag=&catalogId=33055&storeId=12554&productId=4807610&langId=-1&sort_field=null&categoryId=222492&parent_categoryId=208100&pageSize=40

HOT NEW HOLIDAY FINDS!

Whether its a week in Devon or tropical heaven, get your swimwear right...

From left to right: Urban Outfitters Marbled Fringe Triangle Bikini, (TOP LEFT): Forever 21 Crochet bandeau, (BOTTOM): Kelly Brook for New Look Floral KB Pink Floral Pant, (FAR RIGHT): ASOS Halter Bikini with Criss Cross Detail.

 

TOP TIPS FOR PICKING YOUR SWIMWEAR:

 1. Think about what purpose the swimwear is for. Is it for swimming, a pool party or just simply a fashion statement? Once you know what you want your swimwear for, then it will make it a lot easier to find the perfect bikini/swimming costume. For example, I was looking for a practical bikini that I could sunbathe in (without getting tan lines) and a fashionable one as well. My practical bikini is a Marbled Fringe Triangle Bikini from Urban Outfitters. Whilst for my fashionable bikini I chose a Halter Bikini with Criss Cross Detail from ASOS.

2. If you have bought bikinis from a retailer before and you found them to be good quality and liked them, then go back there again! Sometimes you want to branch out and try different shops, but in reality if you were pleased with your product before then what's stopping you from going back and looking at this seasons bikinis?

3. Remember to bear in mind the PRACTICAL factor - think about your tan lines. When you see a bikini you like, ask yourself: will I end up with dodgy tan lines? If the answers yes the try to find another design (that's if tan lines bother you!). Stick to wearing simple bikini styles for the start of your holiday and gradually move towards wearing the more impractical types of swimwear near the end of your holiday.

4. Yes, its good to get inspiration from celebrities wearing the latest bikini trends. But don't be pressured into buying a bikini just because you think that that particular style is in fashion! Its more important that your swimwear fits you properly, which leads me onto my next point...

5. Make sure that your swimwear fits your body type! Us girls all have different body types; pear shape, apple, athletic. Find out what body type you are and then work towards finding the right styles for your shape. For example if you have an athletic body type, you can pretty much get away with wearing anything, think bandeaus, triangle string bikinis...

5. If your of the bustier, curvier type then don't fear! Yes, it's hard to find a bikini initially, but easy once you've done your research! Try to avoid skimpy little triangle string bikinis and instead wear bikinis that have more fabric around the bust area. Find ones that have plenty of elasticity so that you can tie them up easily!

6. Finally be confident in your swimwear! Smile in the sun and have fun!

MY TOP - SHOPS FOR SWIMWEAR:

TOPSHOP: You can never go wrong with TOPSHOP (take my word for it!). I recently saw a leopard print bikini there which I loved. It had a growling animal on the bandeau bit and leopard print on the bottoms. How cool is that?


Forever 21: American store (new to the UK). Sell fashionable, quirky clothes and jewellery at avoidable prices. You can get so much amazing stuff for your money there. It's like the cheaper version of TOPSHOP, but still sells good quality clothing. I picked up a few bandeau's there recently - one black and a white crochet one. Simple but great!


Urban Outfitters: Great for fashionable, quirky bikinis! I got my gorgeous Marbled Fringe Bikini there.


Oasis: I recently saw some really cute floral designs in Oasis (while stocks last that is!). Really gorgeous prints, definitely check them out!


ASOS: Avoidable, gorgeous simwear inspired by the catwalk. They also have a DD+ Swimwear range which is great for bustier girls.

Bikini styles I am loving this season...

• Bandeau's
• Leopard print
• Bright neon, zany hues
• Ditzy, floral print

From left to right: Urban Outfitters Marbled Fringe Triangle Bikini, Forever 21 crochet bandeau and ASOS Halter Bikini with Criss Cross Detail.

 

Have fun in the sun!

Love

Anna

xoxo

For the Urban Outfitters Marbled Fringe Triangle Bikini:
http://www.urbanoutfitters.co.uk/marbled-fringe-triangle-bikini/invt/5745460927146/&bklist


For the ASOS Halter Bikini Top with Criss Cross Detail:
http://www.asos.com/ASOS-Halter-Bikini-with-Criss-Cross-Detail-/pgeproduct.aspx?sgid=4421&cid=2238&Rf-200=9&sh=0&pge=0&pgesize=20&sort=-1&clr=Pink