Tag: fashion

Posted in Fashion

Trend Focus: Western Style

Posted on by emmadillard1

Vivienne Westwood caught my eye sitting front row at PFW at her catwalk show for her SS19 collection.

She looked simply stunning in her vintage chic ensemble in a horse-printed midi dress and tan platform lace-up boots. Western style has been a thing on the catwalks for years making a statement in the 90s but recently has been showcased in AW18 and it shows no sign of going away as we head into SS19 with thanks to Vivienne giving us those rustic fairy tale vibes.

Vivienne Westwood sitting front row at her show at PFW SS19

Photo Credit: dailymail.co.uk

Vivienne has gone one step beyond though, not just giving us the Western feels but actually using fabric with majestic illustrations of horses in her collection to compliment her dress.

Other brands noticeably adding ‘horse print’ into their collections are Ganni. Ganni’s creative director, Ditte Reffstrup, has also drawn inspiration from childhood memories and this takes president in the label’s latest collection giving major nods to Western filmography. Horse illustration fabrics, prairie style dresses, yoke adorned shirts and epic cowboy boots.

Looking at high-end to high-street we see premium high-street brand Whistles making a similar bold statement with their Stallion print. The Stallion print is a tone down from Westwood and Ganni and uses the horse as an outline print. My favourite dress for the transitional period is the Stallion Print Shirt Dress. The dress is crafted from a lightweight fabric which falls elegantly over my silhouette, perfect for a woman like me with a womanly figure. Usually I have to size up in a shirt or a shirt dress due to the fabric pulling around my bust, however this dress fits perfectly and the buttons fall in line. The waist cinches in to flatter a smaller waistline or to create a waistline if your frame is straighter. The batwing sleeve also adds a contemporary feel to the classic shape.

Here I have layered the dress with a John Lewis & Partners ivory roll neck, black opaque tights and have worn my Dune London Phoenixx chunky black boots to toughen the classic shirt-waister shape. This piece is going to become a firm staple in my wardrobe for many seasons to come; to continue through winter I will mix it up by adding a pair of wax-coated jeans underneath, unbuttoning the shirt dress to the waist and mix it up with another animal print on the boot.

Coming into Spring, the roll neck will become redundant and I will wear the shirt dress simply buttoned up to the top or unbuttoned with a lace camisole poking through, layering a chunky knit cardigan over the top and finishing the look with sheer black patterned tights. On the warmer days when we’re onto Summer and bare tan legs will be our leg of choice, the hemline will rise slightly with the buttons undone from the bottom up to show them off and a cute pair of sandals or chunky trainers will instantly relax the look and make the dress more wearable.

If shirt-waisters aren’t for you can achieve this layered look with the Whistles Stallion Print Pocket Shirt. Wear with a slim-fit pair of jeans or play with proportions like I have hear by wearing a relaxed pair of Kin Cord Balloon Trousers. Added for a bit of flair was an animal print clash with these Dune Ari Kitten Heel Court Shoes.

If a lower price point is better for your budget I have some options from Topshop and Warehouse which you can style in similar ways as I have here.

  • Warehouse Horse Print V-Neck Blouse
  • Warehouse Horse Print Shirt Dress
  • Warehouse Horse Print Shirt
  • Topshop Horse Print Midi Dress

I’m looking forward to injecting some other Western inspired pieces into my wardrobe as the Spring season evolves. Notably where futuristic ideas meet the western nostalgia on the runway as I’m all for the ‘Space Cowboy’ vibe, I am a devote Woody and Buzz Lightyear (Toy Story) fan afterall. Ha.

Looking for inspiration for these juxtaposing ideas? Focus your attention to Stuart Vevers Coach SS19 collection shown at NYFW. It’s feeling is a mix of sci-fi meets wild wild west; Sweatshirts with motifs layered over prairie skirts. LOVE.

  • Photo Credit: Vogue.com
  • Photo Credit: Vogue.com
  • Photo Credit: Vogue.com

How will you wear the trend? Let me know in the comments.

Emma x

SHOP MY LOOK

  • Whistles Stallion Print Pocket Shirt
  • Whistles Stallion Print Shirt Dress
  • Kin Cord Balloon Trousers
  • Dune London Ari Kitten Heel Court Shoes
  • John Lewis & Partners Ivory Roll Neck (similar here)
  • Dune London Phoenixx Boots
Posted in Life

A Blog Post.

Posted on by emmadillard1

Buen Dia and welcome to my first ever blog post in my own right (written high in the sky on my way back from Fuerteventura Oct 2018).

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Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. – Marianne Williamson

It’s an idea that I have been floating about with for some time but has become more prominent when I switched careers completely just over two years ago and became a Fashion Merchandiser for a well retail giant.

Since then I have been promoted to a Personal Stylist, a dream job I never thought was reachable however here I am just over a year on in this job role which has taken me from opportunity to opportunity.

Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? – Marianne Williamson

A lot of friends and colleagues have been following me on Instagram for sometime, I even helped pioneer Instagram in the workplace, and from then on people have wondered why I don’t blog or vlog.

I’m relatable, approachable, a natural people person and a social butterfly (as some have described) but despite all of that I really am a massive fan of my own company. I like to keep my social media and online presence in arms reach and only show the world what I deem comfortable to do so whether that is good, bad or indifferent.. I do not perfectly curate my life just FYI.

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I know that’s probably hard for some of you to read, some of you that think you ‘know me’ feel like I am a slave to social media and the online world including my boyfriend but to be honest I do keep a lot back and see social media for what it is.. Social Media. I’m one of these few people that do not take offence to much, do not take things that I see appear online personally and can quite easily take emotion out of absolutely anything and everything. This skill I have mastered over the years despite suffering from depression and anxiety for almost two and a half years. Please do not get this confused with being emotionless.

It’s hard to explain. I encountered a trigger, a trigger in my brain that finally switched and there I was.. Loosing about three to four months of my life to my poor mental health which had up until then been quite healthy or so I thought.

However, in a more positive light I am ready.

And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. – Marianne Williamson

I am ready to start my blog and become a little more open to some of my thoughts, ideas and feelings and put them onto paper (hypothetically speaking). Who knows, I may even treat you to a true Essex accent vlog, One step at a time though, hey? I am active on Instagram stories though if you can’t wait to get some Essex influence in your life!

Follow me on my personal account @emmadillard or my work account @jl_emmad <— *insert shameless plug here*

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So, what’s my blog going to be about in an already saturated market? Well I don’t know yet. Obviously my main passion for Fashion (considering I am a Personal Stylist) but I also love beauty and cosmetic products as much as the next person, I enjoy to travel as much as I can by exploring new places whether it be a destination, a restaurant or a themed afternoon tea, I attend music events, visit the theatre, and view exhibitions so really this blog is just going to be open to a variety of topics. You may even be blessed with some #puglife posts of the three beautiful Pugs I our family home – what I definitely do not want to do is force content. I am setting out to write this blog as another creative outlet for myself which I am very much looking forward to. Yay!

So for now, thanks for reading and enjoy some snaps from my latest getaway from the UK to the Canary Islands (a series of posts will follow regarding my recent trip in ‘My Guide to Fuerteventura’) and welcome to my blog.

Adios.