Summer Chic - your summer essentials

'Here comes the sun'!!! We show you how to stay chic this Spring/Summer in sun soaked days and balmy evenings.

Summer is the time to flaunt your fab figure and to go playful with all the bright hues. And girls with a generous side need not sulk, as smart summer styling will hide your flaws and accentuate your strenghts.


Shorts StyleEffortlessly stylish - simply pull-on a pair of denim shorts and an easy tank. Team it with smart slingbag, comfy flat sandals or wedges and a pair of summer sunglasses and you're ready to rock.

Wear your shorts to a party by dressing them up like Eva with a nice pair of heels and a clutch or keep it casual with basic white tee or nautical stripes for some fun look. What ever way you wear, it's definitely going to be stylish and keep you comfy in the heat.
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Eva Longoria, Halle Berry and Ashley Tisdale

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Your choice of accessories will be the key to your shorty look so make sure you pick the best. You can wear your shorts with a white silk shirt (tucked in) for a more feminine look. You can wear this look from outdoor soirees to pool parties and just look perfect..
Our Picks

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Kain Washed tank top for $155, Joe's Jeans The Destroyed Short in Brigitte for $143, Aldo Otega sunglasses for $12, Aubin & WillsWellingham Straw Panama Hat for £54 (Aldo Mallinger hat for $20) and Aldo Wyatta Beaded Gladiator Sandals for £45.

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White Wash
Nothing says summer like a white ensemble. Replace your LBDs with LWD (little whote dress) or team white separates to create a chic head-to-toe white look like Blake Lively. A summery white dress can be worn from day-to-night with the right accessories. And the best part is, a white dress will complement that tan you’ve been working on over the last few weeks.
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Kirsten Dunst, Blake Lively and Taylow Swift

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Work minimalism with a elegant white blouse teamed with white pants, add statement gold jewelry for a sophisticated evening look. And if you've watched the Royal Wedding, you know lace is this season's hot fav. And what can be a better way to work the lace than wearing it in white (like Taylor Swift). A nice short white lace dress styled with an elegant belt can be worn for the day and teamed with a white jacket (Stella McCartney) for the evening look.

Girls if you're worried that 'white will make you look fat', pick a different hue to white like cream, ivory, beige to flaunt the style. Absolutely anyone can work this trend perfectly with ease. And just like black, white works with almost everything.
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Stripes
Add fun to your summer wardrobe with stripes - they are versatile and can be worn by everyone and with everything. Team a striped tee with your jeans, shorts or a skirt, pick a stylish striped dress, pair your stripes with other prints (abstract, geometric) - there's no dearth of options.
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Taylor Swift, Eva Longoria and Victoria Justice

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We think the best way to wear the stripe trend is to wear a stripe tee under a blazer and team it with smart trousers or jeans.

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Flower Power
Bring your summer look into full bloom with all things floral. Floral prints are an epitome of spring/summer chic. Read Botanical Love - Florals for Spring and Winter for how to wear the floral look.

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Related Posts:Trend Watch: Colour Block
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Botanical Love - Florals for Spring and Winter
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Short: Stylish and Sexy

Good things come in small packages and rightly so.

Rachel Bilson .

At only 5'2" the stylish and chic OC star Rachel Bilson is shorter than everyone else on the famous series. but is just as sexy as the rest of the girls. We totally love her chic style and fashion sense.

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FERGIE

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Fergie, the stylish the risk taker and the woman with a lot of personality is 5'2". She has such strong personality that her petite frame becomes her asset. The pop starlet is 14 inches shorter than her 6'4" hubby Josh Duhamel, but she's usually the one who stands out on the red carpet.

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Kim Kardashian

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Kim Kardashian is 5'3", and that doesn't stop her from dating Kris Humphries who is a staggering 6'9"! Kim's the sexy siren, and her personality and style totally disregards her petiteness.

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SCARLET JOHANSSON

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'Babe of the year' (Awarded by GQ) and ever stylish Scarlet Johansson's sex appeal is larger than life. At 5'3" the woman for sure has enough attention that a woman can ever dream of. Scarlet for sure rocks, who says size matters? Scarlet breaks all conventional norms and shows that petite is sexy.

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Jessica Simpson

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You wouldn't know from her pictures but Jessica Simpson is only 5'2". She can sing, act and she is a shoe designer herself.

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Hayden Panettiere

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Heroes actress Hayden stands beautiful at 5'1". She wears her clothes with such sophistication and comfort and even her makeup and hair are always perfect. This woman has a flair for dating tall men. She makes a beautiful pair with her current beau boyfriend Wladimir Klitschko who's 6'6" (ah 1.5 feet taller), but she carries him off well.

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Style Tips from these petite stylish women:

- Go monochromatic: Donning a monochromatic look with some key pieces looks stylish and adds height. Like Rachel Bilson in all black look with a pop of colour through the smart orange clutch. The best part about a monochromatic look is it also makes you look slimmer. Bingo!!!!

- Go nude on feet: Nude shoes elongate your legs. And they get the brownie points or working well with almost all looks and colours. Kim Kardashian adds height with her nude platform pumps paired with her sexy short black dress (surely making her look taller) while Rachel pairs her nude shoes with nude dress, we lover her look. Just make sure your shoes are the shade closest to your skin tone.

- Short is sexy: Go shorter in length to create an illusion of long legs. Short dress (skirt which sits just above the knee is the most flattering) like seen on Kim Kardashian, Scarlet Johansson and Fergie above or pick nice sexy shorts as seen on Hayden Panettiere. If you're wearing pants, go for cropped jackets or shorter tops.

- Platform Shoes: They give you a bit of extra height and are much easy to walk in compared to regular stilettos. From Victoria Beckham to Kim Kardashian to Eva Longoria to Megan Fox, they all love their platforms. Get a basic, black and nude or maybe some quirky standout piece for adding some fun to your ensemble. Slingbacks are good options, avoid styles with straps across the feet or ankle, they cut your long leg line.

- Get the posture right: Confidence does wonders to your look, no matter what you're wearing. Stand tall with your shoulders back. Good posture actually adds inches to your height and gives you a much sexier silhouette.

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Related Posts:
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Shoe Guide: Must have shoes for women

Women have a love affair with shoes, and most of them seem to never have enough. A pair of shoes can really make or break an outfit. And the right shoes can certainly make a whole lot of difference on how you carry yourself and your posture. Finding the right pair of shoes to go with your outfit can be really daunting. Here is a list of must have shoes to always keep you sorted in the shoe department.

1. Nude Pumps - Top on the list are the very versatile and stylish nude pumps. Not only they complement almost every coloured outfit, but they also have a very special ability of adding height and are also popularly known as 'leg lengthening shoes'. Get the nude shade closest to your skin complexion.

2. Black Stiletto - A black dressy stiletto is an essential part of every wardrobe. A basic pumps in high or mid-heel is perfect for every occasion - from work to party and complements most outfits. For more dressy, if you already have the basic heels, pick a nice strappy black heels. Slingbacks are often more comfortable while pumps look chic. Pick whatever you're more comfortable with, but a black stiletto is a must-have shoe for every woman (the higher the better). For those who shun from heels a versatile black flats is a must-have that you can transform from day-to-night.

3. Closed-toe basic Black Kittens or comfy formals - A comfortable closed-toe pair of heels or near-to-flats are a must-have for work and other formal occasion. A classic versatile pair would be the best pick as you can wear them to work as well as outside and yet look stylish. Make sure they're comfortable as closed-toe often cause blisters if worn for longer hours and hence a good quality pair is a must. Basic colours like black, grey or beige are best choice for the versatility.

4. A pair of wedges - Sometimes work dictates that you need to look smart, but your feet are begging for a little comfort. Wedges are a good way around this. They tend to be comfortable and easy to walk in, and the height of the heel doesn't matter all that much, which means shorter girls can get away with a five-inch wedge without looking like too dressed for a night out, while taller women can wear a much smaller and probably more comfortable wedge.

5. Metallic Sandals - Certain occasion outfits don't work well with black shoes. For such occasions and outfits you must have a nice pair of metallic heels (high heels if you can carry or medium). Silver, gold, pewter or a silver and gold combi are the perfect choice.

6. Flip Flop - A good pair of flip flops are fashion statement for the all the spring/summer seasons and beachside holidays. They're not only comfortable but can be worn with your jeans, skirts, summer dresses and even trousers. A smart pair is a must, you can wear them at home, for walks or even when going out shopping or for a lunch with your friends. We highly recommend fitflop because not only are they stylish, but also keeps you in shape by burning extra calories when you walk.

7. Pop of colour - Colours bring fun to the wardrobe and one coloured or multicoloured dressy heels are a must have for your shoe wardrobe. They instantly brighten up your look and also are good for a change.

Colourblock your ensemble with a bright paired heels or flats or add a pop of colour to an otherwise neutral outfit for instant chic and style. You can never go wrong with colours now. 

8. Sneakers - A smart pair of sneakers is great not only for your workout and walks but is a good choice even while you travel and can be your casual everyday saviour. We love the stylish Adidas by Stella McCartney pairs. Smart Buying Tip: Remember to loosen your wallets amply when buying high heels. It is important to invest in a good quality heels as the cheaper versions look good but are not comfortable enough and can cause feet and back aches. Heels must only be bought from good branded stores like Nine West, Aldo and luxury brands. They last longer and are good for your body.

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Trend Watch: Colour Block

Spin the colour wheel and pick at radom, as clashing colours are no longer a fashion crime. Colour blocking is the biggest trend for Spring/Summer 2011 and from the like if it, it would be a big thing for autumn as well.

Spring and summer are the best season to show off your your curves and liven your wardrobe with brights and all things colourful. Combine.separates in block colours, save bolder shades for an evening out and play with a dual palette during the day.

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The spring summer 2011 runways were alive with bright mix of hot pink, tangerine, lemon yellow, jungle green and cobalt blue from the likes of big fashion houses like Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Prabal Gurung, Diane Von Furstenberg and Marc Jacobs. And there was no room for modesty as rarely did one colour stand alone, instead they were blocked together for the maximum impact and summer chic. This colour clashing and blocking is making its way to the high street - so girls ransack your wardrobe to mix the colours for the maximum impact and style this season. .
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Gucci (left) and Fendi (right)

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Prabal Gurung (left) and Louis Vuitton (right)

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Christopher Kane (left) and DKNY (right)

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Ways to Colour Block

Block colours with no patterns mixed together is the best way to wear the trend. So prepare to mix electric blues with sunshine yellow, pillar-box reds with soothing greens and candyfloss pinks with tangerine orange. This season is all about brights so If you’re colour blocking from head to toe, make sure the block colours are as bright as possible. And remember to wear it with confidence and very little makeup!

"Think food. Mix mustard with ketchup, aubergine with mint and spinach with
lemon" says Priyanka Khanna a fashion editor at Vogue.

• Wear your bright hued dress with acid yellow nails and a neon belt to make sure you shine when walking.


• Do bold brights with attitude and go glamorous with a touch of gold, as seen at Gucci.


• Pick traffic-stopping colour block heels to help you cross a busy junction.


• Layer neon on neon and stay away from neutrals as seen on Christopher Kane SS11.


• Wear a bright hued orange lipstick to colour clash your dress for a chic look.

If you can't wear the trend with confidence or don't want to go too loud then use accessories to add a pop of colour, as seen on SS11 runway collection of Fendi (See above). Colour blocking shoes, bags and belts can instantly up your style quotient. Our picks: .

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1. Carvella Gallant for £130

2. Karen Millen Graphic Colour Block Clutch Bag for £95

3. ASOS Colour Block Keeper Satchel for £15

4. Zara Wide-heeled Satin Sandal for £69.99

5. ASOS Set of Three Colour Block Bangles for £16

6. Karen Millen Graphic Colour Block Clutch Bag for £95 .

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Celebrity Spotting in Colour Block

Camilla Belle and Zoe Saldana look perfect in the colour block trend.

Camilla Belle and Zoe Saldana

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