According to Oscar de la Renta, “Fashion is a trend. Style lives within a person”.
Whilst I wholeheartedly agree with this statement, there is no denying the fact that we cannot get away from trends. They originate on the catwalks during the bi-annual fashion weeks, they saturate the high-street and they dictate our seasons as well as our wardrobes. Of course, many refuse to buy into trends and prefer to dictate their own individual fashion which I applaud and admire. But when Autumn/Winter plus Spring/Summer trends are everywhere we look, sometimes that ‘inner fashionista’ wants to be down with the cool kids and literally on-trend.
For me, one thing I refuse to buy into is paying a lot of money for trends when, at the end of the day, they’re yesterdays news the following season and look so dated that you’re left wondering, “why on earth did I spend so much money on that?”. I’d rather pay a little bit more for good quality classics that will see me through each season and then add my seasonal trends to stay en vogue.
So, for this post, I’ve compiled my 5 top trends for Spring/Summer 2017 with the addition of a high-street item which won’t break-the-bank but will stylishly see you through all the way to Autumn/Winter 2017.
Okay, so this is probably a very obvious choice coming from me, seeing as my blog namesake is in fact Gingham and Sparkle. Funnily enough, I’ve always loved gingham in a cutesy, country-picnic, ‘looks-adorable-on-kids-and-jam-jars’ way. But now, I love it even more; my latest blog post says it all! It’s everywhere and there is no getting away from it. Every brand from Zara to Mango to ASOS and H&M are spurning out gingham designs on tops, dresses, skirts, jumpsuits and trousers, as if it’s literally going out of fashion!
Black and white gingham seems to be the favourite, followed closely by red, baby blue, pink and yellow. It looks super cool on it’s own or styled with distressed denim, leather and clashed with floral prints. This is one trend not going anywhere soon and by the looks online and on the high street – there is certainly no lack of choice.
Zara Gingham Check skirt and top: AED199
If you didn’t already know, sleeves are back and they are big business (pardon the pun!). The bigger the sleeve statement on your arms, the better. From ruching to voluminous shoulders to puffiness, it’s all about that bold attitude with your sleeves. The is one trend I am loving as there is something very 80’s about this whole look. Think Melanie Griffith in ‘Working Girl’ but with a 2017 modern, stylish touch.
Ginger Striped Puffed Sleeve Shirt available on Namshi: AED119
Another trend which I have fallen in love with and which I’ve dedicated a blog post to (see here) is the floral embroidery craze. Mark my words, this will transcend very nicely into Autumn/Winter 2017. They say “nothing is certain in life, only death and taxes”. In my opinion, the same can be said for floral print, every season. We saw touches of it appear last season and once hints of Spring/Summer 2017 started to hit the stores in early January, embroidery floral print was everywhere with the most popular being colourful embroidered prints on black fabric. I’ve bought into this trend (high street, of course) and I particularly love it on cosy knits which I see myself still wearing well into next season.
H&M Floral Embroidered Dress: AED399
Now when I say stripes, I’m not talking about your typical ‘run-of-the-mill’ Breton top here. I’m talking bold stripes, thin stripes, mad, crazy, colourful stripes all clashing together on one fabulous garment! Stripes have upped their game and are no longer plain and boring. Stripes can be a bit scary for some though as it really does depend on how you wear them. As this season’s stripe trend calls for a ‘mish-mash’ of clashing lines and you’re a bit worried about wearing this horizontal look, opt for skinny, vertical striped tailoring instead to tone down the boldness.
ASOS Bardot Stripe Midi dress; AED300
Spring/Summer 2017 has seen the emergence of ‘Rufflemania’ with frills and ruffles flouncing away on everything from tops to shirts and dresses to skirts. No longer is ‘frilly-season’ exclusive to romantic, summer, garden parties. Frills and ruffles have become more grown-up adorning tailored, feminine office-wear and paired with cooler items such as deconstructed shirts and rock t-shirts. I’m not the biggest fan of frills per se, but I love this whole new take on ruffles with a cleaner, classic more tailored look.
Ginger Pink Tiered Ruffle Bardot top available on Namshi: AED109
Hope you’ve enjoyed my little round-up of some of this season’s trends and I’ve inspired you to incorporate a couple into your everyday wardrobe. Here’s one I styled earlier incorporating a couple of the above mentioned trends into one:
Gingham: √
Floral embroidery: √
Ruffles: √
Mango Embroidered Gingham shirt: AED179
Featured image via Pinterest
