Fashion Forward: Making The Grade ( Part 1)

Fashion can in a certain way (although very loosely we admit) be compared to a pending exam. And just like exam revision, the internet is a very helpful aid in the process. Do you shop online for your clothes?

Everyone has their own approach. You get those that pass the majority of the time with flying colours. No we’re not jealous at all- even though we’ve come across their A Grade clothes online and can’t quite fathom out how they put together the perfect answers. Every. Single. Time. Not jealous though.

Then there are those that are usually just in the middle, style no better, no worse- just enough to get by. They pick out their dresses online, and then go in-store to find them to adopt a trial and error approach by trying them on, accessorizing, and hopefully getting it right more often than not.

And then there are some that just need a push in the right direction. Plucking the courage to buy a dress online is just a little bit scary and need some good, honest, well-honed fashion advice. Which of course explains why we are here, armed with our fabulous clothes and home ware shopping range.

Whichever way you look at it, we all need a little bit of help sometimes- even a celebrity or two.  So whether you’re a high street shopper, someone who likes to do their shopping online- or someone who likes a combination of the two- we at Leila are here to give you that help. We will be posting a regular revision guide of questionable outfits and wondering whether they make the grade. After all, it’s our job to keep all the ladies and gentlemen out there on the steady path to grade A fashion- regardless of whether you buy your clothes online or in person.

Celebrity in Focus:  Lenny Kravitz

Cue the numerous puns of his 1999 hit American Woman. Mr Kravtiz as reported by the Daily Mail was spotted in New York last month wearing what appears to be a man bag.  Not a big deal, however, to compliment his navy blue cowl neck jumper, it is accompanied by what we have to say is a very on trend statement piece-knee high wedged heels. Perhaps he is a man that enjoys a spot of online clothes shopping and partial to wearing girl’s clothing? Although our Lenny is absolutely gorgeous and could pull off a bin liner, we sort of wish he had made a trip to our local co-op and picked up a few as this look is just a little bit rubbish.  At the very least, he could have visited our shop online (we know you’re a bit busy to fly away to London at the moment Lenny!).  Online shopping in the UK is the way forward. We know you’re crazy for that lady Mr Kravitz, but concentrate on your own work in future.

Grade: D Minus

Do you love Lenny’s look and wished you knew someone that adventurous?
Or like us you’re not quite feeling his get up, we’d love to hear from you

Simple Fashion Tips of the Week: Jeans from casual to best dressed

When getting ready to go out there can be a mountain of things to do: the hair, the make-up and most importantly, the outfit.  Amongst all the twisting, teasing, plucking, plaiting and pampering, it can get all too complicated in our girls clothing, but there is one thing to remember; sometimes it’s best to keep it simple. All too often denim is overlooked when it comes finding a smart way to dress, just because it is touted as the casual staple, doesn’t mean that it has to BE casual. There are styles that range from straight leg to boot cut from Harem to wide leg it does not matter if you buy them at the local market or you shop online. Our only advice when attempting to buy clothes online (or anywhere else for that  matter)  is make sure they fit and that they are ironed well and are comfortable enough to be worn for a night on the town, darker denim is usually considered more appropriate for formal wear however, don’t let this restrict you especially if shopping online.

The Shirt

We have a saying here, the plainer the bottom half the jazzier the top. In other words, the shirt has to be dressy lots of lace, lots of frills and a stack load of silk. This is an especially good tip for pear- shaped beauties, as it draws attention away from the bottom half and up towards the neck, face and waist.  Make sure that the shirt or blouse you select fits with the event you are attending, team colours that go well with the jeans of your choice. If you are online shopping, try and look for a virtual wardrobe or even have a quick browse at your checkout list to see if the colours and style of clothing actually work together.

The trick is the more feminine your top, the less people will notice that your bottoms aren't. So whether you're wearing jeans or your running bottoms (hypothetically speaking), your blouse will sell your outfit and make it look like you're truly dressed for the occasion. As the weather gets colder, you can team your shirt of choice with a jacket that matches the colour scheme. It is usually best to match this with your shoes for top to toe balance; this can instantly take your casual clothing  from drab to fab as it will transform your mode of dress into one that is new, sexy and sophisticated.

From night out to preppy we’ve managed to achieve three different looks, see how easy it is? We’ve done our best to keep our tips simple to just two points, if you have any extra tips just post below we’d love to hear from you.

If you like the look of our tops check out the rest online here