Pull & Bear

Pull & Bear.

Pull & Bear

Pull & Bear is a shop I discovered last year when I lived in France and Spain. I instantly loved it’s quirky but wearable pieces. This Spanish based company promotes European fashion but at an affordable price. Even the layout of the shops themselves screams out edgy street style with its dimly lit surroundings and on trend music. This shop easily appeals to the younger market and promotes fashionable but laid-back pieces.

This urban style shop is rapidly becoming known all over the world, with stores now in the U.K. Their popularity is going from strength to strength  being mentioned in magazines such as Heat. I would recommend this shop for its casual pieces, but that make you stand out from the crowd at the same time!

This Season

This bag provides you with the camouflage trend without being too over the top. GI Jane eat your heart out!
£25.99
Pull & Bear

This casual long t-shirt promotes the leopard print trend, I love the way it goes from light grey to dark. This would look great with leggings or skinny jeans.
£19.99
Pull & Bear

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Purchases

This collar type necklace is one of my favourite purchases from Spain. It adds instant glamour and individuality to any outfit. I pair this with a denim or checked shirt in the day and a burgundy, peplum dress by night.

This is my first purchase from Pull and Bear, it barely left my back during my whole semester in France. It resembles a golf jumper and I love the chord elbow pads.

This cardigan can be worn with anything, I love the bat wing arms that provide instant edginess to an outfit.

 

Brandon, You’re a Star!

Brandon Flowers is the lead singer of one of the most popular bands on the planet, but Mr Flowers counts many style awards amongst his accolades. This front-man isn’t afraid to be daring and unconsciously creates a stir with everything he chooses to put on. From cowboy chic to feathered shoulder pads, this man has tried it all!

Flowers is a style icon in his own right winning countless awards including “Most stylish man” at the 2008 GQ awards and as one of “The 50 Most Stylish Musicians of the Last 50 Years” by Esquire magazine in 2011. Hailing from Vegas Flowers isn’t afraid to put on a show and this is reflected in his almost flamboyant approach to fashion. Ever the showman, with every new killers album comes a new look from the singer himself.

Hot Fuss      

With their debut album Hot Fuss, the Killers were shot into stardom and could be seen across the four corners of the earth. This little known Vegas band became known for their catchy rifts and unforgettable lyrics. However ,            with such success it was evident that the Killers would have to do something different to stay on top. As their music progressed, you could say that Flowers approach to fashion upped too. 

Fresh faced and puppy eyed, Flowers was a young man who had yet to discover his flare for fashion. The casual shirt, skinny jeans and fitted blazer were all we initially saw from Brandon.However, as their success grew so did Flowers, re-vamping his style and bringing in the stylish suit with the odd slick of eye-liner.

Sam’s Town

Their second album showed the Killers change from smart- casual to cowboy chic. Along came Flowers with the neck-tie, shiny belt buckle and leather cowboy boot. With this new style came an added addition to Flower’s face in the form of a moustache. His modern twist on Billy the Kid maybe? 

Flowers was smart in bringing an extra dimension to his style as a way of drawing attention to himself and therefore the music. This western theme is a nod to the America of the past. This modern take on a cowboy pushes Brandon forward as one of the most inventive front-men of our era.

 

   

Day and age

The third album saw Brandon Flowers re- invent himself yet again, this time in a more flamboyant and theatrical way. Flowers now choosing to wear jewelled encrusted blazers and his particular favourite the feathered shoulder pads. It is clear that Flowers isn’t afraid of edginess and opts for fashion forward items. Any other man would run away screaming at the thought of feathers and crystals, but not Mr Flowers…                                                                                                        

This customised feather blazer makes Flowers stand out as the lead singer of one of the most popular bands in the world.

Brandon Flowers seems to have broken with his Mormon tradition of no frills clothing in favour of edgy and provocative fashion. This showman counts David Bowie as one of his inspirations and this is evident in the “Spaceman” music video. Brandon puts a stamp of individuality on everything he wears and it seems he will push the boundaries of fashion for years to come. However, this front-man isn’t all perfect as he counts his moustache as a fashion faux pas!

I look forward to seeing what look Brandon will pull out of the back or in his case closet for the Killers new album – Battle Born.

Get the Brandon look

Grey Hugo Skinny Blazer
£50
Top Man

Black Stretch Skinny Jeans
£28
Top Man

Vintage Surplus USA Flag Pocket Scarf
Urban Outfitters
£8.00

SHIRT WITH LEATHER PIPING ON THE COLLAR
£25.99
Zara

CROCODILE OXFORD SHOE
£79.99
Zara

Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On Pencil
Rock star
£13
Urban decay

Beauteous bijoux!

So I decided to follow with the theme of all things “luxe” and show another simple way of adding a touch of extravagance to any outfit.

A good way of sporting the trend is by adding a brooch to a scarf or bag, this can be easily changed to match any outfit. As I said in my previous post, the luxe trend can include anything from pearls, floral and jewels. Perhaps the most accessible way to find these types of brooches are in charity shops and vintage markets. Or as in my case most of my collection is from my Grandma’s jewellery box.

Here are some luxe brooches for a little inspiration….

This was bought from a charity shop and would look perfect on a scarf. This boasts a hat-trick for the luxe trend with its emerald gem stone, glistening pearls and gold exterior.

This brooch was raided from my Grandma’s Jewellery box, a classic pearl brooch can give any outfit a sense of class and timelessness.

This brooch is one of my favourites and it was bought from a vintage store. This screams royalty and would look great on a plain leather bag.

So why not try it, it is an instant way to jazz up any outfit and provides that va va voom!

Vive la France!

The three words that define French style are chic, elegant and sophisticated. French fashion evokes images of Parisien streets, Coco Chanel and as of this autumn the avant-garde expression of the bourgeoisie.

“Let them eat cake”

One of this seasons major trends is “Luxe” which celebrates all things luxurious and opulent. This vogue looks to the past for its inspiration, taking the lead  from a wealthy social group known as the “bourgeoisie”. This fashion trend epitomises the extreme decadence of the french aristocracy during the 18th century. Think highly decorative and ornate pieces, including jewels and pearls – Marie Antoinette meets the 21st century!

Key pieces

Tapestry

Lace

Pearls

Florals

Jewels

Designers

One of the main designers hailing all things “luxe” is Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel who took luxe to the extreme by creating a treasure chest of jewelled wonders and pearly delights. So enthralled by this trend, the models even had their eyebrows embroidered.

Marc Jacobs also treated us to the look of “luxe” , along with several other upcoming trends including tweed and fur at his “Alice in wonderland at Downton Abbey collection”.

Other designers adopting this most luxurious of trends include Prada, Oscar de la renta and Louis Vuitton.

Style Pick

Following the French theme, I have decided to choose an item from the French based catalogue “La redoute” to represent the luxe trend. This season the catalogue is promoting the tagline ” French style, British heritage”. For the autumn season, La redoute are advocating tweeds and plaids along with royal blues and regal reds. This may seem a bit more Duchess of Cambridge than Marie Antoinette, however this is my pick of the luxe trend.

This dress will add a bit of sparkle to your day and makes the luxe trend extremely wearable. The dress is also very versatile, worn in the day with a simple cardigan or paired with a fitted blazer and high heels for that night time feel. £35 La Redoute

 

You can add a splash of the luxe trend to any outfit, no matter how small. Perhaps the best way to incorporate it is by accessories.  So why not add that bit of ” je ne sais quoi ” to your autumn wardrobe and bring the past into the present! Long live French Fashion!

This statement piece will provide a regal feel and add a splash of colour to a little black dress.       £29.99- ZARA

Take this clutch bag which incorporates the two main staples of the luxe trend- beading and floral. The embroidered effect will add a touch of class to any outfit.   £28 Top Shop