Bravissimo

Archive for June, 2010

Get some you time

Stress is a word that we use and hear on a day to day basis, we’re stressed at work, stressed at home, stressed about money or bills and never seem to have the time to do everything we need to do. Stress is something that can build up over time without us even noticing, but it’s important to acknowledge when stress levels are getting too much and to do something about it.

It’s important during our busy schedules and hectic lifestyles to get enough ‘me time’ and we’re definitely fans of that here at Bravissimo. Spending quality time with yourself can help you to relax and refocus on the important things. We can sometimes get distracted by trying too hard to please others, partners, children, our boss often take priority over ourselves and our own needs. So how can you de-stress and get more ‘me time’?

1. Set aside an hour a week to do something you enjoy doing, undisturbed and without company. This could be a long soak in a hot bath (with a glass of wine maybe), an hour in the gym or running exercise is great for relieving feel good endorphins, an hour spent watching your favourite TV or reading etc. This time spent alone will help you to relax and ease some of the tension that can rub off from others around you who are just as stressed!
2. Write an action plan, when we have so many things we need to do swirling around in our heads, it makes it difficult to focus and prioritise. Creating lists and putting things into an order of importance will help you to stay organised and stop you from forgetting important things, just remember to take said list with you!
3. If you’d rather be in company than out of it then get your friends together for a catch up and good old gossip to get things off your chest. It’s one great thing about being a woman, we tend to share our problems and get through them with a little help from our friends, whereas men are more likely to try to deal with them alone and there’s nothing quite like a gossip session to make you feel human again. You never know, your friends might be having similar problems causing them stress, as they say a problem shared is a problem halved!
4. Turn your phone off. Now this one does sound drastic and isn’t always possible if you have dependents and are worried about emergencies occurring the one and only time you turn your phone off. In this case, try putting it on silent whilst you bask in your own personal time. We probably couldn’t imagine a life without our mobile phone, but it wasn’t that long ago that no one had a mobile phone and the world worked fine, sometimes we’re so concerned about missing something that we don’t appreciate the simple things in life i.e. an evening off without calls from friends, children or e-mails from the boss, pure bliss!

High Summer Collection

Our high summer collection has arrived and we just had to tell you about these fantastic new dresses, there’s one for every occasion! Here are some of our best day time dresses…

Graphic Print Shift Dress hits the print trend without being over the top. The retro feel of this dress gives it a high place in the fashion stakes and the cut fits and flatters in all the right places! To crank up the 70s vibe of this dress, wear with red, orange and brown accessories.

Like a walk on the wild side? Our Tailored Safari Dress will keep you cool in the office, but throw on the accessories at 5pm to take this dress into the evening. The neutral tone of this dress works best with natural/earthy tones, it comes with the plaited belt to define the waist so just add a couple of bangles and some statement earrings and you’re ready for a wild night. Whether you’re hunting clothes, men or simply a place to go for dinner with the girls, this dress will definitely get you in the mood!

If you’re looking for a casual dress that is easy to wear and accessorise than why not try the Ruffle Front Dress. This particular style has a sporty feel to it with its cute collar and button down neckline. The hot pink detailing adds a spark of colour, whilst the ruffle front and gathers around the bust will ensure there is plenty of room for your boobs.

Hit the colour trend with our Cotton Pleat Summer Dress. This gorgeous sundress will ensure you keep cool, whilst looking hot on summer days. The A-line shape of this dress gives a flattering silhouette and the thicker straps mean no flashing bra straps to detract from the beautiful bright colour.

Tribal Accessorizing

Wood + crystal detailing = Glamazon accessories (tribal glamour) that will update your outfit for some high summer fashion. The statement piece this season is earrings; long, dangly, embellished and borderline OTT will get you noticed in the style stakes. This style of earring looks great with short or long hair in an up-do or worn loose and a little shaggy. The great thing about statement earrings is that they can be worn in the day time to add some fashion oomph to your day or work outfit or in the evening for more dressy occasions. However, if you’re not an earrings girl then there are plenty more tribal pieces for you to get your primal teeth into. Bangles have made a come back for summer and once again we are stacking them high on our wrists, just make sure the bangles you choose aren’t too heavy, we like fashionable accessories but we don’t like fashion related strains and injuries! Accessory rules have been broken this season so instead of having everything matchy-matchy we can now clash colours, prints and textures to our heart’s content. If you’re outfit is neutral add a bright but painless colour injection with bold coloured bangles, beads and rings. Necklaces are bigger than ever so make the most by investing in a statement necklace but make sure you stick to one very important accessory rule, statement necklace = no statement earrings and vice versa. This look is tribal chic not walking accessory department! Luckily the tribal trend lends itself to this look of eclectic and oversized pieces that are fun, funky and very fashionable. So even if you’re not sure about the khaki chinos and traveller prints then at least you can adopt the look in accessory form!

Career vs Children

Many women are leaving mother hood until much later in life. This is often due to women wanting to pursue a career before they think about starting a family. But why should having a family mean giving up your career? It can be difficult to juggle work life and family life, but that’s why women were designed to be multi-taskers! More dads are now staying at home to be full time parents and the choice of who stays at home an who goes out to work is becoming less one sided.
Many new parents share the chores and the ‘winning of the bread’, making things a little easier for everyone. In an ideal world both parents would be able to take a couple of years out of work (paid of course) to bring up their child until they’re old enough to go to school. But that’s just not realistic and parenthood doesn’t come with a manual so we just have to do the best we can and hope that our offspring end up earning enough money to look after us when we’re old and wrinkly!

Women having children later in life also has an effect on the population rate. The baby boom generation is now reaching retirement age and the number of over 65s is on the up. The number of under 16s however is falling, which could have repercussions when it comes to employment. The ‘replacement rate’ is also falling, this is the average number of children per woman required to maintain a stable population. Currently at 1.96, whereas the rate needed is 2.08. The facts and figures definitely take the romance out of it! Some women might feel concerned that having a baby could ruin their chances of progressing with their career, yet the ticking biological clock doesn’t slow down! But we shouldn’t feel bad for wanting to establish a successful career before we think about starting a family, after all men have been doing it for years and isn’t it about time we got to have our slice of the career cake, eat it and have a baby too?!

Hybrid biker boots with wedge heel

As footwear trends begin to adopt the same fast pace as clothing trends, we now have more shoe styles than we could ever imagine, which means twice the fun when putting our outfits together! Gone are the days of simple footwear choices; flats or heels? Boots or pumps? We now have shoe boots, heeled brogues, wedges, pencil heels or even clogs to choose from, which means that we can have just as much fun with our footwear as we do with our clothing!

Here’s our low-down on this season’s hottest shoe trends, as if you needed any encouraging to go shoe shopping;

Wedges are making a come back this summer but this time they’re much more decorated than previous seasons and are also much higher than before.

Brogues are still big news and look great worn with this season’s smart shorts, heeled or flat.

Translucent shoes, we’re not sure about this look either. We really don’t want to see other peoples toes squished together in a pair of see through shoes. Opt instead for translucent details on heels, sides or straps.

Peep-toes, another fundamental summer shoe trend which can be worn now too! Peep-toe shoe boots are also very comfortable and make perfect alternative to sandals! Or invest in a pair of peep-toe lace up shoe boots to nail the sports wear look. Although we don’t recommend trying to participate in actual sports in such high heels, this could end in disaster.

Clogs are probably the hottest and least expected shoe trend of the season. Clogs are THE fashion shoe buy for the summer. So say Chanel.

Nude shoes, as the trend translates from fashion to footwear, shoes in any shade of beige or peachy pinks will do!

Denim shoes, not since the Spice Girls days have we coveted a pair of denim wedges this much but boy are they back and more grown up this time round.

Futuristic, shiny silver with Perspex details to add a fashion forward look to your outfit.

Hybrid shoes; the wedge that thinks it’s an espadrille, the heel that thinks it’s a trainer, the boots that think they’re peep-toes…? Shoe styles become merged as trends cross over to create new looks, how exciting?!

Now all we need is a little sunshine and a few degrees so we can wear summer sandals and flip-flops again! Time to get those feet buffed and polished girls!

Zebra Print Maxi Dress

We are so excited about this zebra print maxi dress we just had to bring it to your attention. We think it’s the perfect dress for summer. Maxi style, check, tribal detailing, check, animal print, check, flattering shape sizes 8-18, curvy-super curvy, check and double check! The lined print of this dress makes it very flattering on any shape or size and the empire line pulls in at the narrowest part of the body helping to define the waist and make the most of the long length of this dress. Its simple colouring also makes it easy to wear and match accessories, shoes and handbags to. We would recommend statement earrings, a couple of bangles and not much else to set the dress off without over doing the tribal theme. On the beach wear with simple flats and a straw hat for that laid back glamorous look or dress up with heels and daintier jewellery for dinner dates and drinks.
Maxi dresses are huge news this season and look just as good on the beach as they do in the city so why not treat yourself this summer to a maxi dress that is a little on the wild side?

Bo-ho chic

As the bo-ho look makes a return this summer we’ve decided to make the most of it by embracing our inner free spirit, donning the floral prints and living life a little less seriously. As this look is as much about getting the attitude right as it is about getting the outfit right. (Think Brigitte Bardot by the beach, carefree days in the sunshine and a sense that anything is possible).

Floral prints still reign supreme for achieving perfect bo-ho chic, mix yours with light wash denim and a straw hat to complete your outfit. This trend will also affect how you wear your hair and make-up this summer. Hair should be worn long and unkempt, wear a braid or flower in your hair if you feel the urge. Bo-ho style is about understated beauty and so with regards to make-up less is most definitely more, embracing our natural beauty, now that’s something we like to hear! To finish, pile on the bangles, toe rings, anklets and perfectly polished nails and you’re good to go! But the best accessory for this trend has to be sunshine and plenty of it, so put your best flip-flop forward for your summer BBQs, picnics, or beach if you’re lucky enough to be going away for some summer sun. Hippy summer styling is a must this season however, incense and dancing around a camp fire are optional!

SATC2

(IF YOU HAVN’T SEEN THE SECOND FILM YET AND PLAN TO STOP READING NOW, THIS MIGHT RUIN IT FOR YOU, AND WE DON’T WANT TO BE ACCUSED OF RUINING SUCH A GREAT FILM!!)

As the Sex And The City girls continue to WOW at film premiers all over the world, we can’t help but wonder what happens next to the quartet of women we’ve spent so much of our time with. Will Carrie and Big change their mind about having a family, or will they simply have to move to a bigger place for Carrie’s ever growing wardrobe? Will Miranda and Steve get their happy ever after? If the second film is anything to go by then they’re sure set for martial bliss as they appear like a couple of smitten teenagers sharing longing snogs and embraces that would make a lot of us feel nauseous. Although we do think laid back Steve is perfect for the constantly stressed out Miranda and as she encouraged him to follow his dream of opening his own bar, he returns the favour in the second film…
Will Charlotte and Harry cope with family life when they didn’t think they could have one? They say be careful what you wish for and the sequel sees Charlotte crying uncontrollably in the pantry whilst her girls run rings around her. Could it just be the case of the terrible twos or has Charlotte’s dream of the perfect family turned into nothing more than a fantasy? And finally, Samantha, she’s been the strong independent one the whole way through the series, despite overcoming cancer and ending her relationship with Smith (why oh why she broke up with Smith I don’t think we’ll ever understand) so why change? SATC2 sees Sam up to her old tricks again, leaving her in some rather sticky and somewhat illegal situations. Oh how we will miss laughing out loud at Samantha’s wild antics and matter of fact ways.

Whether there will be a SATC3 or not, we know that the girls will always have a place in our hearts and remind us that relationships will come and go (some might even come back) but friendships are forever. Corny but true.

Sportswear twist

Sportswear gets a sophisticated make-over this season and crosses paths with our work wear and evening wear. This is how…

• The sports wear trend this season is about mixing soft jersey pieces with more tailored pieces to create a relaxed, yet glamorous look.
• Tailored jersey wear such as a blazer can be worn with smarter pieces such as trousers or a pencil skirt to work this look in the office.
• Dress your sportswear up. A simple pair of jogging bottoms or jersey harems can be given the glam factor by wearing them with killer heels and a silk top. Mixing textures is an important part to pulling off the sportswear look without looking like you’ve just come from the gym.
• Trainers are a no-no.
• This trend has a utility feel to it so keep your colour palette simple by colour blocking khakis, beiges, nudes and greys. Black is boring.
• And don’t forget to accessorise! Adding accessories to your ‘sporty’ outfit will ensure that everyone knows you meant to wear your jogging bottoms with your work blazer and you haven’t forgotten to get changed after your morning work out!

We have some great jersey wear pieces including fab dresses and easy wear jersey tops to help you pull off this look. The cobalt blue dropped waist jersey dress will add that all important colour kick to your wardrobe and will also be comfortable enough to wear all summer long! Our ruffle front dress in black and pink is another summer hit that gives great shape and definition to your curves. This dress defines the waist, flatters the boobs and will work just as well in the office as on holiday, (we know where we’d prefer to wear it)! Our jersey tops will also be your best friends this summer, with ample space for your ample boobs and plenty of colours and styles to choose from.

Embrace Football Fever?

Love it or hate it, there will be no getting away from football fever this summer. As England take on the rest of the world in the 2010 World Cup, the matches have only just started and we’re fed up with the whole thing already! Even the WAGs have been banned; our one bit of entertainment in the 1996 World Cup was watching what the wives and girlfriends got up to, mostly shopping, cocktails and generally parading around with their big hair, big sunglasses and tiny outfits, remember Victoria Beckham in THOSE hotpants?! But Fabio Capello has now taken the WAGs way from us as well as our men. We have to admit however, that the girls, namely Alex Curran, Coleen Rooney, Abbey Clancy, Carly Cole and of course the Queen Bee (or VB) Victoria Beckham, have come a long way since their 1996 antics and outfits. The WAG has evolved into a more demure, sophisticated breed that makes their own money (even if it is off the back of their partner’s success) and would rather stay out of the media spotlight, especially with the apparent epidemic of infidelity amongst sporting men. Still, not exactly what we’d hope young women and girls to aspire to be, but much better than previously. As the likes of Christine Bleakley, the TV presenter who was well known and successful before her involvement with Frank Lampard, join the old set of WAGs maybe things are looking up for the somewhat tarnished image of the wives and girlfriends of famous footballers.

Now, we’re not saying there’s anything wrong with the beautiful game, we just don’t appreciate how it turns our men ugly. With all that testosterone building up in pubs and bars across the country we’d rather be away from it then stuck in the middle of it. So it might be football, football, football for some but it can also be a perfect time to catch up with the girls and get away from it all. Not that we needed an excuse to get our girlfriends together for dinner and drinks but why not take a leaf out of the WAGs book and plan a catch up whilst your HABs (husbands and boyfriends) enjoy the footie? So whether you choose to embrace football fever or try to escape it, one thing’s for sure, football is here to stay, for the next month or until England get knocked out, at least then no-one will want to talk about it and we can quietly go back to our normal, post World Cup lives for the next four years.