Bravissimo

Posts Tagged ‘ladies clothing’

Layering is key

Lovely layered gold chain necklaces that is! So you’ve done the layered look with your clothes but have you tried layering your jewellery? The rule for jewellery this season is the more, the merrier and this applies to bangles, rings and necklaces as well as experimenting with more eclectic pieces such as toe rings and anklets that we only usually consider during summer months and with a pending summer holiday. Achieving the layered look, without appearing as though you’re playing dress up with your mother’s jewellery box, takes practice. For necklaces keep the styles simple but alternate length, delicate chains with small charm details look great when worn together. Avoid wearing chains that are too thick as even though the A-Team film is being reworked we don’t want to recreate the Mr. T look! Go bo-ho by piling on the bangles, keep them light and dainty or go thick and heavy with contrasting materials for a more urban feel. If you’re feeling extra daring then try an arm bangle, these are more difficult to pull off but when worn with the right outfit (think urban bo-ho in simple but quirky summer dresses and straw hat combos) they finish off the look perfectly. With rings, the bigger the better rule applies and wearing more than one huge ring is no longer a fashion faux-pas! Plus big rings have already been spotted on the catwalks for Autumn/Winter 2010, so this really is a trend worth investing in.

Top Tops

As well as giving you a range of great basic tops, we have some more fashionable styles too that will keep you happy and fully supported whatever the occasion.

* Hit the nautical trend with the side button jersey vest, the navy colour and white stripe detailing gives this top a fresh feel, wear with white linen trousers to complete the cruise look or go for jeans for a more casual take on this trend. And who knows, looking this good, you might even bag yourself a sailor!

* There’s nothing like a cute check top to celebrate the summer and this particular style has everything; gorgeous pink and blue check print, flattering empire line and cross over front, thick straps to cover your bra and to top it all off nicely; a tie back and button detailing. Summer picnic attire sorted!

* Looking for a top that is smart enough for an occasion but also gives great support and fit? Then we might just have what you’re looking for. Our embellished cotton cami combines a wrap over style front and empire line shape with a gorgeous green colour and sequin/embroidery detail. This top will look sensational with this season’s must have white jeans.

* We think our cotton pleat detail top is the top equivalent of a little black dress, it’s fitted, flattering and is sure to get you noticed! The empire line and low cut of this top will give your boobs a real boost and a little black top goes with everything, especially when it fits this well! If you love the shape of the top then why not try the dress version? The cotton pleat summer dress is just as flattering but comes in a much braver shade of orange it’s a cool comfortable dress that we think you’ll wear all summer!

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?!

Ascot Attire

Hats, champagne and betting, Royal Ascot isn’t just a fun day out, it is the horse racing event of the summer. With over a hundred years of tradition it is a very British occasion that you have to experience at least once in your lifetime. This year the racing takes place from Tuesday the 15th – Saturday the 19th June. Although most people do dress up in smart attire for the event, there is no formal dress code for Grandstand admission or for Silver Ring admission. Premier Admission however is a different matter; men are expected to wear a shirt and tie, preferably with a dinner jacket and ladies must wear dresses/skirts of an appropriate length or other formal wear. Hats are not a must, but are all part of the fun of dressing up for the day. Many women opt for fascinators over hats as they are more resilient in the wind and won’t give the ‘hat hair’ look if your posh hat does get blown off!
Look at our great range of Ascot friendly dresses, perfect for this event or any of your summer parties. Fancy dress is allowed but only in Grandstand and Silver Ring admission areas and as long as it isn’t offensive or inappropriate, we wonder how many people might turn up dressed up as a horse, it seems the most fitting fancy dress for the occasion but might make betting a little tricky, especially if you’re the rear end! Royal Ascot has also become an alternative place to have your Hen Do and with great outfits, champagne and the potential of winning lots of money, we can understand why!

As well as Royal Ascot, there are also many events held at Ascot throughout the year, including;

• summer cocktail party
• horses for heroes
• beer festival
• food fair
• Christmas shopping

They also hold family days, so you can make it a fun day trip for the whole family to enjoy! Fine equine fun and champers all round then…

Military Trend

Military chic

The military trend is nothing new in the fashion stakes. However, modern military is about subtle colours and is all in the detail;

• double breasted buttoning
• khaki
• hats
• fierce footwear
• and tough accessories

For an easy way to adopt this look, team soft tailored khaki trousers with a crisp white shirt and brown belt. A structured top with double breasted detailing will work well with jeans, but be careful with how this detailing sits, as it can draw too much attention to large breasts. Coats on the other hand are easy to combat the military trend. A simple coat with double breasted buttons is chic but simple enough to be worn all year round. Although, this look has a tough edge, it is still a feminine trend. The key is to use accessories to accentuate your curves. A slim waist belt pulled in over an oversized shirt or worn over a khaki jacket will help to retain a womanly feel.

The military chic look also over laps with another of this season’s big trends, shorts. Tailored shorts which finish just above the knee are the most flattering shape (not all of us can, or really want to wear hot-pants anymore!). Or, if you prefer a more subtle look, over an all out military coupe, try an A-line skirt in khaki or stone, wear with a simple blouse in the office or a sexy cami for an evening.

Get accessorizing

As well as enjoying this summer’s clothing trends we’ll also be making the most of the latest accessory trends to complete our summer wardrobe. Great accessories can make (or break) an outfit, so read on for this season’s hottest accessories…

Summer scarves – are great for jazzing up an outfit with minimum effort. Choose one in a bright bold print to hit the print trend and wear with, well, anything. That’s the beauty of a summer scarf; it can be worn with just about anything!

Sun hats – a cute summer hat is fashionable and practical. We particularly like straw hats in summer, they give a bo-ho vibe, keep the sun out of our eyes and disguise bad hair days, perfect then for summer festivals or when you’re in a rush!

Wedges – high wedges, low wedges, cork wedges, wooden wedges, you name it, it’s in wedge form and we love it! We’re especially into mid-height wedges at the moment, they’re low enough to walk in and be comfortable in all day but they add those all important few inches to make us feel that little bit taller.

Satchel bags – a must have this season, fun, practical and enough room to fit all of your essentials. They’re also on trend for the traveller and bo-ho looks of the season.

Bangles – stack ‘em high ladies. The ethnic traveller look lends itself to jewellery this season by adorning the body in more unusual jewellery such as bangles, toe rings, anklets, and the more the merrier we say!

Make-up – gets a make-over this summer and colour is key. Brightly coloured eye shadow will update your look. Try clashing your make-up with your clothes, nail varnish is the easiest place to start when going for the colour clash.

Cool shades – a snazzy pair of sunglasses are a must, not only to protect our eyes from the sun’s harmful rays but also to make us feel a little glamorous! There are so many styles to choose from that eyewear could be a more difficult decision than your clothing! Better start looking now then!

Luxe Linen Jacket

Keep your cool this summer with some luxe linen pieces that work just as well in the office as they do dressed up for the evening or dressed down for those lazy summer days (we’ll hopefully be having sometime very soon!)

Our Luxe Belted Linen Dress in bold red is perfectly tailored to accommodate your boobs whilst its simple shift style, cap sleeves and pleat detailing make it an easy wear staple for your summer wardrobe. The contrasting black patent belt will also help to define your waist and its length makes it suitable for the office, yet add heels and this dress is sexy enough for an evening out too! Wear with black patent courts and matching handbag to complete the look.

Searching for the perfect summer jacket? Then look no further, our cropped linen jacket in neutral brown will keep you cool with its short sleeves and is versatile enough to be worn smart or casual. The tailored lines will flatter the bust whilst defining the waist and with plenty of room for your boobs, there will be no gapping button holes in sight!

Shorts are a must this season, short, long, smart, casual, cotton or silk its hard to know where to start. If you like the idea of this seasons hottest trend but aren’t sure what style to go for, try our long linen shorts. In staple black, they’re a flattering length and will see you through summer holidays and hot sunny days. Give your shorts a fashion twist by wearing them with embellished sandals and a loud print top.

Utility Chic

As cargo pants and military styling make a come back we tell you how to do the utility look and keep it flattering and feminine. The key piece to this look are the trousers, but when we say cargo pants, we don’t mean combat trousers à la the All Saints girls, we mean stiff woven cotton trousers in sophisticated neutrals. Khaki, beige, ivory, nude and grey tones work best for this look, plus crisp white to brighten the neutral colours. Pair your trousers with simple cotton basics for easy utility chic or dress them up with heels and an evening top for the glam factor. Our casual twill trousers in stone are the perfect pair for easy utility. The large pockets add just enough military detailing without being over the top and the tapered hem adds a modern fashion spin. Wear these with a basic tee for casual days or contrast the textures with a silk top and heels for an evening out.

Utility style shorts make an alternative to trousers and will help to keep you cool when summer really kicks off. Shorts can suit everyone it’s merely a case of finding the right shape for your figure. If you’re conscious of your tummy, opt for a high waist pair, these will cover your middle and define your waist. Be careful however not to wear a top that is too tight with anything high waist, this will draw too much attention to your boobs. Instead wear a loose fitting top in a light fabric such as silk or jersey to get a soft draping effect that will flatter your figure. If it’s your hips you’re concerned about try a longer pair, they will skim past your hips and thighs to create a flattering silhouette. Long shorts will also help to balance out a top heavy figure.
If cargo pants and utility shorts just aren’t your thing then get the utility look into your wardrobe with our classic everyday shirt. The button detailing and slight puff-ball sleeve of this shirt make it a modern classic. And with sizes from curvy to super curvy, you won’t find any gapping button holes here!

G.I. Jane eat your heart out!

Anyone for tea?

Afternoon tea is one of those simple pleasures in life that doesn’t cost a lot but is nevertheless very enjoyable. There’s just something civilised and oldy worldy about sitting down with friends and having tea and nibbles. Many people are now choosing afternoon tea for their wedding reception and at parties over sit down meals and hitting the bar. It’s a sophisticated alternative and hopefully won’t result in a distant relative embarrassing themselves and you when they wind up having ‘a bit too much’ of the bucks fizz! That’s not to say that alcohol can’t be enjoyed at a tea party, a little tipple such as a glass of wine or a pitcher of Pimms will turn the party into a grown-up tea party. We are well aware that the English have a cliché for drinking tea, but why not celebrate this tradition we have, as it is one of very few. Afternoon tea is moving away from its rather elderly image and is fast becoming an occasion in itself. Well we do love the finger sandwiches, mini cakes and best of all, a freshly baked scone with cream and jam! Yum! So next time you’re arranging a party or get together why not make it a grown-up tea party? Or better still go out for afternoon tea, minimum effort, maximum pleasure.

If you’re fed up with shirts not buttoning up and regularly have to go up a dress size just to get something to fit over your boobs then check out our clothing range. We give extra room in the bust area in all of our styles, helping you to find the perfect fit and with every thing from day time tops to all out evening glamour we have something for every occasion! Bravissimo sizes are based on standard high street sizes (8-18) and then your “curvy” size.  So if your normal high street size was a size 12 (this applies to waist and hips and excludes boobs) and you wear a F cup bra we’d recommend going for a size 12 really curvy. To find your Bravissimo clothes size click here

Why not try some of these latest trends for size and keep up with some of our fashion idols.

A smart trench is easily transferable from day to evening.  Take a leaf out of Charlize Theron’s style book and wear

Classic Trench

yours with cute heels. Our own trench coat comes in a choice of navy or stone and the extra room in the bust means you will be able to wear it fully buttoned up without it being too big everywhere else!

V Neck Top

Add some colour to your wardrobe with a brightly coloured and ultra flattering V-neck top. This shape is great for giving your boobs a boost and making the most of what you’ve got. Plus the bright spice colour is on trend for spring and is sure to brighten up your day!