If you’re a religious follower of the runway shows, then you know this feeling: being awed by the spectacle that is fashion at its most creative, with embellished gowns and beautiful flowing fabric — and then immediate disappointment when you contemplate your own unimpressive bank account. Oh, we’d love to own everything and be able to rock all the trends like the style stars we follow on Instagram, but truth is, we can only admire from afar.
Or not. Thankfully, we’ve got the benefit of homegrown labels, such as Love, Bonito that exist in order to make the season’s hottest trends a reality for the majority of us. They may offer simple, more streamlined cuts, but we’re not complaining. Have you seen the audacity that goes on in fashion shows? Sometimes it’s easier to opt out of being bathed in fabric, and going for stuff you can wear more than once without people noticing right away.
So, we’re taking our favourite trends of this season — girly frills and pleats for instance — and adapting them to something that you’d be willing to wear everyday. Stick to the end and we’ll even let you in on a way you can snag these looks for a lot lesser!
1. Off Shoulder
There’s a reason why Self-Portrait’s so celebrated on Instagram — seriously, so many people are rocking bare shoulders that you’ve probably scrolled through 10 in the last hour. It’s wearable without being too fussy, and gives off an understated sexiness without being in-your-face; after all, it’s just a hint of shoulders and the occasional collarbone.
For weekdays, you can easily pair this with pants and pencil skirts, and look just as professional, especially when it’s in a solid colour like the structured Omira top. Weekends call for breezier styles like the Theora, where you can afford to be slightly more revealing, or printed pieces like the Tizia.
2. Pleats
Seen on the runways of Céline, Chloé, Loewe and Jil Sander, the feminine detail is usually interpreted in more voluminous dresses or constructions that include pillowy sleeves and rounded shoulders, a pretty hard look to pull off when you’re heading out for a movie.
Still, pleats are incredibly versatile, and add dimension to an otherwise plain outfit; on the Inika midi dress, pleats, along with its suede material adds texture to an otherwise simple cut. Dusty rose, mints and nudes are a nice way to complement its girly notes too, so opt for these pastel tones to add interest to your look.
3. Ruffles
Almost like a cousin to pleats, the ruffles are another key Spring/Summer trend that’s incredibly easy to adopt. We’ve seen it in multiple layers over at Dior, Alexander McQueen and Valentino, but rather than looking like a flouncy loofah, it’s easier to mix and match when the frills are limited to just one or two spots on your outfit.
For the Jenay jumpsuit and the Michgalle denim dress, that detail is kept across the body; some tops or dresses limit it to just the sleeves for a subtle way to add some grandeur, while the Unelina dress happens to rock both the cold shoulder and ruffles trend at the same time.
4. Slip Dresses / Layering
It’s a trend that takes its cues from 90s grunge, which should automatically conjure up an image of Courtney Love, but instead of the overt raunchiness, our modern interpretation also revives the habit of layering — that is, wearing shirts or long-sleeve tops underneath these strappy pieces. That can go from sloppy to edgy in an instant, especially when paired with the correct dress.
Pair a high-necked knit with a midi dress, like the Nathaira for instance, and then don a pair of sneakers for street-style edge; the neon strips make the look slightly more atheleisure too. At the same time, you can take a feminine lace dress and add a casual shirt for a nice contrast, or look for a dress with interesting buckle or rope straps.
5. Geometric Prints
Now, designers love this for a reason, that the colours just pop, and it so happens that we’re in a bit of a 70s daze for Spring/Summer — hence, bold accent stripes and abstract patterns in retro colourways. Similarly, prints are a great way to add variation to your wardrobe.
If you’re a little cautious, just pair an eye-catching skirt like the Divina skorts with your plain basic top and you’re all set to impress. Mixing solid tones on a dress you can just slip on is easy too, and you can go for bright corals and khakis, or more muted pastel tones. Of course, you won’t want to lose out in the accessories apartment, and here’s where the trend really thrives; go for a minimalist necklace or statement earrings, mismatched ones even, that incorporate the trend’s quirky shapes and clean lines.
By this time, you’d be very inclined to start shopping — but hold up, we’ve got a sweet deal for you. It’s time to whip out your UOB card; use it during checkout to receive an exclusive 10% off online purchases at Love, Bonito, and an additional 10% off your second purchase if you’re a first time customer. Simply key in the promo code* ‘LBXUOB<first 6 digits of your UOB cardnumber>’ to apply.
Every dollar counts, and if you’re saving… it means more money to spend too. Alright, time to get going then.
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*Promo T&Cs: Valid till 31 March 2017. Valid for one-time use per customer, on full-priced merchandise only. No returns and exchanges allowed. Non-exchangeable for cash and non-transferable. Strictly no extension upon expiration. Not valid for purchase of gift cards and on sale items. Promo code for next purchase will be emailed within 5 to 7 working days from first successful purchase. Valid for 2 weeks from email date. General terms and conditions apply.
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