Considering it is meant to be summer, I find the amount of rain that falls over us in England is most depressing. Pondering upon thoughts on how to lighten to bad moods that rain presents us with, I was confronted with one item, the umbrella. Now to you, when I mention umbrella’s, you probably think, what the heck is this girl on? am I close? Well I have a weakness for them, but a very bad track record too. Every umbrella I have bought has broken, I just can’t work them in the wind – surely there must be some kind of training, or special technique to knack?

Anyway, umbrellas come in so many cute and wonderful patterns that them in themselves are becoming one of the greatest fashion accessories to beat the rain with. I thought I would show you some amazing umbrella designs that I fall in love with every time I see; designed by the wonderful Lulu Guinness.

We might as well be glamourous, even in the rain, agree?

Birdcage Umbrella - £32.00

Every Cloud Eliza Umbrella - £35.00

Bloomsbury Shop Front Umbrella - £40.00

The World Is Your Oyster Tiny Umbrella - £28.00

Take a peak over at Lulu Guinness 

Come over and visit me at Floral Etiquette

Returning from Paphos, a sunny holiday destination, to dreary rainy ol’ England is quite depressing in itself, but what I really miss is being able to walk out in my holiday fashion attire. It was great on holiday to be able to wear lots of summery garments and seeing how other peoples summer wardrobe’s compared. I didn’t go too overboard on the fashion front as in that kind of heat I wanted to be comfortable, but there is one thing I definitely missed out on when packing – a hat.

I have never really been a hat person, they just don’t suit me and make my hair flat to my face, which really, for me, isn’t an attractive look. Whilst taking relaxing strolls around the island I saw so many girls in 1970′s style hats which looked amazing – I could definitely feel myself turning green, which is very noticeable over my burnt skin base ( ha! ). I thought I would show you a selection of hats that are a staple in this season’s look that I love, consequently unlike me, you wont miss out.

I love the bright combination of orange and purple on this hat, definitely a hit for summer. Not only will the oversized style protect your face and head from the sun ( I don’t know about you but a burning scalp is painful?) but it will accessorize a number of outfits. My choice would be to pair it with a simple black maxi dress and gold or tan sandals.

Orange Straw Stripe Floppy Hat
£25 – Topshop

Although Breakfast at Tiffany’s was a 50s film, this hat reminds me very much of Audrey Hepburn’s style. Black is classic and is the epitome of elegance, definitely one to impress.

ASOS 70s floppy felt hat

£25

Floral Floral Floral, this is definitely my favourite. Whimsical and summery, this beauty comes in three different colours and would look great teamed with white.

Printed cotton sun hat 

£9 – Urban Outfitters 

Come over and visit me at Floral Etiquette

Hello ..I am Keicia Shanta one of the newest contributors to FashionUrbia. I aim to please you guys with nothing but the best features , so with that being said shall we begin. I know every Fashionista has seen the re-emerging of colors, brights, neons, its been a colorful Summer . So when models ask me” Whats your favorite color for the Summer ?” I reply ..you cant go wrong with Yellow, beautiful blues, and you would never guess White.  Keep you Summer looking fresh with either of these colors , Orange and Green  all of these colors are coming back with full force.There is no limit with the this trend, dramatic popping makeup and nails are everywhere. Mix and match different colors to make a date night ultra fashionable. Or just for an outing with the girls , make it your own and rock it out.

So you have an idea of how to brighten up your Summer and  follow the amazing  Color Trend that has taken over the runway.

Until Next time Fashionista’s …….

Please come stop by and visit me over at Fashion Crush

Summer is officially here and trips to the beach and pool are frequent and that means you will need a great bag to carry all of your summer essentials like a towel, books/magazines, and of course sunscreen. There are so many choices when it comes to picking out a bag but why not use a bag that is not only is appropriate for when you are going to be near the water, but is a great all around summer bag to have.

The Kate Spade New York Tropica Jezibel Tote is a fun bag that is not only large enough to carry all that you need but is attention grabbing as well. With large pink flamingos covers both front and back of the bag and the necks of the birds being the handles this is a great bag to have. Inside of the bag are decorative black and white stripes with pink trim accent. There is a interior pocket that zips where you can store your money for when you are at the beach, lipstick and other beauty essential. There also another interior pocket where you can store non valuables that you need to grab quickly as well as a cell phone pocket so your phone will never get lost at the bottom of your bag. Metal feet at the bottom of the bag and coated canvas will help keep it the bag always looking like new.

For more information or to buy this bag please click the link or picture below

kate spade new york ‘tropica jezibel’ tote

The bright pink from the flamingo will make any outfit pop and should easily match much of your wardrobe. This is a bag with personality so make sure to show it off!

Just a short little post to share with you all the major lovefest im having with crystals at the moment i know some people conjure up images of Woodstock and the hippie era gone by whilst thinking of crystals (personally where i take alot of my inspiration from)but these little adornments have been all over the runways in the recent shows and top end jewelry designers like Pamela love are dedicating entire ranges to crystal work alone and chain stores such as Asos,topshop,forever 21 and Zara to name just a few are all loving the crystal movement…..

Get adorning my friends i want some major crystal moments xx

To read more of my crazy ways http://thecurvygirlsdiary.blogspot.com/

Pics courtesy of google images

When it comes to jewellery, I like something different. Of-course the high-street is the epitome of quick fashion and is crazed by the press, but what about having something that you won’t spot on hundreds walking down the street? I don’t know about you, but I find high-street jewellery extremely over priced and lacking in quality. Being a former sales assistant for one of the most affluent high-street brands, I know a lot about where the stock comes from. If interested in fashion you would have probably taken a pretty good educated guess that all the jewellery across stores come from near enough the same stockist. Take a look at Topshop for example, the jewellery in there is of exactly the same style and quality as what is sold in Matalan – yet double the price.  I would physically show you but unfortunately Matalan are yet to put their jewellery online; if you haven’t yet noticed, look when you are next in town, it is surprising.

Anyway let me get to the point of this post. There is so many online jewellery boutiques that I have come in contact with since being a blogger, selling individual, quirky designs that are not only cheaper than the high-street, but more personal. The bonus? not everyone will have what you have. All it takes is thinking outside of the box, oh and maybe a slight obsession with scouring the internet for unique bargains.

I thought I would share with you my favourite pieces of jewellery right now, featuring affirmation rings. I have a very sentimental side and live by words such as ‘hope’, ‘dream’ and ‘believe’ and feel positive when wearing them on a piece of jewellery. I received my first affirmation ring when I was fourteen, it was a present from my friend and was bought from Selfridges- the first thing I had owned from Selfridges which also made me more excited. A few years later my God Mother’s daughter, Lucy got sick, her cancer returned and I thought about what I could give her to give her hope. I passed on my affirmation ring to her, something she could wear all the time to help her feel positive. Unfortunately when she passed, we couldn’t find the necklace in her things, so wherever she is now, I hope she has it. Gee, I do get side tracked don’t I?

You can get any word on them really, it is just hunting around for them [generally online]. The ones shown are from Junk Jewels and prices start at a mere £8.00.

I hope you enjoyed my first post
love Jemma Louise
Come over and visit me at  Floral Etiquette

Floral prints are everywhere this summer and there are so many ways you can show your love of flowers. One of my favorite floral accessories that I have come across are the Dolce & Gabbana Oversized Square Floral Sunglasses. These oversized sunglasses have a great floral pattern around the frames and along the arms of the glasses. The arms are very slim giving a great balance to the oversized frames. The predominant color of this print is shades of pink with green accents which will match so much of your wardrobe. You can wear even the most basic of clothing and just by wearing these glasses can give some color and punch to your outfit.

The sunglasses are not just for looks, the graduated tinted lenses and UV Protection will protect your eyes from harmful sun rays. Also included in your purchase of these glasses is a Dolce & Gabbana sunglasses case to store and protect your glasses when you are not wearing them.

For more information or to buy these sunglasses please click the link or picture below

Dolce & Gabbana Oversized Square Floral Sunglasses

Summer is a time for sunshine, music festivals, and feeling free.  This season, the fashion is no exception.  With an abundance of clothes and accessories to fit the trend, you can be hippie chic in time for the concert next weekend.  I’ve listed some of my favorite pieces for achieving this look on any budget.

1. Feather Earrings – The hottest new accessory for summer, adding them to any outfit instantly gives it a hippie vibe.  For even more of an effect just wear one extra-long feather.
2. Crochet Vest – One of the season’s most fun new trends, it comes in so many styles to choose from.  Long, short, or with fringe, you can find the perfect one for your style.
3. Cutoffs – What hippie look would be complete without jean cutoffs?  Definitely the easiest piece to find, you probably already have a pair in your closet.  They are available in every price range, or be daring and DIY from an old pair of jeans.
4. Sandals – Leather sandals complete the look, personally I’m a fan of the ones with fringe!
5. Maxi Skirt – Nothing says peace and love like a free-flowing skirt.  You can find them in most retail stores now, and many websites offer organic free-trade versions.
6. Woven jewelry – Even if you don’t want to do full-out hippie, adding some woven bracelets to your look is a fun way to incorporate the trend.  Etsy is a great place to find unique handmade bracelets and anklets to compliment any look.

If you liked this post and are interested in more, you can visit my blog, Indigo Impression.

Hi, this is Daria of Kittenhood. I’ve got a little DIY project that I’d like to share with you, Fashion Urbia readers: a flower pin. You’ll see that it’s quite easy to do, if you have just the basic sewing skills. The result will be a cute pin, that you can wear on your favorite dress, on a cardie, and even on your hat, shoes or purse. Just go with the flow! You can make the flower simple and small, let’s say in white, but you can also make it rainbow style and oversized – this solely depends on your style and your imagination.

First off, here is what you need for the project:

• one or more types of fabric, depending on how colorful you want your brooch to be
• thread and needle
• scissors
• some beads or a button
• candle or lighter
• scissors
• safety pin

I chose electric blue and fuchsia and a thin, delicate fabric. The first thing you need to do is cut out some fabric circles. The larger the circles, the larger your pin will be. You can trace the circles with a round object, like a cup, for example. The more circles you cut, the fluffier your flower will be in the end. After you cut all the circles, burn them around the edges, using the lighter or candle. This will prevent the fabric from tearing apart in time. You should know that this only works for synthetic fabrics, while natural ones will actually start burning – so, beware!

Next off, take a circle and fold it three times, as shown below.

You will get something like a cone. Pass the needle and thread through the tip of the cone, to fix it in the current position. Then fold another circle similarly and stitch the tip to the previous one. Repeat this step as many times as necessary, until you run out of circles! Keep one, though, for the back of the pin!

There’s won’t be much of a difference in the sides of the flower, but you should decide which one to keep as a front side and which one to make the back. On the front, sew a couple of beads or a button. If you want, you can skip this step and get a more simple flower.

Now take the last fabric circle and sew the safety pin to it. Do it carefully and firmly, so that the stitch doesn’t tear as you wear it. Finally, stitch this circle to the back of the flower. That’s it!

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial! If you have, you can visit my blog anytime, at kittenhood.wordpress.com for other tutorials and fashion-related stuff!

Down here in Aussie land its pretty common to see our surfer type friends rocking there vintage homemade friendship bracelets on a daily basis and until recently i thought it was just a trend i would leave back in the early 90′s when my best friend and i spent hours sitting on the verandah trying to make them just right.

So it has come as a pleasant surprise that they are making a Massive comeback and are seen on the wrists of everyone from Lauren Conrad to Sharon Osbourne and now come adorned with diamonds if we so choose,but its not just friendship bands that make up this revival its all things woven my personal favourite being the hobo bag but you can get everything from a clutch purse to a poncho and it’s set just to get bigger so grab your friends hit the markets and grab your woven goodies!

To read more of my fashion adventures visit http://thecurvygirlsdiary.blogspot.com/

Images courtesy of google.