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The 2011 New York Bridal Market has just come to a close and here are some the trends to expect to see in the year ahead for bridal dresses.

The most important thing to remember is to find a dress that suits you. Do not pick a dress based on what you think looks good in a magazine. Your wedding dress is unique to you and needs to represent you. There are a lot of dresses with 3-dimension with ruffles and textured material. Lace is a classic staple to a wedding dress and will never disappear from wedding dresses. Bling and jeweled dresses are going nowhere, they are here to stay. The natural waistline from a 1950s style silhouette dress is classic and will look great on everyone. Who doesn’t want to look like Grace Kelly or Audrey Hepburn on their wedding day? There will be some dresses influenced by Kate Middleton but not too many because sleeves constrict arm movement and it is hard to dance and move around with your arms tied down. If you do want to try to create the Kate Middleton look try wearing a Bolero, Shrug, or even a dress with detachable sleeves. If you want be daring you can even choose a dress in an unconventional color like black.

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Trends to look out for for Spring / Summer 2012. 50s retro revival Hollywood glamour, boxy cuts like 20′s jazz age revival. Neutrals will be mixed with canary yellow and  ice cream palettes. Two distinct silhouettes are popular for spring / summer 2012 : One will be  dropped waist with clean lines reminiscent of ’60s fashion. The other has a retro  ’50′s feel to it with nipped waist with belted look,  peplum skirts, wide hips with broad shoulder look.

2012 is very retro influence with modern takes to it. There are a lot of  mix matched prints.  Continuing on from the fall winter looks, Androgynous pleated trousers, jackets with mens tailoring will be quite popular.

Lot of different references going on but figure out what works for you and wear what you feel comfortable wearing, not what you think you should wear.

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Designer Jean Charles de Castelbajac is known for designing clothing that has a theme to it that is atypical to other fashion houses. In the past there has been Muppets as well as Africa as the theme for the collection. For the Spring 2012 collection there was the return of Mickey Mouse.

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

Twenty8Twelve is a brand owned and designed by the actress Sienna Miller and her sister Savannah. Formed in 2009, this brand is gaining  momentum and is known for their unique styles flawlessly mixed with streetwise femininity. Most people know about Sienna but have not heard much about her sister Savannah. Savannah has a fashion background with experience working with Alexander McQueen and Matthew Williamson.  With Savannah’s fashion knowledge and Sienna’s styles being emulated often these sisters have put together a great line of clothing that appeals to a wide audience.

The Twenty8twelve by s. miller Driben Ottoman Shorts in White are the perfect summer short. I love the black grosgrain ribbon at the waist and the beautiful detailed embroidery across the shorts as well as the scalloped edges at the leg openings. This are a true ladylike feminine short and will be perfect all summer.

It is said that every woman need a Little Black Dress, but I would go as far to say for this spring and summer you need a little neutral dress. The Twenty8twelve Militia Pleated Belted Dress
is a great dress to fit this need. This a fashionable dress and the pleats and belt make it so ladylike.

Print dresses are popular right now and I love the Twenty8twelve Brown/Lobster Printed Double-Layered Tank Dress. The lobster red looks so great with the brown and the pattern is so unique. This is a great dress for day or night and can be worn as is or belted if you prefer.

Blue is one of my favorite colors and I am eying the TWENTY8TWELVE BY S.MILLER – Audrey (Ofili) Skirt. I love the detail of the decorative buttons and the large pockets in the front of the skirt. The shade of blue is great and i I love that it gleams in the light.

If you are frequent reader of this blog you probably have realized that I love stripes. When I saw the Twenty8Twelve ‘Marigold’ Tank Dress I was in love. This is not your typical simple striped dress since it has a bold and vivid color wrap around the base of this dress.

Spring officially starts in just a few days and it is time to put away sweaters and heavy weight pants and pull out shorts and light weight skirts. My present collection of shorts is quite basic, in fact I have a few pairs of denim shorts as well as a few basic color regular shorts but this season there are so many wonderful print shorts to wear.

The key for getting a lot of use out of a print short is to make sure that they are versatile.  Pick a simple black and white short and you can pair them with practically any solid color and possibly other print shirts. You can also try to find a very colorful print short so that you can pick up on one of the colors from the shorts and wear a shirt in that color to tie it together.

The Tory Burch Kevin Shorts are a great basic pattern short because they are not overly crazy with color and the pattern, while quite busy, is not distracting.

Floral prints are everywhere this season and the Sachin + Babi Masha Shorts is a great pair of floral shorts if you, especially if you prefer a pair of short longer in length. These shorts have a beautiful grosgrain along the length of the hips as well as the pockets. I love the bottom of the leg holes where they tie.

Perhaps you are looking for a pair of shorts that are very bold and bright. If that is the case then you should consider the Nanette Lepore Tattletale Shorts.

The pair of shorts that I have my eye on at the moment are the L.A.M.B. Gingham Drawstring Shorts. I love the overall shape and cut of the shorts and really love the contrasting gingham trim.

By now you should have realized that sporty stripes are everywhere, in fact there are so many stripes shirts, dresses, sweaters, bathing suits, and jackets that you probably do not know where to begin with deciding what striped clothing you want to buy. Most of the striped clothing from other designers is a basic two color stripe, usually a black or navy blue with a white, but the Spring 2011 Marc by Marc Jacobs stripe collection is multi-colored and bright. There are lot of dresses and shirts with yellow, tuquoise, red, and white among other colors on them.

I love the Marc by Marc Jacobs Simone Stripe Dress. It is so bright and cheery and the belt makes this so feminine. This dress also comes in a shorter knee length version if you would prefer.

If you would prefer something with stripes but not as colorful and perhaps with a bit of a nautical feel to it then the
Marc by Marc Jacobs Schooner Stripe Jersey Dresswill fit the bill. A dark navy with contrasting red stripes at the shoulders and hem and white stripes in the middle. This is a jersey dress so it will be comfortable in the spring as well as in the summer when it is much hotter out. If you like the color scheme of this dress make sure to check out the
Marc by Marc Jacobs Schooner Stripe Jersey Top as well.

While not as bright and colorful as the previous stripe dresses, the Marc by Marc Jacobs Clemence Sweater is quite fashionable. I love the two pockets at the hem as well as the three buttons at each side of the neck.

Upon first glance the Marc by Marc Jacobs Beatrix Stripe Sweater looks like an ordinary grey and yellow stripe sweater but there are contrasting stripes at the sides and under the arms.

My favorite of all the Marc by Marc Jacobs stripe clothing is the Marc by Marc Jacobs Beatrix Stripe Sweater Dress. This is a dress right off the fashion runways and is so dramatic. I love that the stripes are only on th the front and the back is solid and I really love the hem pockets.

This year flare is a big trend and not just in pants and denim. Japanese style kimono shirts and coats are also a very big trend this year. Kimono styles use large bell flared sleeves and many times infuse Japanese style graphics in the clothing.

I personally love this trend and with the disaster of the earthquake and tsunami hitting Japan there is no better way of us showing our solitary with the Japanese people then honoring them through our style and keeping them in our hearts.

Kimono fashion goes great with many fashion styles from harem pants, to flare pants and long skirts. Jewelry also looks great with kimono, especially pearls and stacked bangles.

One of my favorites this year is Bird by Juicy Couture Sayuri Kimono Jacket. This silk print jacket goes great with harem and slouch pants as shown in the photos. Great jacket, very stylish and great to layer in the spring.

Bird by Juicy Couture Sayuri Kimono Jacket

Another favorite is the Issa long Kimono dress. This beautiful dress is stunning. It infuses both the long dress tend and the kimono trend in one. Light and airy this is the perfect spring dress and can be worth wedges or flat sandals.

ISSA Long Kimono Dress

Riller & Fount Mama Kimono wrap is a low profile kimono. You barley can tell it is a kimono wrap until you see the sleeves. This is for the person who wants to wear the great trend but not so boldly .

Riller & Fount Mama Kimono Wrap

ISSA short kimono dress. This dress comes in a many colors and patterns. Very youthful and sexy . This is a great way tho show your legs off or can be worn layered. Heels and wedges go great with this dress.

ISSA Short Kimono Dress

ISSA Short Kimono Dress

Halston Heritage Kimono Long Dress is a long elegant dress that is can be worn for a night out to dinner or the theater.

Halston Heritage Kimono Long Dress

When I first heard that the ladylike look was going to be a big trend for 2011 I had a few visions immediately pop into my head. I thought of pillbox hats and purses with a top handle.I guess to me ladylike means a reinterpretation of what I envision a woman from the 1950s or 60s would dress as.  While I do not see too many pillbox hats around right now, there are a lot of handbags that have a top handle. I personally do not have any top handle purses at the moment and much prefer to carry a purse on my shoulder with a long strap but I keep coming back to pictures of  top handle purses so I think there will be a purchase of one in the near future. My favorite thing about these top handle bags is that many do come with an optional detachable long strap for times when you would prefer to carry it that way.

The Rebecca Minkoff Colorblock Covet Satchel is a beautiful grey pebbled leather handbag that is perfect year round. The color is not too dark for spring and summer and not too light for fall and winter. Carrying this bag in your hand should not be a problerm since it is not too large so you do not have to worry about it being too full and heavy.

I love to carry a black handbag in the winter but come spring and summer I like to liven things up with a great colored back and the Marc by Marc Jacobs Totally Turnlock Lil Shifty Duffel definitely is colorful. This bag pictured in Spinach also comes in Caramel and both colors will work for year round.

I love the colorblock look and the Fendi ‘Fashion’ Top Handle Satchel is a gorgeous colorblock super ladylike structured top handle satchel. The strap can be lengthened to become a crossbody bag if you would prefer to carry it that way. I love the pebble red leather and the caramel side accents together and with the black strap and gold hardware. This bag will look equally as good in your hand as it will on display on a shelf in your home so when you are not carrying it show it off.

Leather and Lace is a great look together and the Dolce&Gabbana ‘Miss Rose’ Lace & Leather Satchel is as ladylike as they come. This bag comes in Ecru as well as in Black so you can buy one in each color and have a lace bag year round.

When I think of a romper and jumpsuits I think about the 70s and 80s when they were at their height of popularity. Television shows like Three’s Company and Charlie’s Angels often had their stars wearing a romper or a jumpsuit. These fashions carried over into the 80s and characters from Dynasty and Falcon Crest worn belted jumpsuits with big shoulders. By the mid to late 80s the jumpsuit and romper trend seemed to go away with the exception of one piece rompers for young girls.   While the jumpsuit and romper never fully went away there was a long period of time when they were few and far between. Now though, in 2011, these jumpsuits and rompers seem to be making a comeback.

The first big sign for me that jumpsuits and romper were on the way back into fashion was when I started seeing celebrities like Nicole Richie, Rhianna , and Sarah Jessica Parker photographed in one more and more frequently.  I started paying attention for more of these styles to be showcased and over time the searches became easier and easier to find. I am not saying that jumpsuits and rompers are taking over as the “IT” item but they are becoming more accessible to buy.

The Halston Heritage  Boatneck Jumpsuit reminds me of something out of Sex And The City and understandably so since the creative director of Halston Heritage is Sarah Jessica Parker. This is a jumpsuit that can be worn at night and would be perfect at dinner by the ocean.

A great casual jumpsuit is the Marc by Marc Jacobs Indigo Knit Jumpsuit. This jumpsuit is a comfortable and casual choice for a hot day.

If you want a really fashionable jumpsuit, the Diane von Furstenberg Charmaine Cover Up Jumpsuit fits the bill. This jumpsuit has ruffles, tassels on the belt, and split legs

The Gold Hawk Linen Romper in Bark is the perfect neutral palette jumpsuit for Spring 2011.