Your little black dress for NYE

Here's one for all the last minute party goers out there.  If you are still struggling to find that perfect NYE outfit there is one more shopping day to go, so I thought I would give you a helping hand.  I have hand picked a few classic LBD's like the one below that I captured at NY fashion week. Wow all your friends at this year's party, without spending the last day of the year trawling the high-street. 

Lift Off Crepe Collar Dress Was £120 Now £60 French Connection 

Velvet Spot Dress £125 French Connection

MM6 High Neck Blouse Dress Was £279 Now £100  Urban Outfitters

Pins and Needles Spotted Dobby Dress Was £85 Now £30 Urban Outfitters

Out of the blue

One of my biggest inspirations when shooting street photography is bold self expression. I got really excited when I spotted this gentleman. I also liked how the lady behind him was wearing a blue jumpsuit that was nearly an identical colour to the gentleman's suit, this was purely coincidental.  

If you feel like making your own colour statement this New Year check out these beautiful blue coats.

Graphic Colourblock Coat £210  Karen Millen  

              Herringbone textured Wool Coat £325 Karen Millen Sale (Shhh! grab yourself a bargain, as this coat has just gone into the sale, now £160).

It's all about stripes

Or as the French would say "il s'agit des bandes". Stripes are going to be hot in 2012 so let's take some inspiration from over the channel and start wearing this horizontal trend. 

This guy was looking super cool in his Brenton top, sat in front of the iconic Revson fountain outside the Lincoln centre.
As well as seeing some awesome street fashion, this fountain is a must see if you are visiting New York. The fountain illuminates at night, giving a stunning back drop to the performing arts centre and has an impressive number of water effects, including the ability to propel water 12 feet into the air.

Here are a selection of stripes for all price ranges.

Comme Des Garcons Play Striped jumper £259 Ferfetch.com 

Industrial striped T-shirt £40 French Connection

Drape Neck Sweater £15.99 Zara.com

Black and White

Today's outfit was inspired by this black and white street shot I took at the Anna Sui catwalk show in New York. Black and white is timeless. This trend is predicted to be big on the runways in 2012 and will be a key feature in many high end designers' spring/summer catwalk collections.

I think a white blouse with a black trim, pieced with a simple black skirt is a great way to wear this classic look.

Bret Colorblock blouse £140 Farfetch.com

South Beaded Collar Blouse £20 Very.co.uk

Ponti Skirt £20 Therapy at House of Fraser

Jo Lance does Military

I spotted award winning fashion photographer and Top Model judge Joe Lance at NewYork fashion week. Jo is famous for pushing creative boundaries and bringing concepts to life.

Here are a few military style coats from Rockit vintage and PHIX clothing who sell a range of musically inspired designs.

Navy Wool Blended German Naval Coat £65 Rockit.co.uk

Long Wool Military Jacket £75 PHIX Clothing

Christmas Sparkle

First and foremost Merry Christmas. My inspiration today has come from all the lovely jewellery I have just opened from one of my closest friends. I love jewellery that has a bit of edge.

One of my favourite designers is Pamela Love. Pamela who grew up in New York, loves to experiment with unique and exotic materials and her designs are influenced by a number of artists including Joseph Cornell and Lee Bontecou. Pamela now designs for Topshop making her collection more affordable and it can also be bought online at net-a-porter.

Check out this feather necklace £20 (was £90)

Topshop.com

2011 Winter collection starts from £50

http://www.net-a-porter.com/Shop/Designers/Pamela_Love/All

Let's talk about hats

If you are feeling a little avant-garde over the christmas holiday, why not invest in one of this season's must have accessories and stand out from the crowd.

A good hat can completely change the look of any outfit. Here are a few images I captured, of a few lovely ladies rocking the hat with style. 

Recreate the look with this wide brim hat £49 from Reiss. Available in both black and toffee  

                                                               

                                                        

     http://www.reissonline.com/shop/womens/accessories/edie/black/?q=Hats

One for the men

I think a great look for men is teaming a smart blazer with a pair of well fitted jeans

I like this New York presenter's city style. Here is a collection of this seasons blazers for all budgets

           

Middle of the road Won Hundred Popp blazer £225 http://www.urbanoutfitters.co.uk

Feeling flush J Crew Herringbone Tweed Blazer £300 http://www.mrporter.com

Saving for a rainy day Wool Blazer ZARA £79.99 http://www.zara.com

New York Style Steal - Winter casual

This is a simple dressed down look and is perfect for this season

Skinny jeans Cheap Monkey £49
M6 Loose weave V knit jumper £80 (was £310 - girls grab yourself a bargain)
Flat chelsea Boots £75

(all items from http://www.urbanoutfitters.co.uk )

                            

New York Fashion Week 2011 - Style Steal

Here are a few style shots I captured at the Anna Sui show at the Lincoln centre

Dare to be different and create this look (all items from http://www.topshop.com )

Black Leather Biker Jacket £165

Fall From Grace T-shirt £22

 Floppy Dome hat £25          
                                                       

What a year

With new year fast approaching I thought this would be a good time to have look back at the events of 2011. New York Fashion week was a definite highlight for me. Over the festive period I'm going to be posting on New York style. This years show was held at the Lincoln centre for the performing arts. With a fresh new venue (previously held at Bryant Park) and some stunning collections from Anna Sui, Donna Karan, Michael Kors, Ralph Lauren,Vera Wang and Rag and Bone, this was an event not to be missed. Get the 2012 events in your dairies ladies and gents and make sure you don't miss out on getting a first look at next year's collections.

New York Fashion Week 2012 9th - 16th Feb http://www.mbfashionweek.com/

London Fashion Week 17th - 21st Feb  http://www.londonfashionweek.co.uk/

Ivory is a hidden gem worth shouting about

Nestled on a cool little row of shops, cafes and art galleries, Ivory oozes class and elegance, selling wardrobe essentials that will stand the test of time. I like the idea of having a few good quality, classic pieces that can be matched to create a cool day time look or dressed up with heels and a loose top for night.

Here are a few pieces from Ivory's Autumn/winter collection

check out the Facebook page

http://www.facebook.com/ivorysheffield

Where to begin -Be inspired by others

First of all, thank you for taking the time to take a look at this blog. Let me introduce myself.
My name is Melanie. I'm a small town girl with a huge passion for clothes and art that is fashion.
I love to create new looks. Whether I'm strolling the streets of Sheffield for cute and quirky vintage finds, visiting London markets or jet-setting to New York to find my next pair of Manolo shoes, I'm always on the look out for my next bit of inspiration. I also have a love of fashion photography and catching style on camera. Hope you enjoy the images used on my blog :)