This weeks styling tip.

October 10, 2013 / Love Niche Style / Leave a comment

The inverted triangle is a very common body shape these days, with more and more woman developing this shape. If you think you’re an inverted triangle this is the checklist; broad shoulders, narrow hips, generally slender limbs, fantastic legs (jealous much?!) and usually have great boobs too, but sizes can vary.

You are typically a very easy body shape to dress, you just want to aim to balance your shoulders with your hips. Our guidelines will help you to establish what shapes and cuts flatter you the most this season. First up dresses, this season is all about the glitz and the glamour! When picking out a dress go for a shift, something A-line or something which has heavy embellishment on the skirt as this will draw attention to your lower half balancing out your shoulders. This might come as a surprise to you, but we also think you look flawless in strapless tops and dresses. Strapless/bare shoulders are bang on trend this season, so if you haven’t already, give it a go! When picking tops you must think about the neckline. If you have a small chest you can pull off a polo neck and also those risky plunging V-necks, however if you are gifted with a fuller bust try and avoid a polo neck as it just doesn’t flatter your shape, instead try a shortened V-neck, an open collared shirt, a cowl neck or something scooped. Wrap tops are also a winner as they create a V and flatter almost every shape, they are also extremely versatile tops, wardrobe basics in fact.

Trousers…well we are extremely jealous of those pins for a start, but you can pull off, literally, any trouser/jean! Boyfriend fit, boot cut, flare, combat, palazzo, turn up hems, peg trousers, culottes, and this season must have jean shape the “mom” jean! Skinny or straight leg jeans will also show off those amazing legs but try and go for jeans that have embellished pockets as they will make you look like you have a bit of a bigger bottom, to balance out your top half! Coloured jeans will also give the illusion of your being more hourglass.

When picking your winter coat try and pick a longerline coat or one that ends at the crotch. A belted coat or jacket is also very flattering as it gives you more structure and definition. Boyfriend blazers, in our eyes are not the most flattering option for you, try a more tailored blazer, which ends at the hipbone or crotch and make sure it has hip pockets to widen your narrow hips, also tapered at your waist to give you more definition.

Again we have chosen some looks to show you how to dress your shape for this season. We have an evening dress outfit, a day time jumper dress, and if you don’t fancy showing off your gorgeous legs then we have a jumpsuit which you would look flawless in too…

First up is the daytime look; the printed jumper dress. One of the main reasons why this will look so good on you is to do with the neckline; a cowl neck will always be a great choice for you! With it being a/w its sometimes difficult to find a nice daytime dress to wear, so this jumper dress is a perfect solution, very versatile and on trend can be worn day through to night. The length of this dress is also very flattering, and it is slightly A-line so will balance out your shoulders even more. The colour combo of cobalt and black is bang on trend. Shown here for an evening look, but through the day team with some luxurious tights and some heeled boots, to toughen this look up add a biker jacket. For even more definition you can add a belt to nip in your waist.Our second look is an evening dress for this glitz and glam season; the aztec sequin dress. This dress is for you inverted triangles with a smaller bust (ideally) as the neckline is quite high for you ladies with bigger boobs and could essentially make your chest/shoulders look larger. This dress works really well for an inverted triangle as all the detail is in the skirt of the dress, so this draws the eye to your lower body, balancing out your proportions. With the elasticated waistband it draws the eye in giving you more definition, you could also add a subtle black skinny belt if you wanted further definition. The sequin details on the skirt make it a gorgeous dress for a Saturday night out with girlfriends or for your Christmas party (the holidays are approaching fast!) Team with a clutch, and killer platform heels, and a coloured lip for a pop of colour we would suggest a berry shade or classic red. Our last look is again versatile and could be worn day through to night; the colour block jumpsuit. The tailoring of this jumpsuit is gorgeous, it’s got a V-neck zip and for you smaller busted ladies you can have it plunging as far as you like…! The wide straps will break up your shoulders and the straight legged trouser will also balance out your proportions. This look can go from day to evening as the drawstring dropped waist keeps this jumpsuit looking quite relaxed and effortless. For evening team with killer heels, and match your clutch to your lipstick, we suggest a deep mulberry shade! Which is your favourite look for the interverted triangle?!

Love Team Niche xox

This week’s styling tip.

October 4, 2013 / Love Niche Style / Leave a comment

This is our second post in the body shape series, where we are focusing on the fabulous ‘Hourglass’ figure! The hourglass is classed at the ideal fantasy figure for a woman, with equal proportions, gorgeous curves, ample bust, slender waist yet still with hips, thigh and a good bum! This body shape might sound easy enough to style and think that with the good proportions they would suit everything, however it can actually be one of the most difficult shapes to dress right!

If you are an hourglass you may find that when you go into some stores, especially the higher end stores that it can be a challenge to find clothes that suit your shape, and this is because designers tend to make clothes for a straight up and down figure. If you like to wear luxurious clothes you will find it easier to shop in a luxury boutique/fashion studio.

This season every hourglass should have in her wardrobe; a fitted crisp white shirt ( the fitted shirt was made you!) a pencil skirt to show off those curves, either a wrap or an a-line skirt dress. Some killer jeans, steer away from a flare leg, however if you like bootcut jeans go for a dark wash and make sure they have large pockets on the bum. Straight/slim leg trousers and jeans work best for you as they show off your curves and legs, try to stay away from light wash jeans. The a-line skirt paired with a fitted top with flatter your figure to no end, wearing a dress or skirt with a slight peplum will also show off your curves however do not go over the top with the peplum as one with too much volume will just make your hips look larger than they are.

If you are a petite hourglass try and find slim trousers and jeans which are slightly high waisted as they will elongate your legs as well as drawing in your waist. Avoid clothes with no shape and definition as they will do nothing for your figure and if anything they will just make you look frumpy. Also avoid hip pockets as this will make you look disproportionate.

For the colder months when choosing your a/w coat, go for a coat which has a belt or a define waist, a mac is the ideal coat for you. Also try a cropped jacket/biker leather jacket (totally on trend!) by wearing a cropped jacket it will draw in your waist and show it off. Stay away from boxy jackets even if they are on trend this season!!

We have styled 3 outfits, 1 look with a pencil skirt, 1 with a dress and cropped fur and 1 trouser look, to show you how we would style your body shape during this season!

First we have a work wear look with a pencil skirt, which will hug your curves and show off your waist. This skirt is in a must have colour of the season; berry! We have teamed it with a fitted white shirt which has unique box pleat details around the neck and on the cuff of the sleeves. By adding one of our new belts that have just landed in the studio for A/W13 it has taken this look from day to night, finish this look off by adding a clutch, some heels and a berry lip.Next up is our autumnal dress look. This lightweight jumper dress is an extremely versatile piece to have in your wardrobe, you can dress it up or down, we have added a cropped berry fur bolero jacket which is gorgeous for your shape. We would finish this look with some earrings a slick ponytail and a heel. This dress has no waist definition so we have added a tan belt to draw in the waist to give more shape. Just because a dress has no definition at the waist does not mean that you can’t style it to suit your shape. Last is our trouser look. These casual trousers come in black, maroon, navy and a light brown and are perfect for hourglass and triangle shapes, they skim over the hips, are ever so slightly high waisted and are a straight cut so they don’t cling to your ankle. The faux leather waist band adds texture. We have dressed this look up slightly with a gorgeous black jumper which has beautiful embellished shoulders, everybody loves a bit of bling! Again to take this look to an evening we have added a clutch bag, also team with a heel, a red lip for a pop of colour and let your hair down. Which look do you like best?! Next week we will be doing a post for inverted triangles!

Love Team Niche xox

Makeover results!

October 2, 2013 / Love Niche Style / Leave a comment

Hello Ladies!

As you all know we held a very special competition last week, in conjunction with our fashion show at Jesmond Dene House,for one of you to win a £500 makeover with us at Love Niche, Sabai hairdressers and Charlotte makeup artist. We were taken aback by how many of you entered (we wish we could pick you all!) but the lucky lady who got picked out of the box was Judy Sherburn!

On the day of the fashion show we invited Judy to come into the studio for her styling session with Nisha. During the style session Nisha was able to put Judy in looks that were perfect for her body shape. Judy’s got very petite yet angular shoulders, a slender waist, with her thighs/hips being the largest part of her body, meaning that she would be classed as a triangle (read our style tip on triangle body shape here!). When styling you always try and create an hourglass figure. With Judy we had to balance out her shoulders to match her lower body. To do this we gave her dresses with shoulder pads or exaggerated shoulders to give the illusion of her shoulders being broader. With her having a slim waist we wanted to show that off, so we picked out dresses that either had a belt attached or had waist detail as to draw your eye in.

When picking Judy’s outfit we also had to look at her skintone, and see what colours would warm her and make her look more youthful with her colourings. We would put her in deep jewel colours such as emerald greens, rich deep reds, soft berry colours, and charcoal rather than black, nothing too bright and harsh.

Before her makeover (as you can see below) Judy had very ashy blonde hair, but Sabai softened it to give her more warmth and gave her a very sleek cut with an elongated bob so her hair went from bland to being stylish again. On the evening they curled her hair with a ghd which gave it volume. In the ‘after’ photo Judy look’s glowing!

Judy loved her makeover, and so do we! What do you think of her transformation?!

Love Team Niche xox

BEFORE AFTER

This week’s styling tip.

September 26, 2013 / Love Niche Style / 2 Comments

This is our first post in our body shape series; the pear shape. The pear shape is known as the classic womanly figure, however we don’t like to use the term pear shape as such. Pear shapes, as all other body shapes come in all sizes, so to stop confusion we like to class the ‘pear’ as a ‘triangle’ (nobody ever really enjoyed being compared to a fruit did they?)

The triangle body type is generally classified as having slender narrow shoulders, typically have a great bust and a slim waist (lucky you!) with your hips, bum and thighs being your largest part of your body.

It can be confusing dressing/styling a triangle shape as the contrast between the narrow shoulders and wider hip can be a difficult task to dress, however with our tips it should become easy and enjoyable.

As always with every season there are many styles and shapes which are the new must have shape to have in your wardrobe, however you need to evaluate your body and ask yourself “will i actually suit this trouser or skirt?” And most of all be honest with yourself! A triangle should try and avoid a straight up and down trouser that just falls from the hip as we feel this will just make your bottom half look bigger than it actually is (even if you are a very slim triangle!) So instead try and find a trouser like a peg leg trouser as an alternative to the skinny jean which will skim over your hips, wont cling to your legs but tapers in at your ankle which is the slimmest part of your leg, also try the combination of a bootcut flare jean with a wedge heel, this look is ideal for you as it makes your thighs look slimmer as the flared bottom is balancing your bottom half out, this means that your body will then look proportionate! For an evening or work trouser you should always go tailored and in a dark colour, and your jeans should never been a light wash, stick to stonewash and indigo jeans.

When trying to find the perfect dress, especially for the glitz and glamour season coming up, we recommend you try and find a dress which has shoulder pads, embellishment across the shoulders, or an off the shoulder dress. The bare shoulder look is huge this season is the perfect trend for you triangle ladies, embrace it!

Below we have chosen 3 of our favourite dresses we currently have in the studio to show you how we would dress a triangle shape.

First is this gorgeous striking emerald structured dress. This dress is a great dress for a triangle, as it has exaggerated shoulders to balance out your wider hips, the v neck is flattering for your bust and the belt is ideal as it shows off your slim waist by drawing the eye in. It skims over your larger hips and thighs instead of clinging which is another bonus. Teamed with some court shoes in a nude to elongate your legs and some statement earrings you are going to be turning heads.Our second look is a bit more daring, if you like bold prints and like to make a statement then this is the perfect dress for you! The mixed mono print of leopard and houndstooth is bang on trend this season, with both prints being a must have! This dress is extremely flattering even though it is a jersey fabric, with the wrap style knot detail it skims over stomach and hips. The v neckline is great again for the triangle as it balances out the narrow shoulders, and the buckle detail on the dress again draws your eye in to your small waist. Our final look is a a more classic look, but with a twist (as always!) this faux matte leather dress is stunning in charcoal rather than black. Its a slim fit dress yet skims over the hips and doesn’t cling! The secret shoulder pads balance out the hips and the deep v neckline again is very flattering. The gunmetal studded waist detail acts like a belt and cinches in the middle to show off that slender waist.

Thank you for reading, follow us for more body shape posts coming up over the next week weeks, with next weeks being the hourglass shape.

Love Team Niche xox

This weeks styling tip.

September 18, 2013 / Love Niche Style / Leave a comment

Sometimes you just want something that is easy to throw on, but not something where you have to compromise with style. On these days, we also go to the jumper dress. They are super versatile, you can buy them in many shapes and styles. In the studio we are a fan of the more fitted style, and we have them in styles for both day and night, and here is how we would style them.

Our first look is our day look. This jumper dress is very casual chic, the colour block is very on trend again this season, the zip details have leather tassels on them and the cut of the dress is slightly a-line. Wear with either opaque black tights and for when that chill gets too much you could add thick cable knit woolen tights/or leggings. Grab your leather jacket, put on your knee high boots and you good to go! Our second look is our evening look. This jumper dress is one of our favourite pieces that we currently have in the studio! We are in love with the heavily embellished shoulder details, that bit of bling makes this look perfect for an evening. You can add opaque tights, platform heels, team with some jewellery and a jewelled clutch and you will be turning heads. If you aren’t a fan of wearing a necklace (Love Niche reindeer shown) we have gave a second option of glitzy disco ball drop earrings, never wear a statement earrings and a necklace together as it just look over the top! For when it gets too cold to leave for an evening out with no jacket we would suggest you opt for a fur gilet, this ombre Love Niche one is a fave and looks so glamorous. Which look would you wear this aumtumn?!

xox

OOTD; Berry is the new black…

September 12, 2013September 12, 2013 / Love Niche Style / Leave a comment

Is berry really the new black…well this season we think it should be! Berry hues are a must have during autumn/winter, they are warming, flattering for every skin tone and can actually be just as slimming as black! This baggy printed oversized jumper in mixed berry colours is the perfect dress to take you through the season. With bold shoulder details, the loose knit can be worn just as a dress for autumn or could be layered during winter. Teamed with Nisha’s to die for burgundy heeled boots and statement pendant necklace, in our eyes this is a perfect autumn day look.

Is berry going to be your new ‘go to’ colour instead of black this season?!

Love Team Niche xox

This week’s styling tip.

September 11, 2013 / Love Niche Style / Leave a comment

With the sudden change in weather last week we all realised that autumn was here! We have packed all our summer clothes away for another year and brought out the knits, furs and leathers.

Autumn is the perfect season for knits, you can wear a jumper or cardigan to keep warm without a coat. So this season the must have way to wear your knits is oversized. With a key trend being “borrowed from the boys” this season we should be thinking oversized, elbow patches, leather details, patchwork and large collars when buying new knits.

We have put together 3 looks for you to show you how we will be wearing our oversized knits, we have many styles/shapes/colours available in the studio to suit everyone.

First up we have this gorgeous heavy knitted oversized collar cardigan, we like to call it a coatigan, as it acts like a coat during the autumn. This is the perfect piece for layering, we have styled with a thin knit jumper in gorgeous warm colours. The skinny black trousers keep this look classic, however you could wear coloured jeans or add some texture with leather trousers. Simple silver jewellery finishes this look perfectly. Our second look is for those who like to wear colourful knits. Yellow is a surprisingly big colour this season, normally we associate yellow with spring/summer however it is brightening up our wardrobes this autumn! This oversized waterfall cardigan in patchwork is another gorgeous layering piece to add to any wardrobe which could be styled for day or night. We have styled it with a cream drape blouse (worn open in the photo) with a vest layered underneath, and staple black trousers which tie in with the black and grey colours on the knit.Our final look is more casual, we love the contrast between skinny leggings and the heavily oversized off the shoulder jumper. This jumper is so luxurious, it is super soft, mohair knits are the most wanted knits of the season. We have styled this look with a woolen scarf which has a tartan print (must have print of the season!) this scarf actually has a tiger printed on it, with the tiger being tartan, you can just make out his head & tail! The blue tartan also matches the dark rich blue leggings.Will you be wearing your knits oversized this autumn? …we hope so!

Love Team Niche xox

OOTD; An affair with squares.

September 10, 2013September 5, 2013 / Love Niche Style / Leave a comment

It’s time to update your prints for this season, squares/checks are our faves so far! For this daytime look Nisha has teamed our best selling drape blouse (which has had a fresh print overhaul) with skinny dark wash jeans. When wearing a top which is loose or billowing on top you should always wear something slim or skinny fitting on the bottom, otherwise you lose yourself in fabric and have no shape! Nisha has styled this look perfectly with white sandal heels and she has layered her necklaces and bracelets.

What prints are you wearing this season?

Love Team Niche xox

OOTN; It’s a white out!

September 9, 2013September 5, 2013 / Love Niche Style / Leave a comment

All white everything has been on trend all year, so this A/W is no exception! For these colder months a jumpsuit is the perfect option for evening attire. This tuxedo style jumpsuit, from the Love Niche London collection is tying in 3 major trends for this coming season;

All white
Masculine shapes/silhouettes
Deep ‘V’ necklines

Styled with a statement necklace, a reptile print clutch bag and golden sandal heels to add colour and glam. Hair kept in loose tousled curls keep this look from being too masculine, however you could also go for a slicked back high ponytail for extra wow factor!

Are you a fan of this look?!

Love Team Niche xox

OOTN; Golden glam.

September 6, 2013September 5, 2013 / Love Niche Style / Leave a comment

We all love a bit of glitz and glam, so this evening we have gone golden! Gold is set to be a huge trend this season, this Love Niche gold sequin jumper and sheer black baroque embroidered collar blouse is the perfect duo to update your wardrobe! In this look we have gone for an edgy, slightly gothic feel, with black tailored shorts, opaque tights and a dark lip. The gold shoes keep the look from being too dark and tie in perfectly with the knitted jumper. Hair in a low bun is the best way to show off the gorgeous detailed collar.

Are you going to be donning gold this season?!

Love Team Niche xox