In menswear we are noticing an elegant trend developing: The Double Breasted Suit. This conservative and very masculine look was a key trend in many important runways in Milan, New York and Paris during the Spring / Summer 2011 runway shows. Double-breasted suit jackets were popular from the mid 1930s until the late 1950s, and again from the mid 1980s to the mid 1990s. The trend is resurrecting and it looks better than ever. The new cut is offered perfectly tailored and with slightly less shoulder width than its original version. Below are some great examples of this sophisticated look presented at Gucci, Giorgio Armani, Hermes, Dunhill and John Varvados.


Gucci


Giorgio Armani


Hermes



Dunhill


John Varvados

The Lady-like trend is not stopping with below the knee full skirts, classic handbags and jeweled sweaters. We are now seeing a trend in lady-like footwear becoming prominent in the next coming seasons. Feminine bows and ankle straps are all part of the trend which we are seeing adorn low to medium and even high heeled shoes. We are also seeing a trend of pointed- toe shoes and even boxy front shoes which have a slight retro feel, all giving the "she's a true lady" look.


Mui Mui

Prada

Valentino

Louis Vuiiton

Prada

With huge carry-all bags being dominant over the last 10 years, it is not surprising the classic smaller handbag makes a return. As lady-like looks trend more in the next months, we thought we would take a look at some of the classic handbags out there that would be great to pair with the latest 1950's looks. Our favorites are from Marc Jacobs, Prada and Louis Vuitton as below.

BAROQUE/ OPULENCE





NEO FOLK





ANIMAL PRINTS







BOUDIOR





LIKE A LADY







CAMEL

Designers like Miuccia Prada and Marc Jacobs for Louis Vuitton took a look back at 1950's movie stars like Brigette Bardot and Marylin Monroe for inspiration for their Fall 2010 collections. A celebration of a woman's body is the theme of this retro trend where pronounced curves are beautifully accentuated in silhouettes that are dainty and elegant. It is refreshing to see this super feminine ads on the magazine right now, for example for its fall campaign, Louis Vuitton casted super models Christy Turlington, Karen Elson and Natalia Vodianova.




Prada's Fall 2010 Ad Campaign featuring Angela Lindvall and Miranda Kerr.

With asymetrical one-piece swimsuits being the trend of the past few seasons, two-piece bikinis are now back as a new fashion trend in retail. The more colorful the better, and prints are store favorites too. What most of the new two-piece styles have in common is, the bottom piece is very low slung waist, which gives a more flattering torso.

Coral is looking to be one of the most exciting colors of the summer. From clothes to even accessories, this color is sure to have all eyes on you. A little more demure than orange and less fiery perhaps than red, we are seeing coral everywhere. Add on a metallic skin bronzer and you're set to where one of summer's favorite hues.


Lanvin dress

Lanvin tote bag



Lanvin Pom Pom sandals

Sephora coral nail polish

This summer, add a little color to your wardrobe by trying the tribal trend. Bangles, beads and even gem stone studs can be worn with this look. If you feel like you went to West Africa, stopped in Paris and finished with dinner in Bombay, India- then you are doing the look justice. If your outfit does not start to feel as tribal as you wanted, just add more beads or bracelets.


Bangles, Diane Von Furstenberg
Shoes, Giuseppe Zanotti

Men's bags have been all over the runways for several years already. It was a trend that started in Europe with designers like Prada, Bally, Bottega Veneta and Hermès who were offering options for man as beautiful as their woman's bags but with a more masculine and classic appeal. Men everywhere have finally picked up on the trend, the style we are noticing the most is the everyday leather tote. It is an item that can be worn with elegant clothes to go to the office, or casually on the weekend to go to the gym or to the beach. Man are looking at bags as investment accessories and they are ready to splurge on something that will be stylish, durable, classic and practical.

In menswear the sports blazer has always been a key item in every guys wardrove. The right blazers can make a man look elegant and depending on how he mixes his outfit it can make him look super fashionable. Designers are showing the blazers mixed with denim and contrasting color bottoms and fabrics. The right mix can be casual and sophisticated. We noticed that a lot of the new blazers are cut slightly shorter at the hem than the classic suit blazers and we are seeing several double breasted options to pick from. Below are some of our favorite looks for fall.

With so many references to beiges and nudes the last few seasons, white may actually make a come back as a fresh new trend for the Summer season. Try white with metallic prints, drapey and flowy white fabrics, white trousers for breezy summer dinners, for longer length white styles try architectural and deconstructed looks or Grecian draping.

Just before you start to pack up to go to your Euro summer outdoor festival, Trendcocktail has a few tips and looks that might work rather you are in Glastonberry in England or Lowlands in the Netherlands. Some might say outdoor summer festival dressing might be about preparation, but judging from the huge attendance of recognizable models, actresses, actors and rockers, we also know that people dress to look cool and fashionable. Utility -safari or military inspired - as seen at Chloe, Sportmax and Loewe makes festival fashion sense. Adopt rain resistant ponchos, functional multi-pocketed skirts and combat jackets, wellies can also be worn if you are in a rainy climate. Floral, tribal and tie-dye prints work. And don't forget bright hues are always good in the summer.

The latest designer changes at European fashion houses may not just be a current trend. Just this month we've seen the departure of Jean Paul Gautier at Hermes, newcomer Sarah Burton takes over designer reins at Alexander McQueen, the house of Emanuel Ungaro has tapped Giles Deacon as its new creative director and Christopher Bailey of Burberry was just named creative officer which means his new job does not just design, he will need to multi-task and do other roles such as oversea merchandising, information technology, advertising inspiration and e-commerce controller. Some may start to ask: where or where are the days when designers were the biggest stars in fashion companies. Now post-recession, many fashion houses are turning down the notch of focus on big designer names instead using the designer as global ambassador and re-focusing on overall brand development.


Sarah Burton new designer at Alexander McQueen


Christopher Bailey of Burberry

One of the challenges of the velvet has always been how to make it look luxurious, effortless and appear lighter weight yet still with movement. Designers for the next Fall season have taken a liking to velvet and seem determined to make it a fashion staple when nights become a little chilly. The plush fabric takes a new edgy turn which looks ultrarefined.


Alexander Wang

Richard Nicoll

Halston

Zac Posen

We started to pick up on the double denim trend when Chloe sent that fabulously slouchy and cool all denim look down the runway from Spring/Summer. Then there were the hugely famous ads from The Gap with some of our favorite and most current models. We like that one peice of denim is not enough, to wear this trend well, find a vintage denim shirt or jacket to wear on top and pair it with your favorite indigo denim on the bottom. Voila.