Elaborate or simple, summer will be a swirling collage of patterns and prints

Words: Tracey Strange Watts

Steady yourself for the riot: prints, polka dots, swirls, florals and paisleys rocked the European spring/summer catwalks. Fashion houses Jil Sander, D&G and Etro sent their models out in billowing silk clouds of meadow florals; Rochas kept up the sophistication with feminine dresses that served as lessons for all in the proper use of patterns.

New Zealand designers certainly aren’t bucking the trend. Expect to see grown-up polka dots (at Tanya Carlson) and strong geometric patterning such as that by Adrian Hailwood. Karen Walker kept it sweet with tea dresses in bluebell-coloured florals, while Kate Sylvester’s spring/summer lookbook revealed a careful patchwork of swirls and spots.

The best thing about all this? Mixing prints and patterns gives us the chance to totally individualize our looks. Bring on the sun.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Karen Walker Resort dress $660.                  D&G, fashion week, Milan.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

Everyone can do with a make-over. The question is: how often? The answer is: more often than you might think. Words: Tracey Strange; Photos: Belinda Merrie

Here are the keep-your-cool elements needed for an easy summer wardrobe. Words & Styling Tracey Strange; Photographs Belinda Merrie.

It used to be reasonably difficult to pick up pretty resort wear in New Zealand. Glamour and the beach weren’t a natural fit in the Kiwi psyche. But not any more. Now, you can’t go past a fashion shop (or a lifestyle-interiors store for that matter) without being offered floaty kaftans, sheer cover-ups and stylish sarongs.

Clockwise from top left: See by Chloe maxi, $579, from Workshop, (09) 304 0440. Max dress, $169, 0800 MAX SHOP with Ketz-ke belt, $45, (09) 410 7740. Tie-dyed dress, $220, from TK Store, (09) 368 4498. Ketz-ke dress, $180, (09) 410 7740.

Clockwise from top left: Max dress, $99, 0800 MAX SHOP. Duchess puff- hem dress, $189, (09) 520 0441. Ketz-ke top, $160, (09) 410 7740. Ketz-ke top, $118, (09) 410 7740.

Summer’s on its way and so too is a host of social events. Here are a few fashion ideas to get you into the party spirit. Words & Styling Tracey Strange; Photographs Belinda Merrie.

One of the best things about summer is that it’s usually easier to slip on a sundress and sandals for a barbecue than it is to get all frocked up for a winter event. But we are about to enter the silly season where most of us are bombarded with functions, whether they are casual cocktails around the pool, family dinners, after-work drinks or more glamorous Christmas events.

Here, then, are a few suggestions for keeping you cool when the weather’s hot. And for ensuring you spend less time working out what to wear and far more time enjoying yourself.

The barbecue

Clockwise from top left: Kingan Jones lilac top, $215; Levi’s cuffed shorts, $94.90; Mi Piaci sandal, $190; Farmers bangle, $15.99; Levi’s striped tank, $49.90; Kmart skirt, $60.

The family lunch

Clockwise from top left: Glassons cardigan, $39.99; Juliette Hogan dress, $339; Briarwood bag, $229; Mi Piaci heel, $200; Glassons dress, $49.95.

 

 

Five fashion tips... for making that wardrobe work.

Get a grip. It isn’t rocket science... if you open your wardrobe and clothes and shoes fall out in a disorderly jumble, it’s going to be a bit stressful getting dressed in the morning. Being organised is one-part effort, two-parts routine. Begin by grouping your clothes and accessories into categories – skirts, dresses, pants etc. Now either chuck out or recycle anything you haven’t worn in the past year. Separate the remaining items into summer/winter and pack away the winter woollies. Hang the items in groups – skirts on one rack, blouses on another. Ensure dresses and coats have enough space to fall properly and that your shoes are tidily lined up or stacked. That’s the exertion part over, now the routine. It’s just a case of hanging clothes up each night on the same hanger you removed them from; shoes go back in the same space. If garments aren’t wedged in, you can wash and iron them safe in the knowledge that your domestic efforts won’t be wasted once you’ve put them away.

Don’t buy too many shoes. Unless you have a house big enough for special shoe storage, you’re going to be packing your stilettos away in boxes. Once out of sight, you will no doubt forget about them. Spend as much as you can afford on a new pair of quality shoes each season and wear them to death. Good shoes do make an outfit and no one – including you – is going to get sick of the sight of a splendid pair. 

Beauty editor Tracey Strange picks a few standout men’s fragrances for Father’s Day.

Clockwise from top left: YSL La Nuit De L’Homme, $107 l Gucci by Gucci Pour Homme, $111 l Shiseido Zen For Men, $95 l Narciso Rodriguez For Him, $105 l Prada Amber Pour Homme, $99 l Baldessarini Del Mar, $96 l Terre d’Hermès, $113.

If men only truly understood the power of fragrance, they would be splashing it on as regularly as they flick the toothpaste lid. Research by the Kinsey Institute proves that while men might be initially attracted to the way a woman looks; women can fall in love at the first whiff. Fragrance, and not just the smell of skin, is far more compelling for women when it comes to sexual attraction.

Men might not be that quick to notice the power of perfume but it hasn’t escaped those beauty companies involved with male grooming products. Many aim their marketing at women almost as much as men. The result has been a huge increase in cologne sales and a rush of new fragrance releases over the past year or so.

So, just in time for Father’s Day, here’s our pick of some of the best.

YSL La Nuit De L’Homme, $107

Tracey Strange reports on easy ideas to make an instant difference to your look. Photography: Belinda Merrie.

It isn’t always easy taking stock of how you look. Self-esteem issues aside, it involves time – not to mention the prospect of a makeup-budget blowout – to evaluate whether your cosmetics are working for you. But changing the way you do your hair and face is often the simplest – and most cost-effective – way of avoiding getting stuck in a rut. From makeup myths to simple quick-fixes, here are some beauty tips and tricks to keep you up to date.

DAY TO NIGHT

1) Apply dark shadow to the crease of the eye. Then, using the same shadow and an angled brush, create a more dramatic line under your bottom lashes. Smudge the line with the brush or a cotton bud.

2) Strengthen brows with a brush and brow powder or by subtly pencilling them in (use a light ‘feathering’ technique). The powder or pencil can be darker than your natural brow hairs but only by a few shades.

3) Applying bold lipstick is an easy way to add drama to the mouth, especially if you’re wearing black. But if brights aren’t for you, combine your usual lipstick with a darker liner from the same tonal family. The pencil must be fully blended into your lips. Gloss applied to the centre of the lips gives a fuller, sexier look. You can also try one of the new-season high-impact lip lacquers, which have higher levels of colour pigment and therefore remarkable staying power.

4) Rather than adding more blusher, try sweeping a sheer layer of bronzing powder down from your temples over your cheekbones (and existing blusher) and ending at the apples of the cheeks. Make sure it’s well blended into the hairline.

Boots and a coat are two of the costliest wardrobe investments you’ll make. Here’s how to choose items that will last more than one season. Words & styling: Tracey Strange; photographs: Belinda Merrie.

If you get up each morning thinking you have nothing to wear, it won’t be because you’re a hopeless shopper. Clothing shortfalls occur because you haven’t been able to spend the time, not necessarily the money, on organizing a workable wardrobe. Getting value out of clothing and accessories requires planning and a methodical approach to shopping. What are the rules of investment dressing? And how do you apply them to two of the priciest items you’re likely to buy this winter – coats and boots? If you’re wondering if something is worth those zeroes, consider the following.

Do you love it? It’s possible your wardrobe is full of separates you adored at the time of purchase but now resent because you don’t know what to wear them with. Even the most expensive item is worth the money if you are prepared to wear it to death. Something you love also has the added bonus of making you feel fantastic each time you put it on.

Left: Max belted coat, $229, (09) 307 3339,with Decjuba knit scarf, $49, (09) 520 0955. Right: Alberto Fermani knee boot, $820, from Runway, (09) 522 0808.

When times are tough, you need to make your wardrobe work harder. Tracey Strange has the scoop on investment dressing.

Fashion and beauty editor Tracey Strange with some seasonal makeover tips.