Spring's Best Guilt-Free Accessories

Originally posted in The CLOSET

Call them the 'icing on the cake' or the 'cherry on top' or the 'Justin Bieber to your Selena' but you have to admit, no outfit is ever as good without amazing accessories.  Take your typical jeans and a tee:  on their own - total Dullsville. But add a great pair of wedges, some aviator shades and a beautiful bag and you're suddenly Jennifer Aniston (without the private cars and Hollywood mansions, mind you). 

Every season, designers send certain extras down the runway that resonate with the fashionable set, making lobes, wrists and necks feel suddenly empty without them.  This spring, the new It zone is the ear.  Yes, that's right, the oversized earring is back, bringing to mind ancient Egyptian goddesses with their lobe-defying  danglers.  The new earrings highlight the face and are a huge departure from the minimalist earrings we've seen for so many seasons.  If you're not the big earring type, go for statement necklaces and stacked bangles to colour your world.  Speaking of colour, accessories followed clothing trends with pretty pastel pumps and sweet minaudieres looking positively ladylike.  For the more daring among you, go for bold, bright neons to add a little party rock to your look.  For metallics, both silver and gold are totally on-trend.  Keep your silver accents sleek with clean lines and simple silhouettes, or go for the gold with 1920's-inspired deco gold and black extras. As for print, earthy tribal extras, kitschy Hawaiian prints and fun florals will be your new spring go-to's. 

I love the power of killer accessories but want to know the part I like best of all?  They always fit.  Yay! 

She Sells Seashells

A sculptural, Chanel-inspired, Starfish Ring, $4.95, H&M

It’s totally tempting to buy into the latest trends - after all, every blog, magazine, and style site (guilty as charged) tells us we MUST have them. While these might not qualify as ‘musts’, read on for 10 spring trends actually worth trying out (for reals) with real life ways to wear each.  Have you started your spring shopping list yet?  

In the Pink

Slim-Fit Trousers, $40, H&M VS. Tibi Tapered Silk-Crepe Pants, $350, Net-a-Porter

Be pretty in pink with a pair of rose-coloured trousers, which will instantly add femininity to your work wardrobe. Try teaming them with a classic white shirt, pointy-toed pumps, and a gutsy graphic necklace. Looking for more low vs. high finds to get a head-start on your spring wardrobe?  Check out my latest gallery at iVillage.ca.

A Marni March at H&M

A model ties one on, with help from Marni's Creative Director and Founder, Consuelo Castiglioni, and H&M's Creative Advisor, Margareta van den Bosch for H&M's latest collaboration.

Hot on the heels of Versace's line for H&M, the Swedish retailer is keeping it bellissima with yet another famed Italian brand - Marni.  One of fashion's most-loved labels, Marni is known for its playful prints and unexpected colour combos.  The latest collaboration will be available starting March 8th, 2012 and includes both clothing and accessories for men & women at H&M's affordable prices, meaning we will all be able to own a little piece of Marni.  Dreamy!

“I wanted to create a true Marni wardrobe by revisiting all our favourite pieces in signature fabrics and prints. As always, I love juxtaposing prints and colours, mixing modern tribal with Bauhaus graphic and adding sporty utilitarian elements,” says Consuelo Castiglioni, Founder and Creative Director.

“We all love the collection here at H&M and we believe that our customers will do the same. Marni has such a modern touch with everything they do, mixing prints and accessories in a playful but chic way. It’s fantastic to see how Consuelo Castiglioni coordinates her designs, matching new combinations of prints and colours, with such incredible craftsmanship behind every piece. The collection will arrive in stores at just the perfect time, as a lovely statement for spring,” comments Margareta van den Bosch, H&M's Creative Advisor.

Marni’s collection for H&M is full of all-over prints that both match and clash, yet are intended to be layered. For women, the colours are vivid, and the prints are bold.  The silhouettes are all Marni staples, with full pleated skirts, dresses, cropped pants and jacquard knits; fabrics range from silk to crisp cotton poplin. To complete the look, the collection also includes jewelry, shoes, bags and scarves.

For men, the colours and fabrics are softened for a relaxed take on menswear staples. The use of prints is subtle; they often appear as a lining or as a contrast detail for shirts; the silhouette is a modern, relaxed take on masculine classics

The Versace collection was totally, fabulously, OTT, but I can guarantee that the Marni pieces will be way more wearable.  Check back soon for pics from the collection - will post as soon as I can get my paws on them.

P.s - Did you see those metallic sandals?  Dying.

Versace for H&M = Glamorama for All

Versace for H&M's Lookbook - modeled by the glorious Abbey Lee Kershaw (images: KACPER KASPRZYK)

I wouldn't exactly call myself a Versace girl.  If Donatella had her way with me, she'd dye my hair platinum blonde, pump collagen into my lips while adhering fake lashes to my eyes and, after throwing me to the floor and holding me down with her 6-inch heels, attack me with a bedazzler while screaming, 'VICTORYYYY!!!' Donatella has always scared me a little - see below: (not new but still funny..) 

And yet, there's a side to Versace that's so OTT, that it's actually kind of good.  And now that the label is coming to H&M, I might just get my glam on.  The latest collaboration sees iconic Versace pieces, reimagined for H&M - think wild prints, bold colour and sexy dresses.  

"The collection for H&M is the essence of Versace. For the collaboration we've brought back from the archives, as well as from more recent collections, some of the icons of Versace such as the bright prints, the Greek key and daring cuts. I can't wait to see how H&M’s wide audience will make these pieces their own." Donatella Versace.   

In the market for a perfect party dress?  The collection is available in Canada on November 19th at select H&M stores (Eaton Centre, Yorkdale, Bloor, Peel/St.Catherine (Montreal), and Pacific Centre (Vancouver) (just in time for the holidays) and prices range from $19.95 to $299.

Be sure to check out more from the Versace for H&M lookbook in my article at ivillage.ca