I find items such as designer clothing have the best reductions after Christmas and into the new year as stores look to get rid of autumn/winter stock, so you can find bargains on brands such as Firetrap, Police 883, Diesel, Voi and Franklin & Marshall to name but a few. The best items to look for are those which you need, because it isn’t a good deal if you don’t actually need what you are buying, which is why sale time is my favourite time to buy items such as jeans, shirts and jumpers. Look for items which are not too fashion forward, basics are the best so next year you don’t look like your wearing last season’s clothes.

If you are a bit of a label hound then checking out outlet stores to see their bargains is a good idea, outlets normally have the best prices but at sale time there is normally a lot more off which means you can pick up your favourite labels from places like Designerwear at a fraction of the original cost.

Whatever you buy make sure you get the best deal this sale time and if you find you have too many clothes why not be charitable and pop them into clothing banks.

Some of the top women’s designer clothing brands include Dolce & Gabbana, Prada, Gucci, Marc Jacobs, Chanel, Vivienne Westwood, DKNY, Ralph Lauren, Guess, Armani Exchange, Abercrombie and Fitch and Cavallaro, but there are so many others to consider.

Dolce & Gabbana is sometimes shortened to D&G and is very popular amongst women.  They are an Italian fashion brand, offering a range of luxurious and stylish clothing.  Their Dolce&Gabbana designs are very formal and timeless, so can be worn over a long period of time and never look dated.  The D&G range has a more casual urban feel, with unique styles on show.

Prada and Gucci are also well known Italian labels and tend to specialise in leather goods such as shoes and handbags, but also stock clothing.  Chanel is a French fashion brand and is expert in the haute couture sector.  Its style can be described as one of casual elegance.
 
DKNY stands for Donna Karan New York and is an American fashion brand.  The designer offers trendy clothes aimed more at the younger market and covers a range of items for women, including accessories, clothes and general fashion.

Logos

Yellow and white outfits can make fair skin look even lighter, so if fair, steer clear of these.  Red and green colours can look great on those who have dark hair; while bright shades can make other hair tones stand out more.

Women with a dark skin tone can get away with light colours; so think white, green, yellow and pink and if possible they should avoid wearing dark colours.

If someone has an olive complexion then neutral coloured dresses are the way to go, making grey, black and brown ideal.  Red and blue may also work well. Plus don’t be afraid to make a statement with your dress, with some funky styles from Designerwear for Gio Goi.

Regarding body sizes, women with larger chests should not go for high necklines, as they can make the outfit look frumpy and accentuate the size.  Low cut dresses are much better and will enhance the more generous figure.  For those who wish to hide their tummy, empire line or flared designs can work well.  Adding a necklace or scarf can also distract from this area in order to bring focus to the upper half of an outfit. 

Black can also be a very flattering colour, as it helps to create a visual slimming effect to the eye, as well as looking elegant and classy.

Smaller chested women can get away with high necklines and long sleeves, but low necklines can also work, especially with a push up bra to add more shape and femininity.  Avoid going for dresses with large patterns or prints on as these can swamp the wearer.

Tres Chic: Fur and Leather

Gucci’s autumn and winter collections feature an adorable double-breasted coat with an overflowing fur collar, and an orchid hush melange wool and cashmere coat.  The Mongolian fur trimming makes a remarkable style statement.  Arguably one of the most coveted skirts in the celebrity wardrobe this season is the malachite green and deep teal patterned skirt.  The skirt is paired with a deep teal shadow fox fur jacket.  Cognac is the colour to make a girl look like a million dollars in a Gucci leather strapless dress.  The shadow fox fur line of wristlets, and collars in cherry and teal emphasise a stepping away from conventional theme colours to a rich bouquet to ring in the holiday season.

Gucci – A Tradition of Excellence

Gucci’s focus this season appears to break the traditional notions that bind leather and fur by producing a line of clothes and accessories that use colours and designs that set the runway on fire.

Gucci Autumn/Winter 2011/12

Her debut collection will offer two T-shirts, two pairs of jeans, a black leather biker jacket and a bag. The designs on one of her t-shirts features an emblem that combines Rihanna’s ‘R’ logo with the Emporio Armani eagle whilst the other t-shirt which is baggier in fit will have an outline of the singer’s face over an animal print background.

There is also a similar mottled effect which is repeated on the canvas bucket-backpack which has an eco-leather trim and pendant charm in branded metal. The jeans which Rihanna also designed come in two cuts; skinny or Rihanna’s favourite – a ‘boyfriend’ style which has a tight leg.

Finally her lingerie collection is ultra-feminine, for everyday wear and comes in cobalt blue or pearl grey.

The collection by Rihanna for Armani is currently available nationwide.

Rihanna for Armani

One year later, Gaultier went on to work with Jacques Esterel and Jean Patou but returned to manage Cardin’s Manila boutique in 1974.  After a year at the boutique, Gaultier went on to design his own collection, which was released in 1976.  Gaultier seduced many a fashion editor with his unique creativity and mastery of tailoring.  In 1985, he presented the man-skirt and produced Madonna’s infamous sculptured cone bra for her 1990 Blond Ambition Tour.  He later went on to design the wardrobe for her Confessions Tour of 2006.  Gaultier also designed outfits for Marilyn Manson, Mylene Farmer and Kylie Minogue. 

Gaultier’s 1997 haute couture line brought him immense success.  Through this collection, Gaultier drew inspiration from dramatically divergent cultures, from imperial India though to Hasidic Judaism.  At the height of his success, Gaultier assumed the role of creative director at Hermes from 2003 to 2010.

Many of Gaultier’s past collections have been influenced by popular culture.  Other collections, particularly his Haute Couture collections, have exhibited an air of formality while remaining unusual and playful.  Gaultier is known for his shock tactics such as using older men and fuller-figured women in his catwalk shows.  Pierced and tattooed models have also featured in the past. 

Gaultier’s active labels include Jean Paul Gaultier and Gaultier PARIS.  In addition to being a fashion designer, Gaultier is known for his line of fragrances.  His debut women’s fragrance, Classique, was introduced in 1993 while his debut men’s fragrance, Le Mâle, followed two years later.  Further fragrances have followed. 

Fashion and fragrances aside, Gaultier launched a dance single entitled “How To Do That” in 1988 and presented the television series, Eurotrash.

Jean Paul Gaultier – Unconventional Haute Couture

Calvin Klein’s colour palette for Autumn/Winter 2011 has also come to reflect the “down to earth” theme.  With more paired down tones such as grey, brown, beige and black, the look is more subdued than eccentric.  The result of a serious colour palette and more realistic, functional fit is a masculine line that is stylish without being frivolous.

Firstly you can break the trends up into decades; many designers took inspiration from fashions past and opted for designer clothes with a look of the forties, seventies and even the eighties. Key pieces from these decades include pencil skirts, pussy bow blouses, flared jeans and wide leg trousers and bright colours and PVC clothes.

Colour trends this season are simple, bright block colours and gem tones, quite simple really. The bright colours of autumn include mustard yellows, pillar box red and moss greens and gem tones are sapphire, topaz, amethyst, ruby and opal for example.

Block colours

Materials are also fairly vast look out for chiffon, lace, sheer materials which have a retro feel of the seventies as well as tweed, tartan and quilting which are very forties. Heavy materials as well such as cord, canvas and wool, these fit into the heritage trend. PVC, plastics and leather are also a must have for those wanting to channel the eighties or their inner dominatrix.

This party season it’s not just about the LBD, party dresses have a grown up glam about them think sequins and sparkles in this season’s hottest colours mentioned above, look out for lots of style and structure. The best thing about this season is the trends from different eras which mean you can easily find something to suit your body shape!

This season retro is the theme with a lot of trends, in are the forties, sixties, seventies and even some hints of the eighties. Now with these trends you don’t have to match the exact era, there is no law on your fashion accuracy so pick out aspects of each trend that suits your style and body shape, plus you probably find that you can mix and match different eras and still look cool!

Not only that you can also experiment mixing and matching with other trends such as heritage or collage styles. For these trends you only really need one or two key pieces; a quilted jacket, plaid skirts or corduroy trousers for example. Brown earthy tones and rich berry colours are the epitome of autumn and also fit perfectly into collage cool and heritage.

This season jeans wise there is a lot more choice in fashion, skinny jeans aren’t the only ones dominating, for autumn/winter 2011/12 we see a welcomed return to the flared jean and boot cut jean, which cover a wide range of body shapes. Designers have also been playing around with coloured denim, so look out for jeans finder showcasing a range of denim in reds, yellows, greens and brows, perfect to mix up your wardrobe.

Denim trends

Well actually you may not have to go without your must have brands such as Police jeans, Firetrap, Diesel and Wrangler. If you’re a savvy shopper and ready to hunt around you can find these brands at knock down prices.

One of the best places to start is the internet, you can find out a wealth of information on designer discounts and a hoard of voucher codes. Signing up to your favourite brands email mailing list will open you up to offers they are running plus links to their social network pages which you can find offers, deals and completions on. Voucher code websites are also handy and if there is something you have an eye on check to see if you can find a voucher code to get you money off or even free delivery.

If you’re out and about you can also use your mobile if it is internet enabled, many network providers can show you where to find deals, or you can find apps that also help you find deals where you are through GPS.

You can also look for discount stores, on the internet or the highstreet, discount out lets tend to buy in bulk to deliver you the best prices on fashion favourites such as Voi jeans and Gio Goi which means you can make great savings on your favourite brands when you need to be saving money.