As we all know ruffles are huge this season and everywhere you turn.  Rarely though do you find something that is easy to wear whilst incorporating this trend unless you are of similar build to Kate Moss!  Warehouse have managed to pull if off with this shift dress by adding the ruffle detailing to the shoulders.  This my friends, is the best way to give yourself a slim line waist!  You are building out your shoulder line which in turn will give the illusion of a smaller waistline -  fact!  It’s such an elegant dress that could work well with plain opaques or print.  This dress is priced at €78.

If you are a fan of the bejeweled trend this season then Warehouse have that covered too.  This bejeweled neckline and waistline dress is so feminine and flirty.  Try to avoid opaques with this one and opt for sheer tights.  A cuff bracelet may add a little extra bling if that’s the look you are going for – dress costs €110

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Yes, we know, everywhere you turn Christmas smacks you in the face!  If it’s not gifts you have to think of getting it’s what to wear and how many times you can wear it without it being recognised (see our post on giving your LBD a makeover). Well, our friends at Littlewoods have done the hard work for us and picked out their top five budget friendly little black dresses, that should help ease the stress levels!

1. The first pick has a rock vibe and it’s a studded dress from Love Label.  This dress would also work really well with leggings and a tee underneath to dress it down.  Team them with pumps for day wear or killer heals for night and off you go.  The dress comes in at an amazing €59! (..couldn’t resist the shoes, also from Love Label at €44)

2. Love Label hit the ‘spot’ with this lace spot dress, again work with leggings and platform shoes or add some colour with red bow detail shoes… which ever takes your fancy.  It’s a bargain at €69!

3. OMG!  Can you believe the price of this dress – €39!  It’s a South bodycon dress, a huge style favourite with celebs, in particular Mrs. Beckham.  Paneling is a great minimizer for any larger chested ladies and you’ll be able to wear a bra under those wide straps.  Throw a fitted jacket on plus thick tights and you can wear it to work.

4. This is personal favourite, a bustier cut can look so elegant (as long as you are not pulling it up all night!), and this dress is no exception.  With an elasticated back you should get plenty of wear and not have to worry about the fabric stretching.  Again, you could put a tee underneath for day wear or a fitted jacket over it for the office. Better still, it comes in indigo which is to be huge next season, see our post on the D&G fashion show.  This South denim bustier is priced at €44.

5. We’ve brought this Amanda Wakeley dress to your attention before and we still love it! Luckily it’s hasn’t sold out – €159.

Even better, if you are buying three items from Littlewoods you’ll get the cheapest free!!  All the dresses shown are part of this offer so you could do very well if you are buying an entire outfit.

Whatever you decide to go for try to buy a dress that’s multifunctional by teaming it with different accessories, and it will get you right through crimbo and still manage to see you ring in the new year

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Well it’s that time of the year again… Christmas parties are coming up, and I know all you stylish ladies will be out searching for what to wear! Well I am all about the show-stopping numbers… but if you can find something that can also be transformed into a day-wear/casual option it’s a bonus.

This season there have been a few majorly directional trends that I’ll be focusing on…

Lets start with a little shift number from FCUK…. This dress hits all the right trends, it’s a gorgeous purple colour which suits pretty much every hair colour and skin tone. It has a great jewel adorned neckline and cuffs which means you don’t need to buy any accessories for this look. The sheer sleeves are great for keeping you warmer, but also for those of you who don’t like to show their arms it’s perfect and it can be teamed with tights for a more low-key look too… so great money saver.

Then we go for full on Dynasty glamour in this gold lame dress from Monsoon, with built in shoulders and the billowing sleeves you will be rivaling Alexis Carrington but in a more contemporary way. Tone it down for a night on the tiles with tights and boots… or go for A full on party look with bare legs (if you are brave enough) and statement shoes. Gold is a great classic staple other than black or white because you can be guaranteed every year it will still be a timeless colour, regardless of the trends.

Now this season sequin dresses were literally everywhere… and no doubt you’ll find a great version in every highstreet shop. But my favourite has to be the Mango one. It comes in a gorgeous midnight blue colour, and the sequins are slightly larger than normal which makes it way more flattering on the body. The big seller with this dress is the unusual back, it is backless with a mesh fabric insert for a little extra sex appeal… for maximum effect I would recommend wearing your hair up with this dress so everyone can admire the detail in full.

Okay so a Christmas party dress article just wouldn’t be complete without a mention from party dress heaven Karen Millen. Yes they are slightly more on the pricey side… but for those of you who don’t mind parting with the cash and really look for that show stopping outfit it’s the place to go. Their specialty is those structured satin dresses like this gorgeous red number. Taking inspiration from Roland Mouret and Victoria Beckham’s new line, this gorgeous dress has an origami style feature on the straps as well as diagonal panel lines, which create a more flattering cut for curvier figures.

A newer, sexier version of the LBD has appeared in Warehouse this Christmas season and is sure to be a sell-out. The sheer detail keeps it extremely sexy but at the same time you are technically covered up so slightly warmer and more appropriate if it’s a work do. The small cut-out detail at the sides create a smaller waist (YAY), and the velvet body keeps it bang on trend. There is a very similar one from Topshop too, with a heavy jersey body instead of the velvet, but equally sexy.

So looking for the perfect party dress this season keep a few things in mind… what suits YOU, if you can wear it again dressed down with boots and tights (or even as daywear) it’s a bonus… but not a necessity, and most of all… make sure it’s fabulous!

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The LBD is a must-have in every woman’s wardrobe and a Christmas party winner! The beauty of the LBD is that it can be updated to reflect the season’s biggest trends – all you need is a little inspiration. Littlewoods have sent us a snippet of their many accessories to give your LBD a Christmas party makeover. They are accepting orders up to the 19th December along with free delivery.

Littlewoods Ireland brings us its Top Ten Tips to inspire your Little Black Dress ahead of the Christmas party season:

1. Ditch the fake tan ladies! Leggings are all in this season. Not only do they add a bit of individual style but, they have the added bonus of giving much needed warmth to cold legs on a frosty December night! Go dramatic with Love Label Cut About leggings with cut away sides for an eye catching on trend look. €24

2. A girl can never have too many pairs of shoes and a black dress offers the perfect excuse to go all out with the brightest, highest heels for Christmas 2009! These Love Label Stacey peep toe platform sandals €44 stand out from the crowd! Available in metallic gold with mock lizard effect platform and multi-strap detail they instantly add that Christmas sparkle to your ensemble! And what’s more, they even have a padded in-sock for added comfort making them a must for dance floor divas!

3. A small metallic evening clutch is a great complement to a little black dress adding just a touch of shine for evening. Bags with sequins, beads and other embellishments are also terrific options. We love this South metallic diamante clutch in silver. €24

4. Make a show stopping entrance by teaming your LBD with the sheer luxury of this silver Teatro faux fur coat €119. A fabulous statement piece that will last for years to come.

5. A belt creates a slimming silhouette as well as adding interest to a plain black dress. This season opt for studs or beading with this Vintage style stud elasticated belt. €24

6. For a rock chic vibe, the LBD can take a walk on the wild side with this South leather biker jacket €99, and these Love Label stud detail platform boots €59. Complete the look with these bangles, €19.

7. This season’s key statement jewellery pieces give new life to any LBD. Think sparkle – this gorgeous pearl & diamante cuff is right on trend for Christmas 2009, reduced to €19!

8. Go for romantic, 1940’s Audrey Hepburn Hollywood glamour by wearing your LBD with these Redfoot Dita pumps €44 and this gorgeous pearl necklace and bracelet set €29.

9. Leopard print is back this winter but don’t overdo it! Team your LBD with this Love Label patent leopard print clutch €27, and waist belt set €24.

10. Black is a frame for colour that pops, and this season red is that colour! Team your LBD with these Love Label Lavish frill suede platform shoes €59 in red for ultimate drama with little effort. These shoes also come in purple and blue.

There you have the 10 commandments to dressing up your LBD.  Some of these ideas should get your creative juices flowing.  If any of you are particularly proud of your creations we’d love you to send us a picture for our street style section!

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The ultimate LBD for the festive season!  A classic wardrobe must-have to add glamour to any occasion! I reckon you might even get away with this in the office, throw a cardi or jacket over it with some opaques and away you go.  Dress it up with jewellery for night wear.  The short beaded black dress from Elements by Amanda Wakeley at €159 – bargain!

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We’ve put together a look from BT2 which is bound to brighten you up on this miserable day. Opagues are a must and if the weather continues team them with wellies!!! To start is the Manoush sheer flower apllique dress with leopard print detailing, a theme with their collection this season. This dress will cost you €410. The bag by Pauls Boutique is a fantastic burst of colour and will work with everything and is really well priced at €60!

Hair accessories are a must have if you want to be on trend and Friis have a great collection, this band in particular costing €35. So there you have it, a complete look from BT2. There’ve great pumps, boots or heals in store which will finish it off. All these items are available at all BT2 stores.

We had to include this beaded silver top by Free People, not part of the look but we loved it! What a great party top which could be worn so many ways, comes in at €125.

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Kate Moss‘ new Christmas ’09 collection has just hit Topshop. Kate’s gone for a luxurious line with a definite oriental feel encorporating high necks and kimono sleeve detailing. There is a real glamour to the collection with jewelled shoulders, sparkling knits and plenty of party numbers to have you arriving in style over the festive season.

Above we see Kate modelling her knitted China mini dress, with high neck detailing in a metallic bronze. Over that she wears her Jacquard evening coat with a swirl pattern and diamante buttons.

If you are feeling particularly ‘body proud’ then why not risk Kate’s sheer Rose Print blouse with kimono sleeves. Kate was spotted at Paris Fashion Week looking less than perfect in a plain sheer blouse and high waisted skirt which did nothing for her, this version seems to do her more justice. If you don’t want to expose yourself quite so much then the black Ostrich dress might be a safer option! You can’t really see the detailing here of the ostrich feather trim on the cuffs… or the fact that it’s a mini dress. This one is definitely worth having a closer look. Our favourite of all is Kate’s ice blue Sequin mini dress teamed so well with fish nets. Sequins are so hot this season and this dress is one of the best we’ve seen here at Wow.

If the party wear is all a bit too much for you Ms Moss has also designed some bed wear. Althernatively, a great pressie for someone that has everything. These Rose print silk pj’s come with their own silk pyjama bag so you don’t even have to worry about wrapping them!

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If one were to go trendspotting this season one might go a little dotty! Yes… Dots! We’ve seen the dreaded dot a lot – Luella, Marc by Marc Jacobs, Betty Johnson, Comme des Garcons, Chris Benz to name but a few… personally I’m not a big fan but hey, whatever rocks your world.

Selena Gomez was seen last month at the Teen Vogue party in this dotty Luella dress from their ’07 collection.

Victoria Beckham is always one to introduce the latest trends and was ‘spotted’ in this Marc Jacobs silk polka dot dress a while back, so it must be true!

We had a look around to see how you can buy in to this look and found the Oversized Dot dress by French Connection on asos.com for £60. Next on our hunt was this Spot Bellow Sleeve jacket on Awear.ie reduced from €50 – €35 (currently 30% off all their jackets), and the best of all from Warehouse, all over dot tights at €11! Dotty tights are a must have for your opaque collection this season and a discrete way of sporting the look.

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Just a snip of what’s available from Coasts on-line reductions, this would work well for the office. The Lyric skirt will team well with boots or shoes, opaques and is reduced from €110 to €50. Next to that the Jazmine shirt comes in black or white and is down from €90- €63. We love this Lauren Tier necklace, a bargain for €19 (great xmas pressie), originally €45.

If you are planning ahead and need something for the Christmas party season this Waterfall dress could do the trick now at €85. For anyone that still has weddings to attend there’s lots of head pieces and plenty more dresses so it could be worth a look.

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The great thing about attending a good boutique fashion show, rather than that of one particular designer, is that you get to see lots of different looks by different designers carefully selected and presented together in a highly wearable manner. This was certainly the case at last nights fashion show for Aria Boutique in the Village at Lyons in Celbridge.

Several different themes were presented, including Smart Casual, Statement Coats, Colour, 40′s, 80′s, Party Season and Couture. Stylist Cathy O’Connor guided us through each theme explaining how best to achieve the look in an accessible manner. For those worried about how to wear colour, Cathy explained that colour can be added to any outfit using tights and accessories. Many of the girlies in the audience had already worked this one out for themselves as there were loads of coloured tights and contrasting coloured boots and shoes visible on the attendees.

One of my favourite themes presented was the ruffles and bows and it was expertly demonstrated that the best way to achieve this look was to go for ruffles and bows on a trim. The 40′s theme with a fitted silhouette and fabulous headwear showed some beautiful outfits that would be great for a winter day event. One outfit was matched with long pearl necklace (see pic below), nothing new here, but it showed how to achieve that classic look perfectly.

The evening was presented by Rosanna Davidson, who looked fab in a silver and black sequin dress from Italian Designer, Fairly, which was also presented as part of the party theme. This party dress is totally on trend and is available at Aria Boutique for €420, expensive but I could imagine getting a few party seasons out of this dress.

Pictures from the 40′s and 80′s to inspire!

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