14 DAY TRIAL // This summer is all about bright colors, bold prints and oversize colored sunglasses - however, in the thrill of getting the latest in clothes and accessories, it's quite easy to allow ourselves to go over the top. And given the latest (literally) wild trends, it's no wonder we're sometimes tempted to overdo things just a little bit. Whether we're talking skin tone, shoes, the length of the skirt or the type of jeans and accessories we bring back home from the shops, have a look at the following very simple suggestions on how to avoid making a few unpardonable fashion blunders.
1. Fake perma-tans are no longer fashionable. Well, not that they ever were incredibly popular, and truth be told, the vast majority of women mostly use mild self-tanners in order to add a bit of color to their skin or to keep in the healthy natural bronze they got during their holidays. However, if any of you is thinking of pulling a Victoria Beckham any time soon, think again. The rich and famous usually think a deep glowing tan is slimming (by the way - not true) and go for it in order to remind their fans that they can - and do - spend most of their time on a beach in the Bahamas. If ever you get such ideas again, just think "Jordan". That should do it.
2.Skinny jeans are out. Skinny jeans have never been the most popular of trends in jeans history, but there was a time when you couldn't walk two feet in any direction without bumping into hordes of young girls showing off their Amy Winehouse moves, sporting skinny jeans, thin belts and grubby-looking shoes (preferably ballet flats to make the metaphor work better). However, skinny jeans are mercifully out this season. Still, if you're completely in love with your own pair and are stubbornly refusing to peel them off, here's a tip: only wear them if you have long slender legs and pair them with flats and camisole-style tops.
3.The hippy look is only for the very young and the very fresh. If you're over thirty, don't even think of putting on a maxi floral-patterned dress, as much as you'd like it. Also, floral dresses don't work too well with peroxide blond hair - or with any other intense hair color for that matter, with too much make-up or an over-the-top tan. Hippy is all about being fresh-faced, young and apparently carefree. It works well with wavy hair and simple accessories - like a floral necklace, for example.
4.Don't abuse the leopard print. It's one of the key trends this summer. However, stylists say there's a clear age cut-off for it. If you're in your twenties or early thirties, you have a go - other than that, leopard print will add to your age and make you look either frumpy or clownish. The same applies to leopard printed tights or leggings.
