Spotlight: The Gate Boutique Guildford

This week we have gone to Guildford in search of chic holiday wardrobe. We came across the The Gate Boutique in Angel gate (on the same street as Courtyard) its a great little fashion find. When you first come across it you might not be 100% sure if this is something you go for, trust us keep going, walk in and discover the amazing things it has inside.

They stock J Brand jeans, and have a great selection, they also have Alexander Wang, but what is also very cool about this shop it has a stock of designers which arent as well known to everyone, but if you like fashion across Europe would definetly know them. We love the styles in this boutique, because it dares to be different. We discovered some of the prettiest fabrics and cuts. 

If you are planning a holiday to a super resort, or a boutique hotel, then this is the place you need to shop, the outfits are very St Tropez, Barbados chic. 

Imagine the scene, beautiful dresses which work on a lunchtime soiree, after being on the beach, these outfits are so gorgeous they give you an instant glam. 

The daytime sandals are just perfect for adding a print in a subtle way, and the sun hats are simple but flattering. They stock a full wardrobe so everything can come from under one roof.

Our favourite 'must have' is the tye dye dress, it is beautifully made, and will make you look a million dollars and even if your not going on a holiday yet and have lots of summer time invitations then this dress will take you through. It is also a classic, so if looked after it is something to keep and bring out next summer season without ageing. We love an anti ageing dress, we think investment pieces provide this!

Overall we think this store carries something special, and it is high quality. The price tag is a wide range, and can cater to all. The labels are mixed, and I would say have been chosen for style and quality.

Next time you are in Guildford pop in and say hi - have a wonder around, and perhaps try something on...

Fashion: Jump into summer

One of our favourite designers here at Stylekt11 has to be Stella Macartney and if there is one this Stella does better than anything else, its a jumpsuit.

Ok so we all remember the silky bright blue ones with huge shoulder pads that our Mum's wore in the 80s (or maybe that's just mine!), but they've come a long long way since then.

Now you may be thinking "there's no way I can pull off a jumpsuit". Well, you are wrong. Get the right cut and the right fabric and they're actually more flattering that any top/trouser or top/skirt combo. The reason being they are made of one piece of fabric and whether patterned or plain, they therefore elongate the body, rather than breaking it up in the middle. Simple.

Whether going for a trouser jumpsuit or a short one, always go for a fluid fabric such as a fine jersey or silk as it will just hang that much better. Denim and even some cottons are a bit too bulky around the middle so steer clear (unless you are stick thin like Miss Moss of course!).

Next, you will need a belt as most jumpsuits are elasticated around the middle. I love a gold elasticated belt for this as it will go with every single colour or pattern. Whether thin or chunky, once coupled with a pair of gold gladiator flats (for daytime) or heels (for evening), it just works perfectly.

Below are a few of our favourite jumpsuits and we've matched them with an array of accessories so you can mix and match to your heart's content!

Floral shorts jumpsuit £50 - Topshop, Valentino flats £540 - net a porter

AQAQ bandeau tailored jumpsuit £105, Asos

Havalta strappy heels £69 - selfridges.com

White playsuit  £625 - Stella McCartney, gladiator flat sandal £30 - London Rebel, gold plated Sophie Hulme belt £119 - Fenwicks

Fashion: Coral focus

The sun is out…quick, strip off and get your pasty self exposed! 

My favourite colour for complementing that summer glow has to be coral. It starts with my mani/pedi and then by July it has taken over my wardrobe. 

First of all, I need to get something out of my system and share with everyone. This gorgeous Roland Mouret dress. I fell in love with it on first sight - the tone, the cut, the flash of white on the train. If only I had a red carpet event or the budget!

 Roland Mouret @ Selfridges - £2,225

                

Ok, lusting over and on to serious business. Inspired by Mr. Mouret, we've rounded up our favourite coral crushes to share with you. Add a splash with these gorgeous Jimmy Choo heels or own it in these Whistles cropped pants with a simple white tee.

Coral looks especially good with turquoise as shown in this gorgeous DVF printed maxi. Wear it with a nipped in white blazer for a formal occasion or your favourite wedges for that summer BBQ we're all going to be attending at every opportunity. 

Heels: Jimmy Choo, Pants: Whistles, Shirt: Alice & Olivia @ The Outnet, 

Maxi: DVF @ Netaporter, Shorts: Zara

If your not feeling quite brave enough to wear coral, but you still want to add a splash of coral, why not try accessorising. We especially love this scarf from Matches and earrings from Aurelie Bidermann.

Bracelet: Links of London, Nail Polish: Space NK, Scarf: Matches Fashion, 

Clutch: Accessories, Earrings: Aurelie Bidermann

Fashion: Cheap v chic

I love a bargain as much as I love designer clothes, but my issue with designer is that I can't always justify the financial outlay. Therefore if I really want something I try my hardest to try the high street version first.

My shoe obsession continues to be strong this season and with so many styles to choose from, I have to apply my high street shopping rule to get all the ones I want within my budget.

I fell in love with these Isabel Marant shoes, but as beautiful as they are, I did not fall in love with the price tag. You can therefore imagine how excited I was when trawling the high street to find these similar ones from Marks & Spencer of all places! 

Although not exactly the same, they really do feel fabulous and  the price is pretty good too. I have had them for a month and have had the opportunity to wear them 4 times already. Not only are they great to look at, but they dress up any outfit and are super comfy. The heel is so similar to the Isabel Marant version, the only difference is they don’t go as far up the leg, but as I wear them with trousers its not a problem for me.

Isabel Marant - £570

M&S Autograph - £55

Fashion: Dressing to the max

The maxi dress is such a staple in my wardrobe, especially come summer…. 

For me it's the "go to" when I'm unsure on what to wear. Dressed up, dressed down, anything goes. With summer BBQ's, weddings, festivals, the beach and balls all around the corner, here's a round up of our favourites. 

Add plenty of gold jewellery & a denim jacket for dressed down, or dress these beauties up with structured blazer & clutch for a more formal look: 

L-R: ASOS-£25, Tucker@The Outnet-£148, Mango-£90, Tibi@Netaporter-£525

These ones are perfect for a summer BBQ or a chic festival look:

L-R: Hilfinger@ASOS-£85, Camilla@Matches-£545, Zara-£59

Throw these over a bikini or toughen up with a leather biker jacket:

L-R: Velvet-£160, River Island-£30, ASOS-£55

Fashion: The message is in the flowers

As some of you may know, one of us at Stylekt11 is a blogger by day but an illustrator by night. Or vice versa, but you get the idea. I basically love to draw, paint, sketch and produce beautiful pieces of artwork. So imagine my delight when I discovered new Brit brand 'Language of Flowers' this week. 

They produce beautifully crafted luxe T-shirts and vests made from eucalyptus pulp with a luxuriously soft finish. In a romantic twist they will then adorn these with gorgeous  hand-drawn illustrations and stylised flower images to get their messages across: lime blossom (passion), apple thom (temptation) and forget-me-not (self explanatory!).

The concept was inspired by the Victorian era in Great Britain, when people weren’t allowed to express their feelings out loud, instead communicating with each other through the gift of flowers. Every flower you see today is symbolic and has its own meaning - red roses on Valentines day to symbolise true love for example. 

LOF want to revive the traditions and bring back romanticism. That coupled with their love of fairy-tales, books, dreams and friendship result in a beautiful collection of T-shirts and vests. Below are a few of our favourites but you can see the full collection on www.ilovelof.com

Chrysanthemum tank - £49, Apple Blossom boyfriend Tee - £55, Phlox Tee - £58

Fashion: Neoprene - not just for wetsuits

I have written recently about a wedding I went to in New Orleans and in detail about what I packed and what I bought. One thing I didn't write about though was what I wore to the wedding itself. A multicoloured neoprene dress from Zara with Louboutin heels and an oversized flower (and I mean oversized!) instead of a hat.

This dress started my love affair with all things neoprene. Until now I have always associated it with wetsuits and children's swim shorts, but a thinner, totally wearable version has been making waves of it's own of late.

Designers are channelling it in just about every way possible - skirts, tops, dresses, even jeans. I have to say I was amazed at just how comfortable and flattering it is. The nature of the fabric means if its worn tight, as in my dress for the wedding, it sucks you in. If worn looser and gathered, on say a peplum top or a knee length full skirt, it falls perfectly hiding a multitude of sins. Whichever way you wear it, it just works. 

Below are our picks of the best the high street and designers have to offer:

Clockwise from top left: River Island shoes £55, ASOS Neoprene floral jumper £21, Whistles neoprene structure sweatshirt £85, J Brand neoprene legging-style jeans £310, Zara neoprene sweatshirt £25.99 and ASOS Neoprene Bonded Bra Insert Skater Dress £33