Rock the boat this summer with the hugely popular nautical look!

The nautical look has again returned from sea and is proving massively popular this Spring/Summer. It is hardly surprising that it seems to appear every summer though, the sheer simplicity of the style ensures that anyone can pull it off, all you really need is a stripy T shirt, some flattering shorts and you’re half way to nailing it! For the more adventurous amongst us you may even want to invest in a sailor’s hat which are readily available at most vintage/fancy dress shops or eBay.

Here’s our pick of our favourite nautical treasures currently available:

Annie Greenabelle Nautical Jersey Dress – topshop.co.uk £29.00

Nautical Striped Jacket – Asos.co.uk £20.00

Leather Wedge shoes – Newlook.co.uk £40.00

The beauty of the nautical look is its versatility, it can be easily switched from smart to casual by just adjusting one item from the look.

Lots of Love

IL2L

Xoxo

The thought of bold animal prints brings only one image to mind, and that’s of Coronation Streets bubbly barmaid Bet Lynch.

She’s hardly viewed as being a style icon, and from day one had heads turning as soon as she arrived in the Rovers wearing some of the boldest, most vulgar animal prints this side of the Serengeti, in fact in one scrapped story line she was actually chased around Weatherfield park by a poacher having mistaken her for an escaped animal. I joke, but seriously I was astonished to hear about the resurgence of animal prints until I saw some of the more recent developments. Acclaimed designers such as Roberto Cavelli and Christopher Kane have reworked the once trashy style into a sophisticated versatile option perfect for all seasons.

The look itself is a risky one though! Done wrong you’ll look like a brassy barmaid, but get it right and you’ll be a desirable animal and the leader of the pack for sure! Here’s our guide to getting it right:

• Mixing animal prints with other prints such as tribal is no longer a fashion passé as proven by Christopher Kane’s current collection, that’s not to say that you can’t still overdo it by caping yourself in multiple prints though . If you were to throw together an ensemble consisting of what looks likes the result of a joy rider gone wild in a safari park you would still come out looking like you’d dressed yourself from the left over wallpapers from Peter Stringfellows house, and that is not a good look!  Remember Girls, sometimes less is more.

• Keep it simple, an animal printed handbag, or belt can make an equally beautiful statement and can really spice up an otherwise fairly bland outfit

• If you’re feeling particularly adventerous and really want to let your inner animal escape then you could combine an animal print dress or oversized T shirt with equally bright accessories and shoes.

This Bank Holiday Weekend see’s the start of the Summer Blockbuster season with Iron Man 2 paving the way for what is going to be a period jam packed with fantastic, high budget offerings and If this film is anything to set the bar by then we are in for a treat !

We catch up with Tony Stark Aka Iron Man 6 months after the end of the first film, where he is quickly learning the age old Marvel patented lesson that “with great power comes great responsibility”, having revealed the identity of his metallic, crime fighting machine at the end of the first film and “privatising world peace” everyone wants a piece of him, from the government who are trying to obtain the Iron Man technology, to a gaggle of super villains the main being Whiplash played by Mickey Rourke sporting the most unconvincing Russian accent ever!

Unfortunately, the world’s new interest in Iron Man could not come at a worse time for Stark, who finds out that the element used in the reactor that keeps his heart beating is slowly killing him, paternal issues ensue and it is through these that Stark finds a way to upgrade the Iron Man technology.

Following the huge success of the first film, there has been high expectations of director Jon Favreau to deliver a film as solid and enjoyable as the original. In terms of special effects and action packed scenes he far exceeds the level set by its predecessor however overall the film lacks the depth and humour of the first, the narrative is at times clunky and there are quite a few pointless scenes put in to pad the film out. Don’t get me wrong Iron Man 2 is not a bad film; far from it, it just suffers slightly from sequel syndrome.

Salut, Hallo, hej, ciao!
Over the past few months we have received alot of interest from our European friends across the pond interested in purchasing an IL2L product. I am pleased to announce that this service is now available with 2 options for you to choose from.
Further information can be found in our Delivery information section.

In yesterday’s post, we discussed the topic that’s dividing the nation; no not the election, leather shorts. This sparked so much head scratching and debate in the IL2L office that we have taken it upon ourselves to tackle a couple of other spring/summer trends which currently high up on the fashion agenda. What do you think?

Socks ‘n’ Sandals

This is a look that is literally everywhere at the moment and in a nod to ‘Gossip Girl’ styling we kinda like it. Just make you pair it with this seasons cute skater skirt and an across the shoulder Fiorelli bag.

Clogs

Controversial we know, but clogs are back and we for one are glad.

Mid-heels

OK, so we get that our little tootsies would welcome a break from the crippling six-inch heels we have subjected them to over the last couple of seasons, but we think that mid-heels optimise fashion middle ground so NAY! Don’t stand on the fence, just get a pedicure!

Lots of love,

IL2L

XXXX

We’ve checked and double-checked . . . leather shorts are in this spring/summer. It’s not a joke!

We all know that fashion likes to play little tricks one us. We shouted “NO WAY!” when we first heard about the return of the body and then harem pants and 6in platform wedges – yet. A few months later, we were squeezing ourselves into them and telling anybody who didn’t think we were drop-dead gorgeous to “stop laughing – it’s fashion!”

Every season presents us with one such item, and this spring/summer it’s leather shorts. When attempting this look brush aside images of The Village People and think sexy with an edge. They are much cooler than a leather mini and quite frankly if they are good enough for Kylie and Gwennie et al; they are good enough for us!

Lots of love,

IL2L

XXXX

A hat is a beautifully versatile accessory, with ease it can change the direction of any outfit. They’re crucial for completing a look in the summer, and ideal for keeping your head warm in the winter.

In recent years many of the old classics have been pulled out of the wardrobe and dusted off, and not only by the likes of you and Me. Here is our roundup of our favourite Male celebrity hat wearers, these guy’s are rarely photographed not wearing one!

Hugh Jackman

Who needs an oscar when you have the prestigous title of “Celebrity hat wearer of the year 2007” as voted by the Telegraph ? Hugh Jackman is a man who wears hats well, he looks effortlessley cool in this dark trilby hat, so much so that I am actually tempted to revoke my claim for 3 hours of my life back that I put in after having to watch Australia! Extra marks are also rewarded to Hugh for his cool leather jacket.

Johnny Depp

We couldn’t leave Mr Depp out of our list, after all he did play the Mad Hatter in this years adaptation of Alice in Wonderland, though we are not too sure the huge battered top hat would be looked upon favourably when walking into a local pub.

We much prefer Johnny in this simple, classic trilby hat though there are a lot of options to choose from, the man is rarely pictured not wearing some form of headwear!

Brad Pitt

Not instantly recognised as a style icon, however in recent years he has really upped his game. We think this flat cap works well with his rugged looks whilst still allowing him to look smart.

Keith Richards

An old classic, wearing an old classic ! The legendary Rolling Stones guitarist is constantly pictured wearing some form of headwear, and although you wouldnt necesarilly still put him in the same league as any of the forementioned, in his hay day this guy had more style than all of the above put together so you cant argue with that ! Here he is pictured below on his way to a fancy dress party dressed as Freddie Kruger on a night out wearing one of his favourites.

Before she was re-branded as the Bridget Jones for the size zero generation, everyone’s favourite girl-next-door, Jennifer Aniston, was something of a style icon: remember the haircut that launched a thousand copy cats, the laid back LA style that bagged her Brad Pitt? Yes, so do we . . .

But as brand ‘Brangelina’ was created, Aniston entered a sort of style wilderness for a few years. Her red carpet outfits – while un-offensive – were distinctly middle road and then came the press tour of, ‘The Bounty Hunter.’ It is not unfair to say that Jen’s red carpet attire is the most exciting thing about this mediocre rom-com and she has become the pioneer of an amazingly versatile new trend, the-evening-dress-with-jacket-look.

This is not about simply plonking a suit jacket over a pretty dress, oh no. The jacket must be long and tailored, the dress must be whimsical and ideally pastel and the heels must be killer.

Lots of love,

IL2L
xxxx

Something is happening in men’s styling at the moment; gone are the days where it was seen as ‘cool’ to look like you’ve just fallen out of bed, searched for last night’s tired old band t-shirt, worn jeans and accessorised with bad hair and scuffed trainers. No, no, that simply will no longer do for the Noughties man.

This weekend IL2L went out to enjoy the sunshine and was faced with an unfamiliar sight; swathes of stylish men in well fitted skinny jeans, beautifully tailored shirts and dapper ties. But one man – for the sake of this post, we will call him ‘The Brogue Man’ – stood out among all the rest. Yes he was wearing a similar sort of styling, but it was what was going on south of his skinnies that were interested in  . . . he was wearing the most beautiful pair of shiny brown Brogues we have ever seen and it totally pulled the whole look together.

When we enquired about said footwear, Brogue Man admitted to being a tad obsessed – “I have fifteen pairs and counting. They just make me feel like a gentleman.”

And that is what this new look in menswear is all about  . . .

Lots of love,

IL2L
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The late Alexander McQueen was known for pushing the boundaries of fashion and will certainly be remembered for this. He also had a great belief in traditional handcraftsmanship that made his pieces such a work of art.

His raw talent shines through in his pieces, he will be remembered by learning from conventions and then building on them to make something completely out of the ordinary.

His team worked to finish 16 looks which McQueen had been working on. These were shown to a small group of people in Paris as a tribute to their mentor.

Fashion Journalist Kristin Knox has written a book about McQueen’s life entitled ‘Genius of a Generation’ which teaches us about his childhood right up to his unfinished work for his 2010 collection. The book will be released in the UK in May 2010 and Pre-orders are already being taken through Amazon. We will definitely be getting our hands on a copy.

Lots of love,
IL2L XXX