The LBD

The ‘little black dress’, the LBD, was associated with my teenage imagination, as the pinnacle of sophistication, sexuality and adulthood. I knew I would ‘get in’ and that I would ‘pull’ in my slinky black number, as an underage clubber in a sleazy club. Although I believed I was a sophisticated fifteen-year-old vixen, in reality I was a child wearing slutty cheap lycra with sequins and thus the LBD became a tainted memory of childish sexuality.

As a result I had very ambivalent feeling about the LBD, and by the time I was eighteen, I found the LBD a boring wardrobe choice. I became obsessed with metallic silver dresses worn with over-sized Jack Wills shirts, hot-pink tutu skirts worn with large graffiti converse boots and leather jackets and a striped dress from Kai Kaur rai. I had a Topshop LBD obsessive blip for a few months but it wasn’t until recently, at the tender age of twenty-three I discovered why LBD, how LBD and when LBD.

WHY LBD

Why do magazines covet them, why do women wear them, what distinguishes the LBD from the little grey dress, the little blue dress, the little red dress? The truth is, my teenage association of the LBD as sophisticated adult sexuality was right. There is something dangerously flattering about black, when worn in the right way, for every woman.

 

HOW LBD

The elongated black silhouette cuts a powerful figure, accentuates your curves, and flatters your sides, in a way that no other colour manages. Think of the LBD as the shadow effect, smoothing everything out and emphasising your curves. The colour is safely sophisticated, yet dramatic, and that is often what we require ourselves to be.

WHEN LBD

As a teenager the LBD looks like a child dressing up and asking for fun. For the powerful woman and her proportions, the LBD works in a much more interesting way. It needn’t be a boring wardrobe choice, wear LBD’s with ruffles, interesting silhouettes and the longer the better. Try not to wear it with too much colour as you’ll undermine its striking effect, avoid completely shapeless designs and obviously smutty designs – the perfect middle ground is needed to make the perfect LBD purchase.

For some great LBD’s, check them out on House of Beth!

By Rosalind Kendal

   

The London Fashion Week review

We have just seen Fashion Week and a sneaky peek at what’s to come for us in spring and summer
2013! I’ve been checking out some of the big designers and there have been some really adorable
pieces on show. We have seen a lot of prints and geometric shapes especially in the case of Sass
and Bide’s cheeky burlesque inspired short dresses! Maria Grachvogel’s collections of pastel and monochrome inspired dresses have some amazing feminine aspects to them. As for accessories I love the Anya Hindmarsh Satchel style bags with neon shoulder straps too.

There’s a lot to look forwards to, but spring and summer 2013 seems like an age away! What about
over the coming months? Here are some of the top trends to help you look hot on those cooler
days!

Houndstooth/Checks and Tartan

This is a huge trend over the coming months; we are seeing a lot of tartan and check patterns. You
don’t have to be part of a highland clan to rock that tartan on your six inch stilettoes! Houndstooth
is also going to be huge this season and not just on coats. Think oversized and asymmetric black and

white patterns on dresses as well as accessories; mix this up with your tartan rara skirts or fitted
jeans.


Wedge heels and Flatforms

The last time we saw flatforms was back in the 1990’s when the Spice Girls rocked those towering
platform trainers. Without a heel they were named the ‘Flatform’. Over the summer we saw some
absolutely gorgeous summer shoes, the trend is still going strong well into the autumn. Don’t go
throwing those peeptoe or sandal flatform to the back of the wardrobe just yet. Instead try wearing them with some patterned woolly tights? Add some legwarmers around the ankles for added warmth and a quirky style.


Peplums

Once a reserve of those wanting to relive those Joan Collins Dallas days; we saw the peplum backwith a vengeance over the summer. On those bright colour block and floral dresses during the summer months. The shorter skirt over the longer skirt style is very in and does amazing things to any girl’s waist regardless of size and shape. Perfect for those ‘straight up and straight down’ figures adding shape while also great on those curvier girls.

Motifs: This is another very popular trend this season; we have seen everything from cats to oddly
moustaches! It’s anything goes when it comes to motifs. Some may consider animals on clothing
to be childish and a little eccentric maybe, but wildlife motifs are everywhere this season. Foxes, owls and rabbits can be seen on sweaters and scarves as well as accessories! Call it revisiting ourchildhoods but we love them! Why not sport an animal motif that’s most like you? Are you as cunning as a fox? As wise as an owl or fluffy like a cute little bunny? Take your pick of this season’s animal motifs!

By Hema

The Head Piece and the Headdress

Friday afternoon, and I am fighting the temptation to leap into the outdoors and perform some sort of pagan sun dance, celebratating the hot sun that we are ephemerally blessed with. If I were to discard the co-ordination of House of Beth’s wardrobe for my blazingly beautiful sun mistress however, I would need a head-piece (as well as rather good excuse to give to Talia.)

Yes, a head-piece or a headdress is a historical necessity for any form of worship. From the tribal to the Pope today, they all don their hair in preparation for celebration and worship with feathers, jewels and gold.

And as we, the secular masses, prepare to celebrate the summer and worship the sun, do we too don ourselves with a head-pieces? Well, I suppose we wear sun-hats, but as glamorous as they can be, they lack a sparkle that speaks to the sunshine, for they are far too practical to be considered true crowns. For the head-piece, the perfect head-piece, should act as pure adornment, for our own personal jubilee.

Recently flower crowns have been a massive festival must, a wave to the flower power of the ’60s and your inner fairy-princess. You can purchase them from £3 to £75, from Spitalfield stalls to tiny vintage boutiques. New in for the festival look, are the Native-American inspired feather warrior crowns, which is a fun alternative to flowers, albeit a heavy one.

If you don’t fancy the ‘Hiawatha meets the 21^st century look’, House of Beth has provided you with it’s own range of affordable head-dresses, that differ from both the flower power 60s’ and the feather fun. These headdresses are mirrored with our collection of clothes we are releasing this summer that draw upon the cultural event of the year – the Olympics. To me, Olympics says ancient Greece, rather than panting around in sweats, and as Talia’s all time favourite poet was an ancient Greek poet who sang bravely and magnificently on love, we decided to base our ‘look’ and thus head-pieces this season on Sappho.

Wile Weaving Daughter

Sappho embodies the sensual woman, who is beautiful because she expresses her love and vulnerability, fearlessly. She is renowned poetically by sages, through out the ages, for this. And today we too, pay tribute to her love poetry by our collection’s headdresses that celebrate this poetic beauty. When wearing these headdresses, they will transform an ordinary outfit of a simple white dress and sandals into the Sappho goddess, celebrating your own beauty and worshiping life, love and death. They make you feel at once beautiful and strong, like the ancient Greek poetess herself, with gold and pearls.

On this note, I will put on my own headdress and give my skin to the sunlight so I may cleanse the winter away.

Love

S x

N: B Our Ancient Greece inspired head dresses are made for us by the endlessly talented Justine Silverstone, who takes a few jewels and creates the personality of the woman who inspires our collection. Luckily for you, although they look far from high street, they are high street prices, for House of Beth pledges to always offer high range apparel at mid-range prices.

Ms Wanda's Wardrobe is an online magazine bringing you ethical fashion news, features and campaigns.

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