HELLO! magazines top ten style icons of 2011

Recently HELLO! published its top ten style icons of the last year.  The women that were chosen are not afraid to bend the boundaries of the fashion world and are confident and comfortable in their own styles.  Each one has a different and unique style, which are interesting and trend setting in their own rights.

Once again Kate Middleton makes it as a style icon for 2011.  She was voted the top style icon of this year.  Over the years Middleton’s style has changed and evolved into what it is today.  The of fashion waits with baited breath to see what she will wear next; some of Middleton’s favourite designers include Alexander McQueen, Catherine Walker and Issa.

Charlotte Casiraghi of Monaco was voted as the second style icon of 2011.  This young woman is part of the Monaco royal family and granddaughter to Princess Grace.  Casiraghi’s style is influenced by her grandmother, Grace Kelly, with her timeless and classic sense of style.  Casiraghi has launched her own, eco-friendly magazine, called Ever Manifesto, and can be seen gracing the front row seats at some of the top fashion shows.

Harry Potter starlet Emma Watson made it onto the list as the third style icon of 2011.  For ten years she graced the silver screen as Hermione Granger.  Her style has developed along with her career.  She has been the face of Burberry, and has recently signed on to be the face of Lancôme.  Watson is the youngest person to ever appear on the cover of Teen Vogue, at the age of 15.  Her style has matured as she has grown, and this was evident when she cut off her long locks at the end of filming the last Harry Potter film, leaving behind a short, and trendy pixy do.

Princess Beatrice of England has been making headlines this year for her good and bad wardrobe choices, and that is why she was voted as HELLO! magazines fourth style icon of the year.  Beatrice raised quite a few eyebrows at the wedding of her cousin Prince William to Kate Middleton in April with her Philip Treacy fascinator.  Since the wedding she has hired a stylist and has had quite a transformation within her wardrobe.

Hollywood’s girl next door, Blake Lively, is the fifth style icon of 2011.  Lively has described shopping as her hobby, and therefore would not hire a stylist when her publicist suggested she get one.  Lively has an elegant style, but is also not afraid to try new things when it comes to her wardrobe.  She also has a love for Christian Louboutins’ that lengthen her already tall figure.

Miranda Kerr model, and mother, to make it onto this year’s style icon list.  Kerr’s philosophy is that if you look and feel good on the inside, you look and feel good on the outside too.  She doesn’t follow trends but rather finds her own voice within fashion, and in so doing set trends.

The seventh HELLO! style icon of 2011 is Mila Kunis.  Kunis is an award-winning actress, particularly for her role in Black Swan.  Her natural make-up highlights her eyes and clear skin.  It is Kunis’s wardrobe that lets the world know about her style and confidence.  Her favourite brands include Elie Saab, Alexander McQueen and Louis Vuitton.

After her sister’s wedding in April of this year, Pippa Middleton was thrown into the limelight.  Her new found fame and attraction is what has made her the eighth style icon of this year.  Pippa’s influence on fashion is seen as she inspires fashion lines, such as Debenhams’ limited edition Pippa gown, and the Modalu handbag that she is so well-known as for using that the bag line has now been named after her.

Her ever changing style and not being afraid to break the rules is what made Cheryl Cole the ninth style icon of 2011.  Cole has the reputation to impact what woman will or will not wear, in many ways similar to the impact that Kate Middleton is having on the fashion world.  It is Cole’s confidence in her appearance and style that makes her a leader in the world of fashion.

Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, model and leading lady of Transformers 3: Dark of the Moon, is the tenth and last HELLO! style icon of 2011.  Whiteley is a well experienced model, having modelled for well-known brands such as Victoria’s Secret, Agent Provocateur and Burberry.  She looks elegant and classy where on the red carpet or just going shopping.

Spring Style - Enter the new season with all the need to know information

With spring definitely on its way, and as the weather heats up and people start to look for those ‘it’ pieces that are needed by every fashionista worth her salt, the coming styles and colours are important to know.  This season bright colours are making a comeback, greatly influenced by ‘70s styles.  Block colours are a good way of bringing some bright colour into your wardrobe this season without being too over the top with the use of colour.  Prints are also in this season.  The prints are bright and scream for attention.  Go for florals or tropical inspired prints in bold colours.  Strips are another form of print that are in.  The main item that you should buy it you’re going for strips is a maxi dress.  Finally, go for a minimal look.  Simple clothing that does not scream for attention. 

Hopefully you have been inspired to go shopping, and just to help you when you go to pick those essential pieces for the new season, here are some examples off of the catwalk.

The evolution of fashion over the last 100 years

Fashion is always changing and evolving.  Over the last twelve decades there has been a tremendous revolution in the styles that have come and gone.  The constant change and evolution that fashion goes through is both incredible and wondrous; the ever different ideas and styles that people are able to come up with.  From the beginning of the 1900s there has been a very evident shift in the styles that came into trend.

1900 – 1910s

Fashion in the first part of the 1900’s was very different to what it is now.  There were strike rules about what a woman should or should not have worn, for example, it was considered improper for a woman to show her ankle.  Women wore long, elegant dresses that accentuated their figures, but did not reveal any skin.  It was also a sign that a girl was a woman when she began to wear her hair up.  Women also wore corsets during this time, in order to give them a desirable, hourglass figure.  The women wore floor length gowns, under which were layers of petticoats, along with lacy and frilly blouses.

1920s

Near the end of the 1910’s and at the beginning of the 1920’s there was a dramatic change in the fashion worn by women.  It was during this time that hemlines and hair got shorter and women started to break the previous rules of propriety.  The 20’s was the time of the flappers, with their tasselled, short dresses, not being afraid to show a little skin, unlike the women of the previous decade.

1930s

Fashion changed again in the 1930s.  Women were more comfortable with their new found identity.  It was around this time that Coco Chanel became quite a well known name within women’s fashion.  Clothing was feminine, but there was a bit more focus on the comfort of women within their clothes, and therefore corsets were no longer in vogue, however, this had already started with the previous decade, it was also during this time that necklines began to drop.

1940 – 1950s

The 40s were still a time of elegance and class. Dresses and skirts were still the main item worn by women, but trousers were also starting to make it into women’s fashion.  When thinking of fashion during the 40s and 50s I always think of the movie Grease and Olivia Newton John in her flared A-line skirt and white tennis shoes.  Although that’s not the only fashion that was around in those days, it certainly is the stereotypical outfit of the day.  The 50s was the time of the netting petticoats that gave shape and body to the A-line skirts that were first designed by Dior, along with an array of other dress styles, such as the sack, which is a looser fitting dress created by Givenchy, the trapeze dress and the tent dress.

1960s

Fashion during the 1960s was led very much by the youth of the day, just as the decade before it.  Knee-length, waist fitting dresses, such as the shift dress, was the trend of the day.  In the mid to late 60s the mini skirt started to come into fashion, showing a more daring and adventurous attitude towards fashion, especially near the end of the 60s when the hippy style was starting to emerge.

1970s

The 70s were the time of peace and love.  Clothing and fashion changed.  Some people were not as focused on fashion, while others experimented with new styles and were not afraid to try new and bold styles, designs and colours.  Loose flowing trousers, and long billowing dresses were the style of the day.  During this time jeans started to appear, a very casual and comfortable look, that was in some ways a rebellion against the fashion of previous decades.

1980s

After the 70s the rebellious nature of fashion continued.  The 80’s were a time of bright and bold colours, along with big hair.  Shoulder pads and over sized tops were also in style.  The styles of the 70s were turned on their head in the 80s, when the trend went from wearing loose fitting, and flowing pieces on the bottom, and tighter fitting pieces on top, to tighter fitting trousers, such as the birth of the stovepipe (aka the skinny jean), and looser fitting and over sized tops.  The saying go big or go home was definitely relevant during this period of fashion.

1990 – 2011

There haven’t been a lot of changes over the last two decades, styles and colours do come and go, but simple trends, such as jeans and a T-shirt have remained.  There are, of cause, always new styles and trends to follow, but the basics of fashion have remained the same.  Some older trends have back in vogue, such as the bright colours and styles of the 70’s which are this season’s style.