fashion trends 2011: November 2010

SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS, the world’s leading producer of cut crystal for jewellery, fashion and interiors, presented the inaugural SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS Jewellery design awards in New Delhi at The Olive, Qutab.

The 1st SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS Jewellery design awards drew an enthusiastic response with over 500 entries from across the country including jewelry designers, couture designers, prestigious Indian jewellery brands, design students and master craftsmen. SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS available in myriad colours, effects, shapes and sizes, provided a fabulous palette of inspiration for the designers to create jewellery pieces that will set new trends. Prerna Dhawan was the winner of first SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS Jewellery design awards.

The 40 most creative jewellery designs submitted were developed into actual jewellery pieces made with SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS. A further short list of 20 pieces based on originality, innovation and quality of manufacturing were presented at the awards evening via a ramp show.

In a glittering celebration attended by key members of the jewellery industry, fashion designers and trend experts among others, the stunning jewellery pieces made with SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS sculpted for the awards were presented by models dressed in ensembles by designers Shantanu-Nikhil that sparkled with SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS. Adjudging the winning designs was an independent jury comprising of designers Farah Khan Ali, JJ Valaya, , Rohit Bal, Suneet Verma, Tarun Tahiliani, Michael Boy, Rakesh Kumar, Executive Director, Export Promotion Council of Handicrafts, Dr. Rajendra Bhola, senior representative of Gems and Jewellery Export Promotion Council of India, Nonita Kalra, Editor Elle, Nina Haridas Editor, Marie Claire, Preetika Mathew Sahay, Associate Editor Harpers Bazaar and Ambika Anand, Anchor editor NDTV Good Times.

Read More about Prerna Dhawan wins SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS awards @ Fibre2fashion

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Wardrobe Essentials

Wardrobe essentials are the building blocks to a solid and functional fashion style. Examples of wardrobe staples are the basic v-neck tee, little black dress and dark bluejeans. These garments can be worn with almost anything!

This page will give you a detailed checklist of the wardrobe basics any woman should own -- giving you an overview of what you need to buy to solidify your closet.

But before we start; how do you know if your wardrobe lack the essentials?

Here are the common tell-tale signs:

You feel like you have nothing to wear despite your stuffed wardrobe
You tend to buy a lot of new clothes and accessories to keep your style going
When putting together outfits, it never seem to look good and you feel that there's something missing

If you found one or more of those points familiar, then your wardrobe really needs to be tightened up with some trend-proofing!

So What Exactly Are "Wardrobe Essentials"?

They are:

Trendproof - you can wear them on all occasions without sacrificing style.
Flexible - you can change the whole look of it by adding a couple of accessories.
Your wardrobe foundation - without them you'll end up feeling like you never have anything to wear.
Style savers - use it to tone down a dressy or an overly trendy outfit.

Tops

Sweaters

Jackets

Coats

Dresses

Jeans

Pants

Skirts

Hosiery

Shoes

Bags

Belts

Scarves

Jewelry

How Wardrobe Essentials Work

Think of your wardrobe staples as blank canvas which you can build your outfits around on. If you wear a plain simple black dress, you can make it interesting from there with trendy jewelry and a pair of flashy shoes.

They're also your outfit fixers. You can use them to tone down a too trendy or flashy outfit! Like say, if you wore a ruffled striped shirt and would like to make it less flashy, you will need to pair it with a plain, essential cardigan or V-neck sweater.

You can never go wrong with plain staple pieces. They're classic pieces that never go out of style and go with absolutely everything.

All of the pieces I'm going to mention cover all occasions and weather situations. These are your basic, most essential wardrobe clothing and accessories. You just can't be without them.
The Wardrobe Essential-Checklist

Whether you're new to fashion or have a passion for fashion, throw the typical "10 essentials" to the curb and see what chic fashionistas see as the ultimate wardrobe and drawer essentials!

Tops:

White button-down office shirt -- for work, interviews, looking sophisticated. Also works as layering over casual dresses.
Black V-neck t-shirt-- can be worn alone for casual wear or with accessories to create simple party looks.
Casual camis, tank tops and tees in solid neutral colors -- can be worn alone for summer or layering with other tops and sweaters.
Black dressy top -- if you need something dressy to wear, a black top will never fail you. It's flexible to accessorize and pair with just about everything. I recommend a black top with dressy details like ruffles, beutiful buttons, special fabric etc.
Sweaters:
Black high quality V-neck sweater -- the best ones are made of cashmere or high quality fine wool. Can be worn for work, school, family gatherings, leisure time, everything really!
Black cardigan -- your essential layering piece. The color goes with everything.
Black turtleneck -- same as V-neck sweater. Awesome to wear as a fall outfit.
Casual loose hoodie sweater -- for leisure time or when you're taking out the dog for a walk.
Jackets:

Leather -- many might disagree with me on this, but I recommend it. It gives that little edge to sugar-sweet outfits. A very casual jacket that goes with everything during fall and winter.
Denim -- a perfect companion to your sun dresses and summer months generally.
Windbreaker -- for leisure time.
Lightweight jacket -- for warmer months, like spring, summer and early fall.
Dress blazer -- excellent for office work and even casual outfits. I would buy one in black (or atleast in dark color) and one in a lighter color like white, cream or khaki
Coats:

Trenchcoat -- a classic must-own for spring and fall.
Parkas -- for leisure time during really cold winters
Wool coat -- great on all occasions during winter. Wear it to work, school, dates, everything!
Evening coat -- one in black is highly recommended as it goes with all kinds of party and dressy outfits.
Raincoat -- when it's rainy. Can't get our clothes wet, right?
Pants:

All-season dress pants in earthy colors -- great for office work and even shchool.
Wool dress pants -- classic pants for fall and winter outfits.
Dress pants in light colors -- fab as a part of an office work outfit during spring and summer.
Black evening dress pants -- for semi-formal occasions. An alterntive if you're not comfortable in a dress or skirt. I recommend pants in satin.
Lightweight linen pants -- for warmer months and for tropical or European summer vacations.
Sweatpants -- for work-out, taking out the trash, leisure time, etc.

Dresses:

Little black dress -- works with everything. Accessorize it for a more trendy and interesting outfit.
Evening dress -- a fancy, long dress that works for formal occasions
Casual dress -- for leisure time.
Office work dress -- for office work and semi-formal dinner parties. A plain solid colored dress (eg. shift dress), a bit on the conservative side (no cleavage) is your best bet.
Party dress -- for parties (duh). Try something that fancy and that flatters your best features to give you an extra confidence-boost.
Summer/sun dress -- you can't be without these feminine clothings during summer! For leisure time.
Cocktail dress -- for semi-formal occasions like birthdays, dinner with colleagues.

Skirts:

Black all-season office skirt -- for work, school, dates, semi-formal occasions. Works with absolute everything, even for summer.
White summer office skirt -- works for all summer occasions.
Casual summer skirts -- for leisure time.
Black day-to-night skirt -- for semi-formal occasions like dinner parties.
Denim skirt -- a summer must-own for casual events.

Handbags:

Casual handbag -- great for everything; work, school, leisure times etc.
Black work handbag -- works for office work and school
Cross over bag -- a small cross over purse bag is a good choice for wearing to the movies, dates, amusement parks, leisure time.
Travel bag -- a bigger bag than a regular casual handbag that carries your belongings for a weekend getaway. Ideal as a hand-carry when traveling.
Luggage -- a biiig luggage for vacations.
Evening purse in black and another one in a lighter color -- must-owns for special evening occasions for both fall/winter and spirng/summer.

Belts:

Wide belt in black and brown -- if you're an Apple shape go for solid dark colored belts.

Skinny belt in black and brown -- works on all shapes and goes with everything; work and casual outfits. You can wear it slung around your hips or around your waist to make a too-big shirt look like it fits.
Regular sized belt in black and brown -- essentials for holding up your pants.
Scarves:

Knit scarves -- comfy, chunky knit scarves in solid colors are must-haves for fall/winter
Fashion scarves -- for adding personality to your outfit, make sure you have a couple of scarves of your choice; colors, patterns, embellishments etc. Great for casual outfits. Pashmina is great option.
Jeans:

Dark blue or black jeans fitted jeans -- works with everything, except formal work environments
Casual jeans -- we all need a couple of jeans that we can wear (even "wreck") when we're hanging out with friends, relaxing or wear as a part of a cool outfit.
Hosiery:

Sheer pantyhose in nude and black -- must-owns for all occasions.
Black hold-up stockings -- again, they're for all occasions, especially sexy and fun ones.
Black fishnet pantyhose -- for parties and maybe Halloween?
Black wool tights -- for colder winter months and for adding a chic flair to a fall outfit.
Cozy socks -- for cozying up when you're at home.
Socks in white, black -- must-haves for absolutely everything.
Shoes:

White sneakers -- casual shoes that can be worn with everything.
Flats -- feminine yet casual flat shoes for everyday wear.
Black pumps -- when you want to swap up with diamond stud earrings.
Boots -- chic fall/winter essential.
Dress shoes -- for semi-formal to formal occasions. Eg. Weddings, huge birthday bash, etc.
Office shoes -- for work
Sandals -- in neautral colors like black, brown or white to match with your summer outfits.
Jewelry:

Diamond stud earrings -- a classic for special occasions. If your budget is tight, you can always go for Cubic Zirconia
Diamond pendant necklace -- goes hand in hand with the studded earrings. A clear crystal pendant is always recommended because of its versatility.
Pearl stud earrings -- when you want to swap up with diamond stud earrings
Pearl necklace -- matches the pearl earrings
Chandelier earrings -- for casual parties
Hoop earrings -- for everyday wear.
Gold or silver bracelet -- you might want to choose one that is simple in designand versatile. I personally like bangles or chain bracelet the best.
Cocktail ring -- for a simple personal statement.
Now have in mind that the wardrobe essentials-checklist is just a minimum. Depending on your taste, style and location, add as many as you like! And for example, there are hundreds of different styles on "the Little Black dress". Choose the ones that appeal to you and most importantly, choose the ones that you are going to feel comfortable in. Nothing beats style with confidence ;)

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