Monochrome

I've been meaning to do a post on the monochrome trend for a while now. The good news is that it's showing no signs of waning, and also that it's the easiest thing to put together - you've probably got something in your wardrobe already which will slot right into this look. To make it look modern, I like to wear it with a flash of pillar-box red or bright pink, whether that's by wearing jewellery, a nail polish or lipstick (like Schiap by NARS) or a handbag. And you can also go for the half-monochrome look if you don't want to go the whole hog - a black and white top combo paired with grey or dark blue jeans looks excellent, and is an easy way of buying into the trend.

{monochrome + a dose of red}

And there's an amazing array of choice out there - this trend seems to be one that the high street have done brilliantly, and especially in better quality fabrics. Yes, there's still a lot of polyester out there, but there's much more choice than usual in cotton, viscose and silk. Here's just a small selection.

Top row, left to right
Colour block top, £29.99 H&M; Black/grey tie dye midi dress, £22 Dorothy Perkins; Silk stripe jacket by Unique, £195 Topshop; Plush t-shirt, £29.99 Zara; Tile print jacket, £45 Dorothy Perkins.

Middle row, left to right
Linen top, £14.99 H&M; Black and white stripe prom skirt, £22 Dorothy Perkins; Colour block stripe t-shirt, £10 Oasis.

Bottom row, left to right
Painted check dress, £59 Cos; Diamond print trousers, £45 Warehouse; Graphic print jersey skirt, £16 Dorothy Perkins; Black and white casual dress, £37 Miss Selfridge; Woven top print trousers, £28 Warehouse.