Italy 2013: Travel/Fashion Essentials

Italy 2013: Travel/Fashion Essentials!

As many of my twitter/Instagram followers & friends may have seen me ranting on about how I was about to visit Italy for the first time ever! I’m just going to rant a lot more in a positive way! I explored so much fashion and culture in Italy, I’d be stupid not to let you all know what it was like. This blog post is about travel essentials, but for a fashion conscious man.

1) A great pair of walking shoes!

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– I am not a fan of wearing for comfort, which was a BIG mistake as I did not realise how much walking I would have to do! So guys (& girls) please if you’re the type who likes to walk a lot, a good, solid pair of trainers (sneakers), pumps or plimsolls. If you prefer sandals, make sure you wear them beforehand to see if you can cope a day in them. Above is the pair of plimsolls I wore a majority of the time. They were soo comfy and durable. They also fit perfectly and were light and great to walk loads in.

2) Protect those eyes with some Shades!

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– being from the UK, I don’t think I would have been able to survive my holiday without my sunglasses. I literally slept with them because I was so used to wearing them a majority of the time. I like a variety of different shapes and colour sunglasses, but I knew Italy was a very sophisticated place and I wanted to make a good impression. As much as I LOVE aviators (which look good on anybody), I wanted a quirkier pair which was also fun & sophisticated. I went with a pair of brown wayfarers. Above is the pair which I wore all the time, ultimately leaving me with a tan line over my eyes! Oops!

3) Straw hats ain’t for those in the Deep South anymore…

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– if you’re travelling to a beach resort or a hike up a mountain this summer, a hat of any type is necessary. Although caps are perfectly fine, a more fashion forward statement is the straw hat which is very light and stylish all at the same time! I visited seriously hot places and I would not be able to have survived without it! I wore the hat in Rome, Pompeii, Naples and Capri. Above is how I wore it. Yet there are many ways you can wear it. I personally do not like looking like a tourist, there’s something so not appealing to how a majority dress, everyday you should try to dress good, especially when abroad!

These three essentials are a must-have for any guy/girl who are travelling this summer to any hot destination.

Other essentials include:

-Sun-Tan Lotion: be safe, and you don’t want to burn. This helped me a lot!

-Deodorant: you need to smell good as often as possible!

-Fragrance: You need to smell amazing on the outside also.

-Moisturiser: nobody wants dry skin on a summer holiday.

-Beard Trimmer: unless you want to keep a beard, it’s best to keep it short, keep this with you in your toiletries bag.

-Simple Accessories: a watch, bracelet, ring or necklace. Just to jazz things up.

-Invisible Socks: no, not stockings for men, they are socks which you can’t see when wearing with pumps to give an illusion that you’re not wearing any, when you are!

Where to purchase: –

Good shoes – ‘Next’ for £10 or any high street store you like.

Shades – ‘Urban Outfitters’ – £15. Cheap and long lasting!

Straw Hat – ‘Zara Man’ – £18, stylish and helpful!

Good quality deodorant and moisturiser from ‘Kiehls’

I wore ‘D&G: Light Blue’ fragrance – a classic.

Invisible Socks available at Mr Porter or Urban Outfitters.

Hope you’ve enjoyed a helpful guide for those of you travelling! – let me know where you’re heading for the holidays? Any more interest? Thanks!

Oscars 2013: Best Looks!

The Oscars 2013 Was an amazing event which saw the brilliant thriller Argo win for best picture produced by actors Ben Affleck and George Clooney and also Ang Lee won the best director nod for life of pi.

Hottest celebrity of the moment, Jennifer Lawrence achieved best actress at the very young age of 22, for her role as unstable Tiffany in Silver Linings Playbook.

Daniel Day Lewis truly made history by being the first actor To win the best actor title three times making him the greatest actor of all time, his portrayal of Abraham Lincoln was awe-inspiring and perfect!

Anne Hathaway achieved the best supporting actress award for Les Miserables as a tragic Fantine whilst Christoph Waltz achieve the best supporting actor for the jangle and chain, where he thanked director and winner of the original screenplay Quentin Tarantino for his success.

Now let us look at the best outfits and fashion of last night!

Best Actress Winner: Jennifer Lawrence (Silver Linings Playbook)

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Best Actor Winner: Daniel Day-Lewis (Lincoln)

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Best Supporting Actress Winner: Anne Hathaway (Les Miserables)

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Best supporting actor winner: Christoph Waltz (Django Unchained)

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Best picture winner: Ben Affleck with wife Jennifer Garner (Argo)

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Best actor nominee: Bradley Cooper with his mother

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Best Actor Nominee: Hugh Jackman with wife Deborah (Les Miserables)

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Best Actress Nominee: Jessica Chastain (Zero Dark Thirty)

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Presenter at Oscars: Charlize Theron

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Presenter at the Oscars: Jennifer Aniston

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Presenter at the Oscars: Eddie Redmayne

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Presenter at the Oscars: Amanda Seyfried

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Which of these looks do you love? Are you happy with the Oscar wins? Disagree? Let me know! More styles to come up.

Designers:

Jessica Chastain – Armani prive
Jennifer Lawrence – Dior Haute Couture
Jennifer Aniston – Valentino
Amanda Seyfried – Alexander McQueen
Eddie Redmayne – Alexander McQueen
Jennifer Garner – Gucci
Hugh Jackman – Tom Ford
Bradley Cooper – Tom ford
Daniel Day-Lewis – Domenico Vaccaand
Charlize Theron – Dior
Ben Affleck – Gucci

My Best Dressed Male: Daniel Day-Lewis – stunning Blue suit and stood out. Very well fitted also.

My best dressed Female: very hard decision but Jessica Chastain, Jennifer Aniston, Jennifer Garner and Jennifer Lawrence all looked stunning! Jessica Chastain stood out for me in her curve hugging dress!

Who were your faves?

Oscar Night: The Best Fashions

OSCAR NIGHT IS HERE!

Not only is the prestigious movie awards in a few hours, so I thought we could look at some of the best dressed actors and actresses of the past few years!

Jennifer Lawrence: A nominee tonight and a favourite to win at her first Oscars in 2011, where she dressed sexy and simplistic, looking effortlessly beautiful. Looking forward to what she will wear today?

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Hugh Jackman: The always smartly-dressed Hugh hosted the Oscars in 2009. Hugh never fails to impress on the style stakes. He is a first-time Oscar nominee for best actor, so let us see what he wears this special day!

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Jessica Chastain: Another female who is also battling favourite Jennifer Lawrence for best actress. She was nominated for the first time last year for best supporting actress in The Help. This actress never fails to stun fans and critics alike with her beautiful dresses and her trademark red locks.

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Tom Ford: He is a well-known designer, yet he was nominated for best director for his directorial debut ‘A Single Man’. He has brilliant suits which many celebrities wear, and he always dresses perfectly.

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Rooney Mara: She earned herself a nomination for her portrayal as androgynous ‘Lisbeth Salander’ in ‘The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo’. Her first Oscars allowed her to dress angelic, yet her editorial figure and look create an egdy style and a unique take on a simple white dress.

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Many More Oscar styles to come soon, especially after tonight’s red carpet!!!

iPhone Frenzy Covers

iPhone Frenzy Covers

iPhone’s are the current craze. Actually Apple is everywhere, nearly everybody of the younger (and older) generation owns something Apple related. I’m going to show a few different styles of covers which you may like.

1) The Colourful Creative Cover – iPhone 5

This is my current cover. I love it! It’s a designer called Nikki Pinder, sold for £30 at Harvey Nichols. I love the creative design called ‘Sparks’, which is very reminiscent of Kanye West & Jay-Z’s Watch The Throne era. I love blue, purple and gold colour contrast. This design is also unisex, so anyone and any age can rock this style!

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2) A Siri-ous Gentlemanly Style – iPhone 5

This leather iPhone 5 cover is very beautiful and luxurious. This is perfect for the working man, I imagine an older man 30+ having this, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have it. Women may like the leather print and the texture. This can also come in other colours. It comes at a high price of £95 from http://www.smythson.com from the Mara collection.

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3) Breakfast at Tiffanys – iPhone 5

This is for the ladies, it is a very cool style replica of a Tiffanys box. Very classy and unique. Zazzle.co.uk sell many phone covers and a recommended site. This comes at £32.45 which is a fair price and special. Maybe even a gift for a lady in mind?

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4) Hip and Happening Iconic Cover – iPhone 5

Another cool phone cover from Zazzle for the hipster in you. Very cool image of a vintage camera lens. Sprucing up your phone. The price is at £32.20 and is very on trend with teenagers.

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As you know iPhone 5’s are the most popular phone on the street, globally! So hope you liked these phone covers! Let me know what you think!

Young Hollywood: More ladies

Young Hollywood: More ladies

7) Chloë Grace Moretz – 16 years old

This rising star is already successful since starting in (500) Days of Summer, Let Me In and Kick-Ass. She is a mere 16 years old and has made a name for herself in the movie industry. A very versatile actress, and a fashionista at a young age. (Below), Chloë looking grown up at Milan Fashion Week.

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Signature Trademark: versatile acting and cursing like a sailor in kick-ass

8) Nina Dobrev – 24 years old

The sexy star of the Vampire Diaries is one of the biggest upcoming young stars. She has recently starred in The Perks of being a Wallflower and her successful TV show is allowing the industry to notice her. (Below), Nina is wearing a flirty turquoise dress by Oscar De La Renta at the 2013 Golden Globe after party.

Signature Trademark: fashionable red carpet looks and real life romance with co-star Ian Somerhalder.

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9) Rooney Mara – 27 years old

Last year this brilliant actress starred in the eponymous ‘The Girl with The Dragon Tattoo’, beating Hollywood heavyweights for the role such as Natalie Portman and Scarlett Johansson. Rooney was nominated for the Best Actress Oscar for her amazing portrayal. Now she is currently in the thriller ‘Side Effects’, with Channing Tatum and Jude Law. Her shy persona and high fashion dramatic flair has stood out, making her a high fashion icon! (Below), Rooney wears a dramatic gown by Alexander McQueen at a side effects premiere.

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Signature Trademark: Shy persona and high fashion flair.

Young Hollywood: Ladies continued

Young Hollywood: Ladies continued

4) Mia Wasikowska – 23 years old

The eponymous Alice in Tim Burton’s visual remake blew up after the success of the blockbuster. Mia has become very successful over the years, starring in movies such as ‘The Kids Are All Right’, ‘Lawless’ and new horror, ‘Stoker’. Here (below) at the Stoker premiere, slim Mia is dressed in a colourful Proenza Schouler dress.

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Signature Trademark: Fashionable hairstyles and a very unique style.

5) Amanda Seyfried – 27 years old

Amanda has become a star since her breakthrough role in Mean Girls. Since then she has gained prominent roles in huge musicals Mamma Mia and Les Miserables and alongside lead actors in ‘In Time’ and ‘Dear John’. Amanda is also a style staple in the industry and has even become more successful than Lindsay Lohan. Below she wears a beautiful blue gown by Zac Posen at the SAG Awards.

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Signature Trademark: Beautiful big blue eyes and her brilliant singing voice.

6) Jennifer Lawrence – 22 years old

This two time Academy Award nominee has taken Hollywood by storm! Her star took off after starring in much anticipated ‘The Hunger Games’ as Katniss Everdeen. She is also nominated for an Oscar for her amazing performance in Silver Linings Playbook. She has just recently been named the new face of Miss Dior and has many movies under her belt including Catching Fire. Here (below) she is at the 2013 BAFTAs in a Dior gown looking stunning!

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Signature Trademark: Funniest Personality and amazing performances. look out for the Oscar on sunday!

Like these women? They’re brilliant. Look out for more!

Who will win: Oscar Actress Race

Who Will Win: Oscar Actress Race

I want the women to enjoy this fashion blog also, so since Oscar day arrives on Sunday, I thought I’d go through best actress nominees, Jennifer Lawrence and Jessica Chastain’s red carpet looks! These two actresses are my favourites and they’re the most beautiful women in Hollywood at the moment!

So firstly the BAFTA styles of these two Oscar Best Actress favourites.

Jennifer Lawrence (below), the star of Silver Linings Playbook, Hunger Games and X-Men: First Class, wears a flowy white gown by Dior. This dress suited the wintery conditions of the evening and her slick-backed hairstyle makes it very editorial and displays a sexier look for the evening. This is a departure from the teen idol we see in The Hunger Games and shows a grown up look for the 22 year old.

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Whilst other Oscar favourite and star of Zero Dark Thirty, The Help and Mama, Jessica Chastain (pictured below), wears a stunning royal blue Roland Mouret gown at the BAFTA. The contrast of her fiery red hair looks really powerful and sexy against the blue. Her flowing red hair reminds me of a classic Hollywood star from the 1940s. Very graceful, whilst Jennifer Lawrence is very modern and slick.

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The Oscars Luncheon 2013, also displayed the Oscar favourites in a casual daytime dress.

Firstly Jennifer Lawrence kept it young and playful wearing a simple white Chloe dress. Her bronzed fake tan makes her seem younger and gives her a sun kissed look, she seems to be enjoying having fun in this outfit. Her brown hair really gives her a cool Californian look.(Below)

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Whilst fiery red-head Jessica Chastain kept it very English inspired with a floral Erdem frock, (below) which reminds us of a tea party dress. The darker dresses really compliment her pale alabaster complexion and it works well together.

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So these are the recent looks worn by the two Oscar favourites, even if both of them don’t win the coveted award, they will be known as true fashion icons and have great careers.

Which actress should win the Oscar on Sunday? Who looks better? Which style is better? Who will turn up with the better outfit on Sunday? Let us know!