1. Red – bold, flirty, and sexy comes to your mind when you think of red. Mainly chosen by extroverts this colour needs that confidence and pride to carry an outfit in red. Favourites in designers, the outfits this season range from scarlet red to rich crimson. Red is currently in vogue with brides. The colour is irresistible and symbolizes passion.
a. Designers who used Red – Ashley Isham, Luca Orlandi known for his sexy and alluring designs in Luca Luca designer label.

2. Burgundy – a rich wine flavor of red. Mostly selected by older age group this colour is classy and richer than red. If you want people to notice you then Burgundy is the colour. A very alluring colour which can make a great evening gown.
a. Designers who used burgundy – Zuhair Murad, Salvatore Ferragamo.

3. Orange – colour of fall. Designers experimented with light hues to bright orange shades. A very warm and interesting choice and ideal for day wear.
a. Designers who used Orange – Oscar De La Renta, Missoni designer label.

4. Pink – the most feminine colour of all. You can ask any girl about her favorite colour and chances are that most of the times she will say “Pink”. Be it fuchsia pink or baby pink, deep pink or light tints pink is the colour that brings out the softness and innocence in a person. Basically for the younger generation but if carried well can be worn by older generation too.
a. Designers who used Pink – Ports 1961 designer label, Tommy Hilfiger.

5. Blue – a very calm and cool colour. Blue is normally associated with tranquility. Blue as in sky blue, Electric Blue, dark blue, royal blue, turquoise, or ultramarine, all shades look good on anyone. Used by designers in most of their collections, is an all time favorite as it is very versatile and easy to manage colour.
a. Designers who used Blue – Gucci, Bluemarine, Emporio Armani by Giorgio Armani, Anna Sui.

6. Green – colour of life. In the days of global warming green is a colour that is soothing to the eyes. A colour of emerald or the colour of grass all were used by the designers. A royal colour that brings envy to the eyes of others is a perfect choice for an evening wear. In daywear you can select the lighter shades of green. For a timeless feel add delicate gold embroidery or in red.
a. Designers who used Green – Jaeger, the luxury British brand, Zuhair Murad.

You will find these colours used aptly in the designer’s collection. Pick the right colour for the right occasion and the right cuts to suit your body shape. So now you know the palette for this season go indulge yourself with some of your favourite colour outfits, fully informed about how they fit in with the current trends.

1. Black – you can never go wrong with this colour. It never goes out of fashion and suits everyone for any occasion. Designers usually include at least one dress in the classic colour, black. Black suits all skin colours and women of all size and shapes. Trends have come and gone but black has never gone out of any designer’s collection.
a. Designers who used Black – D&G, Anna Molinari for label Blumarine, Louis Vuitton.

2. Grey – as recession set in, grey colour was used by many designers to signify the mood. But there were very interesting outfits and designers used grey in various tints, hues and tones. The cold and sparkling metallic grey was also used which when combined with other colours like black, grey, browns brought out a gorgeous combination.
a. Designers who used Grey – John Galliano, Marchesa collection, Badgley Mischka, Louis Vuitton.

3. Black and White – the classic combination suits all age groups and goes with most of the occasions. The white mellows down the dark effect of black and together they strike a perfect balance. This is high contrast sophisticated fresh look. Floral prints were in fashion last year but this year the prints are more stylized. Zebra prints are still in fashion for Black and White outfit.
a. Designers who used Black and White combination – Michael Kors, Gucci.

4. Brown – not considered by many as a colour for women wear. But many designers have created outfits which are chic and bring out a neutral colour outfit beautifully. A very good choice for formal wear. Bring in a little of green or white with the brown outfit to give it a fresh look.
a. Designers who used Brown – Donna Karan, Etro fashion label.

5. Pastels – subtle shades of colours are in fashion this season. You can match the dress colour with your eye colour to bring out an alluring effect. Simple and not very loud are the best choice for those who has pale skin colour.
a. Designers who used Pastels – Salvatore Ferragamo, Kati Stern.

Orange:
Feeling low and drained? How about some vitamin C? Vitamin C is not just an energy supplement this summer but also the colour of the season. The Grande Dame of British fashion, Betty Jackson displaying works in orange, the colour is sure to catch up this season. Papaya as Betty liked to call it was predominant in her range of skin tight hot pants, simple striped dresses and trouser suits.

Yellow:
The lemony colour sprung out of the citrus and onto the dresses this summer with some of the top fashion houses falling for this bright color. Gucci, Zac Posen, and 3.1 Phillip Lim have all coloured runways with cheery shades citrus. Colour blocking is the trend of the season with shocking colour waves running amok over the oceanic calm of the dresses. Golden girls, this is your summer; so go on and shine.

Pink:
Does pink ever go out of fashion? Hardly. But this season, the colour seems to be out in full swing with pink being seen everywhere from shoes to headwear. Pink is also maybe the only colour that fits every kind of style from evening gowns to trendy minis. Patricia Field “Barbie Luxe” collection could just what you are looking for this summer.

Mix n Match:
Mixing the above colours can sometimes form a sartorial sherbet of exotic colors. Try mixing orange and pink for instance and you will have some of the hottest colour trends of the season in a single package. Michael Kors, Versace, Jil Sander have come up with some excellent mixed colour collections for the summer.

Shed your inhibitions and your lackluster colours for some bright colours this season. May the fashion gods be with you!

Whilst any time of the year can be considered party time, the summer is often the most popular as there is generally more happening, and as such you generally get more choice than in winter.

However, this year we’ve got so much choice in party dresses it’s mind bogglingly difficult to pick just one out of what seems like zillions of options, and for most of us we only have one shot at it, so it’s very important to choose correctly.

So what are those options? Most of us will look at a dress and think it’s nice without actually considering how it will look on us, and that’s I’m afraid the first and main error you can possible make, and the root of your very own fashion faux pas. Too many women just don’t think about what they’re wearing and think if it looks good in magazine it’ll look good on me – WRONG!

That said, it’s very easy to make that type of error as most of us have a positive body image, and as such we tend to be a tad optimistic about how we look, yes girls we all live in denial. So, with that in mind you just need to take a step back and actually be true to yourself. That way you’re doing yourself justice and make the best of what you’ve got, not of what you haven’t!

But before you choose anything, I would always recommend that you THINK about the choices you have; you’re in control, you just have to apply the old grey matter, so first off think the Three F’s – Form Follows Function;

This in essence means that you think about the basics of what will work for your body type, before you think about colours, accessories etc…

So recommended tips are to ask yourself, what shape am I really? Boyish, petite, pear-shaped, big hips etc. write them down. Then do some research as to what the best style is for your shape.

So for example, having big hips may be best dealt with in several ways, so you could choose a dress with an empire waist line therefore drawing the eye up and giving the illusion of thinning the hips. Alternatively, you may prefer to show off those womanly curves and choose something like a nice shift style dress, and use a belt not fastened so tightly that it creates a muffin top, but enough to emphasis your curvy waist. Or you could just wear a shoulder padded jacket sympathetically proportioning your upper body with the lower body.

Once you’ve got the function right, you can then start looking at form, this entails looking at the colours and accessories to compliment your natural assets.

So again, look back at your previously made notes about your body shape, take time to think how you can make the best of what you’ve got.

For example, if you’re vertically challenged, look at ways to make you legs longer with a slightly shorter dress perhaps and higher pair of heals and avoid busy prints. Similarly, a leggy woman may choose to wear flatter shoes and a maxi dress to appear smaller.

Also take time to consider the occasion and whether the garment will actually be suitable. From a versatility perspective, you may also want to consider how you might match it in with other items so it can be worn several times, not just the once.

So taking a little time to prepare means that you can nail that look you’ve always wanted, and armed with your research you can then go off to the shops and find that perfect Party Dress; and remember what they say about preparation, failing to plan is planning to fail!

Good luck with your search.

• Don’t be afraid to stand out in the crowd – be proud of your body shape.  Remember that celebrities like Scarlett Johansson and J.Lo are definitely not shrinking violets when they appear in public.
• Keep to the sensible side of sexy by going for knee length hemlines.
• Patterns can be a challenge – if you are determined to wear patterns select prints with only a couple of colours
• Go for shifts and body con style dresses that are cut to tuck in the waist and emphasise your cleavage.
• Block colours always work well with a curvy figure

and don’t forget your heals as they lengthen and slim the legs.