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Now is the perfect time of year to look ahead to the warmer months and start thinking Spring/Summer style. London Fashion Weekhas just come to a close, but we’re thinking less about the catwalks, and more about the outstanding street style seen during the week long event.
Despite the cold weather, we got a glimpse of Spring/Summer inspired looks, making us think about fashion essentials for the season ahead. A well built wardrobe should contain a few basics that can be dressed up or down and mixed and matched, to create a look that’s versatile and interchangeable. Just like our lifestyles, our wardrobe should be varied, to work for all occasions and suit all of your moods.
Basics doesn’t have to mean morning though. Wardrobe essentials can still be bold, playful and creative. When it comes to African fashion essentials, being smart about what you choose is key. When it comes to wardrobe basics, we typically think of plain pieces that are easy to mix and match. But we’re here to show you that ‘basics’ doesn’t mean plain, and that basics can in fact be printed, bold and bright.
Read on to discover your wardrobe essentials for SS18, with African fashion pieces taking the term ‘basics’ to a whole new level….
1. The Wide Leg Trouser
Wide leg trousers can be extremely versatile and are hugely on trend for the season ahead. This ultra-flattering style can be worn for a variety of occasions. Our top tip is to go for a high waist cut, which will pull you in at the smallest part of your body and allow the flared leg to skim the thighs for that perfect balance.
A pair of wide leg trousers make the perfect investment at this time of year. Wear now with thin knit roll neck jumpers and later with a vest top tucked in or a cropped t-shirt. You might think going for a bold African print would make this look less versatile, but it’s really quite the opposite. Printed trousers make a statement. You can mix and match plain tops in different colours, but in choosing a bold print pair of trousers you can ensure you always stand out.
We love our Karibou Wide Leg Cropped Floral African Print Trousers. With an on-trend African floral print, this style will see you right through from spring to Autumn. Wear now with a black high-neck jumper tucked in or in a bright blue for a striking look, and swap the jumper in Spring/Summer for a white cropped T or vest tucked in.
2. The Printed Blouse
When it comes to prints it’s all about balance. Unless you’re opting for a printed dress, when it comes to separates we recommend investing in printed and plain separates. A printed blouse is the perfect way to add a fun and eclectic vibe to your look, but with a sophisticated edge. Blouses keep your look smart, while prints and colours add interest and personality.
Printed blouses were all over the Spring/Summer ‘18 catwalk, and we spotted plenty at London Fashion Week last week. Team printed blouses with skinny jeans, heeled ankle boots and a trench coat for colder weather, and swap your jeans and boots for high waist shorts and sandals, tucking your blouse into your shorts for an on-trend look.
We love our Lanmi Long Sleeve African Print Blouse. The simple tailored shape makes it super versatile – wear for work and play, while the pretty yet striking print will make you stand out from the crowd. With a white base, the print uses pops of soft yellow, pink and violet. The purple shade echos the Pantone colour of the year – Ultra Violet – which is set to be huge in both fashion and interiors for the year ahead.
Try styling your Lanmi Blouse with muted grey skinny jeans and a camel coat now, ditch the coat and swap the grey jeans for light blue in Spring, and tuck into high waist denim shorts in the summer.
3. The Dress
While a printed dress does mean head to toe print, you can dress this look down and add balance. When it comes to styling a printed dress, it’s all about the shape – too much material and you can look lost in the pattern, it’s all about choosing a style that’s fitted and sophisticated, yet bold and on-trend.
London Fashion Week was host to lots of printed dresses, as bloggers, fashion students and budding designers turned up in pretty t-dresses and bolder midi dresses. If you’re looking for a printed dress that can work as a wardrobe basic, look no further than the Long Sleeve Neck Tie Floral African Print Dress.
In a pretty floral yellow, this dress strikes the perfect balance between bold and feminine. Nipped in at the waist, the long sleeve African print dress is the perfect amount of fitted, helping to balance out the busy print with a simple and fitted cut. We love how versatile this dress is – wear to work with a blazer and heeled court shoes, or wear to a summer wedding with a simple gold clutch and strappy gold heels.
If you’re looking to build your wardrobe for spring/summer ‘18, look no further than African printed basics for the season ahead. Do away with the idea of ‘plain basics’ this year. Instead invest in bold and bright pieces that work wonders for your style.
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