Dress up well for winter

THE weather may be getting colder outside but you can still raise the temperature with some of the great new fashions for this season.
Well-known brands from Dalton Park factory outlet, in Murton – from designer label Joseph and regional designer retailer Van Mildert through to High Street names Oasis and Zara – unveiled their hottest new looks for the season at a fashion show at Seaham Hall.
And for women it means a chance to celebrate all things feminine and make the most of your curves, as fashion for the autumn and winter still keeps an emphasis on womanly silhouettes.

The ladylike look still dominates this season, with structured fabrics being used to create a sharp hourglass shape while soft, floaty fabrics create a girlier pretty feel.
Overall the look is minimal but striking, with key features such as large buttons, cute bow detail and wide-neck collars, while soft, flowing fabrics are also key, with jersey dressing a wardrobe essential.
Dresses dominate glamorous wardrobes in all shapes and sizes, including flattering knitted dresses and flowing, floaty frocks through to fitted shift dresses with bow detail.

Traditional fabrics also make a welcome return, with stylish coats, cropped jackets and trousers in dogtooth and plaid.
The classic combination of monochrome black and white is still a strong statement for the season, which is given a softer, chicer twist, while clean shapes and sharp lines are softened with flowing ruffles and frills.
Accessories complete any well-dressed wardrobe and crocodile and patent are both key looks this season for belts and handbags while long leather gloves in emerald or purple will bring any outfit up to date.

Meanwhile for men, the tailored look is always popular and colour wise there's a palette of moss, bark, tobacco and charcoal mixed with flashes of accent colours, such as burnt orange and purple, to give a look that's firmly rooted in nature.
Either dress the formal look up with a tailored suit in a modern, slim fit and finish the look with a moulded felt cap and rounded toe leather Chelsea boots.
Or dress it down and create a more hard-edged rock image by combining the suit with a rock style t shirt and a short biker boot to complete the look.

* AS the chill sets in outside, models at The Bridges took to the catwalk to showcase this season's hottest fashions.
The three-day extravaganza kicked off in style on Friday with models strutting their stuff in outfits from the city's biggest stores.
Decadence stole the show with Sienna-style boho chic chucked to the back of the wardrobe in favour of a more sophisticated, tailored look.

No one did this better than French Connection and H M where jumper dresses and mid-thigh-length dresses were teamed with winter boots and leggings.
It's not the easiest look to pull off, but if you get the fit and colour right, the jumper dress can work for all body shapes to hide a multitude of sins.
Knits were also given a makeover with glitter threads woven through to create a look that will see you through from afternoon to night time.

Leggings, one of the summer's biggest trends, were still on show. But instead of the flip flops and vests of last season they were brought up-to-date with slouch ankle boots and evening dresses.
At River Island the fashions paid homage to Kate Moss with skinny jeans worn under pointed boots and topped off with belly-button skimming necklaces.

For a more feminine look, 1950s glamour was still a key theme with dog-tooth checked jackets making an impact. Evening wear from Monsoon also resurrected the post-war era with dresses incorporating a nipped-in waist and A-line skirt.
Other dresses from Monsoon, one of the latest additions to The Bridges, looked to Venice for inspiration.

Models slinked down the catwalk adorned in masks reminiscent of a Venetian masquerade ball.
The colour scheme was equally opulent with golds and purples stealing the limelight. At the other end of the spectrum, the menswear colour palette was a more muted affair with grey tones teamed with wool jackets for a smart look.

Meanwhile, the more casual collections hinted at patterned jumpers as the way forward for men's fashions.
The Bridges marketing manager Lindsey McKenna is sure that the trends on show will keep the 26 million shoppers who visit the centre every year happy.
"Reaction to the show was fabulous.

Friday's ticket-only event was a preview, then we had shorter versions of the show on Saturday and Sunday. The great thing was that on Saturday, retailers were actually selling out of the clothes that were featured in the shows.
"Friday was our first ticket-only fashion show.

We managed to raise over £3,000 for the Tiny Lives charity while also forging a relationship with guests that included big players in the North East."
She added: "High street retailers work a lot harder now. Consumers can now get a look, that appeared on the catwalk a few weeks ago, on the high street for a fraction of the price.