Cooler in the Red Dress

Photos via Pinterest

Style Theory: There is nothing as beautiful in the summer as a red dress against sunkissed skin. It makes for a simple but eye-catching look, keep accessories simple, a fine gold necklace, a gold bangle and tan heels/ flat tan sandals always work well...

Here are the best red dresses on the high street..

Topshop £42

Love this dress, it looks great on, it has a hint of a Realisation Par dress but at a fraction of the price. I tried on a 12 (below) as I wanted it to wrap around generously. It is really low at the top, so would put a safety pin there to keep it in place (prude!), I guess I could sew it but haven't quite worked out how?!

It will look fab with flat tan sandals for holiday evenings..

Topshop - Glamorous Petite £38

A beautiful dress, love the waist detail and the different pattern at the bottom of the dress, it makes the dress look so much more expensive that £38.

Topshop £46

A halterneck can be super flattering, this has gorgeous detail at the back too. However I am not sure you can wear a bra with this one so may be slightly tricky to wear. 

Self Portrait @Matches £260

Slightly ruffle-tastic but I completely adore this dress, Self Portrait dresses are cut beautifully (but on the small side) this has a Spanish dancer vibe but can easily be dressed down with flat tan sandals for holiday, or for a wedding wear with tan heels and slouchy soft tan clutch.

Asos £35

This is one of those comfortable cotton dresses you can stick over a swimsuit/bikini on holiday for a beach to bar look..or like we normally do beach to dinner look as the kids are starving. It will also look fab in the uk with a denim jacket thrown over it and some tan flat sandals.

Asos - Comino Couture £135

Slightly on the pricey side but this is such a beautiful dress, it tells it's own story, accessories can be can be kept to an absolute minimum.

Asos - Sportmax £192

Again on the pricey side but how gorgeous is this dress? My favourite red/pink combo and I am a sucker for a bow. Love everything about this dress, this is one I will be looking out for in the summer sales.

H&M £14.99

A great basic sundress, again great over a bikini, just add a straw hat and a pair of strappy tan flat sandals for red dress perfection.

I am really feeling the love for red at the moment, it is creeping into my day to day wardrobe more and more and I can see this continuing in Autumn and winter. Are you a fan of red, do you like taking a red dress on holiday, wearing one to an event? As always I would love to hear your thoughts and comments xxxx

For day to day outfit ideas and see what I have my eye on, follow me on Instagram here and I am now on Snapchat Thefashionlift - not sure how to work it but I am getting there!

Fran xxxx

Loafing around....

Style Theory: The perfect in-between shoe, the loafer. When you want to cast off your boots but it is not warm enough for sandals the loafer will be your style go to. Gucci loafers have been flooding the streetstyle scene and look amazing on, but you don't have to fork out the £500 for this style as there are plenty of beautiful loafers on the highstreet for a fraction of the price. For now lets just start at the top with a pair of delicious Guccis then I will move on to the completely affordable, beautiful, high street versions. Remember these loafer 'style rules' and you will never get it wrong, they look fabulous with dresses and shorts but when wearing with trousers/jeans/dungarees make sure your trousers are cropped to ankle length and you are showing a bit of ankle, they make them look less masculine and far more stylish...

Gucci Loafers £405

The original, buttery soft leather, super sleek. Seen on almost every blogger these loafers hit the fashion shoe world hard last year and have now filtered down to the high street. They look fab with ankle length jeans skinny jeans and slouchy/ silk tops.

Gucci Backless Loafers @Matches £380

I just adore gold shoes at the moment and if money were no object these would be mine, I love the gold tone and the backless look.

Gucci Horsebit Loafer £410

These are the dream, classic, chic and after seeing the image below on Pinterest last year I have been searching for this exact pair. Time to ebay my life away to save up to get a pair..

House of Spring £185

I have these bow loafers and absolutely adore them, they are designed in London, handmade in Portugal and are beautiful. They are the perfect mix of chic and on trend and are super flattering on, the leather takes a little wearing in but when you have you will wear these shoes for years and years to come. Wear them with all black below or like I did (also below) with bright coat and monochrome top...

Topshop have jumped on the bandwagon and have come up trumps with some stunning loafers, the ones I have selected below have leather uppers (I really do prefer leather shoes if I can afford them, they wear so much better and are better when not wearing socks)  and are a decent price.

Topshop Block Heel Loafer £56

I am a fan of a red shoe, they really make a statement and you can keep the rest of your summer outfit neutral like Olivia Palermo below..

Topshop Pointed Loafer £39

Love these, they are so Nicolas Kirkwood, are leather and such a good price, the perfect summer work shoe. They would add a hint of artistic flair to the most plain outfits. The look below is a fabulous work look with an edge..

Topshop Karter Loafer £65

Naturally I am obsessed with these loafers, not the faint hearted but I have ordered. I love the bright pink colour, they will look amazing with a denim dress, add a punch of colour to a black and white outfit or just wear with a pair of jeans and plain t-shirt.

Topshop Karter Loafer £62

 A luxury looking pair of black loafers at an affordable price.

Topshop Kube Loafers £59

A real classic, Spanish style loafer, these light tan loafers will flatter especially when worn with ankle length jeans, dresses or shorts, the nude colour elongates your legs. Made of leather these are for the classically, chic lady. 

Topshop Silver Mule £59

A fabulous alternative the full mule, these will be easy to slip on and go and look glamorous as you walk around in them. Wear them low key with jeans and tee or ramp up the metallic look and wear with a metallic skirt for a real statement outfit..

Office Dapper Loafers £65

For some true red loafers, these Office shoes are the perfect colour and shape. Let them do the talking keep your outfit simple.

I love the look of red shoes with a pair of jeans and white shorts, easy, chic and stylish.

Another trend that is both practical and cool, I love these easy to wear looks, so much better than stilletos being 'in'. The more I am looking at the pink Topshop loafers the more I think I need to order them, they look so much fun and I really believe fashion is about fun, taking little risks with your style and stepping a little out of your comfort zone, it always is worth it. Loafers are the perfect 'Fashion Lift' to add to your wardrobe.

Have you bought any loafers so far this year? Have you invested in the trend or are you going for the less expensive high street option. As always I would love to hear your thoughts and comments, until next time Fran xxxx