Fashion and style – Purple Travel Official Blog

Swimsuit Care How to look after your designer bikini

Dec 17 2013

Enjoy our top tips on the best swimsuit care with our expert fashion tips.

Laundering a Bikini
It is always a good idea to follow the instructions on the care label of your bikini or swimsuit. As a rule of thumb, hand washed in cool water and a mild detergent will help to preserve the elasticity in your swimsuit as well as preventing piling. It is a method that will also protect delicate detailing like sequins and other embellishments. Avoid putting your swim suit in the dryer, as not only can this damage the strings of your costume but they can also cause damage to the dryer itself. Instead, lay the bikini or one-piece flat to dry and in the correct shape. Designer swimwear should be washed as soon after exposure to salt and chlorine as possible. A small amount of delicate soap/detergent should be used to make sure your swimsuit keeps its original appearance.

Protecting a Bikini
If you’re planning to go in a hot tub on while on holiday, it’s advisable to wear an older bikini. The heat and chemicals can cause the colours to fade or run if the swimsuit is new and hasn’t been washed before. Fading can also occur if the swimsuit is exposed to long-term sun. Long heat exposure can also compromise the elasticity of the fabric. Sitting on surfaces can also cause damage to the bikinis fabric. To prevent this, place a towel between the bikini and the surface, for example sand or a pebbly beach.

Buying swimwear
Choose swimwear that is flattering and functional on your summer vacation. Swimwear with good support is important for all body types and helps you to feel super confident. There are swimsuits to support, lift and hide those troublesome areas like bust, bums and tums. When considering the right type, use our simple swimsuit guide and remember to pick a swimsuit to suit your body shape and the amount of skin you feel comfortable flaunting to look your best poolside this summer.

Author Bio:
Article written by Faria Ahmad, Ecommerce Executive at Heidi Klein. heidi klein is the one-stop destination holiday shop offering the perfect holiday wardrobe from luxury swimsuits and designer maxis to beauty products.

To view the heidi klein swimwear collection visit: http://www.heidiklein.com/swimwear/

Where to shop in New York during Fashion Week

Sep 10 2012

It’s that time of year again: Mercedes Benz Fashion Week in New York. Whether you’re completely indifferent to this fact, or you’re already half way through the shows, clutching onto a bag filled with trustee Fashion Week survival items (green tea pills, water bottles, berry mix and the like), the likelihood is that, whoever you are, NYFW will leave you lusting for the newest designer creations.

For many of us, these are unfortunately well beyond our budgets. But there is a silver lining, and that is that many of these so-called ‘new’ creations aren’t that different from similar styles from seasons gone by. And where does one find these? Within New York’s excellent selection of consignment shops, of course. Call it a form of urban archeology, or upscale recycling, but many of the designer items I own today were found in New York’s finest thrift and consignment stores. I wanted to share some of my tips for where to shop in New York during fashion week.

After spending a few months working in the Big Apple as Editorial Assistant at a fashion magazine, I too became part of the crowd of those fashion-industry insiders, faced with the career requirements of always looking fabulous despite their relatively small salary. Luckily, with a little patience and this helpful list of New York’s best consignment stores, you, too, can unearth gems for a song. And for those of you who won’t have a chance to jet off to New York this Fashion Week, there’s no need to limit yourself to brick and mortar either; eBay is a wonderful resource and even has a site devoted to haute couture.

Second Chance Designer Resale

(212) 744-6041, 1109 Lexington Ave, New York, NY, 10021

This is your stop for bag shopping. Expect to find racks of designer bags at pocket-friendly prices, including huge selections from Louis Vuitton, Chloe, Prada, Chanel, Sonia Rykiel, Mulberry and more.

Beacon’s Closet – Williamsburg

(718) 486-0816, 88 N 11th St, Brooklyn, NY, 11211

Here you can find almost anything. Whether its vintage, consignment, new designer, handmade or even costume outfits, you will never leave empty handed.

Buffalo Exchange – Williamsburg

(718) 384-6901, 504 Driggs Ave,, Brooklyn, NY, 11211

Buffalo Exchange is the ultimate hidden gem treasure cove. And the best part? It’s seriously cheap. On one visit, I purchased a Comme Des Garcons playsuit for just $60.

Eye Candy

(212) 343-4275, 329 Lafayette St, New York, NY, 10012

Specialising mainly in accessories, this boutique is fashionably cluttered with everything from old school designer heels to a Queen’s ransom of interesting, hard to find vintage jewels.

Ina – SoHo

(212) 941-4757, 101 Thompson St, New York, NY, 10012

INA is the best high-end fashion consignment shop in NYC, but naturally also the most expensive. Here you’ll find high-end lables such as Lanvin, Hermes and Chanel and highly covetable bags by the boatload.

Screaming Mimi

(212) 677-6464, 382 Lafayette St, New York, NY, 10003

Cyndi Lauper used to work here and often film costume designers find outfits at this east village vintage stop.

What to Wear to Low Cost Benidorm Festival

Jun 25 2012

Fashion Hunter: What to Wear to Low Cost Benidorm Festival

Fringed tops abound and naff headbands aplenty, festival dressing isn’t exactly chic. But with low cost Benidorm Festival round the corner, we want to know what you’re going to be wearing?

Get inspired below with our top clothing picks for this summer’s festivals and amp up your look with some old favourites…

Acne kex skinny jeans

No festival wardrobe is complete without a pair of well-fitting, super tight, skinny jeans. These ones from Acne Studios are the best around and are currently being flogged for a cool 40 per cent off from the Acne site.

Hunter wellies in Original

An oldy, but a goody, Hunter wellies have been the festival footwear of choice for many a celebrity fashionista, including Kate Moss and Alexa Chung at Glastonbury. We like the originals the best, available from ASOS.

Ralph Lauren patch denim jacket

This Ralph Lauren patchwork Isabel Marant-style jacket is a go-to, particularly for the temperamental British weather. And let’s face it, you can’t go to a festival without at least two pieces of denim.

Amplified Pink Floyd tee

Ok, ok, so its not as good as your Dad’s beat up old Zeppelin tee, but if you just can’t get your hands on an original, then this long-sleeved Pink Floyd faded tee from Amplified is an excellent alternative. And if you pair it right, no one will ever know its not the real deal.

Converse Confetti Hi-Tops

Gracing the feet of many a musician, Converse have long been the stamp of a rock ‘n’ roller. Make yours stand out from the rest of the festival foot tappers with these cream hi-tops, printed with colourful confetti. Available from selected Converse stores and ASOS.

For our guide to Benidorm, please click here.

Purple Tips: Hidden Shopping Gems Europe

Jun 05 2012

Purple Tips: Hidden Shopping Gems Europe

It takes a special kind of tourist, one with a keen eye, a patient disposition and a thorough approach to research (not to mention an iPhone…), to visit a city and discover the gems that even its locals have no idea about. Anyone can stumble out of the tube at Knightsbridge and find themselves in Harrods and even my grandmother wouldn’t be too hard-pressed to locate one of the better boutiques on the Champs Elysees, but the real challenge, the one that may ultimately reward months of MI6-style investigations with a pair of one-off Chanel sandals, requires a far keener tourist.

Before you read on, be warned. This blog post is not for the faint-hearted, the sun-seeker or the “let’s just have a MacDonalds”-er, this is for the shopper – the real shopper. While the list may be subject to add-ons or removals and is far from a comprehensive European shopping guide, I believe it contains some of the best-kept secrets of my own European travel experiences. Consider it a work in progress and feel free to reveal your own hidden treasure coves. Enjoy…

Copenhagen
As Scandinavia is fast becoming the centre of cool, it is no surprise that first on the list is the Acne Archive store in Copenhagen. Archive is an Acne outlet store, selling a collection of classics by the offbeat Swedish foursome, as well as some recycled pieces from catwalks and samples. With 50% off all year round and new stock coming every week, it’s actually cheaper for Acne-lovers to fly over to Denmark for their new season wardrobes than it is to purchase the collections full price in their own country.

Athens
Following the philosophy, ‘one woman’s trash is another woman’s treasure’, Bohbo, a contemporary second-hand store in Athens, is an Aladdin’s cave of pristine Chanel, rare Marc Jacobs and well-selected vintage pieces. New items arrive daily, mostly donated from the wealthy, well-heeled women of the nearby Kolonaki neighbourhood, so the choice is continually diverse and fresh, with something on offer for everybody. Expect to find a wide range of unusual pieces alongside fashion classics such as Balenciaga motorcycle handbags and unworn Louboutins. On a recent excavation, I picked up a pair of cork-heeled Chanel Mary-Janes for just €120.

London
A renowned spot for stylists seeking retro designer looks, Bang Bang Clothing Exchange offers a dream mix of impeccably kept ‘I want you’ labels, excellent quality vintage and rare pieces from local designers. A little like New York’s Buffalo Exchange, Bang Bang also allows you to take your own unwanted clothing (as long as it reaches the standard of their stock) and exchange it for others within their store. However, unlike Buffalo, Bang Bang is extremely selective in its stock, meaning only the most pristine and fabulous clothing will be accepted.

Berlin
With so many interesting and unique stores flooding through Berlin at present, it’s impossible to choose just one. However, Darklands, situated in the arty area around Heidestrasse, north of Berlin’s main station, has really thrown itself to the forefront. Currently offering an impressive selection of avant-garde menswear, the shop is nomadic, moving every 15 months or so to a new location in a new area in order to shake off those shoppers whose noses are perpetually stuck into the air (buyers, stylists, anyone who works at Net-a-Porter – this means you). For this reason, the interior of their third instalment (Darklands 3.0) is the antithesis of a high-fashion world; expect life-sized dolls hanging from the ceiling, unsurprisingly dark clobber embellishing the walls, including coveted designer brands such as Damir Doma and Christian Poell and exposed lighting fixtures, all housed within what used to be non-descript, rough warehouse.

Milan
Stepping into Milan’s Cavalli e Nastri is like walking into some wealthy, old lady’s very well-organized designer closet. The petite shop, situated close to Moschino and Armani houses some of the most pristine vintage finery you’ll ever be so lucky to lay eyes upon. Pieces can date back to the late 1800s, but equally may include a 1950s organza prom dress or a pristine beaded flapper, hanging neatly beside a quality ’70s Pucci print. There is row upon row of glass drawers containing colourful stone brooches, earrings, and costume jewellery and a serious handbag collection (think Hermès, Dior, Chanel) in the rear room.

What to wear on the beach in summer 2012

Apr 20 2012

We’ve been going mad for Pinterest lately. It’s a pretty cool site that allows you to create boards of your favourite things. While developing all our beautiful destination boards (check out Cuba and Morocco, our faves) we’ve been getting completely distracted with bikinis, shorts and shads and it got us thinking: what will we be wearing on the beach?

Now, full disclaimer here, we’re no experts but we’ve been doing a lot of reading about what to wear this summer and along with a few old reliables like the handy maxi dress, a cute cardi and some flip flops, we’ve come up with a few extras that will make you want to strut down the beach like the true fashionista you are!

Neon: A neon bikini will definitely get you noticed on the beach. Not for the faint hearted, eye wateringly bright pink, yellow or green are super hot for this summer. However, if you’re a bit scared of this new extra bright, bright, how about a neon manicure for a little pop of colour?

High waisted shorts: We weren’t really convinced by these until we saw some great pictures and realised what a good look it is!

Keep it sporty: Mixing up your workout wear with your beach wear for a change of style. It’s simple because you already have all the ingredients… and Marc Jacobs is doing it!

Crop on: It may not suit everyone to show off your middle in a tiny crop top, but we say if you’ve got it, flaunt it. Crop tops are huge and the best bit is, if you’re not quite brave enough to show everything, layering is another top trend!

Go for the clash: Mixing florals with leopard print or chunky bracelets with sequins for evenings mean you’ll be bang on trend this summer.

Gladiator sandals: An old reliable. We don’t think these bad boys will ever go out of fashion. Any of these would do us nicely!

What about the guys? We haven’t forgotten, we know everyone wants to look good on their hols, so dudes can take some inspiration from the 90s! If you were fashionable once, you can be again.

Now all we need is a cheap holiday deal to parade around in our new fashions!

Ps. our lovely holiday style board has lots more ideas!

Source: goo.gl via PurpleTravel.co.uk on Pinterest

Tag - Fashion and style

Fashion Hunter: What to Wear to Low Cost Benidorm Festival

Purple Tips: Hidden Shopping Gems Europe