In the meantime, why not enjoy some of our old material!!

Which brings me on to today’s topic: how much of a summer clothes shop do you do? Some people pretty much replace everything year on year, and then there’s the opposite end of the scale – people who sport what looks like vintage summer gear on the beach.

I think the best way to shop for summer is to know what needs replaced – any old stuff kicking around the wardrobe  that’s still in good nick but out of style can go to the charity shop or on ebay. Summer’s all about freshness – so make sure that you’re feeling fresh too by refreshing the wardrobe. This is especially important on holiday – you want to get that special holiday feeling, and you’re not going to achieve it with old swimwear. Cool new gear:

Especially since Lorraine does seem the type to follow her own advice. She may have a few pricey suits to wear on the couch curtousy of her production teams clothing budget, but we’re sure in her down time she would never consider such frivoulous spending. In fact, I would guess a rumage around the offerings of affordable fashion nominee Peacocks would suit her just fine on a Saturday afternoon.

As well as Peacocks, the affordable fashion awards include all of the leading low cost fashion retailers that have stepped up their catwalk inspired fashion offerings in the last few years – so show your support and get voting!

The biggest dresses rumour spreading around the fashion world is that Kate Middleton’s gown will indeed be McQueen as Sarah Burton, creative director of the brand checked in at her hotel late last night. Apparently an insider has leaked that it was designed by Mcqueen himself, I think you will agree that of all the dresses she could choose this option is probably the most exciting – fingers crossed it’s all true.

And while Kate might be flying the flag for dresses designed by British designers, Princess Beatrice is said to be attending the nuptials in Valentino, which we can forgive as we are sure she will look elegant and chic as Valentino dresses never fail to impress.

Worried about a serious case of outfit envy when you see the best dresses of the Royal Wedding – don’t worry, high street designers are working round the clock to record the most striking dresses in order to get a low cost interpretation into our wardrobes as soon as possible. And Cheap Clothes Rule will be providing you with all the latest information on these inspired pieces!

We also hear that Kate Middleton has chosen to do our own make-up for the wedding, a girl after Cheap Clothes Rule’s heart! We’re pretty sure we’ll be copying her glowing wedding make up as soon as we set eyes on it, a great way to get a regal look on the cheap while we wait for high street dresses to arrive.

Live fashion update acheived! Now the only thing to do is watch, we can’t wait to report on the dresses…….

Today we’re announcing the Girl In Green Awards – this is our version of the Oscars except there’s no awards ceremony, guests or prizes (sorry about that!). Bear in mind that all nominations must be submitted with cheap or affordable fashion in mind. It doesn’t mean that the nomination necessarily has to be from the budget clothes area, just that e.g. best dressed male is someone folks like us can relate to and assemble the general look of if we like.

So without further ado, here’s the nomination categories:

Best dressed female

Best Dressed male

Best affordable clothes brand or outlet

Best clothes item

Best dressed UK city

Bargain of the year so far

Girl In Green Awards 2011 – go vote!

The dress Middleton wore when the engagement was announced inspired many garments at all price points aiming to help the wearer get that effortlessly confident Kate look – and when the actual wedding takes place there’s likely to be a media genre all of its own dedicated to Kate fashions.  Expect few stories about William’s choice of suit though

Kate’s choice of clothing for the wedding will be a big media ticket no doubt – and there’s even been conjecture about what her choice of shoes will be.

Fast fashion and the real-time on trending phenomenon means that it’s likely there will be Kate inspired  shoes on sale this spring summer season.

The clothes shops will hopefully be stocking woolly hats for a few weeks yet.

In other news, Kate Moss gets the 70s vibe – pictured according to the Telegraph as if she was “channelling Margot Leadbetter” for a 70s party.

What can we say apart from a) LOL and b) Kate looks as great as ever.

Full story here

Kate Middleton’s back in the news today, with the news that Peacocks clothes have seen a whopping 95% rise in the sale of fascinators since the princess-to-be was seen wearing a bespoke pheasant feather one a short while back – and the £5 high street version sales soared.

It looks as though Kate Middleton is going to be ever more present in the news as the big day approaches – so watch this space for more reports on affordable versions here.

In other cheap clothes news, apparently Amy Winehouse has donated twenty grand’s worth of clothes to charity. Now that’s a lot of clothes. In fact, that kind of money would pay for at least 200 times what I’m wearing just now – and I’m a well dressed blogger. Makes you wonder how much in the way of expensive clothes goes unworn by famous people.

Remember when decades used to have names? There were the roaring 20s, the thirsty 30s, the WW2 40s, the Sid Vicious 70s, and so on. Of course, it was largely a journalistic shorthand not for an entire decade or even the majority of one, but for some shortlived but salient part of the decade. I mean, just mention the 70s and people will laugh and talk about the decade that had no taste – flares, brown paisley patter curtains, stacked heels. But this is only a very small part of the story: sample a look-back and you’ll find that the very early 70s had more of a 60s influence, and that after 1976 the flares began to disappear, and by 1978 the kids were wearing drainpipes. So, by 70s what people really mean is 72 to about mid-75.

Same deal with the 80s. Say 80s and the response will be – shoulder pads, yuppies, 80s excess. Yeah that all went on but it went on at the same time as the third generation of punk, Red Wedge, strong mod and skinhead scenes on the housing estates, and later in the decade you had Acid House and the return of flares via a Manchester Arndale market stall.

And the 60s? Anything in fashion we associate with the 60s is always post- 1965.  Why?

Anyway, eventually we ran out of names for decades, or just stopped caring because after 1999 it would all be 00s and 10s and they don’t have much of a ring to them.

But fashion continues regardless. And mens clothes by the year 2000 were expected to be space age but no, we still wear jeans and trainers. The invention of the trainer is probably a bit like the invention of the wheel – they’ll last for millennia, in different colours shapes and forms, but they will go on and on and on.

Meanwhile there’s a trend towards dressing formally in style again, possibly the influence of the likes of David Beckham, Kanye West and others who gave up bling and swapped it for sartorial excellence. Just check out this vid of Tinie Tempah at the Brits. Genius threads…