HOW TO STYLE A POLKA DOT TOP FOR DAY AND PLAY

A classic printed top is a great wardrobe staple that can be dressed up and down for day and play. Polka dots are a key trend at the moment and this chic Vero Moda top from USC will make a versatile addition to your wardrobe. Dress it up with colourful jeans, sky-high wedges and a clashing clutch for a night on the tiles and pair it down with some military-style khaki jeans and neutral accessories for a casual Saturday look:

1. Firetrap Evelyn skinny red jeans, £19.
2. Vero Moda Smith top, £7.
3. Pieces Nada floral clutch bag, £8.
4. Abandon Basket Case wedge, £25.
5. Firetrap Evelyn skinny khaki jeans, £16.
6. Top, as before.
7. Abandon Jungle Waves sandal, £10.
8. Abandon cross body bag, £10.

Browse the full range of women's tops available from USC. 

*This is a sponsored blogpost.*

TOTES AMAZING: THE BEST BAGS FOR AW12

If you hadn't registered already- I'm pretty crazy about handbags, so I've done a bit of fantasy shopping and selected my favourite styles for AW12. As a guide, here are the key trends to look out for when selecting your new-season accessories:

• Purple is the colour to be seen in for AW12; update your LBD by accessorising with a statement clutch in a rich purple hue. Christopher Kane's deep purple leopard print clutch (no.3) is undoubtedly the accessory of the season. 
• Animal prints are, as ever, a key trend. If you're bored of leopard prints, try a reptilian effect, as seen in the Whistles 'Jocelyn' tote (no.9.)
• Look out for gold hardware details to add a touch of luxe to your look. Sophie Hulme's (no.8) hardware-heavy totes wowed me at London Fashion Week back in February. 
• Digital prints are still big news. Rianna Phillips' 'Spiked Juliette' clutch (no.1) combines delicate florals with edgy spike prints, updating summer's blooms and botanicals trend for AW12.

1. Spiked Juliette digital-print clutch, Rianna Phillips, £72.00.

2. Jimmy Choo Candy glitter clutch, Net-a-porter.com, £350.

3. Christopher Kane leopard-print clutch, Net-a-porter.com, £390.

4. Marc by Marc Jacobs Classic Q Karlie bag, Selfridges, £220.00.

5. Green metal tip satchel, ASOS, £28.00.

6. Lily with Tiger detail bag, Mulberry, £595.

7. Delta leopard print structured bag, Stylistpick, £35.00.

8. Sophie Hulme medium black tote, my-wardrobe.com, £559.00.

9. Jocelyn snake tote, Whistles, £295.00.

LFF TRIALS: FIRMOO'S FASHIONABLE & FRUGAL EYEWEAR

Recently I was offered the opportunity to review the service offered by US-based online eyewear brand Firmoo. Firmoo's brand philosophy is to to offer 'Vision and Fashion the Frugal Way'- a goal that I fully endorse, since stylish glasses can often be prohibitively expensive. I selected a chic pair of black sunglasses from the Firmoo; attracted by the magpie-like mirrored metallic details on the arms.

Here's my unbiased pros and cons about the Firmoo service:

• Pros: The glasses came within 5 working days, which for international shipping is incredibly quick.
• A complimentary case was sent with the glasses, which has a super-cute world traveller print on it. And there's also a complimentary pouch and dust cloth. Little touches make all the difference!
• The glasses feel sturdy and good-quality.There's nothing worse than a flimsy sub-standard pair of sunnies.
• Cons: There isn't much variety in the sunglasses range and my lovely pair of shades are no longer available on the site. Overall a great brand but more product is needed!

At the moment Firmoo have a great introductory scheme in place, offering a free pair of eyewear to first-time buyers- further information can be found here.

A SNEAK PREVIEW OF THE STYLISTPICK AW12 COLLECTION

If you're a fan of a killer  heel, then you're sure to love Stylistpick's AW12 collection. Razor sharp spike heels in glossy metallic finishes make for a fierce footwear collection for the forthcoming season. Tote-wise, structured shapes remain a key trend for Stylistpick, as does colour blocking, updated in muted tones for the darker season. The killer heel + structured totes combination is the modern way to power dress, so get ready for some unapologetically fierce looks next season ladies!

These styles are not available on just yet, but you can sign up and become a Stylistpick member to be notified when the collection drops.

AW12 TREND ALERT: WINTER FLORALS

One of the most wearable trends we'll be seeing for AW12 is winter florals. British Vogue editor Alexandra Shulman named 'winter florals' as her big trend for the upcoming season during her recent talk at the V&A; which of course, means this is a key trend for the season.

Forget summer's chintsy florals and tropical blooms and instead think of wild meadows and abstract botanicals in dark and edgy tones. Metallic finishes and luxe embellishment also update this trend for the new season.

From L-R: Erdem, Hermes, Bottega Veneta, Erdem from Style.com.

To get your winter florals-fix on the high street, head to Topshop, where I've seen some great pieces that translate the trend for those on a budget. Here's my pick of the best pieces online now:

1. Oriental Floral Cigarette Trousers, £45.00.
2. Long Sleeve Floral Shirt, £40.00.
3. Scandi Floral Tee, £18.00.
4. Floral Print Cigarette Trousers, £36.00.
5. Rose Beaded Clutch, £28.00.
6. Missy Floral Slingback Shoes, £28.00.

KIM SEARS WEARS WHISTLES DRESS TO WATCH ANDY MURRAY WIN OLYMPIC GOLD

Ok, ok, so the main focus of the Olympics action should be on the athletes competing and not on the ring side catwalk show, but for fashion-junkies like myself it's hard not to clock Kate Middleton sporting a bit of Stella in the stands or Team US looking jaunty in their Ralph Lauren kits. And this afternoon Twitter went a bit Kim Sears-mad when the luscious-locked one watched her boyfriend Andy Murray take Olympic gold in the men's tennis finals (go Andy!) wearing a cool blurred-print dress. The good news is, Kim's dress is a high street number from my favourite fashion-destination, Whistles (regular readers may remember that I first clocked the 'Luna' dress as it's named back at their press day back in Spring).

The bad news is, the dress is currently sold out online- but with Whistles being the savvy company that it is, I wouldn't be suprised if they re-issue this dress soon. In the meantime, there's a very chic pleated skirt in the Luna print currently available on the Whistles website that will bring a touch of Olympic chic to your wardrobe, without a hint of performance wear in sight.