First of all let me start by saying that some of you might have a noticed a certain silence on my part in the past month or so. Let me clarify what I’ve been up to…

I wanted to take some time to search for some new style inspiration after this long summer. And to be honest, it did not happen very easily. I was traveling, visiting different countries and cities around Europe.  I think the biggest thing that struck me was the lack of style I was seeing around me. I was thinking: “Has something happened on the fashion scene that I’m not aware of, or is it just me?” I still haven’t figured it out completely.

But in any case, I think I’m finally starting to see some new winds of inspiration heading this way. Every year as autumn and winter start to make their appearance, I start to be much more interested in following street styles and looking for style in the most fascinating and unique places. And to my joy that season is about to start.

Autumn. My favourite season of the year hands down.  I can finally take out all of my cute jackets,  hats and my endless amount of scarves. And in the spirit of latter, I couldn’t help but take a look at the autumn/winter 2011 hat trends. Brace yourselves, folks. This season big is beautiful.

It’s September. We could say that summer is officially coming to an end. I spent the month of August in search of cool new styles, wandering around the streets of Europe. And boy did I see a lot…

Summer brings out the best and worst styles and this summer was no exception. And as summer differs from one place to another, I decided to take a closer look at styles by city and see how a surrounding actually influences the way we dress. As I went on into looking at how people choose to look in summer, I couldn’t help but turn my attention to the coming season. My mind is always one season ahead, so Autumn has been in my radar for a good while now. That’s exactly why I found the freshness and cooler weather of more northern parts of Europe much more interesting in terms of style than anything I found in the south.

In my search for style I came across a cool French brand called Antik Batik and their Autumn/Winter 2011 Collection. The collection really put me in the spirit of Autumn.  Beautiful long skirts and dresses and warm cardigans. Can’t wait for the weather to turn cooler. Let’s see if I’m able to tickle your fancy as well.

Images courtesy of Antik Batik.

Bold statement jewellery is big news this season. As I’ve been spending the previous week in search of style in different parts of southern Europe, one thing I’ve noticed is that you can make a real impression with jewellery alone. And this season it’s all about wearing unique collar necklaces. With loads of stunning necklaces to choose from, it’s hard to go wrong. But one tip I can give you is that if your outfit is simple, go for bold jewellery to spice up the ensemble, and vice versa, if your outfit is more elaborate, go for simple yet unique jewellery. That’s the way to nail the seasons hottest accessory.

Moroccan-born designer Judith Milgrom launched Maje in 2004. Since launching its first store, the chic Parisian label has featured collections that have caught the attention of trendsetters all over the world including Marion Cotillard and Vanessa Paradis.

The Maje collections are perfect for bohemian, yet feminine women who love fashion. Softly draped silk dresses and classic cover-ups in wool and leather are the impressive and stylish signature pieces of Maje’s collections. In the US, the brand collaborates with Vanessa Traina, who creates simple collections made primarily from silk or lace. Traina’s designs for Maje include maxi dresses, classic trousers and tuxedos.

It was the Autumn/Winter 2011/12 collection that caught my attention. Now Maje has a new fan, that’s for sure. All images part of the A/W 2011/12 collection.

Courtesy of Maje-paris.fr and Fashionmodeldirectory.com.

I’m not usually one for mass-trends, but there are always some specific, fun things which I like. Not because they are in fashion, but more because I just like them irrespective of trends and time. But having said that, I do like to keep myself up-to-date on what’s happening on the fashion scene. And my latest discovery; a trend, which is beginning to really catch on, the Peter Pan collar. I’ve been an advocate of peter pan collars for ages, and now I see that others are doing the same, which is great.

For those not that familiar with this type of collar, a Peter Pan collar is small, flat and round-cornered.  It was really popular for women’s and children’s clothes in the early- and mid-20th century. And back in the day, in order to style the collar up a bit, women used to wear it with a tie or bow. Love it!

Have you seen the Sandro Autumn/Winter 2011/12 collection yet? I was just walking pass the Sandro store in the main shopping district of Barcelona and  as I saw their new window display, I was of course compelled to take a closer look. I think their seasons’ collection features some really beautiful pieces. Take a look and tell us your thoughts.

To see more, go to the Sandro website, www.sandro-paris.com.

One of my favourite looks for the soon-to-come Autumn 2011 is one, which I like to call the “Mary Poppins look”. I love the effortless style that you can create with  just a few simple pieces: A long skirt, cute jacket, heels and the cherry on top, a Fedora hat. And yes, I know,  I know, we’re still in the summer months. But I just can’t help myself. Autumn is my favourite time of the year and I’m feeling inspired…

When you are creating an outfit out of several different prints and patterns, there’s a fine line between ‘just right ‘and ‘too much’.

It’s a funny thing, but I really do think that having an eye for style and what looks good is just something that you’re born with. It’s always the same thing. Think of the people you know who just always look impeccable. It just comes naturally for them. They haven’t been to schools for what looks good and what not. I think it’s just a gift. In any case, the question remains, how do you know what’s too much when you’re mixing and matching an outfit using loads of different prints?

The key is having one thing, be it a colour or a print, that ties the outfit together. This could be achieved by wearing a belt that goes with your shoes or your bag, or by wearing a scarf that matches with your jewellery. It could be anything. The idea is just to create a harmony with a few simple pieces that could potentially clash.

I think Margherita Missoni has a great sense of style. She boldly mixes loads of different prints. Sometimes her combinations are on the verge of being too much, but she still always manages to nail it. No doubt coming from a successful designer-family has had its’ effect on shaping the style savviness of this young fashionista.

The French fashion house of Louis Vuitton has been doing a bit revamping lately and they’ve come up with a lovely ivory and beige bag. Perfect seasonal replacement for the classic, winter brown-check bag that Louis Vuitton is known for. This design looks so much fresher. Perfect for the summer.

Minimarket is a Swedish clothing label started by three sisters. The line has extended from clothing to include accessories with a focus on shoes. And it’s their shoes that caught my attention in the first place. Super stylish! And now Minimarket is launching a diffusion label that will be found in selected stores in Sweden, Finland, Denmark and Spain. What do you know… Lucky me.

Here’s a bit of interesting history on the label: Minimarket was awarded “Best New Designer of the Year” by Elle in 2007 and 2009. And being a sucker for art and art museums, what I found even more interesting is the fact that Minimarket designed a capsule collection for the Museum of Modern Art in Stockholm. With this level of delicateness and finesse, I can totally picture their designs in a museum. I’m captivated. What about you?

Photos courtesy of minimarket.se