STYLING: LINDSAY CAMPBELL
The Look: Floral
Silk dress, £60, Warehouse, at John Lewis; floral jacket, £55, Topshop; floral hair clasp (worn as brooch), £4, Johnny Loves Rosie; blue tights, £1, Primark; floral pumps, £24.99, Kickers, at Schuh; black bow headband, £1, Primark
This is a girly trend, with designers such as Miu Miu going for clashing and layering. Great for summer and to add a touch of femininity to an outfit. Go for hair clasps and jewellery to give a subtle approach or clash away with jackets and dresses as we have done. Topshop and Miss Selfridge are doing a great range of styles and shapes for all ages, but for bigger budgets Miu Miu has amazing skirts and dresses in beautiful bold prints.
The Look: Safari
Khaki trousers, £40, Warehouse, at John Lewis; silk top, £40, Topshop; safari mac jacket, £55, Topshop; crochet trilby, £12, asos.com; leopard shoes, £64.99, Irregular Choice, at Schuh
This is an easy-to-wear trend that can be adapted for any occasion. We have made it smart/casual, which is suitable for most ages. You can get a range of beautiful maxi dresses that add that tribal element to the trend – for example, Mango's floor-length leopard-print dresses. To add a hint of safari, go for wooden bangles – build up a few on each arm to really go for impact – and keep it to a colour palette of greens and browns for a sophisticated approach.
The Look: Sport
Terry shorts, £15, American Apparel; stripe and bow T-shirt, £20, asos.com; pink socks, £8, American Apparel; sweat band, £2, Topman; trainer heels, £39.99, Bronx, at Schuh
Now we are starting to plan our summer holidays, we have to think about unveiling our not-quite-beach-ready bodies. Take action and get out the shorts and T-shirts, keep it practical with bold retro designs, while towelling shorts and dresses transfer into great beachwear. This trend is funky and can be worn by anyone, but if you can't face the idea of shorts, Juicy Couture has wonderful tracksuits in towelling, velour or jersey. If you don't fancy looking as if you have just fallen out of the gym, keep things subtle with a bowling bag (Prada has some gorgeous leather ones) or trainers (Dunlop are good and affordable).
The Look: Nautical
High-waisted jeans, £50, Warehouse, at John Lewis; navy button top, £25, asos.com; stripe bag, £4, Primark; anchor necklace, £10, asos.com; black boots, £79.99, Red or Dead, at Schuh
Ahoy there sailors! This is a trend we have been seeing most summers since Brigitte Bardot wore her white 3/4-length trousers and blue-and-white-stripe top. Keep it subtle and classy with white linen trousers and a blue top, also good with basic white trainer pumps. For those with cash to flash, Chanel has lovely two-tone ballet pumps, ideal for teaming with skinny jeans and stripe tops. For those not keen on stripes, opt for solid colour blocks and accessorise with jewellery. Asos.com is doing a great range of anchor necklaces and gold enamel bangles. Bags are also good for this trend, so add your stripes here.
The Look: Neon/Colourful
Lame bikini top, £10, American Apparel; green cardi, £30, Topshop; yellow shorts, £25, Topshop; neon tights, £1, Primark; bangles, £8, Freedom, at Topshop; colourful heels, £69.99, Irregular Choice, at Schuh; blue glasses, £12, asos.com
This is a young trend that is crazy and fun. Clashing is the key, so go for as many colours as you can get. Check out River Island's range of bags, belts and tights for an instant outfit pick-me-up. American Apparel has a large range of neons in different fabrics and styles. Again, if you want to play it down and not look like a rainbow, try a funky headband, bag or even just a bright nail polish. Mac has a great range of neon nail colours. This trend is not for the faint-hearted, but if you can handle it, take your inspiration from the 1990s rave days and go mad!
Here come the curls…
STEP away from the perm lotion, ladies. The 1980s are back in a big way, and with them have come the curls. But model Kelly Brook, with her big, bouncy locks (right), is less likely to have spent several hours sitting in a salon stinking of ammonia and more likely to have benefited from the skills of a stylist and their scissors (and maybe one or two styling aids into the bargain).
"People look at pictures of styled curls and think it's a perm, but it's not," says Craig Parvin, of Egg Hair in Edinburgh. "It's to do with the haircut and the styling.
"If you look at fashion, it's all getting a lot quirkier and more fun," he adds. "Prada was known for its very structured look but its latest collection is all fairytales and earthy; it has quite a mad feel about it."
So as texture comes in, we can wave a fond goodbye to the sleek Pob. "That's a very structured haircut, so we have a lot of clients with these half grown-out now. People are looking for something that is almost a bit madder.
"When you look at young people's fashion, it used to be a uniform but now it's quirkier and much more fun. People seem to have let go of that uptightness they had a few years ago about having to look the same. The fashions are very different and people want to mirror that in their hair, which is great for us."
Fashion's love affair with the past is also being reflected on our heads. "The Bardot haircut is something we've been doing a lot of, and there's a 1960s vibe coming through," says Parvin.
"Colourwise, there's a lot of blond, working different tones through it; warmer tones such as apricots, honeys, coppery browns. It's almost to counteract the playfulness – there's a kind of luxurious feel coming through."
Over to you
High fashion or high street? We ask our readers all about their sense of style
Rachael Roberts, 19, from Edinburgh, is on a year out. She starts university in September
Shoes, H&M (£7) jeans, Topshop (£30) jacket, car-boot sale (£3) sunglasses, Thailand (£1.50) headband, Grandma's dressing-up box, shell ring, Thailand
"I like to wear second-hand clothes, and find most of the pieces from vintage clothes shops and car-boot sales," says Roberts. "High-street clothes shops are too expensive and I find vintage clothes more interesting.
"I look through magazines for the latest trends and particularly like clothes from agnès b. But I'm equally likely to pick up something on my travels."
Lee Herriot, 24, works for Cruise in Edinburgh
Trainers, Dior Homme (£250) jeans, Dior Homme (£165) belt, Silas and Maria (£60) shirt, Hardy Amies (sale, £40)
"I used to spend a massive amount on clothes every month, but I've cut that down to about £300 now.
I like quality fabrics and clothes that tell stories. I don't care so much about how an item of clothing looks, but more about its quality. I'd never shop on Princes Street. There just wouldn't be anything for me there."
Ian Fielding, 53, from Lossiemouth, is a chef who spends half the year working in Africa
Shoes, Fatface (£30) jeans, Burton (£50) jumper, Gant (£85) scarf, from Paris (£15) jacket, Burton (£35) bag, Gant (£65) gloves, from Paris (£10)
"I like Gant a lot, and its new range is fantastic. Hugo Boss is also reliable but rather overpriced.
"I try to make sure I wear at least one tartan item with every outfit. It gives my look an individual touch. I've also collected badges from all over the world that are now decorating my bag.
"Wearing colourful things makes you feel happy. I'll mix and match something bright with darker colours. Black always makes an outfit look classy."
Rhona Robinson, 32, is a GP from Edinburgh
Boots (£80) skirt, gift pink cardigan, gift, top, charity shop, beads, Monsoon (£10) scarf, from Florence, jacket, House of Bruar, bag, Therapy (£15)
"I follow certain aspects of fashion but I'm certainly not a slave to new trends. I pick and choose the bits that I like, and the ones that suit my body shape."
Elizabeth Curtis, 62, is retired and lives in Edinburgh
Tweed dress and jacket, Episode, black shoes, Burberry
"I try to go for a classic look: fashionable, but suited to my age.
"I think Twiggy is an inspiration. She manages to look youthful but classy at the same time."
Emma Blinkhorn, 18, is a Spanish and English literature student at Edinburgh University
Ugg boots (£180) jacket, from boutique (£90) jeans, River Island (£40) bag, Zara (£40)
"I spend about £200 every month on clothes. I wear fashionable clothes, but I don't make an effort to conform to the latest trend. I prefer to find outfits that suit my figure.
"I like the vintage look and Sienna Miller pulls that off really well. Alexa Chung also has a great style."
Daniel McGalpine, 28, a care worker from South Africa, now living in Scotland
White jacket, H&M (£10) blue shirt, H&M (£5-10) jeans, H&M (£30) shoes, Topshop (£20)
"I'd like to shop at designer-label shops, but I can't afford it. I find I can get the same styles a lot cheaper on the high street.
"I like to go for a casual but smart street style; smart jeans with bright, clean colours."
Alan Shields and Hannah Thomas
