Fashion: Get graphic with black and white

From wide nautical stripes to graphic prints that look like optical illusions, there are varying degrees suitable for every wearer’s style palette.

Try a little 1960s inspiration and choose Twiggy in her heyday as your muse. Or go bold in calligraphy with slogan skirts and t-shirts bringing the 1980s up to date with an edgier vibe.

Feel free to be as wild as you wish clashing prints from top to toe, or tone it down with simple block pieces in black white and grey.

Accessories

Monochrome accessories are an easy and affordable way to access the trend. Dune has brought out fabulous black-and-white graphic print stilettos with a clutch to match. Wear them as part of a whole monochrome package or use them as statement pieces to jazz up sedate black workwear.

Monochrome Trend

It was seen wafting up and down an array of runways for this season. Marc Jacobs went severe sending his models out draped head-to-toe in monochrome. Jonathan Saunders went a little Sixties with his collection, and the high street has followed suit with tons of mini skirts, Mod-inspired structures and checkerboard prints.

Stripes

Coco Chanel is accredited for the birth of the nautical trend in the 1930s. Stripes are never far away in any given season, making them a great wardrobe staple. Don’t be frightened to team with them with other printed items, especially if you are staying within the monochrome family of blacks, whites and grays.

Graphics

Expect prints to be bold and abstract. Imagine wandering around in Dutch artist Theo van Doesburg 1920s paintings and you’ll be about right. There is also a lot of optical art being reference on clothing. The 1960s are rife on the high street, with every other clothing bay looking like a Bridget Riley exhibition. Migraines may be expected!

High Street

The high street is bursting with monochrome treats. Topshop has gone all out covering every trend base you can imagine, from skinny body con frocks with prints that leave you feeling a little dizzy to bold tube skirts with letters emblazoned over them. If that’s too much, Ted Baker has brought out pretty blouses with black collars over cream shirts. The perfect way to partake without being too loud.

Black and White

Two of the easiest colour tones to wear. They are a friend to every age group, size and skin colour. The great thing about monochrome is you probably own a few items already to recycle into this trend. If not then do so because it is something you will be able to wear season upon season.

PRECIOUSMETAL LOOK

Get the look

ALESHA Dixon works a chilled-out ensemble for the Britain’s Got Talent auditions in separates. Steal her silver style with Label Lab’s leather pencil skirt, £140 at House of Fraser (www.houseoffraser.co.uk).

Buy it now

YOU can now bag designer stars of the future in your shopping trolley. Graduate Fashion Week gold winner Chloe Jones’s collection is launching at George at Asda, featuring statement prints and sports luxe shapes. The designer capsule range is available from January 28, priced £8-£30, in stores and online at www.george.com

Secret shoppers

IS the delivery guy getting backache from your shopping habits? More than half of women (53%) have shopping secretly delivered to their work address to avoid over-spending rows with their partners, according to a new survey by designer sales website, HushHush.com. Of those who’d had products delivered to work to avoid arguments, 61% revealed that they tried to keep their purchases secret because they were spending on credit, while 23% said they kept their splurge quiet as they’d previously argued about their spending. Just 16% of men delivered products to work to avoid arguments.

Recessionista alert

Get a designer wedding dress for the price of an LBD. TK Maxx has unveiled a one-off delivery of bridal gowns with dresses worth £1,395 now from £199.99. Available online at www.tkmaxx.com and in the Glasgow stores.