It's All Black & White: Summer Monochrome

Monochrome River Island

[main shot: River Island]

Simple, classical and chic you don’t need colour to make an impression this spring. Black and white is a striking combination that when done correctly doesn’t have to make you look like an everyday office worker or waitress but can scream ‘look at me’ for all the right reasons.

A perennial favourite at Chanel, it was also seen on the catwalk at Balmain, Gucci, Dior and Lanvin amongst others for their Spring/Summer 2012 showings.

Here are our top picks of the timeless trend:

Monochrome

1. Stave off April showers with this French Connection Imperial Lux Trench Coat, £185 from John Lewis.

2. These Prada sunglasses, £180 from ASOS.com, feature colour block striped chunky frames and tinted lenses, with a gold-tone metal logo detail to the temple to ensure you stand out from the crowd.

3. Work eye-catching fusion fabrics for the new season with Giles & Brother’s signature ‘Cortina’ cuff. A contemporary mix of high-shine 10-karat gold-plated brass and woven leather, this chunky accessory is the perfect partner to boho-cool city looks, £95 from Net-A-Porter.com.

4. This textured ‘must have figure flatterer’ black dress from Star by Julien Macdonald features an ivory panel design. It is sleeveless with a deep scoop neck and a metallic snaffle front detail, £60 from Debenhams.

5. Create the look by combining this studded leather jacket, £169; studio shirt, £59.88 and skirt with mini frill, £29.99, all from Zara.

6. This bandeau dress exudes sophisticated styling and is already at the top of our wish lists. The Jackie Dress in striking monochrome features graduated stripe detail and a voluminous full skirt for a fashion-fabulous 50’s silhouette. £175 from Coast.

7. The simple styling of this 40MM Rock Chrono watch from Marc by Marc Jacobs, is the perfect accessory for this look, £279 from House of Fraser.

8. In blush grainy leather with contrasting colour detailing, this Antigona structured tote from Givenchy is the epitome of chic, £1,325 from Harrods.

9. This knee-length dogstooth pencil skirt with trimmed side pockets and a trim down the side, will take you stylishly from the office to after work drinks and is just £29.99 from H&M.

10. We adore these Tabitha Simmons ‘Gemma’ fringed leather sandals, £635 from Browns – Ascot anyone?

Miss B

Belinda Wanis, aka Miss B, is a Belle About Town who likes to bring a little bit of style into every aspect of her life. An experienced journalist with over 20 years in the industry she turned to the web, creating Belle About Town in early 2010, to fill a gap for tech-savvy stylish women who want the best life has to offer at their fingertips. She loves a decadent cocktail bar, a beautifully cut dress, cultural getaways, quality over quantity and is partial to Asian-fusion food. A globetrotter, who has lived in Australia, the UK and Denmark, she enjoys holidaying in the sun and you can often find her on a beach in Thailand or on shopping breaks in Sydney or New York. But her first love is, of course, London!

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