Occasionwear Trends on Trial with Dorothy Perkins

To celebrate the arrival of Spring, Dorothy Perkins invited me to their studio to style up and try on their four new 'occasionwear' trends for spring/summer. Of course, never being one to turn down the chance to dress up, I accepted their invitation. The premise of the four trends; Pretty Pastels, High Contrast, Shimmer & Shine and Chic & Sophisticated, are to help you dress for the different types of occasions you might attend during the warmer months; garden parties, BBQ's and weddings galore!  You can read the full feature here.
Pretty Pastels
This trend revolves around pastels (unsurprisingly) and focuses on fresh, spring appropriate colours; the perfect pieces for a sunny day! For this look, I chose a little dress with a pleated skirt and pastel floral pattern. A bonus that comes with multi-coloured patterns is that it gives you quite a lot of scope in regards to which colours you can pair with it. For instance, what with this dress being made up of shades of blue, green, white and yellow - I opted for some pastel yellow accessories. 
Blue Floral Dress: here. White and Yellow Sandals: here. 

High Contrast

Debatably my favourite look of them all, the trend High Contrast is all about mixing striking, block colours and monochrome accessories. It's a colour I wouldn't have picked out for myself previously but I was surprised with how much I liked it when I tried it on! This is definitely an evening-only look, but the shimmery fabric and flattering (if I do say so myself) cut of this dress meant I had to pick it as my favourite High Contrast piece.

Strapless Dress: coming soon, black version here. Pointed Shoes: here.

Shimmer & Shine
This trend is all about evening appropriate, 'cool glamour' - metallic textures and relaxed fits. I really liked the texture of this piece, although I'll admit I'm not too fond of shift dresses on my body type. In my opinion they suit a more narrow, boyish figure - which isn't me. I always opt for dresses with very fitted waists, so it was quite a change. However, it was very comfortable and I can see someone making this look effortlessly amazing with their hair up in a bun and some bright red lipstick.
Metallic Shift Dress: coming soon, similar here. Gladiator Sandals: here.

Chic & Sophisticated
Focussing around soft pinks and navy, the trend Chic & Sophisticated gives off a wedding-guest vibe. The pieces are soft and feminine, with lots of lace and a few feathery fascinators making an appearance! This trend is very much within my comfort zone, in fact, it was a struggle to choose just one dress for the final look. As you can see, I went for a midi length navy lace dress with a sweetheart lining, pale pink pointed courts and a pale pink feathery hair-clip to match. I'll never turn down the chance to wear a feather in my hair.
Navy Lace Dress: here. Light Pink Courts: here.

So, what do you think of Dorothy Perkins' occasionwear trends? Which is your favourite look? I'd love to know! *This post is in collaboration with Dorothy Perkins. If you'd like to know anymore about what a sponsored post is, please take a look at my 'About' tab.