Winter Trends 2016

Following the seasonal fashion trends shouldn't be a slavish, tiresome endeavour. Instead look at it as an opportunity to reflect on the beauty that surrounds us. Fashion, style and design should inspire our creativity. It should encourage us to lift our design game. These trends are the backdrop to our life. Don't ever underestimate the power of the ever changing trends. They pin point times in history. They punctuate our memories. Enjoy them, have fun with them, draw upon them when creating and revile in their beauty.

Trend spotting is about identifying patterns, prints, texture, structure, form, exploring the feminine and masculine design elements and reflecting on how they can fit with your style, your aesthetic, your wardrobe, home and environment.

In business,  an awareness of asthetic trends is critical to ensure your brand stays current, your marketing is on point and how you communicate your brands message is done in a stylish current manner.

Some of the Winter trends for 2016 that we can have fun with include:

TRANSPERENT SHEER X-RAY

This Winter season is a real treat, the days of heavy Melbourne-style black on black winter dressing are long gone. This winter we'll be sporting transperent almost sheer fabrics and motives reminiscent of skeletal forms. 

Plan your wardrobe to include soft layering and glimpses of sheer structure. 

PATTERNS IN NATURE

Serene marbel stone and cloud like forms add an air of whimsy to our winter wardrobe and homewares this winter. Taking the hard cold edge off the cooler months and reminding us to look upwards and appreciate the soft blue sky and flossy floating clouds and the icy snow covered peaks.

BURNT

I love this trend, burnt edges are a truly original and powerful trend this winter. There is a multitude of ways you can incorporate this trend into your design aesthetic, wardrobe and branding styling....just don't get burnt! 

FLORAL ON BLACK

1980's flashbacks aside this floral on black trend has an edgy, Wedding Singer, big hair feminine feel. It's a great dramatic pattern that adds a little glamour to any winter outfit and adds an old world romantic feel to any look. This style is very on trend for branding and is an eye catching design for marketing women's products. 

GOTHIC REVIVAL

Again those of us that we're teens in the 80's will have a bit of a nostalgic response to this Goth Trend. However the modern trend has an asthetic reminiscent of the horror movie The Ring crossed with American Horror Stories The Covern. Whether you're into the Goth look or not, you can incorporate the mystery and moody aspects of this look easily into your wardrobe. 

VINTAGE FLORAL

Vintage prints are kitchy and fun and this is a great way to add colour depth to your wardrobe without ending up with a heavy dark winter look. Vintage and retro looks are huge in business branding presently so you can't go wrong with this trend in your work life. 

CORAL

Admittedly I'm a Coraloholic, after having my colour analysis complete by stylist Amalia Simpson, Coral is in my Spring colour palette so if you're a Spring like me this colour will make your skin glow! Use it in accessories and you'll keep a little bit of Spring in the air, all the way through Winter! 

Want more of a fashion trend fix? Visit the Lily Online Magazine Pinterest page.

(All images credits and links found on our Pinterest Page Lily Online Magazine - Trends Autumn Winter 2016)

Spoil yourself and mum on Mother's Day

 

What better way to treat yourself and mum on Mother's Day than a trip to the Peninsula  Hot Springs, located at Fingal on the Mornington Peninsula, Victoria. 

 

A good friend and I decided to treat our mum's to a day of spa fun yesterday. It's the ideal place to relax, chat and spend quality time with your mum, so I highly recommend it. 

The Hot Springs offers outdoor bathing with over 20 experiences to choose from set amongst meandering paths surrounded by pristine native gardens complete with birds and ducks and a lake. 

 

You can choose from thermal mineral spring pools, Turkish steam bath (Hamam), cave pool, hilltop pool offering 360 degree views of the region, underground sauna, reflexology walk, massaging thermal mineral showers, family bathing area, lakeside pool and naturally landscaped bathing gully.

So what is so special about these hot springs? 

According to Peninsula Hot Springs they are filtration hot springs. The water that surfaces is estimated to have been deep within the Earth for more than 10,000 years.

 

The water rises from 637 metres below The Cups at Rye. By the time the water comes to the surface the temperature is approximately 50°C . The temperature of the pools varies from 42°C to 36°C depending on the pool and the time of the year.

Peninsula Hot Springs are classified as true mineral springs, with dissolved solids measuring over 3500 parts per millon (PPM), based on the assessment conducted by the Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences in New Zealand.

Peninsula Hot Springs are sodium chloride bicarbonate hot springs, with a pH level of 6.8. The near neutral (slightly acidic) pH is primarily the result of the potassium, calcium, magnesium and sodium ions. 

How does this benefit you? 

Peninsula Hot Springs advise that:

• Bathing in bicarbonate water assists in opening peripheral blood vessels, improving circulation to the body's extremities and potentially helping to address hypertension and mild atherosclerosis. Some researchers believe that bicarbonate baths also assist cardiovascular disease and nervous system imbalances. Peninsula Hot Springs thermal mineral water contains 1163 PPM bicarbonate.
• Mineral springs naturally rich in chlorides, in amounts between 0.5 to 3%, are considered by some researchers to be beneficial for rheumatic conditions, arthritis, central nervous system conditions, post-traumatic and post-operative disorders. Peninsula Hot Springs contain 1432 PPM chloride content.
• Boron builds muscle mass, increases brain activity and strengthens bones. Peninsula Hot Springs contains 1.3 PPM boron.
• Magnesium converts blood sugar to energy and promotes healthy skin. Peninsula Hot Springs contains 90 PPM magnesium.
• Potassium assists in the normalisation of heart rhythms, assists in reducing high blood pressure, helps to eliminate body toxins and promotes healthy skin. Peninsula Hot Springs contain 64 PPM potassium.
• Sodium and natural salts assist with the alleviation of arthritic symptoms and may stimulate the body's lymphatic system when used in baths. Peninsula Hot Springs contain 868 PPM sodium.

One of my favourite attractions is the Reflexology Walk. It contains different sized stones to massage your feet as you walk the length  of the pool. 

 

What's more at lunch time you can stop for a cuppa and lunch at their outdoor cafe in your bathers and robe then return to the spas for some more indulgence. 

You can also opt for their massage and spa treatments and they even have a gorgeous restaurant onsite. 

Visit the Mornington Peninsula Hot Springs website at 

http://www.peninsulahotsprings.com/