Happy Halloween! Here’s some spooky treats to get you in the spirit…

Whether you celebrate Halloween or think it’s a rip-off commercial holiday, there’s something fun about incorporating the creepy and the kooky into your wardrobe – on Halloween or otherwise.  There’s nothing quite like wearing a gorgeous girly frock with a slightly sinister crystal skull necklace gazing out, or giving people the “don’t-mess-with-me” message in these kick-ass studded Louboutins.

Unleash your dark side with some of these great Halloween-inspired treats – product details are as follows:

Markus Lupfer sequinned flower skull sweater, £230 from My-Wardrobe
Warehouse rectangular lace scarf, £28
Christian Louboutin Pigalle stud heels, £628.27 from MyTheresa
Jessica Kushman spider bangle, £99 from My-Wardrobe
Jade Jagger skull locket pendant necklace, from My-Wardrobe
Alexander McQueen Pyramid poison silver ring, £135 from Net-a-Porter
Kill Doll Monster Mash pump, £15
Boohoo Ronnie skull print scarf, £8
Zoe & Morgan Love Bite spider earrings, £98 from My-Wardrobe

Everyone’s wearing: Grey boots

When it comes to winter boots, most of us are guilty of making a beeline straight towards the black or brown pairs sitting pretty on the shelf – practical they may be, but sometimes not the most exciting choice.  While we’re not suggesting a pair of bright red kicks (although we’re certainly not discouraging that either!), a great alternative to all the black and brown pairs out there is a fabulous shade of grey.

Extremely versatile, they can interchange with the black boots in your wardrobe easily and can be paired with bold colour, pretty pastels and even the colour that black isn’t too fond of being paired with – navy blue.  A lighter shade of grey can look especially pretty with pastel pink, while a darker shade looks great with black tights or leggings.

Some of the celebs who have jumped on the grey boot bandwagon include Nicky Hilton, Reese Witherspoon, Katie Holmes, Taylor Momsen, Claudia Schiffer and Olivia Palermo.

We’ve been digging up the best finds from designer labels and the high street – check them out below (product details follow):

Fred Perry Haine suede ankle boots, £65 from Office
Faith Sorena grey platform boot, £100 from Debenhams
S***R Laura 3 ankle boot, £70 from Farfetch.com
Chloe Prince leather boots, £718.28 from MyTheresa
Wallis grey lace up ankle boot, £50
Jeffrey Campbell Thud suede mid calf fringe boot, £48.45 from BunnyHug
Carvela Skittle ankle boot, £150 from Kurt Geiger
Carvela Gambia grey ankle boot, £150 from Debenhams
Office Bellini knee boots, £90
Marc by Marc Jacobs grey suede wedges, £284 from Farfetch.com
Office mega strap grey boot, £85
Opening Ceremony w5 grey ankle boots, £215 from Farfetch.com

Ashish designs exclusive collection for Net-a-Porter

If you’re on a sequin trip at the moment (or can see yourself heading down that road leading up to Christmas party season), then there is really only one name you need to know: Ashish.  The Londoner is known and lauded for his sequin-crazy collections (and those Topshop wedge heels that everyone went bonkers for recently).  So as we head into the silly season, it’s good to know there are sparkles aplenty on their way.

The pieces above are designed exclusively for Net-a-Porter, and will be available just in time for you to add some knock-out glitz and glamour to your Christmas ensembles.   Ashish told Vogue.co.uk: “The collection for Net-a-Porter.com is a range of beautiful easy to wear pieces in soft shimmer black and metallics.  The dresses are perfect for easy evening glamour, while the boyfriend jackets are really versatile – they can add sparkle to day or night.”

We’ll keep you updated as to when the pieces will be available but in the meantime, you can always get your razzle dazzle fix by shopping the current Ashish collection.

[Images: Vogue UK]

Editor’s Pick of the Day: By Zoe Fan Fan tiered skirt

We’ve been working hard lately to add some useful style advice to all the landing pages on Empora – mainly about how to shop for your body shape and also some handy tips about which styles and trends are going to be big this season.  The most recent addition to our catalogue is ‘Choosing a skirt to suit your shape’ (make sure you check it out), which means we’ve suddenly gone all skirt-crazy, looking for the styles which will maximise our best assets and hide those things we don’t like!

We guess that’s how we managed to land on this be-yoot-iful tiered silk skirt from By Zoe – the colour and pretty layers are romantic and girly, but we love how adding a pair of opaque tights to the look instantly gives it sophistication and a certain edge.  Taking our own advice, we’ve noted the length is perfect for the height-challenged among us (it will make your legs look like they go on for days!)  And so, we’re sold.  If you are too, you can purchase it from My-Wardrobe for the very payday-friendly price of £87 (it’s 100% silk remember?)

In the has-to-be-seen-to-be-believed pile: Elen Rives in Hello Kitty coat

Image: Splash News

We did a double take when we saw this photo and we’re sure you will too.  Yes, this is Elen Rives (former WAG of Frank Lampard) looking like she’s rolled around in a batch of Hello Kittys, not much unlike Lady Gaga, who not so long ago looked like she’d rolled around in a batch of Kermits.  Hmm.  Elen is in fact promoting Hello Kitty’s 35th anniversary – but we can’t imagine we’ll be seeing her wear this get-up to Nobu or Movida anytime soon!

First look at Sonia Rykiel undies for H&M!

With not long to go until the launch of the much-anticipated Sonia Rykiel for H&M collaboration (which we told you about not so long ago), the first ads are starting to do the rounds and you can bet it will have whet many appetites for what is to come.  Judging from the above shot, featuring supermodels Lara Stone, Caroline Trentini and Anne Vyalitsyna, we can expect pink floral motifs in places we can imagine will not be be too clothing-friendly – forget VPL or Visible Panty Line… Visible Flower Bud Line anyone?  Guess we’ll just stick to wearing it in the bedroom then!

The lingerie line will swoop into 1,500 H&M stores on December 5, 2009 and will also be available in the main Sonia Rykiel boutiques.

In the meantime, you can shop the SONIA RYKIEL and SONIA BY SONIA RYKIEL labels here.

Ten hot buys this week – including jeans for under £20, harem trousers a la Cheryl Cole and an Yves Saint Laurent handbag investment

Every week, Empora Style Spy will round up some of the best deals being offered by Empora’s 40+ retailers, so you can get your hands on some truly bargain-tastic items!  From designer deals to high street hot items, these are our ten best buys of the week:

Jonathan Saunders Iris satin pleated dress, £348 from TheOutnet
Yves Saint Laurent Y-bow bag, £584.16 from MyTheresa
CC Skye handcut black stone cuff, £77 from BunnyHug
Burberry waffle knit cardigan, £233.99 from TheOutnet
Tom Ford brown oval sunglasses, £165 from Stylebop
Dorothy Perkins mid-wash skinny jeans, £17
Vic suede high-heeled boots, £98 from Yoox
Jasmine Di Milo nude sheer open drape top, £200 from My-Wardrobe
Boohoo Asha Harem Style Crinkle Effect Trousers, £15
Faith Sorena grey platform boots, £100 from Debenhams

Quick march! This season raid the stores for everything military style

Brass buttons, epaulettes, piping on blouses, double-breasted coats, tab fastenings, tough-girl boots.  Although it’s a trend which never *quite* seems to go away entirely, you will be able to see a lot of the military influence in fashion right now thanks in part to the Parisian fashion house Balmain, and everyone’s enduring obsession with their military jackets from a few seasons’ back.

It’s very easy to incorporate a bit of this military style into your own everyday wardrobe…  Simply throw on a military-inspired jacket over your jeans and t-shirt with pretty ballet flats or wear over a cocktail dress on an evening out.  Alternatively, pair a floaty blouse with some high-waisted brass button trousers and retro hair a la Sienna Miller.  The key to this look being “street-friendly” is balancing the masculinity of the military item with something feminine, such as a gorgeous pair of heels, some red lipstick or even a very subtle pretty pendant necklace.

SEE OUR PICKS OF THIS SEASON’S HOTTEST MILITARY JACKETS HERE.

Get her look: Penelope Cruz in leather jacket and thigh-high boots

We’re still getting a thrill from seeing thigh-high boots appear all over the place and in ways which inspire us to give this trend a go – seeing Penelope Cruz‘s take has us wanting to wear a pair like never before!  Thigh-high boots present something of a challenge, but as Pene demonstrates, pairing them with top-to-toe black makes them that much easier to pull off.

We love how she’s gone for a rock chick/city-chic vibe with a textured leather jacket, basic black skinnies and some retro sunnies – a versatile look that can be used for all sorts of occasions throughout autumn and winter.  To see how you can pull it off yourself (with products from the high street and more!) then click here or on the image above.

My-Wardrobe’s Halloween treat – 30% off menswear until midnight Saturday 31st October

Click here to shop menswear at My-Wardrobe.