Introducing the summer fashion trends of 2020 that you need to know about! Keep up with the latest trending styles this summer from your favourite retail stores here at Monks Cross Shopping Park. With free parking right outside your favourite stores, you’ll be sure to have enough time browse the aisles for all the latest summer looks. Get ready to give your wardrobe the ultimate post-lockdown upgrade.
Tiered Summer Dresses
This summer, we’re ticking off our dressing needs with the tiered summer dress. The tiered dress comes in a wide range of styles for any occasion. Like this Pink short sleeve mini smock dress from New Look – it’s perfect for a day out! Complete the look with chunky wedges and beaded accessories.
Leopard Print is trendy as ever!
Perfect your style with an animal print like these leopard print casual sandals from Clarks. The style is finished with a soft microfibre sock for lasting comfort.
Hello Sunshine!
Is summer really summer without a bit of sunshine? Dazzle like the sun in this River Island White floral shirred bardot midi dress.
Accessories must haves!
Complete your look with our favourite accessories from some of the retail shops here at Monks Cross. You can’t go wrong with some oversized sunglasses – see in-store at Primark.
Photo credit: River Island, Primark, New Look and Clarks.
York’s Monks Cross Shopping Park will be hosting a series of FREE activities for their summer festival themed event MONKSFEST. This weekly fun filled activity is set to entertain families, children and visitors to the shopping park.
MONKSFEST will be taking place every Friday from the 26th July until 16th August 2019. With a face painter each week and entertainment from local buskers, a Bubbleologist, Caricaturist and a variety of craft workshops, a mix of activities for all to enjoy.
Event dates and entertainment can be seen below:
26th July – Face Painter and Bubbleologist
2nd August – Face Painter and Flower Garland Making Workshop
9th August – Face Painter and Caricaturist
16th August – Face Painter and Kids T-shirt and Tote bag making workshop
Katherine Sharp, Centre Manager of Monks Cross, comments “We are extremely excited to be hosting our first ever festival themed event at Monks Cross. It is the perfect event to bring children along to and get them into the festival spirit. We also hope to attract new visitors and present Monks Cross as a fun and convenient place to shop! We look forward to welcoming people to MONKSFEST from Friday 26th July.”
Event page here.
Festival season is upon us so #MakeItMonksCross and stand out! We all know the aim of the game for festivals is to awaken your brightest, sparkly inner unicorn and wow the crowd with your fashion sense. So to give you a little inspiration and help you stand out, we’ve compiled our best tips and tricks, along with some fashion advice to help you live your best life this Summer.
DIY Fashionista
If you really want to impress people this summer and you want something that nobody will have then it’s time to get to work. We’ve spoken to the experts at Hobby Craft who have inspired us to create our own festival clothing, from knitted festival tops, tie-dye shirts, crochet bumbags and flower headbands, the festival creations you can do at home are endless!
For how to guides, go to: https://blog.hobbycraft.co.uk/?s=festival
Shine bright
If you can’t cover yourself in glitter and diamonds for festivals then when can you?
We’ve had a wander around our stores and picked out a few of our favourite products to make you shine bright this Summer.
Boots – Barry M face jewels: £4.99, New Look – face & body glitter: £3.49, Superdrug – fantasy hair glitter: £2.99, Primark – marble acrylic nails: £2
Earn your Stripes.
Animal print is going no where this festival season! We’re alllll about embracing our spirit animals so why not bring them to the surface with a bold print.
From classic leopard to chic zebra, you’ll definitely be able to earn your stripes with these outfits.
Green tiger print – Caroline Flack collection at River Island, Leopard two piece – Primark, Snake skin sandals – H&M, Leopard print dress – New Look
Bright and Beautiful!
Stand out this Festival season with the brightest outfit you can find. We don’t know about you but we definitely use festivals as a way to step outside our comfort zone and wear something that’s going to stand out from the crowd. Whether you fancy wearing neon, multi coloured or just full sequins, we’ve found some show stoppers that NEED to be added to your basket ASAP.
Multicoloured fringe jacket – Primark, Multicolour two piece – River Island, Sequin bandeau – New Look, Metallic Fringe Jacket – Primark
If you’re anything like us then you take pride in your home. You love making it look, feel and smell beautiful and adjusting your homey touches to fit the seasons.
So we thought we’d have a browse around our favourite stores for home ware and give you a little Autumn / Winter décor inspiration. It may even give you a few gift ideas for Christmas!
Cosy Cushions
Cushions are a great way to inject a bit of character into your home and definitely make it cosier; which is exactly what you need in the winter.
Whether you prefer a muted toned cushion or a bright and quirky masterpiece, our stores have definitely got something to suit you.
Beautiful Bedding
Settle into the season with Monks Cross’ range of beautiful bedding. We’ve searched high and low to bring you the cosiest, softest and prettiest bedding in our stores. Whether you’re looking for ultimate warmth or cool and breezy sheets, you’ll definitely love what we’ve found for you.
Homey Touches
There’s one thing we refuse to leave out of this blog and it’s one of our favourite parts.
That’s right, you guessed it – it’s those little accessories that give your home that extra cosy, welcoming touch.
There’s something about adding a cinnamon candle, an inspirational poster or a snuggly throw around the house that perfects that inviting feeling.
Get Crafty
Maybe you’re one of those people who likes to add their own unique personality into their home. So why not customise your accessorises or even make your own?
We’ve taken some inspiration from Hobby craft and decided that this AW18, we’re going to get crafty and create unique accessories to dot around the house! Whether you’re sewing royalty and fancy making your own cushion covers or just want to add a seasonal wreaths to your doors, Hobby craft can definitely help.
We’ve been exploring our stores for some of the top fashion finds to keep your autumn look on point. From H&M to River Island and Next Look, here’s our mini guide to the season’s ultimate style finds and accessories.
Softly Softly
Like bring wrapped up inside a cuddle, it’s all about being a big softie when it comes to picking your coat. Wear it in a teddy boy style in a shade of brown for the full teddy-bear effect!
Coat £79.99 at H&M
If you’re not sure about going the full monty with fake fur, then give a nod to the trend with your accessories. This River Island bag is perfect for party season!
Furry Bag £22 at River Island
Wild Thing
Animal print is literally owning the high street this season and you definitely need to embrace your inner feline (or Zebra!) to keep up with the fashion pack. We love his leopard print jumper from New Look – perfect for cosying up with by the fire after a brisk autumnal walk!
Leopard Print Jumper £24.99 at New Look
For anyone who truly wants to unleash their wild side, this pink leopard print dress from River Island is a fabulous choice for the upcoming party season, also ticking the trend box for bright colours!
Dress £55 at River Island
Check Mate
Checks of all shapes, sizes and colours are everywhere this season and giving animal print a serious run for its money as the top seasonal trend. Whether you’re wearing checks for leisure or getting your office suiting on fleek, there’s something for everyone. These trousers are a real find, reminiscent of Versace’s rock n’ roll catwalk take on the trend!
Blue Tartan Trousers £22.99 at New Look
Rupert Bear himself would be envious of this super cosy tartan scarf from River Island. The ultimate check choice to give make last year’s winter coat instantly fashion forward.
Tartan Scarf £15 at River Island
Bright and Beautiful
Wow, all we can say is that we need this dress. Brights and neons have kept their fashion credentials this season and this colour popping pink dress from H&M Studio is one of the best!
Pink Dress £55 at H&M
Summer’s in full swing, the sun’s shining (for once), people are jetting off left, right and centre and there’s not been a spot of rain in nearly 2 weeks!
Since the weather has been so dreamy, we’ve been inspired to put together the perfect beach-wear guide just for you.
Sun, sea and sarongs
If you weren’t blessed with skin that tans instead of burns then it’s important you have a beach cover up to hand just in case the sun gets a little too much.
We’ve had a look through Debenhams range of sarongs and kimonos to give you a little inspiration on how to style your swim wear with a stunning cover up. They have everything from light linen wraps to beautiful lace pieces.
Swim into style
You can’t go to the beach without the perfect swim wear so we’ve had a look in some of our favourite stores at their collections. Whether you’re a one piece kind of girl or prefer a sultry two piece, our broad selection of swimsuits will definitely complete your summer wardrobe.
Don’t worry boys, we haven’t forgot about you, we’ve found collection of swim shorts in H&M that will be perfect for all types of getaways, from family fun to lads holidays! Keep it simple with a solid colour or show off your personality with a bold and bright pattern, whatever your style, we know you’re going to love this range.
Tropical teasers
In our opinion, there’s one item of clothing that every lad needs when they go abroad and that’s a bright Hawaiian shirt!
There’s something about being on holiday that lets you push your style boundaries and nothing says that like one of these shirts from H&M, coming in at just £17.99.
Beach Bae-sics.
What does your beach towel say about you?
Whether you’re a self-confessed mermaid, Disney princess or Baywatch wannabe, then boy do we have the towel for you. We’ve had a little browse through Primark’s new range of beach towels and they have something that will radiate your personality to every sunbathing sally within a 5 mile radius.
Summer is here! We may be seeing the odd bit of cold weather and rain but the sun has actually managed to make an appearance for more than a couple of hours, so it’s time to embrace the sunshine and hit the high street in the latest summer fashion. To give you a little helping hand, we’re going to be picking out some of our favourite looks from this season!
Sultry Swimwear
Whether you’re hitting the beaches of Marbella or just sunbathing in your back garden, we’ve found the perfect bikinis and swimsuits that will make you swoon. From triangle plain halter necks to bright patterned one pieces, there’s swimwear to suit everyone in our stores.
Dreamy Dresses
Strolling around the shops helped the little fashonista inside us run wild, we found dresses to suit everyone’s style!
From bright flowy numbers to 90’s styled denim, we couldn’t get enough of the endless collections our stores had to offer
Step into Summer
We don’t know about you but we think shoes can either make or break your outfit. So we’ve had a look around Schuh to find some seasonal must haves that will never ruin your style. They have everything a girl could ever need this summer from strappy sandals, peep toe heels to glitzy boots.
Get the glow.
When the sun’s bright and beaming, you want to make sure your highlight is too, so we’ve put together some of our favourite makeup products from our centre.
Whether you’re into a subtle sultry look or you prefer to be a glowing golden goddess, our stores will definitely be able to help you out. They have everything from foundation and highlight to give you a true summer glow, to setting sprays to keep you looking perfect throughout the day.
Don’t worry if you’re not an expert or don’t know where to start, our lovely store assistants have a world of knowledge to make sure you leave feeling happy!
Spring fashion has officially sprung! Although the weather has been frosty over the past few weeks, it’s definitely starting to pick up. The elves have been taken down off the shelves and replaced with Easter eggs, so we thought we’d release our inner Gok Wan and give you a little spring style inspiration.
Give Winter The Boot.
The sun is peeping through the clouds but that doesn’t mean it’s time to break out the flip-flops.
But it also doesn’t mean the only shoes you can wear are your clumpy winter boots because let’s face it, they’ve probably taken a beating in the latest weather.
So we’ve had a little browse around Schuh and we were speechless. All we can say is they’ve really pulled out all the stops this year. From Kim K styled ankle boots to flower power doc martins, their spring shoe collection is stunning. They have something for everyone, for the simmered stylist to the full blown fashion icons, you’ll 100% find the shoe for you.
Bag it.
An outfit is all about the accessories and this spring, we’re all about pops of colour and florals! Bright greens, yellows and pinks are definitely on the seasonal menu. We couldn’t believe our eyes when we stepped into New Look and saw the array of colours surrounding us!
From stylish back packs to WAG bags and clutches, there’s a bag to fit every occasion just in store for you.
Get your coat…
We know it’s spring but we’re still in York, so lets face it, it’s still going to be chilly – they don’t call it April showers for nothing! But that doesn’t mean you’ve got to trek about in a big parka all the time, H&M’s men’s jacket range is amazing. From sleek going out jackets, to casual day to day, their collection is perfect for any man with any price range!
Seasonal Skirts
It’s time to whip out your skirts girls, because we’re all about flowers and frills in the spring.
Topshop’s collection is perfect for a quick photo opp in the street – whether you prefer a fitted mini skirt or you want to channel your inner princess in a long flowy maxi, we’ve got you covered.
Just because Christmas is over, doesn’t mean winter is. We’ve still got some chilly months ahead of us so we thought we’d give you a touch of wardrobe inspiration. Think chunky knits, thigh high boots, bold colours and statement pieces galore.
The Thigh’s the Limit.
You may have noticed over the past few months, people are definitely getting a tad more daring with their outfits… and we love it! Thigh high boots have taken the fashion world by storm. Pair them with a jumper dress, jeans or even leggings and you’ll look as though you’ve just stepped straight off the run way. An added bonus about wearing these boots is they keep your legs warm! They’re perfect for a night on the town because as well as keeping your little piggies nice and toasty, they look hot too!
Summer bodies are made in the winter.
If your New Year Resolutions are still going strong, then you’re probably following the ‘summer bodies are made in the winter’ rule, (we know we’re trying too, although it’s not gone too well so far). Trying to stay motivated for the gym is hard, especially when it’s cold outside and all you want to do it curl up in front of the fire and watch Netflix all day.
If there’s one thing that can motivate us, it’s finding the perfect gym outfit, and boy did our stores deliver! They have every style a girl could want, from bold, stand out active wear, to calming neutrals… if these outfits don’t motivate you, nothing will! We’re obsessed with Alice Liveingly’s new collection at Primark, not only is there a lot of options but it’s good quality and it won;’t break the bank. H&M have a gorgeous active wear collection, complete with workout accessories and finally, Topshop Ivy Park collection… what can we say? If it’s good enough for Beyonce, it’s good enough for us!
Life’s a Frill…
We don’t know about you but we’re living for frills at the moment! They can take a bland work outfit and transform you into the fun gal at the office. You’ll definitely be the Elle Woods of your workplace! From subtle blouse frills to bold trouser leg frills, there’s a style that will definitely entice you.
Work-wear used to be very basic, consisting of usually black, greys and whites… however in the recent years it’s definitely been given a mix up! Walking into your everyday office no longer looks like you just interrupted a funeral. People wear bold and bright colours, experiment with patterns and always throw a fun pair of shoes into the mix.
