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As you must have heard on the news this morning, a number of South Pacific islands suffered an horrific natural disaster a few hours ago. I can be sure that for most of us, an event such as this reminds us that our daily concerns and worries are insignificant in the light of such a tragedy. Please donate whatever you can afford, even a few pounds or dollars, to aid the relief effort to the New Zealand Red Cross Samoa Relief Fund  HERE or click on the link to the right.

REUTERS news agency reported this morning:

“A series of tsunamis smashed into the Pacific island nations of American and Western Samoa killing possibly more than 100 people, some washed out to sea, destroying villages and injuring hundreds, officials said on Wednesday.

Disaster officials said the toll may reach well over 100 as rescuers search for bodies in flattened villages along the southern shore of the island of Upolu.”

Put the Coral OPI and the Aqua blue Orly down. This Autumn the only colour you should be seen wearing on those talons of yours is Chanel’s Jade. A winner with the Amazona girls (as what other super-hot trend can you grab for under £20?), you”ll have to have an ‘A-Team’ style plan to get some - apparently only a few hundred bottles are being produced so you’d better get your name on the list quick-smart! Out on October 8th from Chanel boutiques.

It’s official. Tall people can’t dance. Ok, it’s not really official but as a life-long complete loser when it comes to any kind of dancing, I was so happy to read that it’s common knowledge in professional dancing circles that tall people can’t dance.

The discussion came to light when Jade Johnson (the British Olympic athlete who’s 6ft1) made her first appearance on ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ (if you’re in the USA - your version is ‘Dancing with the Stars’)  this weekend.  Instead of, as the professionals had predicted, messing it all up and looking like an ungainly giraffe, she was reasonably elegant and did a great job. She certainly didn’t embarrass herself like her tall former contestants (model Jodie Kidd to name one!). Having said this, I truly think that the shorter celebrities seem to find it easier… and look more professional as a result.

What do you think? Can us tall girls ever be stunners on the dance floor well?

NOTE: After the tragic death of Patrick Swayze last week, apparently many Newlyweds are choosing to recreate the ‘Time of my Life’ dance from Dirty Dancing as an homage. Personally, I think the whole choreographed ‘first dance at your wedding’ routine is now incredibly naff. However, if you can’t get that Dirty Dancing tune out of your head… then take a look at Paddy McGuinness and his hilarious version for UK Charity event Comic Relief  HERE

Lara as the Chanel Bride

Couture Week is often the place to shock and stand out from the crowd, but one of the main reasons for model Lara Stone’s column inches earlier this year were to do with her own inches. A UK size 10, Stone is one of the bigger models working in the mainstream fashion industry. And she doesn’t care. Neither does she care about the gap in between her front teeth. In fact, she told i-D magazine in November 2008: “Every time I go to the dentist, they always say, ‘You really need to fix that gap of yours.’ I’m like, ‘My gap is paying your dentist bills.’”. So there. And when you’re booking as many jobs as Lara, why worry about your appearance? It’s obviously working for her.

Vogue Paris editor Carine Roitfield is positively OBSESSED with the Dutch model. So much so that Stone is on the cover of September issue sporting a softer brunette look in contrast to her usual blonde. Plus, in February 2009, Stone was on the cover of Vogue Paris and the sole model throughout the whole issue, showing her versatility and potential to become one of the greats.

Vogue Paris September 2009

Born in Berlin in December 1983, Stone grew up in Holland and now resides in Paris, where she is based with her mother agency IMG Models Paris. - At the age of 15, she entered the 1999 Elite Model Look contest, and despite not winning the competition, Lara was offered a contract with the prestigious agency.

Her curves afford Lara the best of both worlds in modeling. She walked in the Chanel, Givenchy and Jean-Paul Gaultier Haute Couture shows this season, yet also holds a place on Victoria Secret runways. She also appeared in the 2009 Pirelli Calendar. Stone has opened shows for Giles Deacon, Isabel Marant, Christopher Kane, Fendi, and MaxMara, and closed for Diesel, Stella McCartney, and Balmain. She has also been a prestigious “semi-exclusive” for Prada, meaning that she cannot walk in shows before Prada, as she did at Milan Fashion Week.

Lara Stone is the face to watch

Funnily enough, although her hips are bigger than most runway models, her feet are in fact smaller! This is how she became known for her wobbly runway walk - by wearing shoes that were too big for her! Stone told Vogue Paris that she does not actually like the runway for this purpose and spends most of her time thinking “do not fall, do not fall”! Even more recently, Stone, who even has a nipple piercing was featured on the cover of W Magazine inAugust 2009 and was declared the most-wanted face of the moment. So, take in this face, as you’ll probably be seeing it for years to come!

When it comes to dressing to impress on the beach, keep it simple and let colours and prints do the talking. Do not over-accessorise! It looks fabulously stylish in the magazines, yes, but when you are over-heating and dying for a dip in the pool, you don’t need to be taking an extra five minutes to remove all of your statement jewellery. And think of the tan lines! Keep those extra special items for the evening.

SS09 is about tribal prints, nautical styles and bright colours. Check out these catwalk shots for inspiration:

A big beach bag is a must to carry all of your essentials. This summer, try a big straw bag that will weather beach conditions and comfortably hold a towel, sunscreen and a million other little bits and pieces whilst still looking effortlessly chic. See Blake Lively’s cute bag below.

Speaking of beach towels, have you tried a KIKOI? It’s a sarong and a towel in one, meaning there’s more room in your bag for magazines and that book you’ve been meaning to read all year!

Sunglasses for SS09 still follow one simple rule: The bigger, the better! A colourful and embellished pair bring a fun element to your look whilst a simple, darker look is timeless and stylish.

Shoe-wise, a simple pair of gladiators or Havaianas will suffice. Do not attempt Louboutins on the sand!

Hats are a great way to cover up messy hair and look oh-so-fabulous. They are also perfect for protecting yourself in hot weather. This season we still love the fedora, the straw trilby and the Panama hat. For the super-cool, try a visor. Check out Cameron Diaz below for inspiration.

With Summer disappearing as fast as we can say ‘where the hell was the bbq summer?’, you might as well turn your thoughts to shopping. According to recent retail figures, that’s what alot of British shoppers have been doing with Summer sales figures coming in far higher than expected.
Now is also a great time to check out what’s new as most retailers are getting new stock in on a weekly basis.  Amazona Style are no exception with new styles being added every week. Their shoes all come in UK sizes 8-11 (and sometimes 12) and they stock everything from flats to heels, sandals to stilettos.

Our favourites have to be the black & white brogue heels (above), the abstract print heels and brown suede shoe boots (below).

Fed up with the British Summer so heading for a last minute holiday in the Sun? Don’t panic! They still have some fabulous gladiator sandals and summer mules in stock in the Sale. Check out the Copper Leather Sandal - perfect for complementing a tan.

NEWSFLASH! Amazona Style are offering Free Shipping to all customers for the rest of of August – even on International orders! You could save up to £15.95 on postage but you’ll have to be quick though, the offer ends on 31st August.

It’s like a rather large hint from the Universe. I have a new housemate and he’s a Personal Trainer. If that wasn’t enough to motivate me to get in shape, he offered to train me virtually for free.

I’ve never been slim. When my friends go “I was a size 10 (UK) when I was a teenager and used to go out clubbing in a latex catsuit”, I can’t join in because I was never anything other than chubby, despite being very active. One of the many good things about being very tall is that you usually carry your weight well. When I told my friends my body fat % (!! the wrong side of 40%!) they all cried “But I wouldn’t say you were overweight!” but the harsh facts are that I am.

It all started when I joked to the PT housemate “Can you make me look like Cindy Crawford?” to which he replied “Yes, if you do what I say”. Well, purely as a social experiment, I thought that this very independent, single-minded woman should give it a whirl. Aspirational? Most certainly but then I like a challenge!

It’s very early days (10 to be precise) but I am starting to see results and it’s not hardcore, exercising for 2 hours a day or eating some weird diet. Just four workouts a week and I have to eat 6 times a day! Anyway, I am digressing (it’s all too easy to become an exercise & healthy living evangelist - I am trying to resist).

Workout gear for us tall girls is yet another mission. I only have only pair of jogging bottoms (from the USA) and an old t-shirt to workout in. As the owner of almost 39 inch legs, it is near impossible to find stuff to fit but since I’ve started this regime, I’ve had to find some pretty damn quickly. Here’s a few places where you can find stuff which doesn’t flap around your upper ankles.

New look: Jogging bottoms available only a 35 inside leg but a bargain at £12.50 for you less leggy tall girls.

Long Tall Sally: Five different styles of workout trousers up to a 36 inch leg from £24-£35.

Tall Girls: Several styles of long tracksuit pants but only two which come in a 38 inch leg from £24-£33. Alternatively they’ve also got some great cropped joggers and pilates pants from £24.00.

Personally, I love the jogging pants from The Tall Girl Shop but they are only in the USA and it’s best to try them on in store as lengths are often longer than stated.  I have  also had some great yoga pants from Alloy.com (also in the USA but they do ship internationally) in the past so they might be worth a look.

Eek! This is a trend that I’m not sure many of us will follow unless your under 20 but thankfully, it is a recession busting trend that all of us can afford (even if your mother is never going to understand).

It first started appearing on the catwalks (mainly Alexander Wang) at the end of 2008 and can now been seen on every city street.

A big hit with young Hollywood, stars from Miley Cyrus (trying to make herself a little edgier, I’m guessing) to Linday Lohan and Mischa Barton have been flogging this trend (with Li-Lo you’re never sure whether she’s being fashion-forward or just plain old skanky).

Think Grunge meets Rock Chic and you’re getting it. Whatever you do, don’t mix it with sharp tailoring or crisp shirts or you’ll look like you had an unfortunate accident on your way to the office. Instead think leather, mini’s, ankle boots and studs and you’re on your way.

So, what do you think - stylish or skanky?

Photo credits: fashionising.com; wenn.com

When even Karl Lagerfeld likes a tweet every now and again, you know you’re on to a winner. I was pretty impressed with myself for getting into it even before my super-technologically-advanced friend started tweeting. The fact that with his iPhone, he tweets way more than I do these days is irrelevant.

The beauty of Twitter is that everyone from celebrities to politicians to farmers can communicate with the world in less than 160 characters. You don’t need to be clever with it, just tell people what you are doing. Ok, so fair enough you may not be interested in various people’s updates and the occasional spam that you get can be quite irritating but it is nothing compared to other social networking sites. What I love the most about Twitter is the personal contact that people have with fans. Paris Hilton never stops telling us just how fabulous her life really is and Sarah Brown keeps us up-to-date with her life at 10 Downing Street. If you are a fan of The Hills, you’ll find the whole gang online: Lauren, Lo, Stephanie, Audrina, Whitney, Heidi, Spencer, Brody, Frankie and Holly.

The Hills crowd can't get enough of Twitter

In terms of publications, you’ll find various international magazines: Vogue Paris, The Times Style, Marie Claire US and Elle US as well as their international counterparts. Follow @Modelinia for major models such as Chanel Iman and Sasha Pivovarova! Brix Smith-Start tweets fashion horrors (with photos!) that she spots in supermarkets and restaurants. Her current favourites are Italian women interpreting the SS09 floral trend! Lagerfeld isn’t the only designer to twitter; Marc Jacobs was rumoured to be one of the first to hit the trend and Betsey Johnson likes to keep in touch with a few updates! And for the latest on high street deals, follow stores and labels such as ASOS, PPQ or Topshop.

You can follow Amazona on Twitter here @amazonastyle and me, Stefanie Grace, here @stefaniegrace.