Florals at ZARA
Ethnic and Tribal at WAREHOUSE
Colour Blocking at KAREN MILLEN
Monday, 18 April 2011
High Street Hunt #1
Who needs designer garments when you have the pick of the most sensational catwalk trends right from your very own high street. I think we all dream of one day being able to afford an original McQueen gown or luxurious Chanel handbag, but until that day comes atleast we have the good old high street to trust upon creating some catwalk worthy designs. Here is my pick of this weeks top high street buys:
Florals at ZARA
Known for their luxe and relaxed take on fashion trends, Zara has really stepped out of their comfort zone this Spring Summer. Bright floral prints could easily be mistaken as a piece hot off the Erdem catwalk. Clashing the print skirt with a bright shirt and accessories would look amazing for the summer season. I also love the ditsy floral print on this 70s inspired jumpsuit - now where's my over sized straw hat? (Images from www.zara.com)
Ethnic and Tribal at WAREHOUSE
I absolutely adore these three pieces from Warehouse. Vivid tribal and ethnic patterns ooze quality and sophistication. Warehouse is definitely one of my favourite high street brands that can really take a trend from the seasonal catwalks and reinvent it as one of their own concluding in priceless staple pieces. (Images from www.warehouse.co.uk)
Colour Blocking at KAREN MILLEN
How gorgeous is the bold and beautiful collection from Karen Millen? with a history of perfectly tailored and designed dresses, I have been waiting in anticipation to view the bold stripe dress in person after seeing it on the PR shots for the brand's marketing campaign. I can confirm it looks just as stunning in real life and the fabric is such high quality. I love these blue jeans which are just dying to be clashed with a grass-green shirt and orange heels - keep your brights bright and your accessories bold. (Images taken from www.karenmillen.com)
Florals at ZARA
Ethnic and Tribal at WAREHOUSE
Colour Blocking at KAREN MILLEN
Wednesday, 13 April 2011
Matalan the mark on Fashion
The Matalan Press Event was an amazing opportunity for me to go and preview what trends and key pieces are going to be featured in Matalan's Autumn/Winter 2011 collection. Among the gorgeous pieces that I observed there (see previous blog post) the items that deserved a full post of their very own is the collection of coats. Beautiful fabrics and an array of strong on trend colour pallettes were just some of the details that Matalan had got so right for their Fall collection.
The caramel short length coat immediately caught my eye. Thick soft material, luxurious to the touch - a definite item to rival what any other high street brand will have to offer. Elements of Topshop spring to mind due to the unique detailing of toggles and faux fur pompoms, plus the fact that the coat is bang on trend for the next fall season make this a must have product.
The colour of this longer length coat was fabulous - vivid in mustard it would look fab on a fiery red head! Again, fantastic use of detailing with cute vintage inspired buttons - I would be adding a broach to emphasise the buyers take on Chloes AW11 collection.
While I'm on the subject of detailing, I just had to get a close up shot of this vibrant red coat. The structure of the collar was very cleverly designed with a stiffer amount of fabric used to keep the shape sharp and very regimented. I loved this aspect of the coat - very artistic. It could easily have been mistaken for a designer item when worn. Priced at £40 this coat is going to fly out.
Another exciting coat from the Matalan collection. Think Mad Men meets the edginess of Olivia Palermo. The bold pallette of black and white would suit a sophisticated fashionista. I keep referring Matalan's items to those of Topshop, but this is to show that you don't have to shop at Topshop to buy into the catwalk and commercial trends which many people think you do.
Topshop, in my opinion, is over priced and mass prodcued, so if I were you I would take a trip down to Matalan this Fall and instead of spending well over £100 on a coat from a store where everyone will be purchasing from - buy into something that has the quality of Topshop, the fast turn over of Primark yet the monetary value of Matalan; a brand that offers on trend items for a snippet of the price. You may think Topshop set the bar, but Matalan just raised it.
The caramel short length coat immediately caught my eye. Thick soft material, luxurious to the touch - a definite item to rival what any other high street brand will have to offer. Elements of Topshop spring to mind due to the unique detailing of toggles and faux fur pompoms, plus the fact that the coat is bang on trend for the next fall season make this a must have product.
The colour of this longer length coat was fabulous - vivid in mustard it would look fab on a fiery red head! Again, fantastic use of detailing with cute vintage inspired buttons - I would be adding a broach to emphasise the buyers take on Chloes AW11 collection.
While I'm on the subject of detailing, I just had to get a close up shot of this vibrant red coat. The structure of the collar was very cleverly designed with a stiffer amount of fabric used to keep the shape sharp and very regimented. I loved this aspect of the coat - very artistic. It could easily have been mistaken for a designer item when worn. Priced at £40 this coat is going to fly out.
Another exciting coat from the Matalan collection. Think Mad Men meets the edginess of Olivia Palermo. The bold pallette of black and white would suit a sophisticated fashionista. I keep referring Matalan's items to those of Topshop, but this is to show that you don't have to shop at Topshop to buy into the catwalk and commercial trends which many people think you do.
Topshop, in my opinion, is over priced and mass prodcued, so if I were you I would take a trip down to Matalan this Fall and instead of spending well over £100 on a coat from a store where everyone will be purchasing from - buy into something that has the quality of Topshop, the fast turn over of Primark yet the monetary value of Matalan; a brand that offers on trend items for a snippet of the price. You may think Topshop set the bar, but Matalan just raised it.
Matalan Autumn Winter Press Event
Winter 2010 has barely been pulled from our wardrobes and replaced with Spring but already the world of fashion retail is embracing Autumn/Winter 2011 at their press event days.
Hot on the trail is retail value chain Matalan. After a massive brand overhaul and marketing revamp, the womenswear collection for this upcoming Fall is set to take the retail world by storm.
Fashionistas will be ditching their overpriced Topshop ensembles in favour of popularly priced, high quality staple pieces brought to you by a brand on a mission - to deliver fast fashion at affordable price points.
Observantly inspired by street trends of the fashion consumer, vintage influenced pieces filled the rails at the press event and caught my eye. The navy spotted peter pan collar detail dress (as seen below) I predict will be a huge seller - team with ankle socks and brogues for true vintage style or follow the mantra of Twiggy and add a pair of Mary Janes - very 60s don't you think?
Thankfully, Matalan have fully embraced the 70s trend of Summer 2011 and have cleverly adapted the key pallazzo pant in paisley print, teaming them with faux fur gilets and jackets - embrace the trend in advance now on those chilly early mornings to work! I adore this pair (as seen below) the quality of material used was high and you could easily have mistaken these for a Topshop pair (minus the price tag). Ruffle front blouses in silk and bow detailing add a high fashion element to Matalan's 70s collection.
Another item which caught my eye was this beautiful mohair-like jumper. Super soft to the touch and fully utilising the animal print trend with zebra stripes. Be inspired by Matalan's Retro Prim story and style yours (when you get your hands on one in the fall!) With a floral A line skirt - the clashing of the prints will be show stopping.
Reworking my favourite trend from last winter is Global Traveller -full of reworked chunky alpine knits a la D&G clashed with tartan and hand crafted patterns. This fabulous hooded jacket (see below) will be an absolute steal at just £35. Soft faux fur lining, snowflake embroidered patterning plus leather toggle detailing hits eskimo-chic on the head. I'll be wearing mine with a denim midi and clashing printed legwarmers.
Part of the same range is this hooded Aztec shawl, pair with a maxi skirt for a granny-geek look or with an Alpine knitted skirt for ultimate snugness.
I was impressed with what Matalan had to offer at their preview press event. If that was just the 'preview' of the Autumn/Winter 2011, cannot wait for the full collection to hit the shops later in the year - summer 2011? Roll on winter 2011!
Hot on the trail is retail value chain Matalan. After a massive brand overhaul and marketing revamp, the womenswear collection for this upcoming Fall is set to take the retail world by storm.
Fashionistas will be ditching their overpriced Topshop ensembles in favour of popularly priced, high quality staple pieces brought to you by a brand on a mission - to deliver fast fashion at affordable price points.
Observantly inspired by street trends of the fashion consumer, vintage influenced pieces filled the rails at the press event and caught my eye. The navy spotted peter pan collar detail dress (as seen below) I predict will be a huge seller - team with ankle socks and brogues for true vintage style or follow the mantra of Twiggy and add a pair of Mary Janes - very 60s don't you think?
Thankfully, Matalan have fully embraced the 70s trend of Summer 2011 and have cleverly adapted the key pallazzo pant in paisley print, teaming them with faux fur gilets and jackets - embrace the trend in advance now on those chilly early mornings to work! I adore this pair (as seen below) the quality of material used was high and you could easily have mistaken these for a Topshop pair (minus the price tag). Ruffle front blouses in silk and bow detailing add a high fashion element to Matalan's 70s collection.
Another item which caught my eye was this beautiful mohair-like jumper. Super soft to the touch and fully utilising the animal print trend with zebra stripes. Be inspired by Matalan's Retro Prim story and style yours (when you get your hands on one in the fall!) With a floral A line skirt - the clashing of the prints will be show stopping.
Reworking my favourite trend from last winter is Global Traveller -full of reworked chunky alpine knits a la D&G clashed with tartan and hand crafted patterns. This fabulous hooded jacket (see below) will be an absolute steal at just £35. Soft faux fur lining, snowflake embroidered patterning plus leather toggle detailing hits eskimo-chic on the head. I'll be wearing mine with a denim midi and clashing printed legwarmers.
Part of the same range is this hooded Aztec shawl, pair with a maxi skirt for a granny-geek look or with an Alpine knitted skirt for ultimate snugness.
I was impressed with what Matalan had to offer at their preview press event. If that was just the 'preview' of the Autumn/Winter 2011, cannot wait for the full collection to hit the shops later in the year - summer 2011? Roll on winter 2011!
Monday, 11 April 2011
Who is to blame?
If someone asked you who you admired (whether it be stylisticly, or professionally etc) who would you choose? In magazines we are constantly being force fed celebrities who the magazines themselves admire whether it be the new plastic enhanced face of a girl on The Only Way Is Essex or a Z list celeb such as Nicola McLean who this week was been praised for losing a lot of weight and even admitting herself that she has an eating problem.
With the way young teenagers are today (male and female) and the pressure for them to coinhere with what is being represented as the "right" way to be, it made me wonder whether I am so easily influenced by the magazines that I read. It also got me thinking that even though the tabloids repeatedly blame the fashion industry for giving teenagers and young adults the perception that to be accepted you must be a certain size or weight.
I am a self confessed magazine junkie. I buy the glossy fashion mags, the cheap celeb gossip weeklys and anything else involving fashion or celebs that I can get my mits on. In my opinion, it is the low cost fast gossip issues that are partly to blame for the negative outlook some teens have on themselves. The pages are filled with "shameful" bikini shots of female celebs with computerised rings of "terrible" body factors such as cellulite (god forbid!) or a lopsided boob (hey we've all been there) or a slightly rounded tummy (its from the ice cream,ok?!) And this is all before I get to the diet and excercise section - no I do not want to use a chair in my living room to help me do sit ups nor do I want to be skipping with a rope on the ad break of my favourite soap! If you think that is bad, dont bother reading one particular weekly mag whose main article this week is about a celeb who clearly has an eating disorder giving her "inside tips" on how she lost her weight.
Then I flick to a higher market fashion glossy which this months edition is all about embracing who you are and making the most of the way you look without having to go on the pain inducing diet. The writer hits the nail on the head when she states its your mind and the way you think that needs changing; not how you physically look. So if a magazine based on the industry that is constantly been victimised as the blame for issues young adults have about their bodies is less forceful of advertising diets and so forth, then surely the media is blaming the wrong source?
Don't get me wrong, there are images of models who are thin - but what about if the models were large? Surely that ultimately portrays an image of bad health and surely the media won't want to be encouraging that? I agree that the variety of models should be broader, therefore offering a wider representation of all shapes and sizes, but going from one extreme to the other? I think those are the completely wrong steps to take.
I suppose I'm writing this to help defend the fashion industry and hope that the writers who have helped to tarnish events such as fashion week will think twice before casting the blame on an industry that has thrived off their actions for many years. Time and energy should be put into teaching teenagers to accept themselves in their mind first and to understand that all shapes and sizes are acceptable? We are taught to not discriminate people for their ethnicity but surely by banning skinny models forever falls under the exact same discriminatory category?
(Image 1 wereelectricmagazine.com
Image 2 guardian.co.uk
Image 3 dailymail.co.uk)
With the way young teenagers are today (male and female) and the pressure for them to coinhere with what is being represented as the "right" way to be, it made me wonder whether I am so easily influenced by the magazines that I read. It also got me thinking that even though the tabloids repeatedly blame the fashion industry for giving teenagers and young adults the perception that to be accepted you must be a certain size or weight.
I am a self confessed magazine junkie. I buy the glossy fashion mags, the cheap celeb gossip weeklys and anything else involving fashion or celebs that I can get my mits on. In my opinion, it is the low cost fast gossip issues that are partly to blame for the negative outlook some teens have on themselves. The pages are filled with "shameful" bikini shots of female celebs with computerised rings of "terrible" body factors such as cellulite (god forbid!) or a lopsided boob (hey we've all been there) or a slightly rounded tummy (its from the ice cream,ok?!) And this is all before I get to the diet and excercise section - no I do not want to use a chair in my living room to help me do sit ups nor do I want to be skipping with a rope on the ad break of my favourite soap! If you think that is bad, dont bother reading one particular weekly mag whose main article this week is about a celeb who clearly has an eating disorder giving her "inside tips" on how she lost her weight.
Then I flick to a higher market fashion glossy which this months edition is all about embracing who you are and making the most of the way you look without having to go on the pain inducing diet. The writer hits the nail on the head when she states its your mind and the way you think that needs changing; not how you physically look. So if a magazine based on the industry that is constantly been victimised as the blame for issues young adults have about their bodies is less forceful of advertising diets and so forth, then surely the media is blaming the wrong source?
Don't get me wrong, there are images of models who are thin - but what about if the models were large? Surely that ultimately portrays an image of bad health and surely the media won't want to be encouraging that? I agree that the variety of models should be broader, therefore offering a wider representation of all shapes and sizes, but going from one extreme to the other? I think those are the completely wrong steps to take.
I suppose I'm writing this to help defend the fashion industry and hope that the writers who have helped to tarnish events such as fashion week will think twice before casting the blame on an industry that has thrived off their actions for many years. Time and energy should be put into teaching teenagers to accept themselves in their mind first and to understand that all shapes and sizes are acceptable? We are taught to not discriminate people for their ethnicity but surely by banning skinny models forever falls under the exact same discriminatory category?
(Image 1 wereelectricmagazine.com
Image 2 guardian.co.uk
Image 3 dailymail.co.uk)
Wednesday, 6 April 2011
Bag Hag or Shoe Queen?
This blog is turning into some kind of fashion confessional. Maybe I should spend more time in a confession booth speaking to a priest as opposed to blogging my inner thoughts. I guess that statement is a bit extreme, after all I'm only admitting to a few female fashion stereotypes that I just don't abide to; I dislike summer, I'm so over the whole Kate/Wills wedding saga - am I really a bad fashionista? Maybe not then, but most deffinately now....
My new admittance is a big one. I didn't even realise it myself until I was reading one of those cheesey women only magazines and came across those fun-but-your-always-disappointed-with-the-answer questionnaires. The question was "which do you own more of: bags or shoes?" One answer led to one question and the other to another. The truth is, I am not a shoe or handbag girl. There you go, I said it.
Every girl knows you fall in to two categories (stereotypically anyway). There is the Shoe-aholic and the Bag-aholic. A girl either has a mass of shoes or a pile of handbags but I have neither. I rarely buy new shoes because I hate them! They are like mini torture chambers for your toes - ouch! And don't get me started on the price. It sounds terrible but I struggle handing over the cash for a pair of £5 fake brogues from Primark (I can hear your gasps already). I just can't get my head around paying hundreds of pounds for a pair of heels. They are uncomfortable and ruin your night dancing with the girls and they always end up tucked under your arm by the end of the night - waste of money. Once you have the basic shoes - the boot, the pump, the sandal, the heel and new cult fave the brogue - you're done. Well I am anyway, I literally have like six pairs of shoes at the most. And my favourite pair isn't a pair of Louboutins or Jimmy Choos - its a pair of scruffy vintage tan boots which actually inspired the name of this very blog.
Now onto the handbag situation (don't worry that isn't the name of a new Jersey Shorer...) Again, I don't see the point of spending mega bucks on a bag which I for one dump on the floor on the bus, or kick under a table at a restaurant or try to stuff into my locker when I get to work. So again I own the basics - the clutch, the handbag, the shoulder bag, the vintage bag- and that's it. Hey, I'm a loyal kind of girl, once I have a favourite and versatile handbag or shoe or hang on to it - forever!
I may not me a bag or shoe girl but my obsession is with dresses, I have so many! I'm bulking up my collection with fabulous vintage finds but I also find Warehouse dresses extremely flattering. So thanks to my small collection of shoes, I have so much more room for my masses of dresses. But back to the original problem - the womens magazine questionnaire, so which way do I go? Handbag route? Shoe route? If only there was a dress route....
My new admittance is a big one. I didn't even realise it myself until I was reading one of those cheesey women only magazines and came across those fun-but-your-always-disappointed-with-the-answer questionnaires. The question was "which do you own more of: bags or shoes?" One answer led to one question and the other to another. The truth is, I am not a shoe or handbag girl. There you go, I said it.
Every girl knows you fall in to two categories (stereotypically anyway). There is the Shoe-aholic and the Bag-aholic. A girl either has a mass of shoes or a pile of handbags but I have neither. I rarely buy new shoes because I hate them! They are like mini torture chambers for your toes - ouch! And don't get me started on the price. It sounds terrible but I struggle handing over the cash for a pair of £5 fake brogues from Primark (I can hear your gasps already). I just can't get my head around paying hundreds of pounds for a pair of heels. They are uncomfortable and ruin your night dancing with the girls and they always end up tucked under your arm by the end of the night - waste of money. Once you have the basic shoes - the boot, the pump, the sandal, the heel and new cult fave the brogue - you're done. Well I am anyway, I literally have like six pairs of shoes at the most. And my favourite pair isn't a pair of Louboutins or Jimmy Choos - its a pair of scruffy vintage tan boots which actually inspired the name of this very blog.
Now onto the handbag situation (don't worry that isn't the name of a new Jersey Shorer...) Again, I don't see the point of spending mega bucks on a bag which I for one dump on the floor on the bus, or kick under a table at a restaurant or try to stuff into my locker when I get to work. So again I own the basics - the clutch, the handbag, the shoulder bag, the vintage bag- and that's it. Hey, I'm a loyal kind of girl, once I have a favourite and versatile handbag or shoe or hang on to it - forever!
I may not me a bag or shoe girl but my obsession is with dresses, I have so many! I'm bulking up my collection with fabulous vintage finds but I also find Warehouse dresses extremely flattering. So thanks to my small collection of shoes, I have so much more room for my masses of dresses. But back to the original problem - the womens magazine questionnaire, so which way do I go? Handbag route? Shoe route? If only there was a dress route....
Monday, 4 April 2011
Ware on trend - are you?
Also while I was in leeds, I just had to pop into Warehouse and I must say, for me, they are the only high street brand getting it so right this Spring/Summer! I have always championed the brand after being a sales advisor for them for a few years but I still love everything about them!
Easily seeing designer inspiration in their collections from Erdem to Chloe, Warehouse still manages to put their own spin on eclectic pieces through use of luxurious material and beautiful silhouettes. I was immediately drawn to the florals - with the clashing trend taking centre stage. I fell in love with the floral printed jacket (as seen below) and the patterened trousers - not for the faint hearted but such a style statement. I've combined these pieces in a daring manner which works as the vivid colours blend well together. A feminine blouse keeps the styling elegent.
I couldn't help but notice the gorgeous white maxi dress (as seen below) The billowing sleeves capture the essence of 2011's romanticism perfectly and the beautiful detailing of embroidery make this an utterly timeless wardrobe staple. Why not give it an edge and team with a denim patchwork waistcoat and leopard print belt to add another element of texture?
The only let down for me were the window displays which featured cardboard cut outs of flowers and a few mannequins dressed to 'brights'. Such a shame as Warehouse could have used this to their advantage and dressed with their stunning floral range - clashing patterns and texture to make a thorough style statement. Aside from this, merchandising instore was to a high standard - and I adored the press images displayed in frames on shelves. Warehouse are my number one; such a retail cultural icon <3
(Images taken from www.warehouse.co.uk Puchases can be made online)
Easily seeing designer inspiration in their collections from Erdem to Chloe, Warehouse still manages to put their own spin on eclectic pieces through use of luxurious material and beautiful silhouettes. I was immediately drawn to the florals - with the clashing trend taking centre stage. I fell in love with the floral printed jacket (as seen below) and the patterened trousers - not for the faint hearted but such a style statement. I've combined these pieces in a daring manner which works as the vivid colours blend well together. A feminine blouse keeps the styling elegent.
I couldn't help but notice the gorgeous white maxi dress (as seen below) The billowing sleeves capture the essence of 2011's romanticism perfectly and the beautiful detailing of embroidery make this an utterly timeless wardrobe staple. Why not give it an edge and team with a denim patchwork waistcoat and leopard print belt to add another element of texture?
The only let down for me were the window displays which featured cardboard cut outs of flowers and a few mannequins dressed to 'brights'. Such a shame as Warehouse could have used this to their advantage and dressed with their stunning floral range - clashing patterns and texture to make a thorough style statement. Aside from this, merchandising instore was to a high standard - and I adored the press images displayed in frames on shelves. Warehouse are my number one; such a retail cultural icon <3
(Images taken from www.warehouse.co.uk Puchases can be made online)
Sunday, 3 April 2011
Leeds Affordable Vintage Fair
This weekend I attended Judy's Affordable Vintage Fair held in the perfect historic setting of the Corn Exchange in Leeds, Yorkshire. Set amongst the array of wonderful stalls I found 4 gorgeous items - believe me I could have bought so much more - and I couldn't wait to share them with you:
I love this jumpsuit from The Vintage Generation just £12 - very Dynasty don't you think? I love the gold finished buttons and the shoulder pads; I have an oversized sun hat that will just finish the look completely!
These trousers were an absolute steal at just £8! I fell in love with the softness of the silky material and the unusual print. I'll be wearing these with a purple vest and denim waistcoat - these statement trousers can speak for themselves!?
Next I couldn't leave the fair without this gorgeous coral shirt with neck bow tie detail from Vintage Infusion . Not only is the colour so 2011. I wore it the next day over the top of a denim maxi skirt with orange sandals and tan satchel.
Last but not least, my favourite vintage item is this electric blue embroidered maxi dress from Jennifer Lilly Clothing. Currently I am totally inspired by Sarah Owen (co founder of Lucy In Disguise) 70's boho style, I snapped this dress up prompto. All I need now is a long pendant necklace and statement red raffia clutch.
I love this jumpsuit from The Vintage Generation just £12 - very Dynasty don't you think? I love the gold finished buttons and the shoulder pads; I have an oversized sun hat that will just finish the look completely!
These trousers were an absolute steal at just £8! I fell in love with the softness of the silky material and the unusual print. I'll be wearing these with a purple vest and denim waistcoat - these statement trousers can speak for themselves!?
Next I couldn't leave the fair without this gorgeous coral shirt with neck bow tie detail from Vintage Infusion . Not only is the colour so 2011. I wore it the next day over the top of a denim maxi skirt with orange sandals and tan satchel.
Last but not least, my favourite vintage item is this electric blue embroidered maxi dress from Jennifer Lilly Clothing. Currently I am totally inspired by Sarah Owen (co founder of Lucy In Disguise) 70's boho style, I snapped this dress up prompto. All I need now is a long pendant necklace and statement red raffia clutch.
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