Ode to Chloe

Despite the somewhat summery spell of weather we've been experiencing in the UK lately, my mind has been firmly fixed on getting hold of that fantastic autumn/winter weather essential, the boot.
Of course as I make this statement, I'm not being entirely honest. My fixation is not on boots in general, but on one particular pair. The black Chloe over the knee criss cross boots. Bang on trend with their virtually thigh high length and bondage style criss crossing. Their functionality in the form of flats, is the proverbial icing on the cake. Despite the initial criticism Hannah MacGibbon faced after taking the reigns from Phoebe Philo, I for one, am firmly on team MacGibbon.



Anyone who knows me will attest to the fact that over the past month I have talked about these boots non stop- trying to justify the approx £900 price tag they carry. Facing the inevitable, I have already made a space in my wardrobe awaiting their arrival, but in homage to the recession, I figured the least I could do was investigate close but cheaper competitors.

The first offering is from DICE. A suede, studded over the knee affair which on the positive side are flat, with the essential wrap detail and a completely affordable £90 price tag. The downside? I am not completely sold on them, perhaps its the studding, which dare I say, makes them look somewhat...well.....cheap. Sorry!

The next two contenders are from Office: the aptly named Crash Couture boots are a far too literal take on the cowboy boots, whilst the more palatable wrap boots are 'nice' but missing the OTT length needed to make them stand out as AW09 boots rather than '08 leftovers.


I remain very confused where Steve Madden is concerned. The fairly affordable price range of their shoes suggest a brand placed at the slightly higher end of affordable or high street fashion, yet every pair (to me at least) appears poorly made with cheap materials. Maybe its just me..... Anyway, here are a pair of Steve Madden boots which come in at £200 but look a little clunky and awkward despite being riding boots.

Now because I like to contradict myself, I'm including these fantastic boots from Gianvito Rossi. Yes they don't exactly count as 'affordable' but with a £840 price tag they are marginally cheaper than the Chloe boots, which I believe qualifies them for inclusion in this list! The suede/leather contrast is an oldie but a goodie that further justifies their presence.


Until next time.....

2009's biggest players

NY fashion week kicks off in a few days time, offering long awaited first glimpses into the big trends for 2010. I therefore christen now 'the perfect time to reflect on which Runway trends from the 2009 RTW shows made a big impact on mainstream fashion this year and which sizzled with as much panache as a damp sparkler'.

1, Distressed biker denim- Balmain, William Rast and Co. inspired a denim revival that infected all high street stores and fashion followers everywhere.


2. Leathers - Givenchy, Elise Overland and Chanel were amongst those making leather textured waves.



3. Power shoulders- Dynasty sized shoulder pads were given greater height and diagonal projection to bring the 80s trend into the 21st century. Antonio Beradi, Twenty8twelve and of course Balmain were shoulders above the rest (pun intended) in the inspiration stakes.



4. Less is more- lace, sheers and midriffs obtained a long awaited revival, and who could be surprised with the likes of Alexander Wang, Dolce and Gabbana, and Givenchy turning their hands to the former 90s trends.


5. Last but not least- Jumpsuits. This is one trend that like a middle child making a stand, refused to go quietly into the night. It appeared in one form or another in both 2008 and 2009 RTW shows alike. Persistence paid off and 2009 saw the trend finally gaining momentum amongst mainstream fashion. My personal runway favourite looks were those of Lily Donaldson in that green Chloe's jumpsuit and this silver number from Stella.


Until next time.....

Can I have a moment please....

That's right, a moment's silence for the return of project runway to our screens (well computer screens for us UK folk). Ok so I realise gushing about the show is not the height of professionalism, however where fashion is involved, there is a serious lack of entertaining yet realistic fashion based TV here in the UK.

Yes we are all familiar with the Teen Vogue, DvF, People's Rev exploits on the Hills and the City, however the portrayl of the life of an intern on these MTV shows is so inaccurate and misleading that it makes my eyes want to bleed and further upsets me when people assume that as an intern, I spend my days inviting my friends to fashion week events and pouring my heart out on the shoulder of a Kelly Cutrone style figure!! Hmmmm.......I digress.

But that's why I love Project Runway and I know I was not the only one feeling a sense of loss when over a year passed without hearing Tim Gunn's 'make it work'.

This season (season 6) is teamed with a spin off showing the model's perspective of the competition because as we all know but often forget, there are two winners per season; 1 designer and 1 model.

So here are my top three favourites from episode 1:

The Winning design..and rightly so, although I do have to agree with Lindsay that less would have been more with regards to the ruffling on the beige bottom of this dress (yes that's right I am agreeing with Lindsay Lohan's fashion advice because good advice is good advice regardless of the source!)


Favourite number 2: The pleating needs a bit of help but the vision was there, so that's an 'A' for effort.


Favourite number 3: I am a little confused about the necessity of the black belt which adds an essence of immaturity that is uncalled for in a classic evening gown like this, but I still love the overall effect and contrasting lace, chiffon and satin used here.



Until next time.......

Bringing sexy back

So every couple of weeks or so, I get obsessed with a trend that I want to indulge in but have doubts about it's staying power and 'pulloffability'. Right now I'm inspired by the bondage style servings I'm finding everywhere I look...except on the bodies of actual real life people!

Herve leger started the bandage madness back in'08 it was only a matter of time before others got frustratd with merely composing their own knock offs and started unravelling the bandages or applying them to other garments. What has resulted from such experimentation is a new crop of bandage style leggings which would make even the most extroverted fashionista wonder 'just where can I wear this without getting arrested..either for crimes against fashion or for mistaken identity as a prostitute'.

Seriously, I love some of the offerings out there but I am definietly torn between how well the style translates to real life wearability.

Amongst my top 4 are:

These wonderful more bondage than bandage wet look leggings from LNA. I think they are hot,
hot, hot but not too OTT for wearing on a night out with a very simple loose fitting top and an obscene amount of arm decor (I'm talking huge cuffs ratherthan tattoos!)





The next pair have me a little confused. I found they are by Stolen Girlfirend's club and was under the impression they were on sale at pixie market, but they're not! That's something I have to get to the bottom of but in the mean time, enjoy!



You have got to hand it to ASOS.com for quickly catching on to all trends and leaping straight in to take a risk. I've spotted a couple of rock chick bandage style leggings on the site already and I'm sure as the trend gains momentum, the number of offerings will rapidly increase.

The lack of flesh on show in this grey option (which I should mention also come in black) makes it so much more wearable even in the daytime...unlike the previous two options.The mesh insert leggings are also a good compromise between bandage style creations and maintaining some sort of sophistication.



So hands up, who is running out the door right now to get a pair?

Until next time.....

Go away already.....

Wow it's been a while since I posted. Apologies! I guess sometimes life gets in the way of blogging. But let's return to the scheduled programming.
I could continue with sales madness but I know you guys have already bought all there is to buy! So in keeping with the bitchy vibe I'm currently feeling, I hereby christen my first post of each month from now on:'Go away already'.
The title says it all. I select someone in the fashion world who needs to sit down a while and rethink their presence.

August's lucky duck is........... Taylor Momsen.

She's 16, got a killer role on hit TV show gossip girl, and I too was feeling the little J inspired grunge revival back in mid '08. However such an intense satement look cannot persist with no tweaks or updates in over 1 year. It's no longer cool Taylor, just lazy and made worse by the fact that her gossip girl character has exactly the same fashion sense as she does. Tres confusing....But don't take me at my word.

The evidence:

Taylor in Alexander Wang November 2008



Taylor in Feb 2009



Taylor on her birthday 30th July 2009



I appreciate she looks good and the grunge is a look that suits her but just wish she'd switch things up once in a while rather than remain a one note song.

Until next time.....

50% off!

Nothing says 'summer's here' as effectively as the summer sales and with many stores trying to palm off customers with a load of unsellable rubbish, getting the most out of the sales has almost become a fine art.

The recession means we're all broke and looking to get as much as we can in exchange for as little cash as possible, so for your pleasure......the summer sales guide according to moi and this first installment is all about shoes.

1. I'm a huge fan of Kurt Geiger shoes, they look hot and are very comfortable (yes I'm talking about their heels) and when it comes to their sales, it's all about playing the waiting game. Discounts of >50% are already available on Kurt Geiger and KG but as the season draws on, discounts grow bigger. The moral of the story is if you have your heart set on a specific pair which are popular, buy now at the 50% discount, otherwise play your cards close to your chest and hold out for a less flash pair at discounts of up to 80% by August.

Check them out at www.kurtgeiger.com or in good deparment stores like House of Fraser and Selfridges.



Black slingbacks was £180 now £79
Purple bow sandals was £220 now £129
Black patent courts was£120 now £69

2. Of course there's always ASOS which I love for their appeal to a wide variety of fashion tastes and wallet sizes. You've got basic/ cheap and cheerful ASOS own brand, high street e.g. Faith and Coast, quirky/ unique in the form of independent designers such as Tatoosh and luxury brands e.g. Paul and Joe and Acne. Sales are on right now and discounts run up to 50% but watch this space for increasing discounts.


Tatoosh and Acne shoes, both on sale at ASOS now!

3. Last is an oldy but a goody for die hard luxury brand fans with a paycheck that doesn't match their expensive tastes. Net-a-Porter has an awesome sale on at the moment, with up to 50% off the likes of Givenchy, Christian Louboutin, Lanvin and YSL (including mouthwatering cage designs exclusive to net-a-porter). Yes the final sale price is still in triple figures but is pretty bargainous for such lables!

YSL cage was £820 now £492 and Givenchy cut out shoe boots was £615 now £430.

Happy shopping!!

Until next time......

Let the festivities begin.

So, I'm not a festival girl I'm afraid. I really can't justify sleeping in a tent, wading in mud and 'going' in porta loos if you're lucky- bushes if you're not!

But, festival season is well and truly upon us and with the biggie that is Glastonbury coming up in a few days, I figured this an apt time to talk festival chic.

So I don't do festivals but if I did.......

1. Playsuits are still going strong and the perfect combination of function and fashion needed at a festival. My favourites are this jumpsuit from Nkwo which can be found at the Enter Boutique in Croydon or online. The print and the back are ridiculously stunning.



I also love this number from motel bird @ ASOS.


2. For some reason, have remained all the rage in NY still but never really caught on over here, so festivals are a great excuse for breaking out a funky pair of wellies without fear of attracting bizarre looks. Juicy couture have an eye catching pair for less than £100



3. Gorgeous outwear doesn't have to be limited to waterproof parkas, although I've seen some lovely numbers around at the moment. I think boy blazers or biker jackets epitomise the nonchalant cool of festivals.

Topshop's pac-a-pocho


Muubaa have a great selection of biker jackets at www.muubaa.co.uk



Until next time..........

Credit where credit's due.

It's not often you'll find me desperately trying to track down an item of clothing I've stumbled across in a magazine, but flipping through this month's Elle I was compelled to do just that. Why? Well, each fabulous item that caught my eye had the same credit- Acne, so I figured it was time to see what the fuss was all about.

Despite being around since 1999 this Swedish brand seems to be growing in leaps and bounds, branching out from their original jean roots to include a little bit of everything. Although their collaboration with Lanvin late last year dragged them back to what they do best- denim.

I can't say I'm in love with everything they do, but some items are pure genius.


My wishlist.....


Until next time.....

Read all about it!

It's been a bitchy weekend.

Largerfield got the claws out -attacking poor squeaky voiced Heidi Klum and cutting the poor supermodel down to size. Heidi apparently is a nobody, a nobody who is totally undeserving of supermodel status!

Well, take the hundreds of front covers under her belt including Vogue, Instyle, Elle and Marie Claire, and add to that a dollop of runway appearances in RTW shows for Zac Posen and a sprinkle of Haute Couture shows for Philip Treacy......and well you decide what that makes....


Yes she may have that squeaky voice, and yes she has done the questionable cover or 200 (see below)

It's been a while since she's been on the runway, but with her rapidly expanding family I'd be a little disturbed if I saw her stomping down a runway anytime soon.

Regardless of Largerfield running his mouth, Project Runway has been given the green light to air later this year, so that alone puts me firmly on team Heidi!

Until next time......