Fashion

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Covetables: A+EM London Visor leather ankle boots

Good grief, look at these beauties. Aren’t they rather stunning? I know that a website can use good lighting to sell virtually anything but these look The Business.

Preeeeeettttttyyyyy!
Preeeeeettttttyyyyy!

These leather ankle boots are from a brand called A+EM London (nope, never heard of them either) and were spotted during a routine inspection of the Red Direct site. Y’know the kind of thing: it’s Friday afternoon, everything work-related is dull and you’re just trawling your favourite sites in a kind-of this-is-what-my-life-will-look-like-when-I-own-my-own-internet-business-and-feature-in-lifestyle-sections-of-glossy-magazines. Or is that just me? As an FYI, I also find the fabulous homewares on Not On The High Street, handbags on The Outnet and the brand-spanking new inspo/shopping site Wardrobe Icons excellent for this type of browsing.

Anyway, back to the boots…..

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I am a big fan of the back zip and the little cut-out above it. The boot has enough lift for an evening but looks like it would serve as an all-dayer, too.

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The snaps from the site make them look more petrol blue than black but black is the only colour option.

At £230, they are certifiably Not Cheap, but who doesn’t need an excellent, high performing boot come autumn? In my dream life, I’d pair these beauts with a pair of ripped utility trousers from Topshop (not that dreamy at £36 but still not an inconsequential cost)…..

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….. and a fabulous knit from luxury brand Chinti & Parker (totally dreamy at an eye-watering £360).

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Well that’s autumn sorted then (and mortgage payments obliterated for the foreseeable future)……..

Category: Style
Happy in my waterproof!

How do you solve a problem like the rubbish British weather?

I’m working away this weekend and I know that it will involve running about and between buildings, and heavy rain is forecast all weekend in Belfast. And when I opened the wardrobe to peruse suitable outerwear I saw a gorgeous Harrington jacket by Merc, a structured coat from COS, and a wool coat from Whistles, but nothing that was going to carry me through showers and worse.

I’m really not an outdoorsy person. I can definitely appreciate natural beauty, and one of the highlights of going to Yorkshire with my girlies is driving to Whitby through the Yorkshire Moors; it’s breathtaking. When called upon, for example when I had a weekend on a narrow boat once seven years ago, I can be practical, unfussy, and surprisingly useful. But in general I hate it, and I have never once camped anywhere. Not once. I like proper showers, and comfortable beds, hairdryers and Malmaisons. So I don’t really own anything as practical as a waterproof jacket, and I’m a bit anti anything that looks too fit for purpose.

But rain at this time of year is unavoidable: my jacket was soaking by the time I dashed for a bus the other day, and it’s supposed to be showerproof. Well I’m assuming it is, it has a hood. Also, I have put on some ‘happy weight’ recently, the kind that so often accompanies settling into a great relationship, and walking is my secret weapon. I need to do more exercise in general, but getting my 10,000 steps in is a great start and did used to help control my weight before summer hit and I drank all the beer. So being able to walk in inclement weather is a must. It was time for a new waterproof jacket…

I started with the usual suspects as Ma recently bought quite a nice jacket (may have been Trespass?) with a superior, almost mac-like finish. But this still really isn’t my look, and a quick peruse of outdoorsy-type websites revealed that I didn’t want to pay those prices for something I barely even like.

Raising the issue with my very clever, very clothes-savvy significant other, I was made aware of Thjorsa, an Icelandic brand that specialises in handmade waterproof coats. I swooned, almost literally. They are so beautiful, so Scandinavian, and a bunch of them are unisex so would even fit my height/awkward proportions/happy weight without compromise. Sadly, they’re also €299, and I absolutely cannot run to that. Still, they’re the dream.

I LOVE this. Probably even more in the neutral colours.
I LOVE this. Probably even more in the neutral colours.

I had also been looking at yellow macs as I met a woman at a meeting last week whose entire outfit I wanted to steal, and she was wearing a gorgeous yellow mac. But I managed to track it down (it had quite a distinctive lining) but it was Petit Bateau and I won’t buy from them because a) they make clothes for tiny women, and b) if you try to buy something from the website you can only select Mrs or Miss, not Ms. For that reason, I’m out.

I checked the other usual suspects- Joules, Boden (for research purposes, I’m otherwise boycotting), ASOS- but found nothing I was willing to part with that much of my heard-earned cash for, and barely anything at all on ASOS. Doing a quick Google image search, I did find yellow macs that I liked however, and a lot of them were men’s. The benefit of being flexible on colour, or considering brighter shades, is that these are often the least popular with men so you can find wider sizing and sometimes lower prices. So back to ASOS I went! Men’s jackets in general, and outdoors or waterproof styles in particular, have taken on quite a Scandinavian twist in the last year or so, worn with brown boots and turn-ups by bearded men, but as this is an aesthetic that I love for myself, I decided to head in that direction. Back to ASOS I went, and my search for ‘waterproof’ resulted in a brand I hadn’t heard of before, Another Influence. The brand seems to be part-hipster, part vaguely ‘urban’, but I fell in love with this waterproof jacket in yellow and ordered it immediately. Down to £38 in the ASOS sale, I ordered the blue as well in XXL, just in case the cut was slim. But the XL fits with room for a jumper underneath, and I get a bit more length because it’s a men’s jacket. The only slight issue is the sleeves but I’m going to assume that a little turn-up at the cuff will look cute. All in all, I’m pleased (and am a very enthusiastic ASOS Premier customer) but I will report back after Belfast on its efficacy.

I will look, as Kathryn said, like an 'absurdly tall toddler'

I will look, as Kathryn said, like an ‘absurdly tall toddler’

Update: It really didn’t rain in Belfast! But I’m still very happy in my waterproof…

Happy in my waterproof!
Happy in my waterproof!
Category: Style
H Samuel - ring 2

Covetables: H Samuel, you’re really spoiling us!

First I heard about the gorgeous little love rings at H Samuel via The Frugality, then I was lucky enough to receive one for my birthday! And now even Grazia are reporting on H Samuel’s range.

H Samuel have love rings in two styles; an adjustable style, with crystals and available in rose-gold plate or sterling silver, and a full love, sized version in sterling silver with cubic zirconium.  The sized version is the one I have and I absolutely love it.  The CZs often catch the light in a really lovely way, and I think that the ring being a full band means that it should have a little longevity over the other option.

They’re reminiscent of more expensive brands but £29.99 is a bit of a bargain.  I have worn my ring pretty much every day since I was given it (by Kathryn!) but it was only when I spotted the bracelets in Grazia that I realised that H Samuel is becoming A Thing.

H Samuel - Grazia page
layer up!

Yes, you will have to wade through some pretty terrible jewellery to find some cute things.  And yes, the H Samuel website isn’t great…  But!  I have long been a believer that I’d rather spend a couple of quid more on reasonably-priced ‘proper’ jewellery (semi-precious stones and metals, things that won’t turn your finger green) than buy jewellery from high street accessories shops.  It’s why I have so many pieces from QVC, such as their Diamonique range: they last well and look brilliant.

I mean, how cute is H Samuel’s crystal pendant?  £12.50 at the moment!  I’d layer it with pieces of contrasting lengths.

Picture taken from hsamuel.co.uk
Picture taken from hsamuel.co.uk

So there you have it; for cute, everyday pieces, you could do a lot worse than H Samuel…  Who knew?

UPDATE: that little pendant is from a brand called Martine Wester at H Samuel, and a fair few of the bits are really sweet and very CHEAP!  These art deco studs are my pick, at £4.50.

Category: Style
Top photo

How do you solve a problem like Next?

Flick through the A/W 14 Next Directory and you’ll find awesome, editorial-esque images providing plenty of new season inspiration.

Who doesn’t want a hi-low trainer with smart coat ensemble?

I love you Joan Smalls
I love you Joan Smalls

A tousled pony tail with a wear-with-everything shirt?

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This jumper is £15!

To be able to look like Anja Rubik in a slouchy knit, pencil skirt and metallic flats? No one!

WANT.
WANT.

But flick a page or two and Next majorly loses the plot.

Had the stylist had an embolism at the point at which the outfit with the grey skirt had to be constructed?

Er, no.
Er, no.

And would you believe that culottes are actually bang on trend for next season after the frankly ridonc blouse and high heel combo?

Old.
Old.

This is the problem with a store like Next: it tries to appease so many women that it routinely lets down all of them. I have many stylish things from there, not least a pair of leopard print slip-on trainers and some slim-leg cuff trousers. I couldn’t live without either but when I go into their stores I’m left cold.

So much comes down to the edit of stock in individual stores, which is why I’m willing to forgive the various branches near me. But the directory? C’mon Next, you have some awesome stock and you ruin it constantly with weird, never-been-fashionable-and-never-will pairings. And you have Joan Smalls, Anja Rubik and Jessica Hart modelling for you. Jeez.

P.S. Have you seen the array of awesome flats they have ready for next season? Yummy. I think the oxblood patent brogue is calling out to me.

Sorry, took a photo of the page cos I was so excited!
Sorry, took a photo of the page cos I was so excited!

All photos (excluding the last): www.next.co.uk

Category: Style
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JPG, ooh la la!

Back in April Loz took me out for my, ahem, 22nd birthday. We lunched at The Ivy (posh!) and then decided to hit an exhibition. We ended up at the marvellous Barbican taking in ‘The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier: From Catwalk to Sidewalk’. If you haven’t seen it then you must immediately, especially as it’s ending on 25 August.

Many of you of a certain age will have had their first exposure to JPG from watching Euro Trash late on a Friday night on Channel 4. Even though I had an inkling of his impression on the fashion world, I was truly blown away by the exhibition. No, you’re not going to buy a frock from him and wear it to a fancy meeting or on a Friday night out, but his real influence has been from the incredible versatility of his designs from the pure avant garde couture aesthetic to fabulous stage costuming.

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JPG can’t compete in modern ready to wear but I’m fairly sure he doesn’t want to. The upshot of this is that if you are a Celine bod through and through then you may not love JPG’s style. But for a glimpse through the couture looking glass, this exhibition can’t be beaten.

A quick word on the staging too: it’s brilliant. Faces are projected onto the heads of the mannequins and while this may be slightly creepy, it totally brings the clothes to life. The set-up is effective as you get to stroll through different stages of his work, including a look through his seemingly endless line of muses.

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It’s best to take a little bit of patience with you as you will encounter people hogging the best bits, or just moving DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF YOU to see something you’re already looking at. Deep breaths are definitely required. But it is also a lovely way to while away a couple of hours, even if you can’t tell your JPG from your SJP.

The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier: From Catwalk to Sidewalk, showing at the Barbican until 25 August 2014. Full info and tickets available at the Barbican website.

Category: Style