Show us your knickers

New season equals new trends……although the outcome of this equation is inevitable, the identity of these trends can remain somewhat unpredictable. Spring/Summer took a risqué turn as models paraded down the catwalk in little more than their lingerie. If you were thinking that flaunting your underwear in public was reserved for the likes of Wonder Women and sundry super-heroes, one peek at Dolce & Gabbana’s collection would prove you very wrong. Perversely cute and feminine, as opposed to screaming outrageously kinky, either way you look at it, this season it’s totally acceptable to bare all in the name of fashion.

The High Street seems to have cottoned on to this one fast. I can’t walk into a fashion forward clothing shop without being caught in a net of lace and corset-style tops. However, my favourite take on this trend is undoubtedly the revival of the lace body. But approach with caution: this look is not for the faint hearted! It was after pouring myself into one of these creations in a London fitting room that I realised exactly why the Special K diet had been invented. Here is an item that is rather unforgiving on one’s ,figure…fortunately however, I found that a strategically placed body-con vest top in nude tones worn underneath can work wonders here. So there’s still hope.

This look will give even London’s most flamboyant fashionistas a run for their money. So girls, its time to wave goodbye to your last seasons comfortable blazer (and perhaps even your modesty) and head down to River Island to pick up a lace leotard. Everyone will be wearing one…erm,promise?

Love thy Selfridges

There is no mistaking the signature 109 pantone yellow shade of their carrier bags, even before reading the iconic logo one knows exactly where it has come from. You might even be justified in arguing that Selfridges has reached a status comparable to that of one of the Superbrands hidden within its many walls.

However speaking from experience I find that it seems to have the “marmite” effect on shoppers, I can reel off the names of dozens of friends who couldn’t think of anything worse than spending the day browsing through one of London’s most notorious tourist traps. I on the over hand happen to adore this experience. Ok so a trip to the wonder room might not be entirely “student bank account” friendly, but there’s something about all those brands under one roof that never fails to excite me.

Perhaps the most recent “show” Selfridges put on, involved turning the legendary Wonder Room into a scene from Alice in Wonderland, in order to mark the launch of the film. As a gift for one of the girls, departing from our work team, we decided to buy a small teapot necklace (straight from the Mad Hatter’s tea party) packed in a vintage style box and painted to perfection, this particular tiny charm came complete with an actual scented tea bag…well after all this effort in recreating Alice’s world, it seemed almost rude not to purchase something!

So even through a recession there’s no compromising on luxury for some, and if Selfridges is anything to go by it would seem as though London is still packing plastic.

SO next season

One of my personal highlights from working at Head Offices has to be the sample sales. There is something smugly satisfying about someone commenting on a item which has not yet hit the shops. The word “sample” can also indicate that the product is a work in progress, so if you’re lucky enough you may even end up with a one off piece.

Last summer the bulk of my bikini collection was salvaged from various areas of the Topshop sample cupboard, and it was safe to say not one of my fellow sunbathers donned the same swimwear I had on…shopping trip whilst in the office, now that’s what I call two birds with one stone!

Needless to say, further advantages of having friends in this industry is the opportunity to raid their office sample sales. Recently I received an invitation to attend the Mulberry sample sale…this is an opportunity one does not turn down!

Obviously word had spread, come 10 o’clock the hallways of their Regent Street store resembled Monday morning rush hour! Clearly I wasn’t the only one who wanted a piece of the action! The room was crammed with bags, purses, luggage and accessories, each one with that all important signature Mulberry Tree. And with everything at a fraction of the expected price tag it was a Mulberry lovers paradise.

At prices like these, whoever said it was money that buys happiness anyway?

Branded

Is it just me or are slogan t-shirts absolutely everywhere at the moment? I can’t walk down Oxford street without having to resist the temptation of skimming through the various phrases plastered across the chests of Londoners.

The rule that seems to apply here is the more random and outrageous the better. Just yesterday I was joined in the queue at Zara, by a man wearing a top with the message “I cut my own hair” erm, ok then? Unusual choice some might say.

London based designer Henry Holland is well renowned for his cheeky rhymes, incorporating celebrity names on brightly coloured tops. My personal favourite (for some unknown reason) has always been “You would if you could Cindy Crawford” however actually parading around in it myself always seems a touch more inappropriate than ironic. Some things are better admired from a distance!

It not just us, the stars appear to be equally as hooked. The press had a field-day when Cheryl Cole donned a top emblazoned “I left my heart in Beverly Hills” following her recent split with Ashley.

Although I think it’s fair to say that the slogan is having a bit of a fashion moment…I cant help but ask have we all been taking ourselves to seriously?

You know you want it

What do you get if you cross a Balenciaga handbag and a bellini? Ok so I’m slightly obsessed with the US series Gossip Girl, the scandal, the gossip, but most importantly the wardrobe has me hooked! I have found myself comparing my shoulder length strands to Serena’s impossibly glossy mane of hair.

The man responsible for these immaculately turned out characters is stylist Eric Daman. Head bands, leather jackets and body con dresses have slowly been creeping into my own wardrobe, mimicking the likes of Serena, Blair, Vanessa and Jenny, the four female leads. There is no doubt that the fashion element is a key ingredient to the shows unstoppable success.

So inevitably I was intrigued when news reached me, that come April, Miss Selfridge will be collaborating with Eric Daman to bring a Gossip Girl range onto the High Streets of London. Although images of this collaboration seem to be like gold dust, nearly impossible to come by, news has leaked that the collection will consist of 8 key pieces each correlating to a character from the show.

Well I for one can’t wait to get my hands on it…Oh to have the wardrobe advantages of an Upper Eastsider.

In true Gossip Girl fashion “You know you want it xoxo”

Mischa Barton

I have a confession to make, I have always been slightly jealous of Marissa Cooper. It could have something to do with her bottomless wardrobe, never ending collection of Chanel handbags, or the large beach house and all year round golden suntan. Unfortunately London weather just doesn’t seem to compare with the likes of Orange County…but the actress Mischa Barton, who plays her, on the other hand has just never really had the same appeal.

Just by typing her name into Google images I am presented with a less a than flattering mug shot of the twenty-something actress. Then there was that campaign last year which plastered pictures of her cellulite all over gossip magazines, dare I say it the “fat” label followed shortly afterwards.

Subsequently last weekend while flicking through the pages of the Daily Mail television guide…..because what else are Sundays for? I found the absolute opposite, the same actress different dramas. It would appear that Miss Barton has caught the size zero bug, however the caption, which followed, applauded her appearance, catapulting her onto that particular weeks “spotted” feature.

It seemed somewhat out of place that a conservative publication such as the Daily Mail, would condone this image, yes, slim is most definitely attractive in my opinion, but if you ask me, painfully thin is a different ball game entirely.

No matter how fabulous her outfit was, the phrase that sprung to my mind here was “wear the clothes, don’t let the clothes wear you” well, even the most cringe worthy of clichés had to start somewhere, right?

Barking mad

On the way to university this morning I saw something completely out of the ordinary, which quite truthfully shocked me! The day got off to a normal start…there was the usual fiasco, fighting my way through the rush hour crowds, trying to get a seat on the tube. This routine has become fairly standard procedure over the last couple of years, nothing unusual here.

However, upon arrival at Holloway Road Station, I was confronted by a sight which could, quite frankly, only be described as well….embarrassing. A man, lets say in his mid 20’s at a guess, was sitting at a bus stop with his dog. However, this was no ordinary scene…both him and his dog appeared to be wearing matching “Lakers” basketball t-shirts and thick gold chains. Excuse me, but am I missing something here? Since when was this a trend?

Whoever had told this man that this was a “good look” for him, or his four legged friend, clearly held some sort of personal vendetta. And judging by the reception the rest of the morning commuters were giving him, I was definitely not alone in thinking that this was not the way forward for him. So where is the photograph of this astonishingly unusual sight I can hear you ask? But for one reason or another a clearly barking man and his angry looking dog just didn’t feel like the perfect Kodak moment. Call me cynical, but I just can’t see this look catching on as “the next big thing.”

Ray-Bans at the ready

According to my diary….and 95.8 FM Capital Radio, the first of March is officially the start of Spring. However, following days of endless clouds and heavy showers you would be forgiven for thinking otherwise. But everything changed today. Leaving the house this morning, it suddenly occurred to me that my outfit consisted of a snood, a jacket, gloves and….a pair of SUNGLASSES! For the first time in 2010 I stepped out at 8am wearing Summer’s ultimate signature accessory. Perhaps the rumours are true, could Summer be on the way?

There’s something about England and the unpredictable nature of the British weather, that the first sign of sun has most people reaching for their flip-flops. Since October, when the very first magazines printed images of the 2010 Shows, previewing next seasons distressed denim I have been longing for a glimpse of sunshine…

At the station I noticed that fellow commuters were sharing my oh so optimistic approach, there was a noticeable absence of heavy winter coats, and more than a few pairs of Ray-Bans to be seen.

Ok so the weather might only just be starting to creep in the right direction, but admit it, all the signs are there right? Did someone say Summer wardrobe?

Bonjour, Paris meets LDN

Is it just me, or have we all gone completely Paris mad? Browsing round Oxford Circus Topshop today…because one can NEVER have too many clothes right? I noticed that a disproportional number of their t-shirts, jumpers and accessories were decorated with giant Eifel Tower motifs or more simply the word “Paris.” Even the typically touristy “I heart Paris” slogans on a shapeless white background when wore with leggings can be somewhat trendy.

Sex and the City, arguably the biggest fashion based series ever to hit our screens, dedicated its two penultimate episodes to the streets of Paris. London seems to have followed this obsession with the French city, blue and white stripes dominate many of our UK based High Street shops, even in our own capital we are focusing on making another fashion city iconic.

So what is it about Paris that seems to have us all hooked, the Eifel Tower is instantly recognizable, even to those who have not set foot on Parisian land, and it just so happens it looks equally pleasing on the front of one of this seasons cropped vests… excuse me while I pop out to order myself a beret!

Customise? Next time I shall hit the High Street

My collection of clothes is getting somewhat ridiculous now, I no longer have sufficient room in my wardrobe to store so many of those “have to have” items. Needless to say, some of the less favoured pieces rarely even see the light of day. After reaching this conclusion I decided that the easiest way of updating my wardrobe, without actually adding anything to its contents, would be to customise some of the said less-worn items.

Ok, so in theory this all sounds like a good idea right? Updating old clothes for a new look, plus the added bonus that half of London wouldn’t be wearing near identical versions of what I’d have on, one of the major downsides of the High Street. But this is definitely easier said than done. Where to even start? Blue jeans into denim shorts, sounds simple enough. However after finding out that skinny jeans and this customising concept just don’t see eye to eye (the shorts versions are FAR too tight to be seen out in public in) not only did I not have a pair of new shorts, but the jeans were consigned to the rubbish bin. Not an ideal outcome! A similar outcome with a t-shirt, once again the item looked aesthetically much more pleasing in its original state. If the rule here is practise makes perfect I wasn’t willing to continue…

Lesson learnt here? Cutting up my clothes does not customise them…it just ruins them.

It's just UGGly

Arguably one of the biggest fads in footwear to hit the streets of London in more recent years is the UGG boot. With more and more colours and style variations available, I think it’s clear that the UGG boot is here to stay.

I have never, nor do I plan to own a pair myself, however when worn with the right outfit I have nothing against them. This, on the other hand, was until I noticed a rise in a new phenomenon…male UGGs. Erm sorry but am I missing something here? If I’m not much mistaken this started out as a female trend. Now ask yourself if out on the streets of London you were to spot a man wearing the latest pair of Jimmy Choo skyscraper heels; would you think this was normal? No of course you wouldn’t! So why is it suddenly perfectly acceptable for men to take over the UGG.

Although some trends are transferable between genders, such as the Converse shoe, this look works equally well on both men and women. The same principle applies to plimsolls. The UGG unfortunately does not fall into this category, is it just me or does anyone else think its time that men returned to a trend which was perhaps a little more ahem manly…?