Designer | a storm in a teacup

Apr
27
2012

Wedge Trainers: Yay or Nay?

Posted by Lil In Designer, Fashion, High Street | 3 Comments »

Wedge Trainers

I genuinely never thought I'd be ok with the idea of a wedge trainer. I like casual shoes as much as the next girl, probably more, but the idea of mixing two types of shoe and amalgamating them in too what can only be ugly really doesn't sit right with me. Right?

I didn't really sit up and take notice of the Isabel Marant Bekkets everyone was talking about until I saw a picture of the gorgeous Miranda Kerr in them when she was out and about with her son Flynn. Turns out that Beyonce, Heidi Klum and Anne Hathaway all look pretty good in them too. Sadly, these are totally out of my price range at £400+ and are sold out all over the place too, so while I'm always wary of getting cheaper trainers from brands I'm not familiar with (don't want to be reminiscent of a Year 4 games lesson with those big velcro straps after all) I wanted to see what's out there for a step down in price.

So, though there are plenty of options available from the usual high street places like Topshop, I don't think they quite meet the Sport Luxe level that really appeals to me about these kind of hi-top trainers. For me, they stay in the teenager at a festival realm because of the prints and the Converse style lacing and big soles etc. I think that's ok if you're a little younger - no doubt you could definitely pull it off, but I am 25 next month after all and I need to take a more mature approach I think.

What I have found, honestly, is that the best options are from Manas via Spartoo. In particular, I love the Fannie and Francine models and think I'll probably bite the bullet and get the Fannies to wear on holiday while sightseeing and at Green Man Festival at the end of the summer. Although they don't say it anywhere in the description, I'm sure they're a wedge because of the faint line I can see across the side and it'll be nice to add a bit of height while still being comfortable and casual. I wear casual shoes (Converse, Nike, Vans) a lot but I always feel more confident in something with a bit of height and since these are pretty nice to look at I'm happy to mix the two. I think the Francine's are a great choice for a bit of colour and a feminine touch, but the Fannies are really doing the whole Sports Luxe thing right. It's decided, I'm buying!

How do you feel about putting height into trainers? Did Isabel Marant help change your mind?

This post was written in partnership with Spartoo.

Designer Lust: Alexander McQueen

Posted by Lil In Designer, Fashion | 5 Comments »

Alexander McQueen at Harrods

Alexander McQueen has long been up there with my favourite British designers, possibly even my number one. I remember posting a picture of the Knuckle Box Clutch on here a few years back and I can acutely remember the sharp, immature pang of injustice I felt that it was so out of my price range. Woe was me. For a girl who has always been well and truly about the cheap thrill of high street, that clutch is my first memory of a real temptation from the designer world.

Since then my interest outside of what’s in my local Topshop has grown and these days I keep a much sharper eye on the catwalks. Obviously, as I’ve got to know the collections from season to season, McQueen has only gone up in my estimations. Thanks to tax self-assessment and being spectacularly bad at maths, lately I’ve been in the market for a designer handbag. Though I thought I’d well and truly fallen for the Mulberry Evelina Hobo, it’s not particularly summer appropriate and Alexander McQueen is a brand I seem to keep checking up on in my lunch breaks.

In terms of how I’d splash my cash if there were no limits, first would be the Skull Paddock Tote in Bone, a classic shape and the colour means it’s seasonally sound for a while. I’d follow that with the 3D Skull Bangle which I think is a classy nod to the signature skull without having it take too much of the limelight. The same can be said for the Button Slippers, which look like a super comfy option for summer footwear. And, well, since we have a Jubilee coming up and I’m not really one to go all out red, white and blue, the Britannia Skull Box Clutch in Dove Grey would definitely help me get festive.

Which designer is your weakness? Have you splashed out on anything outside the high street recently?

Prints: My Current Lust List

Posted by Lil In Designer, Fashion, High Street | 5 Comments »

Prints

L-R: Fashion Union Jumpsuit, Topshop sleeveless Blouse, River Island T-shirt, Givenchy Jacket via Harvey Nichols, Topshop Blouse

Currently, I'm finding shopping quite difficult. Following a spat of ill health and a series of quite traumatic doctors appointments and procedures I decided yesterday afternoon that I'd pop to Topshop and go wild. I tend to do this bi-annually, a couple of weeks into each season. I had bought the bottom right paisley blouse from the picture a few weeks ago and sans that, there was literally nothing I really liked. It was all a bit... pastel for me. I've talked before of my turmoil with shades that aren't bold or bright. Colour blocking was an absolute dream a few seasons back but now things have turned a bit too girly for my liking and I'm really struggling to keep up.

The items above are my picks of the print trend from what I can find available online at the moment. Like I said, I've already bought the blouse in the bottom right and I absolutely love it. Sheer, patterned and lovely colours that suit me, it's perfect. I wore it on a night out a few weeks ago just with a simple black body-con skirt and flats. It looks great open necked or buttoned right to the top so I'm looking forward to experimenting a bit more with the way I wear it. I came a bit late to the party but I absolutely love sheer blouses at the moment. Particularly this one (now on sale) which my sister bought on a recent trip up to see me in Leeds. The lace column in the back is a gorgeous detail. My next purchase my well be the Fashion Union jumpsuit which i think is an absolute steal at £30 and will be perfect in the summer. Fashion Union is fast becoming one of my favourite sites to browse because they seem to stock shapes and colours I like. The prices are so reasonable too which makes me worry that the quality may not live up to the promise. Perhaps I'll sample it soon and let you know.I do love a jumpsuit.

I like to think that the Givenchy jacket is the kind of stuff my wardrobe would be overflowing with if I had copious amounts of money to spend. I absolutely love everything about it. In fact, I'm loving Givenchy more and more as I get older. Having taken a look at my wardrobe post-uni, I'm dilemma of whether to start "investing" in classics and building my style around that. I'm pretty sure that's the way forward. Sure, that's what everyone always says you should always do, but when you're a student on a budget with 3 nights out a week, grabbing the nearest printed Primark dress is all too tempting at £11 a pop. I think a big clear-out may well be coming soon.

Are you big into prints? How are you negotiating this season's trends?