Showing posts with label h and m. Show all posts
Showing posts with label h and m. Show all posts

Tuesday, 26 March 2013

& Other Stories - Over hyped?

So Hennes and Mauritz opened their store "& Other Stories" last week, after their string of other successful stores like H&M and Cos, I was pretty excited to see what "& Other Stories" would be like. It was amazing, it was the balance between H&M and Cos, the aesthetics of Cos but with lower price points and a slightly younger more adventurous feel. It was the shop where the girl wants to grow up to be a Whistles and Cos woman but is still having a lot of fun with fashion and the main factor, they can afford it!

There was a minimalist urban white feel with hints of wood and natural lighting. The collection was rather large compared to what I thought it would be, there was so much, I didn't know where to start and I could feel myself falling in love with each piece. The huge array of clothes consisted of leather and mesh grunge pieces, structural satin jackets, cocoon like dresses the list goes on. Something for pretty much everyone.

Picture taken from Marie Claire

Towards the back of the ground floor was the make up and beauty area, filled with body lotions and powder, "& Other Stories" was a lifestyle that I wanted to be part of, effortlessly chic and chilled is what I felt. I could see the brand taking form and I could also see myself being sucked into it all, wanting to become a part of that world as lame as it sounds.
As I trapsed upstairs the collection continued with the addition of lingerie and a devine shoe area. I have a shoe addiction to say the least and they definitely excelled in this area. Their shoes were definitely inspired by designers such as Nicholas Kirkwood, Acne and Celine. Every 20 somethings dream!


However the price points were a little odd, I bought myself an organic cotton/jersey dress for a mere £29 yet a simple ring was £19. Bags ranged between £19 to £95 for a pretty simple design, although the higher prices were made of leather but I didn't feel they were justifiable against other pieces in the collection. It won't stop me from shopping here in the future, I will definitely be buying many more pieces on pay day. Although I do question that the launch of this new store/brand will put Cos in jeopardy due to the ridiculously good price points which are very relatable to Topshop. I can see this being Topshops and Zaras real competition on the high street.

Worth the hype? Most definitely.

My Top 10 Buys.

Camisole £35 Clutch £19 Shirt £39 Dress £45 Shoes £79
Dress £29 Skirt £45 Trouser £195 Sunglasses £17 Ring £12




Friday, 8 February 2013

Splurge, Spend or Save - Monochrome

After Marc Jacobs' wow moment during Lfw last season, his collection created quite a statement with his bold monochrome outfits. Setting the trend for SS13 the black and white colour palette is forever a classic. Keep silhouettes clean, simple and fresh for the timeless chic look or mix it up with some bold dashes of colour. You can't go wrong head to toe in only black and white.

SPLURGE


£1310, Proenza Schouler Buy Me With a fitted waist and bodice with leather trim it's a polished easy look. 

£980, Lanvin Buy Me Epitomy of luxury this ridiculously priced top is surely worth it when it's cut to perfection. Wear with some bright red cigarette trousers for a colour block look.

£460, Nicholas Kirkwood Buy Me Woah woah woah, this shoes are insane, look at the zig zags and the heel is metal, oh if only I had legs long enough to pull these off, or money for that matter.

SPEND


£350, Jonathon Saunders Buy Me You can't go wrong with a Saunders jumper, a pretty easy wear. Try with an A-line skirt and pointed stilettos. Pow. 

£250, Whistles Buy Me I tried this on with some beautifully fitted black cigarette trousers, oh it looked great.

£200, Illesteva Buy Me Fashion week is soon approaching, and you'd definitely get photographed in these bad boys, I love the subtle red hint.

SAVE

£35, Whistles Buy Me Bought this myself I have to say, worth every single one of my pennies.

£34.99, H&M Buy Me Embodying Marc Jacobs, the neckline is gorgeous, a really flattering dress.

 £14.99, Mango Buy Me Absolute barg! A dogtooth trouser is a classic, wear with a black turtleneck and red lipstick to get the Marilyn Monroe feel.