Hooray for September! Unlike most, I don't bemoan the end of summer, because the Autumn/Winter season is always my favourite time of year for fashion. I can barely contain my excitement when the shops start getting in their winter stock, when knitwear abounds, lush fabrics and deep hues as far as the eye can see. I'm talking squealing in Topshop and emitting an extended series of oohhs and aaahhs in River Island... so dignified!
River Island has really won me around in the last couple of years. It used to be a shop I rarely visited, but now it's practically my first stop. This autumn/winter they definitely have the 'disco-glam' corner of the market covered, which I suspect will be many peoples first port of call for Christmas and New Years party looks. Firstly I have to mention their AW11 ad campaign - I've spotted this in a number of magazines and it's just beautiful. Love, love, love that sleazy Helmut Newton style 70s glamour shot - it's so full of attitude. Makes me think of Jerry Hall, Roxy Music cover girls, vintage YSL - all the things that make my heart beat a little bit faster!
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| River Island AW11 Campaign |
Their 'Hustle' (think Studio 54, Anjelica Huston, Halston) and 'Farrah' collections (Farrah Fawcett, Fleetwood Mac, American boho) are all about that 70s style, for night and daytime respectively.
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| Top Picks: Dark Red Slinky Maxi Dress Was £50, Now £20 |
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| Top Picks: Blue Print Culottes £32 |
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New Look has a nice range of fun, youthful, budget-conscious daywear. They have plenty of flirty, thigh-skimming tea dresses, cute satchels and some very lovely grungy oversized knitwear to snuggle up in as it gets colder out! Their 'English Heritage' collection is probably my favourite. Girlish yet very wearable, including retro knits, quilted jackets, and quirky dresses (like their ditsy dog print pleated dress) it's sure to be a popular one.
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| Top Picks: Vintage Pleated Dress £29.99 |
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| Top Picks: Twisted Yarn Jumper £24.99 |
Ending on a high,
Topshop's Lookbook for this autumn/winter is shaping up to be pretty wonderful, with their 'Prim & Polished', 'Bavaria' and 'Glam Underground' collections being particular highlights for me...
'Prim & Polished' lies somewhere between thrift-store twee and ladylike vintage. Novelty motif knits and ladylike skirts meet tassled leather loafers and felt berets. Think lots of bows, peter-pan collars... a kooky brand of British nostalgia caught somewhere between Miss Marple and a 1960s schoolgirl (not quite as bizarre as it might sound!)
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| Top picks: Swing Velvet Bow Coat £98 |
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| Top Picks: Leather Classic Lady Bag £80 |
'Bavaria' is "opulent but homespun" (thanks, Topshop.com!), which sounds just so appealing. Again, a thrift-store feel, but an altogether more grown-up and sumptuous affair. With a heavy dose of eccentricity. Lots of paisley, faux-fur collars, floppy hats and oversized earrings - all rather Anita Pallenberg-esque.
The cream embroidered smock dress is my favourite piece - dreamy, and with a very romantic, vintage look. Slightly pricier (but definitely a head-turner), is the black flower embellished dress, with its pleated skirt and abundance of beading detail, it's certainly worth it for a special occasion.
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| Top Picks: Cream Embroidered Smock Dress £50 |
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| Top Picks: Black Flower Embellished Dress £75 |
'Glam Underground', with its "all out glamour and rockstar appeal" is a great transitional collection amalgamating the 70s glam, androgyny and luxe-punk trends in swathes of black and gold to create a great early-autumn statement look before we have to bundle up under our heavy coats and rain boots.
I've already treated myself to the amazing 'Aim' shoe-boots. In black suede and textured leather they're pretty fabulous, if slightly impractical for trekking around town...
I'm also very tempted by the 'battered sequin' sleeve t-shirt, which would look just great with an old pair of jeans, or maybe tucked into a midi-skirt.
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| Top Picks: 'Aim' Leather & Suede Shoe Boots £80 |
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| Top Picks: Battered Sequin Sleeve Tee £30 |
So whether you're after sequins and glamour or nostalgic bohemia this autumn, there's plenty out there on the high street, and no doubt more treats to come throughout this most exciting of seasons!
hx
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