Prints Charming

A while back, I designed this print on Spoonflower:

Today, I saw this skirt for Topshop Tall:

Yeah baby! Totes ahead of my time. Definitely like mine more, though.

Wrap it Up: Winter Coats

To continue my current Winter obsession - where's the snow already?! - I thought I'd do a quick post on outerwear. There are some really gorgeous coats out there at the moment. I've tried on the blue Topshop number, but unfortunately my curves rather mess up its clean, masculine line. It would be a great choice for a woman with a more athletic build, though. I love the leather sleeves and the biker-girl detailing on the Full Circle coat (and it's an absolute bargain!), but the René Derhy coat has to be my favourite. 

Blue parka by Réne Derhy, €163

Full Circle wool mix coat from the current sale at Cocosa, £51

Boyfriend Coat by Topshop, £85

The blue parka looks soft, cosy, and forgiving, but it's also visually interesting. The colour is offbeat, the buckles are really cool, and it has that slightly mad, rich old lady feel that I am very much looking for in my clothes! I might consider buying it if a) the website wasn't so hard to figure out, and b) I hadn't already bought  my coat for the year. I went for Topshop's car coat. It's gorgeous, and I love the ovoid shape and big fur collar. It makes me feel super glamorous! It just bugs me that it's already so ubiquitous. Every other Brighton lass seems to have one...

Super-Bright Loafers: The Ultimate Neon Librarian Shoe?

As much as I love my little brown loafers, I am very much into all the super-bright footwear that's around at the moment. I came across a particularly gorgeous neon pink pair in Topshop at the weekend (see below), but colourful flats are cropping up all over the place right now.

• Pink Tassel Brogues by Topshop, £30

• Leather Tassel Loafers by Asos, £50

• Bow Loafer Flats by Schuh, £65

• Suede Loafers by Topshop, £28 

• Coral Canvas Loafer by Office, £30

I think what I like best about these shoes is the juxtaposition between their neat, scholastic shape and their jolly festive colour schemes. There is a real sense of a joyful disjunction between function and frivolity here, and I love it. I'm sure all five pairs would prove a valuable edition to my wardrobe; coupled with some contrasting coloured tights, they would fit in perfectly with my current 'Revenge of the Neon Nerd' look. 

Indeed, I did come perilously close to buying that pink Topshop pair - £30 is so cheap for something so beautiful! - but I was already buying a coat, a spotted dress, and some austere black wedge-heeled boots, and the shopper's guilt would have been too much. Plus, I already have a perfectly functional pair of non-garish loafers and some purple lace-up brogues; all of my sartorial bases are pretty much covered without the addition of these lovelies. Nonetheless, should anybody out there be looking to get me a PhD viva present, I can assure you that the neon pink pair in a size 6 would go down a storm!

Socks with Everything

As I mentioned in my review of the Mulberry show, I am very pleased by the number of little socks on the Spring 2012 catwalks. They've cropped up at Anna Sui, Marc Jacobs, House of Holland, and elsewhere.

Anna Sui, Spring 2012

Marc Jacobs, Spring 2012

House of Holland, Spring 2012 (Images from Style.com)

This suits me, because my ankle sock obsession is pretty much out of control right now. I've long been working socks as a daytime accessory to add a jolt of colour or quirk to an otherwise unremarkable ensemble...

... but the day version turned out to be a gateway sock. I've now graduated onto the harder stuff, and have started working socks for evening. I get some funny looks wearing this Calvin Klein dress with a white vintage belt, gold Marks and Spencer's shoes, and pink Topshop ankle socks, but it just feels so right! I am definitely not ready to let this micro-trend go just yet, and plan to try socks with everything until well into the new year!

The Love Bug

Earlier in the week, I promised you a post on insect-themed jewellery, and today is the day that I deliver! Below is a list of my top five pieces. A couple of them stray a little toward cutesy, I'll admit, but I think that the creepy crawly element keeps them just the right side of the line. My favourite? Well, I love the Gogo Philip scarab necklace (less chunky in real life, and very hip for Spring 2012), but the winner for me has to be the Topshop bug earrings. I love their detailed wings and iridescent shimmer. Long live creepy jewellery!

• Bug Pendent by New Look, £4.99

•  Bee Ring by Topshop, £15

•  Gogo Philip Scarab Necklace from Asos, £16

• Bee Studs by New Look, £4.99 (part of a set)

• Bug Studs by Topshop, £5.00