1. ZARA Over-the-knee boots, £139
2. ASOS Faux Curly Fur Coat, £75
3. ZARA Leopard Print Booties, £89.99
4. & Other Stories Leather and Suede Gloves in Red, £39
5. Forever 21 Goddess Chandelier Earrings, £4
6. H&M Powder Pink Shirt, £14.99
7. H&M Black Leather Biker Trousers, £179
8. NEXT Grey Check Fleece Cape, £30
9. NEXT Block Heel Booties, £60
10. COS Wide Collar Wool Coat, £190
11. ZARA Shopper, £39.99
Happy fashion season! As we start to bid farewell to our beachy waves and sun kissed limbs, it’s time to start thinking about how to dress and cover up in the cold months ahead. Obviously, I love fashion; and I have many a high-end brand which I am practically obsessed with and constantly reference throughout my trend articles and outfit posts: Céline, Acne, Alexander Wang…however, living in the UK, I am a firm believer that you can dress to nines and be on trend, stylish and unique with clothes that won’t burn a hole in your pocket – and that’s because the UK has the best high-street options in the world. Next, Topshop, New Look and, of course, the European H&M and Zara groups, offer luxury fashion steals at incredible prices which can look very expensive – it’s all about the way you carry yourself.
September is a time for new beginnings. When I was little, I would count years starting from the start of school, September, and not so much January. The French call it la rentrée. So, as we all go back to school (or College or University or work!), it’s time to start the year with fashion that’s season-appropriate.
Look to the collections of Chloé, Céline and even Chanel, and you’ll see that functionality has become ever so fashionable and analogous with chic. Thanks to Phoebe Philo – and Karl (the Greatest) putting trainers on the catwalk with couture gowns and Raf Simons transforming Haute Couture into sportswear and comfort at Dior – it’s safe to say that fashion this season is effortless and comfortable. Military is back with Balmain, Acne and Alexander Wang reintroducing it to us to perfection. Slick leathers in ochre and khaki, structured coats with multi-pocket details and baggy trousers worn with oversized shirts. H&M’s loose shirt tones down the toughness in candy floss pink and is just under £15, while the slick leather trousers offer that Balmain attitude at (albeit still quite expensive) a fraction of the price. This woollen coat from COS is the effigy of utility chic; layer it over your Autumn outfits for a tough edge.
No need to force yourself to run around in super-tight skirts that cut off circulation (and the ability to eat!) or over-embellished pieces that your hair gets caught in. This season, the top designers have done oversized again with loose garments that cosy up your look and accessories are kept to a minimum – embellishments have been transferred to box clutches and shoes instead, while even earrings have been swapped for the shoulder-grazing, mono-earring – seen at Louis Vuitton and, of course, Céline. Get the look with these three-tier, chandelier earrings from Forever 21 – just wear the one! (At Céline, they wore it on the left!)
For those who love to totter around in sky-high heels, they will always be in fashion, but Céline offers flatforms for an easy fashion that won’t make your arches ache for days while chunky boots are also all the rage. As it’s Autumn, opt for knee-highs or thigh-highs like those at Ralph Lauren, otherwise ankle boots with square heels are it now – seen and loved at Gucci, Chloé and Maison Martin Margiela. Get look-alikes at Next and Zara – they are perfection. Even Prada offers comfort among her inventive craziness for Autumn/Winter 2014 – with futuristic-inspired wedge boots and platforms that offer that bit of height to elongate the legs without killing your feet.
Your ultimate wardrobe staples this season: the cape & the brown bag. Burberry introduced us to the concept of the blanket cape while Hermès and Yves Saint Laurent all reinvented the cape into blanket coats, too. Make do like the best and cover up stylishly with this checked fleece cape from Next for just £30. To finish off your look, choose the right bag. Whether in milk chocolate, tan or dark chestnut, the brown bag is the bag of the season. Seen in crocodile leather, canvas and straw and in small, medium, and large, it’s clear that any bag is appropriate – as long as it’s brown. Zara nails the trend with this sleek shopper in tan and is a steal at just £40 – its sleek design and classic colour means it will accompany you for seasons and seasons ahead.
You can shop instantly by clicking the links above.
Happy Shopping, Happy Fashion Week and a Happy Rentrée to all!!
C x