Carry On Spending Through The Hard Times - Fashion On The Mind

I saw on GMTV today that women are continuing to spend money on clothes, despite the credit crunch knocking at our doors. Women are quite determined when it comes to shopping and i think this just goes to show that even when we are debt-ridden, we cannot hold back from spending on the high street. We've got to have some positives with the credit crunch, right?

A report by Elle, based on 4000 women, highlighted the fact that 70% of women thought about buying new items of clothing "nearly every day". As a woman myself, i am going to do little to disprove this theory, because i too think about buying new clothes every day. But thinking about it and actually doing it are two different things.

A quarter of women also said they spent between £25 and £100 a month simply on shoes. Taking into consideration that a decent pair of shoes may cost about £50, then this might not seem a lot to some women. I guess women just prioritise; some will buy shoes once a month and some will buy bags.

Interestingly, the Elle report also showed that 94% of women admitted to having clothes in the back of their wardrobe that they had never worn. Guilty! It is just one of those things; you have to have it in the shop but when you get it home, it just becomes another dress, or another skirt...

It seems women still need to splash the cash in order to remain positive. Despite the hard economic times, giving up what we love would be insult to injury, because we have to have something to keep us happy. Its like going out for dinner; i am curious to know if we are all going to stop dining out because of the credit crunch? Where i live, nothing has changed - restaurants are just as busy as they have always been - even during the week.

I think this report just goes to show that we are used to our luxuries and giving them up isn't going to come without a fight....

The Skull Scarf - Alexander McQueen - Plus Target Rumours...

I love Alexander McQueen skull scarves - they have been around for a few seasons now and are still selling like hotcakes. It seems the "rock chic" look is still definitely in.

Now one of his signature styles, the skull scarf has become a key staple piece in any fashionista's wardrobe.

I've heard Alexander Mcqueen is to design a line of clothing for Target - a cheaper priced line, but just as fashionable. If this is true, then this will be great news! I loved Temperley's Target range, which featured her trademark bold black and white combinations. Luella also created a funky range for Target, featuring skulls, cherries and other quirky designs that Luella is famed for.

If Alexander McQueen for Target's range goes ahead, i am curious to know what it may turn it out like. Although famed for his skulls, i am unsure as to whether this will be a common feature in his Target range. Skulls in his range have become synonymous with high price and luxury, so i can't imagine the Target range featuring any skulls in the same league has his main collection. Maybe tiny skull accents would be good, like a small skulls at the bottom of a t-shirt. I've done a little mock-up below of how i think this would look good.

You see, McQueen can flaunt the skulls all he wants to in his mainline collections, but i think he will stick with relatively plain designs for his Target collection, but still letting his fans know it's him by featuring a small skull accent. However, McQueen may decide not to use the skull at all...it will be interesting to find out! Let's hope the Alexander Mcqueen Target range will be arriving soon- and be available all over the world!

Wrap Up Warm With The Best Scarves - Your Guide Of How To Choose

It's approaching Winter, ladies! Before you pull out that old scarf from years ago, think about all the wonderful designer scarves available today and consider updating your wardrobe. The scarf can "make or break" an outfit, so you need to think about the following:

Textures: Don't put a thick woolly scarf with a floaty cotton top; the two will clash in all the wrong ways.

Colours: Think about complementary colours for your outfits. A rich plum coloured scarf will look fabulous with a mottled grey jumper, making sure you'll be chic this winter.

Length: A scarf too long for you will drown you if you don't wear it properly. Wrap it round several times, being careful not to drown your petite neck. If its just not working; forget it.

Small scarves look great as accessories any time of the year - tie them like a neckerchief and wear with v-neck tops and a cinched waist belt for that ultimate glam look.

You don't have to spend a fortune to get the best scarves - swap silk for satin and cashmere for cashmink - who will ever know?!

Ladies Shoes - Essentials, But At What Price?

Think about ladies shoes and you realise that you can't get much more well known than Jimmy Choo. At the end of December 2007, the company announced record sales for the year; £85.6 million, in fact.

As banks are closing and the US and UK are in hard economic times, it seems that fashion sales are the one thing not dwindling. It is funny how we, as consumers, will feel the need to cut back on our essentials, like food shopping etc, and yet we are still prepared to splurge on a pair of designer shoes. Maybe the Credit Crunch hasn't hit some of us properly? I know i would think twice about buying a pair of £200 shoes these days; even if they are Jimmy Choo.

Ladies shoes are a necessity, but what we decide to pay for them is another matter. I bought some Primark flats the other week at a cost of £8. They were pretty and i knew they wouldn't break the bank at that price. So, i get them home...could i walk in them? Think again; as a standard size 6 i was pretty surprised that these shoes were way too big on me. I even slipped down our drive in them, since the sole had no grip at all. One day of wearing and they went in the bin. I couldn't stand it any longer, i felt like i should convince myself that they were a total bargain and i should keep them, but that had the opposite effect. I thought to myself "£8; that's very little for a pair of shoes and I've got what i paid for". There was no quality in the shoes. I certainly won't buy ladies shoes from Primark again. That £8 could have gone towards a decent pair of shoes.

Ladies Accessories and The Perfect Bag Solution!

When it comes to women's spending, there is little that can get in the way of that designer handbag habit. Wherever we go, us ladies need to have a handbag permanently attached to our arm!

Ladies accessories come in all different forms, from scarves to gloves. But the handbag is one accessory that we just can't seem to live without.

Marie Claire reported on a recent study of 'handbags' not long ago, and it emerged that we spend a staggering 76 days in a lifetime rummaging through our bags. That covers all those times you can't find your keys or makeup, and you end up looking you have a mini version of the Mary Poppins handbag that seems to have a bottomless depth! This has happened to me many times, and, frankly, it is just embarrassing.

I think most women want ladies bags to be as stylish as we are, and we hate looking like a contortionist in the middle of the street trying to find various items in our bags. So, the hottest thing on the market right now is the new 'Bagatidy' which is like a portable section of your bag where you can keep all your possessions and then move it from bag to bag as necessary, so you never lose anything or leave anything behind at home when you change bags. This is a great idea!

Ladies bags are forever littered with the rubbish we throw in there, so why not get organised and invest in a Bagatidy. The only thing you have to remember to do then, is transfer the Bagatidy to each new bag! If you're lazy like me then you may just prefer sticking to the old way. We can't help it; it wouldn't be a proper night out if you didn't have to rummage in your handbag!

Bargain Hunters...

If you love shopping for female fashion then there is no better place to find a bargain than on eBay. With an endless supply of fashion listings, it's no wonder that eBay is so successful. Statbrain.com has estimated that there are 12,021,367 visits per day to eBay.co.uk, which i am sure you will agree is a staggering amount of traffic. With that in mind, there is sure to be something you see on there that you feel compelled to purchase (as I do; on frequent occasions).

If the thought of buying female fashion on eBay fills you with horror, it's probably because you associate eBay with buying used clothes. But this is definitely not the case, as there are many sellers out there who are parting with genuine items still with their store tags on the garments! Even a brand new item such as this can be saving for you, since you will generally find clothing sells for less than it would in store. Unless, of course, you are looking for that inimitable designer runway piece that was a limited edition of about 10. Then you're probably going to have to splurge some serious cash to get what you want.

I have been ranting about eBay for ages. trying to get my friends to sign up and share the love, but unfortunately i have had a losing battle with them, since they say they do not want to get 'hooked' and it is quite obvious that by that comment, they know they will!

I'm addicted; i can't help it. You go on there with the intention of searching for one thing and then find yourself searching for the most random items you could imagine. Things that you could quite easily go the shop 5 minutes away and buy, but for some reason it just seems so much more 'exciting' searching for it on eBay, as though saving yourself 55p is the best bargain in the world.

I remember hearing Weird Al Yankovich's parody of eBay and thinking how spot on he was with his lyrics, and if you're an eBay addict you will know exactly what he is on about!

A couple of years ago i also saw a program on BBC3 called Spendaholics, where there was one girl addicted to buying on eBay and was consequently in serious debt. It's not worth ending up like this, but if you like female fashion then it can't harm you having a little browse can it? Be sensible and set a budget, but have fun!

Alice McCall Returns For Another Season At Topshop

At Topshop, female fashion comes first. The buyers have transformed Topshop over the last decade into something that has young fashionistas drooling at the window displays. The latest news is bound to create another stir in the fashion world, since it has just been announced that Australian brand Alice McCall is returning to Topshop to design another range of fashions for another season. The first range they designed was the fastest selling line to date. You can view the full article here.
















Alice McCall designs are beautifully designed and the Topshop range will be another choice selection of limited edition pieces that will not doubt sell out pretty quickly. From memory, the Alice McCall Topshop collections are only available at Topshop Oxford Circus, London, but hopefully there might be some pieces that filter through to the Manchester store, which is far easier for someone like me to get to!

So what does this mean for those of us who are fashion obsessed? Well, i think it's great that they have top designers creating their own ranges, and it really makes you feel like you're getting something just a little bit special. Female fashion never looked so good.

The new Alice McCall fashion ranges will be available from September 25th.

Female Fashion

Female Fashion - TV Heaven

Channel 4's TV delights are continuing to entertain us; not least with all the female fashion programmes filling our screens.

One of my favourites is 10 Years Younger, an opportunity for rather drab looking women 40 years+ to undergo a complete transformation. Nicky Hambleton-Jones takes us on a journey from cosmetic surgery to revamping the wardrobe, and the outcome is always pretty remarkable. One episode from Series 5 featured Marilyn Cooke, a lady who had spent far too many years on the sunbeds and even backcombed her hair. One can only assume she was preparing herself for an 80s revival.

Luckily, the team on 10 Years Younger managed to transform Marilyn, and the clothing that Nicky chose for her looked stunning. Female fashion for a mature lady can be a bit of a grey area, so i think it is great that programmes such as this are helping women find their inner youthfulness.

Then there is the assured presence of Mr Gok Wan, a TV ratings hit. He burst back onto our screens earlier this year with his new series "Gox's Fashion Fix" and this is a great show for fashion loving females everywhere. Gok tells us how to create show-stopping outfits for high street prices. He then puts his creations to the test by pitting them against couture designs that easily exceed the £1000 price tag. Invariably, Gok wins the audience over and leaves the expensive designs looking a little more than worthless.

In the eyes of the consumer, this is even more evidence that branded clothing could be overrated.

So, when you're next stuck for what to watch on a night, make sure you "channel-hop" to a female fashion programme; guaranteed to quench your fashion thirst!