H&M Shop Report: Futuristic Sportswear meets Fetish

[All images my own, taken at H&M Oxford Circus]. 

A blazer the colour of tennis balls? Yep, it can be done. Not sure I'd wear it, but it's definitely ticking the sportswear box. Great for girls who want waist definition - just stick a skinny belt over the top. Avoid if you have swimmer's shoulders.

Black tunic top with iridescent sleeves.

Asymmetric cream blouse without collar - very turn of the century. 

Embellished collars are a good alternative if the collarless thing does nothing for you. 

Mannequins clad in black. 

Detail of fetish-style dress with punctured leatherette. 

Kind of looks like a sports vest.

Another piece in perforated leatherette - this time a top. The paper bag waist works really well, though the cardigan is less flattering.
All clothing from H&M - www.hm.com/gb

Hell for Leather

It's not often I post outfit shots, as you know, but these faux leather trousers needed their own shot because they look so flat on a hanger. When I saw them in H&M I was keen (I've been looking for a good pair for ages) but I was worried that my legs would look like over-stuffed sausages. Fortunately the synthetic fabric is very forgiving - perhaps more so than genuine leather - and I feel pretty confident in them because they are genuinely flattering.

Pro points: Comfy, warm in winter, understated enough to work with basics (not trashy), cut on the waist, zip pocket detail that makes them seem edgy rather than slutty.
Negative points: A little too hot if you're out and about (I was burning up wearing them on the Underground), they tend to give a little too much at the knee and the fabric goes thin, which might lead to splitting in the future. I'm unsure as to how I can stop this happening because I don't exactly have lots of faux leather knocking around the house. My solution will probably be to either buy another pair in the sales or look out for anything made in a similar finish from somewhere like Primark, which I can then cut up and patch on as necessary.

Faux leather trousers, £24.99, H&M.
Worn with vest top by River Island.

Versace for H&M: Menswear Looking Fierce

[All images courtesy of H&M].
What with Versace being incredibly luxurious and unobtainable for us plebs, and with H&M being a powerhouse of global high street fashion, it seems only right that the two companies should have a meeting of design minds and develop a one-off collection. Previous collaborators with H&M have included Viktor & Rolf (intelligent style), Madonna (quite chavvy, most ended up in the sale) and Lanvin (flirtatious and fun), so Versace is joining an illustrious list. As you can see from the image above, the menswear drop is looking particularly exciting - it's edgy and moody, without alienating the more mature man. You could wear that leather jacket aged 20 or 50 if you styled it right, i.e. no accompanying mid-life crisis motorbike and bimbo. I also love the cut-off shorts, but there is definitely an age limit on those.

I'm strangely attracted to this all-pink ensemble, even though it's quite attention-seeking. There's just something cool/vaguely OCD about being this freakishly co-ordinated, and the suit just looks expensive. It's a great cut.

There's something distinctly fun about this shirt and I like it, despite (or maybe because of?) its potential to make people's eyes hurt. The pattern is sharp and it would look brilliant with a dark jacket and some tailored trousers. Although not everyone would find this print wearable, it's a lot easier on the eye than much of the ladieswear, which was sequin-heavy and full of lurid colours that were a little hard to stomach.

Out of the female choice, there were two dark looks that I loved (the rest I would struggle to justify buying in Primark, let alone at the price of this collection, which tends to be £50+ per piece). The black dress seen here has a gorgeous bodice top with ribbon edges, and its flared skirt will be flattering for big stomachs or boyish frames.

A less forgiving number, this studded leather dress is highly dramatic and perhaps worth splashing the cash. With the studs arranged to highlight the body frame, it's going to make you feel special. Sadly the rest of the ladieswear was just too gaudy for me to enjoy, but if you want to invest in some Versace on a budget then head to H&M from 17th November for palm print leggings and bright orange.

D.I.Y. Leather-Trimmed Mac

I mentioned previously on the blog about how I was a little bit in love with Topshop's leather edged mac, but I struggled to justify the £100 price tag. I bit the bullet and decided to use my old faithful charity shop mac and give it a make-over (or should that be mac-over?). It already featured some gorgeous tortoiseshell buttons, which I decided to keep, but I added leather on the cuffs and on a single lapel. The leather was left over from some trousers I bought on Ebay and turned into shorts, but you can buy offcuts from any good haberdashery or even just buy a cheap imitation leather product and use the raw material.

Here's a shot of the upper part of the mac, with gold studs in the top that I bought in a pack from a local haberdashery store. You can also just about see my hand-sewing of the leather onto the coat fabric, in a basic running stitch; I do have a sewing machine in the house, but I prefer to rely on hand-sewing if there's a lot of layers involved, as it can jam easily or break the machine's needle if you're not careful.

A full frontal view of the finished mac. I had originally planned to put leather on both lapels, but they were different sizes so I stopped half-way through to survey my work. It turned out that I preferred the asymmetry of having one plain lapel and one shiny.

I put the mac in the kitchen for these shots, as the light is strong there in the evenings. I also liked how the creamy colour of the base fabric contrasted with the stained wood. My D.I.Y. project seems to be a success and I'd happily add leather panels to another item in the future, such as a pocket for a t-shirt or as elbow patches for a jumper. It was incredibly easy but looks very expensive, and it'll see me through more than the current fetish trend - the mac will always be a fashion staple.

All the leaves are brown, and the sky is grey...

[Image above and below taken from River Island online]. Here's something to whet your appetite for autumn - the perfect cropped leather jacket, courtesy of River Island. Its boxy shape means that it adds bulk to boyish figures, but it's less easy to pull off if you're big in the chest department (that includes me, but I can dream of owning this all the same). The fringing detail is cool without being too in-your-face, and you could cut off those bits if they annoyed you and still have a decent, genuine leather jacket.

I love the back view - it's the kind of jacket you can imagine picking up in a flea market and wearing to death. It's also very celluloid bad boy, as if it could be worn by a bloke with no morals and a devilish grin (you know the type). At £150 it's not a cheap investment, but you get what you pay for and this should last ages.

I wanted to show you the back view of this gorgeous Warehouse dress first [taken from Warehouse online], because it has one of those vintage twists with the peephole neckline. The print is also lovely - it's traditional without being too prim and proper. Bird motifs always seem to do well on the high street, and this will be no exception.

From the front, you really see the silk fabric at its best. The cut means that it's flattering to a larger stomach because there's a band to nip in your waist and draw attention to that instead. I also like the petal-shaped sleeves, which are a simple but effective addition to this design. It's £65, which nicely fits into that 'special occasion' price range for weddings/corporate events/regular office wear if your dress code goes beyond suits.

[Image taken from Topshop online]. These boots have sold out, which made me incredibly sad, but also determined to track them down in store (please have a size 7, local Topshop!). Ticking dual trend boxes of Chelsea boots and 80s glitterati, they are a bargain at £36 and they might well be a great icebreaker. Yes, they're very 'fashion student', but also quite playful; the wearer probably doesn't take themselves too seriously. What to team them with, if you can find a pair? Definitely not blue denim - you'd look like a member of B*Witched. I'd advise black skinny jeans and an oversized t-shirt, or a long shirt with leggings and minimal make-up, with just one element of the face looking 'done' (eyes, lips or brows). Then sprinkle some stardust and get ready to rock.

AW/11-12 inspiration: After the clock strikes 12

[Please click to enlarge. Images taken from Vogue UK and Style.com, then collaged by me].

One major trend for Autumn/Winter, which also came around last year, is the dominatrix. It's fairly standard stuff (think sex shops and Goth clothes mixed with a bit of punk), filtered down to wearable pieces in leather, PVC and plenty of straps. I really enjoy this trend as it's so shocking to middle England - even wearing my faux leather leggings down the high street gets me a few suspicious glances, as I live in what has been nominated one of the most Conservative-leaning towns in Britain.

Yet I didn't want to represent it in the standard way on my blog, because I believe it can be tied in with some of the more feminine pieces in white lace and nude to make a slightly more exciting outfit which doesn't have to bare all. There is something much more fun about mixing up the innocent (think Alice in Wonderland, tea parties or ballet) with the overtly naughty, which is why I created this mood board.

The collection for next season by the House of Worth was particularly interesting here - it combines bondage-esque detail with the kind of ruffles and bows that take you straight back to the Elizabethan era, via Georgian times. Excess is key, and yet each piece stands alone as a statement that could easily be paired with the more simplistic items in the modern woman's wardrobe, such as a mannish shirt or a pair of black fishnet tights. Equally, the designs of Charlie Le Mindu were a great contrast to the starkness of leather, and a dramatic headpiece (maybe not as extravagant as the white bird) would really add to the starkness of this look.

Where to get pieces like these on the high street:

1. Topshop - doing a lot of leather for AW.
2. Fancy dress shops - it's easy to pick up Goth outfits or some long black gloves.
3. Zara - for the more grown-up translation.

Anya Hindmarch Pop-Up Shop - Keeping It Old School

The shopfront is brilliantly traditional, breaking away from the modernity of other pop-up projects in recent years. I really enjoyed this aspect of the display.

The display stands rely heavily on glass panels, meaning that people walking past can glance in and see a flash of handbag to entice them.

It wasn't just bags - the shop sold leather goods, and products could be personalised if you wished.

With gold lettering and black wooden panels, this really was a classy affair.

[Images my own. Please ask before reproducing].

You may be familiar with Anya Hindmarch as the woman behind the 'I'm not a plastic bag' shopper; you may remember her photo bags from further back. Even if you've never heard of her, there's no reason to stop you enjoying this unusual and beautifully designed pop-up shop, on the ground floor of Selfridges, Oxford Street. The decor brought me straight back to childhood, as we used to have a chemist's shop in my local town which was like a relic of Victorian times. It had shelf upon black wooden shelf of old bottles and jars, and it smelt just as a chemist's should. It also sold some very naff nail polishes that I used to save up for (99p each, with lots of glitter), but that was not really part of the overall setting and more about my love of sparkly nails. Anyway, this old-fashioned chemist's shop would have blended in well in Hindmarch's atmospheric setting, with the feel of a traditional retailer.

The aim for Hindmarch's pop-up shop, which appeared at Selfridges, was to provide a bespoke service and a range of products designed to withstand the test of time. The founder herself said that: "They are not 'of a season', they are 'of a moment in your life' that will last and be part of a story for generations." That's the great thing about leather - when cared for properly, it can be timeless and prove to be the ultimate wardrobe staple. A good bag will not shed its lining or lose its handle strength, as long as you treat it well.

I urge you to go and see it, if only to try and hark back to your own memories of days gone by, and to really appreciate timeless leathercraft.

Hell for Leather

[N.B. Images of my own leather shorts are still to come, so these are a few mood board-style reference ones to get you in the right frame of mind. To me, leather is more broodingly sexy and well worn rather than chavvy...]

I must admit that I’m a sucker for leather – yes, it’s not the most politically correct thing to say in the 21st century, but I just can’t help myself, so I was naturally thrilled when leather shorts began to pepper the pages of magazines and websites that I love. Sadly, this trend seems to be exclusive to London at the moment and, when I spied three pairs of leather-topped legs on Oxford Street, my eyes were being positively greedy. River Island’s black pairs were snapped up after Fashion’s Night Out in the capital, as the fashion pack has cottoned on to the versatility of this piece. Leather shorts work well alongside chiffon blouses, baggy jumpers, or a simple white t-shirt, as was the case with the three street examples I spotted; the important thing to let this piece speak for itself and not to team it with any other attention-grabbing item. You are flashing more than enough leg flesh without looking like a meat market (plus the vegetarians will already be after you for wearing leather, so let’s not provoke them further). Of course, there are some great synthetic alternatives which don’t leave you smelling like the bag department in Primark, so don’t rule them out until you’ve tried them.

My own exploits with leather shorts began when, frustrated at the lack of affordable high street options, I trawled Ebay and bought a black faux-leather pair of trousers. After cutting and hemming them (which was quite easy due to the flexibility of the fabric, but still a time-consuming job), they're still a little tighter than I'd have liked, so I'll either have to expand them with side panels or lose some weight. Probably the former.

Anyway, the images above are of an Edinburgh alleyway and some of my doodles with black spray paint before my final art project earlier this year.