For the love of fur…

 

 

 

 

 

 

Just a tad too much fur?? Harry doesn't look impressed.

Stella McCartney would be sharpening her pitchforks if she was to read this but, I adore fur. To me, fur oozes elegance and sophistication whilst providing the practicalities of keeping you warm in Britain’s cold winters. However, I currently do not own anything more risqué than synthetic faux fur and due to the media I have always subconsciously been anti-fur. So imagine my dilemma when, on one of my monthly vintage shop rummages, I came across the most fabulousl fur stole. It was £10 and this beaut of a bargain clearly was real fur. Do I buy it and fear a paint attack from an eccentric anti-fur protestor? Do I put my foot down and walk out of the shop with feelings of smugness and self-satisfaction?

 One of the oldest materials used for clothing, (we’re talking cavemen here) fur is undeniably efficient in its job of keeping you warm. With winter fast approaching, nobody can deny the pleasures of the soft feel of fur against your skin (I get significantly more hugs when I’m wearing my faux fur coat!) From Dolce and Gabbana, to our very own Julien Mcdonald; designers all over the world are using real fur in their collections whilst our vintage shops are stocked up high with old fur clothing from previous decades. This poses the challenging question – is vintage fur acceptable? After all, surely it is, in essence, recycling? Eco-warrior Katherine Hamnett has defiantly stressed the importance of recycling clothes, bags and shoes however, is yet to voice her opinion on the reuse of fur. PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) urge people to donate vintage fur to its organisation for “educational aids”. In terms of vintage fur, the damage has been done. I feel it’s a great way to reuse clothes that may otherwise be thrown away and discarded in a land-fill site. Would I buy real, new fur? No. Am I a hypocrite? Possibly, but for the time being I will be sticking with faux fur and vintage fur. I’ve fallen head-over-heels with a Michael Kors coffee coloured fur coat however, at £255 somehow I don’t feel that my student-loan budget will stretch that far.

 Did I buy the fur stole I hear you cry? I left the shop to ponder my decision and told myself I would return if I wished to buy it. Alas, on my return the stole was nowhere to be seen. Either this is a sign or there are plenty of other fashionistas seeking the guilt-free pleasure of vintage fur.

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Vintage treasure on Holloway Road

In hard times of double-dip recessions, deficits and cut-backs; many of us are turning to the vintage rails to find fashionable pieces at student-friendly prices.

All over London, tucked away in alleys or side by side with high street stores, vintage shops can be found far and wide. The beauty of vintage is being able to buy stylish clothes from various decades and in numerous styles and varieties. There’s nothing quite like the feeling of finding a hidden treasure tucked between the rails of dated yet chic garmentsPrices at vintage shops – much like the high street – can vary. From £3 tops to £100 coats, there is a vast choice.

162 Holloway Road isn’t exactly a stand-out shop name however, this vintage shop certainly doesn’t disappoint. Rails are bursting with eclectic, diverse and exciting clothes. Tops, dresses, skirts, jumper, bags, scarves – you name it, they’ve got it. It’s not just female clothes either, their range of men’s vintage is just as vast.

During the day you will find many London Met students browsing the rails, grabbing bargain pieces in between classes. This is a vintage treasure for us Met students and with it being only a 1 minute walk from North Campus, it’s a perfect place for procrastinating when you’ve had too much of that essay!

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Manolo Blahnik – eco shoes

The term “Manolos” should have a place in the Oxford English Dictionary to describe “heaven for your feet”. Every girl wants a pair and those that are lucky enough to own these beauties treat them with absolute care. Now, Manalo Blahnik has announced the release of his new sustainable shoes.

Blahnik’s shoes have graced the feet of many a celeb from Carrie Bradshaw to Madonna and eco-warriors out there will be pleased to see his new eco-sustainable collection.

The designs were seen on the feet of the models at Marcia Patmos’ Spring/Summer 2012 show. The materials used for the designs include Talapia, raffia and cork which are sustainable and eco-friendly.

What do you think about Blahnik’s latest collection?

Pictures Courtesy of http://www.graziadaily.co.ukPicture courtesy of http://www.graziadaily.co.ukPicture courtesy of http://www.graziadaily.co.uk

The hunt for a Mulberry lookalike

I’m on the hunt for a bag,not just any bag – the perfect bag. In my eyes, the bag that screams beauty, perfection and even cultism is Mulberry (the Alexa to be precise). Unfortunately, this bag is out of my grasps unless I win the lottery anytime soon. Nonetheless, I am not losing hope as I aim to find a bag that looks similar to the Alexa for a fraction of the price!

I currently have my faithful Henry Holland satchel which I originally bought due to its likeness to my dream bag however, my poor little satchel is on its way out. The magnetic clasp is broken and I’m finding that it’s just too small to fit all my uni things in. 

So now, I have taken to my fail-safe website of bargains – eBay. I’m currently watching a few bags and am hoping that those sneaky bidders don’t outbid me!

Nevertheless, if I am outbidded I’ve found a stunning blood red satchel from Miss Selfridge which I adore!

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Elle August 2011

I never get post. Well, I get post, it’s just nothing to get excited about. Bills, junk mail etc. So when a rather large letter dropped through my post box this morning addressed to me, I was a tad excited. Then, I saw one of the more beautiful 4 letter words in the english language. ELLE. My first copy of Elle has arrived and it is a beaut of an issue, particularly because it included Elle’s Runway Edit and, oh my, does Autumn/Winter 11 look incredible! S&M, androgyny, futurism and my personal favourite “new native” are just a few of the trends coming up and I for one cannot wait. I hate to wish the sun away but I can’t wait to wrap up in a posh parka or a furry coat!

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Out with the old, in with the new

As a poor student with a bank account in the minus, extreme measures are having to be taken. I have a job however, my paycheck is simply not enough to cover my addiction to clothes. Surely there’s nothing wrong with buying clothes? Clothes are a neccessity unless we all want to walk around naked! Therefore there’s nothing wrong with spending your weekly paycheck on one trip in Topshop, right?? This is what I tell myself as pop my debit card into the machine at Toppers.

Due to my recent spending spree, I have decided to finally sell some of my old clothes on eBay. When I say old, I mean OLD. As I rifled through my bursting-at-the-seams wardrobe, I found various clothes that had not seen the light of day for years. After convincing my boyfriend to take pictures of me modelling the clothes I decided to put my first item up. It still has 4 days remaining and nobody has bid on it yet 😦 With any luck I will make some money on it soon!

Check out my items!

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=160611036289&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT

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Birthday Treats

Vogue or Elle, Vogue or Elle, Vogue or Elle… It’s so hard to choose! This is the predicament I found myself in last month when I had to decide between the two. Usually each month I tend to deviate between buying each magazine as I adore them both.

2 weeks ago it was my birthday. I left the emotional, educational and somewhat melodramatic years of being a teenager and entered my 20s. And when my boyfriend’s parents asked me the impossible question – “what do you want for your birthday?” I actually had an idea. I’ve always wanted a magazine subscription. It makes sense. Why would I pay £4 each month when I could effectively pay half that? So, a subscription was the perfect answer as it was cheap enough to not feel rude about asking for it and it was something that I reeeeeeeally wanted! However, now was the tough decision – Vogue or Elle? After much switching and changing I finally decided on Elle. After all, I am a poor student and Elle contains more student friendly clothes than Vogue. Realistically Topshop is ever so slightly more affordable than Chanel…

When I opened my birthday card from my boyfriend’s amazing parents I was so excited to see the Elle subscription and couldn’t wait to recieve my first issue! I’d miss Vogue too much if I didn’t buy it so there I was thinking I’d still have to spend my £4 a month to feed my magazine addiction when I was given another birthday card. This card was from 3 of my guy friends who I’ve known all my life. I opened the card and wanted to scream, they’d put their money together and bought me a subscription to VOGUE!

So, now I am eagerly awaiting the arrival of my TWO magazines! 🙂 To some the idea that a girl can get so excited over a magazine may seem absolutely crazy, but for those Vogue and Elle addicts, they know exactly what I mean.

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Ebay a la mode

A few weeks ago I discovered eBay. Of course I’ve known what eBay was for years but little did I know that I was about to discover a portal of millions of clothes at very cheap prices! As a dedicated charity shop enthusiast, eBay is amazing for finding ANY (and I really mean any) clothes or accessories that you desire. And at a starting price of 99p, who could say no?

I’ve just nabbed a cute little tea dress for £2 that I am eagerly waiting the arrival of! I will upload a picture of it on as soon as I recieve it!

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