My New Favourite High Street Store...Zara!

The Spanish giant, Zara, had never really been on my fashion radar, until a few weeks ago. I'm not really sure why that is; I guess I was comfortable in the Topshop/River Island/ASOS bubble I'd become used to, but when I couldn't find anything nice to wear in any of those shops for weeks on end, I decided to try something different. And I'm so glad that I did!

Zara have the most amazing tops in at the minute, simple shapes in cool, soft fabrics, with block colours, stripes & just the right amount of ruffles to look sexy. Either long or short sleeved, each of these beauties can be worn with jeans, trousers or skirts, making them perfect for work wear, meeting the girls for a drink, or date nights. Plus, they're very reasonably priced; with the average cost of most things about €30. I've attached a selection from their website below.



Happy shopping girls!

Rachel xxx

Who Wears The Trousers?

Recently, I've had such a thing for trousers. I can't get enough of them, especially on nights out! They're stylish, versatile, comfortable, keep you warm, and are quite sexy yet also understated. Trousers can double up as work wear too, which eliminates some of the guilt from purchasing! There are plenty of versions on the high street in all colours & cuts; my favourite are silky/satin pairs with skinny or straight legs in neutral colours (greys, browns, nudes, black). Teamed with a tucked in loose sheer top & a classic blazer, this look will never get old! Abstract prints are huge at the minute, with palazzo pants also being a top trend, I prefer a sleeker finish but floral patterns & wide legs are perfect for the summer. I've attached a few of my favourites from the high street below (left to right: River Island, Topshop, ASOS). Happy shopping!

Rachel xxx

Stella McCartney Blazer

Blazers are perfect cover ups for any time of year, smart, sexy & sophisticated, they can dress up an outfit or play down a party dress. The most amazing designer blazers have to be Stella McCartney's, they're impeccably tailored & cut, plus the colours are fabulous; nudes, whites, blacks & greys. Every stylish celeb has one, see the photos below.

As Stella McCartney is out of my price range, I've had my eye on a nice blazer that looks similar on the high street. And this weekend I was in luck, I snapped up this fabulous jacket from H&M.

http://shop.hm.com/gb/shoppingwindow?dept=DAM_YTT_KAV&shoptype=S

Designer style on a high street budget, now that's my kind of shopping!

Rachel xxx

Boots Glorious Boots!

Boots are THE daytime footwear of the season (and always an option for those really miserable nights out), they keep your feet dry & warm, plus they look stylish with jeans & dresses alike. There are so many amazing pairs of boots available on the high street this season, I've yet to get my Winter/Xmas boots this year but it'll be a close call between the following:

1. Topshop Damask Over The Knee Boots in camel:

http://www.topshop.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?beginIndex=0&viewAllFlag=&catalogId=33057&storeId=12556&productId=2038193&langId=-1&sort_field=Relevance&categoryId=208544&parent_categoryId=208492&sort_field=Relevance&pageSize=200

2. Office Blowfish Jasper Buckle Knee Boot Taupe

http://www.office.co.uk/womens/blowfish/jasper_buckle_knee_boot/17/9722/25432/1?fs=9722

3. Aldo Voller Knee High Boots in Taupe

http://www.aldoshoes.com/uk/women/boots/knee-high-boots/81475867-voller/37

4. Barratts Ravel Leather High Leg Boot

http://www.barratts.co.uk/en/ravel-leather-high-leg-boot-170778

5. Aldo Doiley Knee High Boots in Medium Brown

http://www.aldoshoes.com/uk/women/boots/knee-high-boots/80710685-doiley/26

Let me know if you've picked up some fabulous boots in the past while, especially if they were a bargain! And help me to pick my favourite out of these boots too...I just can't decide!

Rachel xxx

Winter Warmers

So the clocks have gone back which means it's darker in the evenings & also a lot colder! I quite like winter though, and it's easier to be working in the lab when it's miserable outside, sunny weather when stuck indoors is just too depressing. I've put together a list of a few of my favourite winter accessories that are vital for keeping warm yet looking cool. All are from the high street and should suit every budget. In particular I love the red fluffy snood from Topshop, it looks so warm & comfy, plus red is a fabulous colour for Winter. Good accessories are the best value-for money buys as they can be worn so often, plus they can brighten up an outfit. We should all be saving for Xmas, but it's ok to spend on warm woolies that we really need, and it's also fine to get several colours and styles, coz we'll get lots of wear out of them, right?! Ah the compulsive shopper always finds a way to rationalise every single spend ;)

Rachel xxx

Top 5 Shoes-Designer & High Street

I had a bad PhD day today (we've all been there); my experiment worked, however I don't have enough of my sample...so instead of letting my head explode with stress & calculations all evening - I've decided to have some relaxing down time & to browse through pretty shoes to make myself feel better!

My favourite's at the minute are super high platforms or wedges in nudes, tans and blacks, perfect for wearing with skirts, dresses, jeans or shorts - shoes need to be multifunctional or else it's not worth splashing out in my opinion.

I've put together a list of my top 5 shoes at the minute: High Street & Designer. Let me know if you like them, if you agree or disagree with the order they're in, or if you have any favourites that I may have overlooked. If I can afford to buy one of the High Street pairs in the next 3 months I'll be delighted! And the designer pairs will be mine one day...even if I have to sell my car to get them ha ;)

PS. Topshop's new shoe collection is absolutely amazing...

High Street

1. TopShop: Willow Stripy Wedges in Off White (Image above)

http://www.topshop.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?beginIndex=0&viewAllFlag=&langId=-1&storeId=12556&catalogId=33057&parent_category_rn=208542&categoryId=209958&productId=1848397

2. Next: Mink Platform Court Shoes

http://www.next.co.uk/shopping/women/shoesandboots/39/1?extra=sch&n=women&pid=706-928&exclude=00E00|00ED00&returnurl=/shop/attheel-heel-gattgender-women-cat-shoes-cat-boots-0%3fx%3d1%26nxti%3d0%26nxtv%3d0&bct=%26quot;Shop%20By%20Product%26quot;%26nbsp;%26gt;%26nbsp;Heel%26nbsp;%26gt;%26nbsp;Women%26nbsp;%26gt;%26nbsp;Shoes%26nbsp;%26gt;%26nbsp;Boots

3. River Island: Platform Caged Sandal in Black

http://xml.riverisland.com/flash/content.php Women: Footwear: heels/wedges/clogs Item 17

4. TopShop: Wisteria Chiffon Tie Wedges in Black

http://www.topshop.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?beginIndex=0&viewAllFlag=&catalogId=33057&storeId=12556&categoryId=209958&parent_category_rn=208542&productId=1637870&langId=-1

5. TopShop: Pancho Cut-Out Peep Toe Sandals in Tan

http://www.topshop.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?beginIndex=0&viewAllFlag=true&catalogId=33057&storeId=12556&categoryId=209958&parent_category_rn=208542&productId=1827673&langId=-1

Designer

1. Brian Atwood: Farrah

http://www.brianatwood.com/collection/index.html

2. Christian Louboutin: Fortita in Black Silk with Black Lace

http://www.christianlouboutin.com/#/the_collection/Spring%20Summer%202010

3. Jimmy Choo: Aston in Powder

http://www.jimmychoo.com/sandals/aston/invt/104astonnap/

4. YvesSaintLaurent: 105mm Sandal Gold Metallic Leather

http://ysl.com/us/en/index.aspx Collections: Women: Accessories: Shoes

5. Christian Louboutin: Studio in Black Leather and Silver Studs

http://www.christianlouboutin.com/#/the_collection/Spring%20Summer%202010

Rachel xxx

Shoes...

When it comes to shoes the high street is the best in my opinion (and on my stipend budget)...check out http://xml.riverisland.com/flash/content.php and http://www.topshop.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CategoryDisplay?catalogId=19551&storeId=12556&categoryId=198488&langId=-1&top=Y and dream the day away...