Trendy toning?

Fitflops were a sell-out item last summer, claiming to be the 'flip flop with the gym built in'. This year they are back, and claiming to be 'on trend'.
Whilst this idea is good on paper, the reality is that the flip flops will only mildly help tone unfit thighs, and they are UGLY. I'm sorry, but they are. Just because they have teamed up with designer Kirna Zabete and pulled out the sequins, tassels and laces do not make them fashionable!

Take the 'on-trend' gladiator style; they look like a pair of old cut up trainers tied to the front of her leg. The sports style ones aren't bad, but that is because they are not claiming to fashionable.
Even Vogue has deemed them 'fabulous' and 'very sexy'.

Granted they may be good for posture and back problems, but they're not a substitute to the gym.

http://www.thefitflop.com/

Primark must-haves?

After a quick (yes, very quick) run round Primark today to buy a few basics I am reminded, as always, how much I HATE this shop! I know that there are many among you who will sing its praises, but I will never be swayed.

It will forever be a one-stop fancy dress shop/jumble sale/socks and PJ's basics kinda place. None of this 'People's Prada' for me. I've tried, really I have. I often go in there and look for a cheap dress that is bang-on trend, but yet again i will come out with another pack of 60 deniers.

Recently I did actually buy a great little striped blazer, but there was just something about it when I got it home. The fit wasn't quite right, and even with 'silk' lining, it still felt on the wrong side of cheap.

Interestingly enough I have just stumbled upon my blazer featured on The Fashion Police, being marked as a must have item. Well let me tell you, the styling for Primark is goooood because my jacket is not shapely like this, in fact I would describe its as boxy. Eek.



Maybe, just maybe, I am tainted by the three months I spent working on the 'lingerie', or most commonly known as the knicker department- worst Saturdays of my life.

But anyway, my trip today put me off star print (I was never that bothered but I was just beginning to come around) for life after seeing it splashed around, on tops, shirt dresses, stripy dresses, everything and anything. Ug. The one thing that really did it for me though was the imitation Luella style prom dress complete with net underskirt. Dear god, it was bad, which is not good considering I am such huge fan of the original.

On the bright side I will not be a Primark clone wearing the same summer dress as the next person. Back to Topshop I go......

Agyness Deyn- Pure Gold?

A month into the launch of New Looks 2008 'Gold' by Giles Deacon Range and all still seems relatively quiet. No rushing to the shops to buy one of the many stripy pieces.
I don't hate the collection, I just don't love it, and it's crossed the line from high street to tacky and cheap.

I personally don't think the collection has worked. Who wants to wear a dress designed for a tall twig like Agyness that leaves little to the imagination? Or perhaps some sexy wide leg, pale satin trousers that threaten to give you a camel toe? Hm I think not!














The rest of the collection- including hot pants and a horizontally striped sequined dressed- is equally unrealistic and unexciting.

Last year Drew Barrymore was the face of the collection- at last a celeb with a healthy body image wearing clothes that could be worn by the masses! So what the hell happened this time?!

Cigarette Pants?!

Picture scanned from Harpers Bazaar May 08

Still in the middle of the skinny jean era we are bombarded with yet another pair of skin tight, hard to wear trouser; the cigarette pant.
Yes wide legs and flares are ruling this season, but the cigarette pant is making a big impression, and for me it's not a good one. Another trend you will only look truly good in if you happen to be built like a giraffe- tall and leggy. So that puts the rest of us in the background, only looking on at the Audrey Hepburn style.
Fashion is never easy to wear and this trend only goes to prove that the industry is all about skinny waifs, not the reality of the average size 14. But can fashion work for them too? Well this summer it's definitely not going to be easy. Especially if you choose the 'pants' in shiny satin- oh dear!

Dr No-Clue?

I've really tried to ignore them, I really, really have. But I keep seeing them everywhere! I thought 'if I just ignore them they will go away' and I won't have to wonder WHY they are seemingly so popular. Just so we are clear, this isn't a full on attack of Dr. Noki, just the hideous 'signature' t-shirt/prom dress creations.






But why is it so fashionably creative? Anyone could attach a dress to the end of a t-shirt, and it seems like that is what Dr. Noki is telling you to do. If you want to walk around with half your dress trailing on the floor, looking like you have fallen out of a charity shop before managing to get your dress on, go ahead. Maybe you do. Maybe that is exactly the look he was going for. Charity Chic. Well, I really, really hope it doesn't catch on!

Topshop selling baby clothes?!

Walking around Topshop today looking for new dress I came across some VERY small outfits- firstly I assumed they had followed Accessorizes' lead and had started selling dogs clothes, (does anyone ever buy them?!) but looking closer I realised that they are in actual fact baby clothes. Really, what next?
It seems there is a growing trend to expand into the kids and baby clothing business, using customer loyalty as the ‘hook’ to keep people buying their products instead of having to go elsewhere. This is true of many shops, for example Monsoon, Gap and Jigsaw have all introduced kids clothes so they can look exactly like their mummies. Supermarkets have capitalised on the need for quick, convenient shopping, you can buy yours and your families clothing with the weekly shop. Maybe it is down to how the parents react to these clothing lines which leads to this over sexualisation. So Topshop- when you think about it the words, quirky fashion, heels, teens, students come to mind and NOT baby sick and young mums. Although, maybe with the introduction of a maternity range, this is the way Topshop is going, or is it just a reaction to the increasing number of young teens?

Child 'Sexualisation'- The Media or Advertisers fault?

Children walk around the streets dressed as mini adults, teenagers are getting pregnant as young as 11, and the UK has the highest rate of teenage pregnancy. Are we really all growing up too quickly and is this just a reaction to the media? Does what we see on TV and read in magazines really affect us this much? If like most you believe that this is the Medias fault, what is it that we are being told has lead to girls are no longer being interested in playing, but spend their time striving to grow up and become an ‘adult’? As an adolescent the desire to belong and the need to create an identity is a key factoring in growing up, and one major tool for this is through clothing. It is used to blur the gap between childhood and adulthood and there seems to be confusion over what is and isn’t acceptable to be worn at this in-between stage (which can be called a ‘tweener’). If the variety of shops on the UK high street available to this age group is examined, it can be seen that there are two distinct markets which include Topshop and Miss Selfridge which are aimed towards the mid and late adolescents and Adams which is aimed at children to early adolescents. It can be seen that Tammy Girl is making an attempt to appeal to the teen market and attempting to bridge this gap making the leap from childhood to adulthood easier, it is predominately thought of as a younger store, which leads me to question what in terms of clothes and fashion is acceptable for this gap and in order to cross the boundaries between young adolescent and late adolescent.Take the image:from a collection by Pitti Immagine Bimbo, a leading kids wear designer. Not only is the media promoting this over-sexualisation of children, it is starting to become apparent in the fashion industry. Since when has it been appropriate to dress kids in bikinis and ask them to pose in way which is beyond their years? And do you remember the highly controversial selling of padded pink frilly bras to 9yr olds in Asda a few years back? Well now they are selling pole dancing kits to this age group- all products have obviously been withdrawn from sale.Where will this stop? Will we slow down when childhood has been removed all together, and kids as young as 10 years old parade around in heels and mini-skirts? Our culture needs to slow down and realise that childhood should be enjoyed, not treated as a race.

http://www.pittimmagine.com/en/fiere/bimbo/multimedia/gallery/2007/ed3.php?popup=5473