Hobo or Snob: Stella McCartney vs. Asos

Left: Stella McCartney mesh Polka Dot insert dress at the Fall 2011 Show
Right: One Sleeve Dress with mesh Insert £40 @ Asos

Asos are at it again, this time it's this fall's most loved Polka dot trend getting the Hobo or Snob treatment. Stella McCartney's polka dot Mesh insert dress was clearly the inspiration behind this asos number, once again this designer version hasn't even left its warehouse but its high street copy is available in a  wide range of sizes (sizes 6-18) than the designer version will ever be and at a pocket friendly £40 price too, and oh it comes in blue as well

Blue One Sleeve Dress with mesh Insert £40 @ Asos

Hobo or Snob: Dolce & Gabbana vs. Asos

Left: Bright Boxy Blue Jacket on the Dolce & Gabbana Fall 2011 Runway
Middle & Right: Bright Blue Boxy Jacket £65 @ Asos.com

Gotta love the speed at which the High Street turns out their designer inspired looks, this Dolce and Gabbana Boxy blue Jacket is yet to make it online not to talk of the shops, but Hobo's hungry for designer style on trend fashion can get their hands right now on this Asos version at an extremely pocket friendly £65 price tag.

Hobo or Snob: Miu Miu vs. Warehouse

Miu Miu's most wanted dandelion crepe dress at their fall '11 show

Miu Miu's 40's inspired dresses are set to be fall's must have, their awesome Dandelion crepe dress despite being priced at £3,215 is selling out neat and fast at the Net-a-Porter site. But fear not Hobo's, you can get a taste of the Miu Miu look at Warehouse in their  'maybe not as awesome as Miu Miu but just as good' dandelion crepe dress at a pocket friendly £60 (kerching!!!)

Left: Dandelion Embroidered Crepe Dress £3,215 @ Net-a-Porter
Right: Dandelion Print Crepe dress £60 @ Warehouse

Hobo or Snob: Prada vs. Asos vs. Topshop

Left: Prada Wingtip Brogues £510 @ Prada.com or £517.12 @ Saks Fifth Avenue
Right: Metallic, Pink, Tan Monroe Creeper Shoe £95 @ Asos.com

This summers most loved fashionista Prada Espadrille Brogues finally gets the high street treatment courtesy of Asos and Topshop. Asos definitely wins out for me as I think Topshop might have been treading carefully not to upset Prada or get sued over copyright violations.  

Left: Kingston Contrast Eva Sole Brogues in Black & Tan £60 @ Topshop

Asos wins out for me not only based on Price, but also as it's available in a wide variety of colours and as some of you hawk eyed fashion followers might remember, the Prada Flatform style brogue was worn by Rihanna about two weeks ago

Rihanna in the Prada Wing Tip Platform Espadrille Brogues

High Street Hobo - High Street Fashion Hit List

This is a new feature which I shall be updating once every week (except I'm away on holiday), I will try and make sure I have 10 new items each week, but depending on what's out there plus my taste it might not always add up to 10, but anyway enjoy my debut Grazia fashion style chart rundown

1. Green (varying shades of it) is the new black this season, add to that the bow blouse on this lovely silk number and you'll be sure to induce fashion envy around town - £30 @ River Island 

2.  Statement necklaces are always on trend, and we're so in love with this slithery number from asos - £35 @ asos.com

3. These metallic turquoise bow flats are at the very heights of chic, show off your pedicure in them while pairing them with everything from  denims, Whites and summery dresses - £40 @ Topshop

4. Its already been declared that Green is the new black, but i need to add that Snakeskin is the new leopard skin and I'm totally in love with this pocket friendly Snakeskin clutch from BooHoo - £15 @ BooHoo.com

5. I'm loving this pastel retro fantastic pants, wear them with soft coloured bow blouses or a luxe white tee for Instant chic points - £64 @ Fever designs

6.  The 60's a in full swing this season, take a cue from the catwalks and pair this lovely number with sleek trouser pants or with with basic tights - £35 @ Dorothy Perkins

7. I'm in love with this retro working girl style teal skirt, great cut, fit and price plus you get a  decent belt thrown in too - £32 @ Miss Selfridge

8. Loving the minimal feel to this belt, cinch in your favourite maxi's, jumpsuit with this sleek number - £20 @ Warehouse

9. Keeping up with the spirit of all things 60's are this mod-ish boots from H&M - £49.99 @ H&M 

10. A sleek blouse always lends an air of sophistication to any outfit, pair these with denims or even the lovely pants on Number 5 of this chart or even the skirt on Number 7 - £35 @ Wallis



For the stylish men out there, rather than pick various items from different shops i decided to focus my attention on River Island as I'm loving their menswear at the moment

1. Puffa style jackets are huge this Autumn/Winter, I totally love this slim version from River Island - £75 @ River Island

2. Everyman whether style conscious or not deserves to have a check shirt in his wardrobe, i love the retro yet modern feel to this check shirt the shoulder patch make it a notch above other check shirts out there - £35 @ River Island

3. Mustard style tones add to the general look and feel of autumn, this jumper is fantastic - £36 @ River Island

4. Eat your heart out Vilebrequin, this River Island trunks will surely get you noticed - £19.99 @ River Island

5. We love the Burberry-esque feel to this plain simple tee - £16 @ River Island  (also available in navy)

6. Gilets are autumn/winter essentials, I love the camel/tan contrast on this one - £55 @ River Island

7. Corduroys in my opinion are wardrobe staples, but they seem to be everywhere this Autmn/Winter, while brown/rust tend to be default corduroy colours, I love the navy Blue hue on this pair - £38 @ River Island

8. A well tailored blazer will always be on trend, this lovely River Island Blazer would look great with a pair of smart denims - £95 @ River Island

9. A flat cap keeps your head stylishly ward - £15 @ River Island

10. A well worthy add to any jumper collection are this colour blocked pair - £36 @ River Island

Hobo or Snob: Gucci vs. Topshop

Colourful Fedora's on the Gucci Fall '11 runway

Summer is barely over and Topshop are already ripping off the Autumn Catwalks (gotta love Topshop), case in point is the Gucci fall catwalk where models strutted their stuff in colourful fedora's, fur stoles and pussybow blouses. Ready to buy now though are topshop's lovely colourful fedora's available at a very friendly £25 in a variety of colours, grab one before it goes

Orange, Burgundy, Pink, Blue, Dark green  Fedora's £25 @ Topshop 

 

And yet another Topshop/designer rip off you should look forward to is Topshop's take on Stella McCartney's polka dotted sheer body as can be seen below

Left: Stella McCartney sheer Polka Dot Body
Right: Topshop Sheer polka Dot Body as seen in the 'Glam Underground' section of their  Autumn lookbook

Hobo or Snob: Alexander McQueen vs. Miss Selfridge

Left: Skull Print Cashmere Scarf  £245 @ Net-a-Porter
Right: Skull print Silk Chiffon Scarf £165 @ Net-a-Porter

Alexander McQueen's iconic skull print scarf gets the Miss Selfridge treatment at over 90% off the price of the designer original, its decent looking and it won't break the bank. I'll definitely say YES to their version, I love the Neon skull print scarf the best

LEFT TO RIGHT: Mono Mini Skull Scarf £16 @ Miss Selfridge
Khaki Skull Print scarf £14 @ Miss Selfridge
Neon print Skull scarf £14 @ Miss Selfridge
Skull & Rose scarf £ 14 @ Miss Selfridge

Miss Selfridge are not even hiding the source of their inspiration at all, see below for more proof

Left: Leopard Skull print Scarf £285 @ Net-a-Porter
Right: Leopard Skull scarf £14 @ Miss Selfridge

Hobo or Snob: Burberry Prorsum vs. Topman

Left: Burberry Prorsum's Fair Isle Knit £550 @ Mr Porter
Right: Reindeer Yoke Jumper £40 @ Topman

Summer is barely over and the shops are already stocking Winter knits, not that I mind much of course,  it just means there's extra time to stock up on some Winter essentials. One of which will undoubtedly be this superb Jumper from Topman, I'm head over heels in love with it and can't wait to wear it during those cold winter months. I also couldn't help but notice its similarity to  Burberry Prorsum's Fair isle knit, as a lot of the design centres around the shoulders, both jumpers are beautiful and worthy additions to any gentleman's wardrobe, but at a pocket burning £550, I'd have to wave goodbye to Burberry Prorsum's knit.

Celebrities are Hobos too

Left Jamie Winstone in a Dolce & Gabbana Silk Satin Dress and Topshop Wedges
Right: Walberg Blue Suede Ankle Strap wedges £70 @ Topshop.com

Its always nice to see celebrities giving High Street brands some love, such was the case this past week, when Jamie Winstone mixed high end with high street when she attended the Dolce and Gabbana Party at the Net-a-Porter Head offices in London on thursday night wearing a Dolce & Gabbana silk satin dress with Topshop's Walberg blue Suede wedges. Those wedges are proving very popular as they're selling out fast, last time I checked their website, they only had them from sizes 36-38, with sizes 39-42 all sold out.

Left: Eva Longoria at the Microsoft imagine awards in New York
Right: Asos Rust egg shape Shift Dress £20 @ Asos.com 

Also championing the high street was Eva Longoria, when she attended the Microsoft Imagine awards in New York City wearing a £20 Asos Egg shape dress. The dress which was originally priced at £50 is still available in a number of sizes and colours on the asos site at a very reasonable £20. 

Hobo or Snob: Gucci vs. Topman

Left: Gucci Embroidered denim Shirt £1,690 @ mrporter.com
Right: Blue Navajo Embroidery Shirt £36 @ Topman

Gucci's super pricey Embroidered T shirt gets the Topman treatment.

Here's the shirt as worn on the Gucci Spring '11 Runway

Topman 's version is clearly inspired and although i love the faded wash on the Gucci Shirt, there's way too much embroidery going on at the back, I love Topman's clean and rather minimal embrodiery design on the back of the shirt.

Left: Gucci Embroidered denim Shirt £1,690 @ mrporter.com
Right: Blue Navajo Embroidery Shirt £36 @ Topman

Topman wins for me both in terms of design and Price on this one

Hobo or Snob: Jimmy Choo Vs. Warehouse

1. Jimmy Choo Candy Acrylic Crocodile effect leather Clutch £595 @ net-a-porter
2. Jimmy Choo Candy Glitter Clutch £350 @ Net-a-porter
3. Warehouse Clean Structured Clutch £45 @ Warehouse

Oh dear two Jimmy Choo Posts in one day, after the classic strap sandal being given the Zara treatment, Jimmy Choo's Candy Clutch gets the Warehouse treatment, and oh yes the Warehouse Clutch is sooo Inspired by Jimmy's Candy Clutch, you'd have to be blind not to notice. I'll cut to the chase with the prices now, Jimmy's arm candy cost a whopping £595 while Warehouse's arm candy costs  £45, which in all honesty is still a little too much to spend on a plastic box, but I digress and I'm so calling Hobo on this one again, over to you readers

Hobo or Snob: Jimmy Choo vs. Zara

Left: Jimmy Choo's Private Suede Sandals £560 @ net-a-porter.com
Right: Zara's Instep Strappy Sandals £29.99 @ Zara

This edition of Hobo vs. Snob is between Jimmy Choo's Private Suede Sandals and Zara's Classic Instep Strap Sandal which looks like it was clearly Inspired by Jimmy Choo's (note Inspired is the KEYword here). They both come in almost the same shade of Purple, they're both Suede and just about the same height (Jimmy Choo's is 5inches while Zara's is 4.13inches). A major difference and what matters above all, is the price difference between both sandals, while the Jimmy Choo's cost a whopping £560, Zara's cost a measly £29.99. Now of course I'm sure Jimmy Choo sourced the finest leathers, cobblers etc. to add up to that massive price point. Zara's heels are by no means shabby at all and if worn carefully and maintained properly they'll last for years. I'm calling Hobo on this one, how about you dear readers.

Hobo or Snob: Moschino Cheap & Chic vs. Primark

Every fashionista worth their salt knows its all about the fruit this summer, today's hobo showdown is between Moschino's Cheap & Chic Lemon print  dress versus Primark's Orange print Fruit dress which has been selling out faster than Ice creams on a hot summer day (very lame I know)

Now God forbid I compare the workmanship and the quality of fabric Moschino Cheap & Chic have used in their dress to that of Primark but at about 97% off the price of  the Moschino Cheap & Chic Lemon fruit dress this Orange Print fruit Primark dress won't took too shabby* (well not for long) in your wardrobe

Moschino Lemon print dress £297 @ My-wardrobe.com
Fruit print dress £9 @ Primark (Check here for closest branches to you)

It even comes in Black

Fruit print dress £9 @ Primark (Check here for closest branches to you)

And while on the subject of the fruit print trend, how gorgeous is this £12 Lemon Print scarf from Dorothy Perkins

Lemon print Scarf £12 @ Dorothy Perkins

*depending on how well you maintain your clothes - this in my opinion determines the durability of your clothes,  I have had high street items in my wardrobe that have lasted for over 3 years and counting, and they're still in great condition regardless of how cheap the fabric might have been

Hobo or Snob: The Chloé vs. River Island Edition

Chloé Silk Crepe de Chine Vest £345 @ net-a-porter

Purple Silk Vest £29.99 @ River Island.com (web exclusive)

Purple print Bow detail Vest £19.99 @ River Island

Now this isn't a copycat allegation on the part of River Island by any means, I just simply can't help but wonder from a consumer's point of view on what would make a customer buy Chloé's silk vest at a whopping £345 (well apart from being immensely rich or being a fan of the Chloé label) and not River Island's vest for a much more pocket friendly £20 or £30 depending on your choice. While I'm sure Chloé probably sourced out the finest silk and their vest is tailored to perfection, the River Island version is by no means shabby and in this case as it shall be a lot of times on this blog, I think I'd rather be a Hobo


How about you readers would you be a Hobo or Snob on this one

And in other Fashion news Chloé's creative director Hannah MacGibbon has been replaced by Clare Wright Keller who used to be a  creative director at Pringle (Read more about this here )

Hobo or Snob: Pierre Hardy vs. Topshop

thehighstreethobo.blogspot.com

Part of the mission of this blog is to find smart high street fashion buys alongside High street versions of designer goods. Let's face it, not everyone can afford to drop £400 on a pair of shoes, T-shirts, jeans or whatever the said designer item may cost.

I've always found it quite ridiculous to pay £,000's for something i might only end up wearing once or twice but then fashion aficionados might argue that designer pieces are key investments which I'd agree with in some cases, but most times,  I'd maintain my 'no thanks' stance. Enough of my rambling, the first Hobo or snob entry on this blog is between Pierre Hardy's Colour block canvas and patent leather wedge sandals (available at net- a -porter) and Topshop's Natural linen platform wedges

Pierre Hardy Colour Block Wedge Sandals @ Net-a-Porter

Topshop Natural linen High Vamp Peep Toe @ Topshop

No arguments about who copied who here, but this Topshop version of Pierre Hardy's canvas wedge is just as easy on the eyes as it is on the pocket, in fact I prefer Topshop's version. So over to you readers, followers, By stoppers etc. will you be a Hobo or A Snob on this one