The Hottest High Street Buys of the Week (Women's & Men's)

This weeks edition of  Hot high Street Buys is a dress special

1. Fashion has gone Gaga for Polka Dot and this lovely number is spot on £28 @ River Island
2. Capture the Spirit of the 60's in this swinging number £18 @ Peacocks
3. This lovely V-neck swinging 60's dress is perfect on its own with ankle boots or better yet still, slip a finely knitted turtle neck jumper underneath for a Preppy style look £35 @ Dorothy perkins

4. Absolutely awesome is the way to describe this fantastic colour blocked tunic, wear it Balenciaga style with a pair of smartly tailored trousers £14 @ Matalan
5. Chic is the best way to describe this hit number which taps into falls trend for ladylike glamour £55 @ Oasis
6. The Spirit of the 60's is alive indeed with this Prada-esque Mondrian style dress £45 @ Wallis

7. The end of summer need not signal the end of Floral numbers, pair this lovely floral number with tights and boots, plus it comes with a lovely chic belt £40 @ Awear
8. This Dolce & Gabbana-esque Tiger print number  is a Hot buy £28 @ Topshop
9. 40's style glamour is the rage this fall, this lovely number captures that trend nicely £67 @ French Connection

10. Rounding off the top 10 hot dresses is this 70's style bow dress £40 @ asos

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This weeks Top Ten Buys for the Guys

1. Corduroys are huge this fall, pair this lovely blazer with everything from Chinos to Jeans - Olive Cord Skinny Blazer £70 @ Topman
2. A check shirt is never out of fashion £18 @ Peacocks
3. Chambray Shirts are proving to be wardrobe staples these days, add a bit of an edge with this cowl neck pair £18 @ Matalan
4. A clean pair of understated shoes deserve to be part or ever man's wardrobe £69.99 @ Office

5.  Minimalist style T-Shirts like this are perfect for Autumn £16 @ River island
6. Clean understated belts are versatile and can be worn with everything from suits to Jeans £12 @ asos
7. Nothing looks more flattering than a pair of clean cut Indigo jeans like this lovely pair from Lee £80 @ asos.com
8. take a step back in time or should I say ahead with this retro but yet futuristic style back pack £45 @ Asos
9. Invest in  a pair of quality Rain Boots, I love this Lacoste ones £70 @ Asos

Gucci versus The High Street

Gucci Spring/Summer 2011 Runway

One of my favourite summer trends was colour Blocking and no one did it better than Gucci as you can see from the image above. The high street was awash with lots of juicy colours all spring and now that fall is approaching, Gucci's Summer colour blocking style and accessories are still making waves on the high street. Here are some Gucci style outfits heating up the High streets

1. Red Colour Block Two in One dress £65 @ Debenhams
2. Metallic Obi Belt £15 @ Asos.com
3. Colour Block Halter Dress £70 @ Oasis
4. Colour Block Halter Dress £70 @ Oasis
5. Priti Barely There sandals £75 @ Topshop

Now for a closer inspection

Oh yes, Topshop's Priti Barely sandals were clearly inspired by Gucci's Kelis Heels

Left: Gucci's Kelis Heels £282.50 @ Gucci.com
Right: Priti Barely There sandals £75 @ Topshop 

So is Asos's Metallic Belt

Now for some Gucci Style High Street Styling Tricks

This Debenham's number was clearly inspired by Gucci's colour blocked dress, Go for the total Gucci look by swapping the skinny belt for Asos Metallic Obi belt and Topshop's Priti Barely sandals

Get the Gucci look by accessorizing this oasis Colour Blocked dress with metallic elements
1.Colour Block Halter Dress £70 @ Oasis
2.Metallic Obi Belt £15 @ Asos.com
3. Priti Barely there sandals £75 @ Topshop

Colour Block Jewel tone Seperates with metallic accessories
1. Long Sleeve twist Detail Knot Body £25 @ Asos
2. Stretch Satin Skirt £45 @ Oasis
3. Metallic Obi Belt £15 @ Asos.com 
4. Priti Barely There sandals £75 @ Topshop 

And in a great excuse to post a picture of one of my favourite Diva's, I couldn't help but think Gucci took some inspiration from Miss Ross herself

Notice the Subtle Colour Blocking and the tucked & knotted in t Shirt Miss Ross is Working on the Sleeve of her The Boss LP is very Similar to Gucci's Knotted Colour Block dress

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

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: 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. 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: Fendi vs. Reiss vs. Mango

Fendi Colour Blocked sandal £479 @ Mytheresa.com

Fendi's Colour blocked heels which is a favourite amongst many fashionista's shopping list gets the High street treatment in this edition of Hobo vs. Snob.

Fendi Colour Blocked sandal £579 @ Farfetch.com

Fendi's block sandals are clearly the inspiration behind Reiss's Amanda sandals, of course they've made a few changes by adding some animal print detail to the straps but the similarities are simply too large to ignore

Amanda Colour Block Sandals £129 @ Reiss.co.uk

Next up is Mango and their colour blocked heels, gotta love Mango for spoiling  customers with choices. They have the best range and they're the cheapest ones too

Colour Block Sandals £69.90 @ Mango

I'd love to be a snob and go with Fendi but at £575 , that's a lot of money to pay for a pair of heels, especially since an all too similar version is available on the High street so i'd recommend being a Hobo leave Fendi to the celebrities and super rich folks

Credit: Fendi

Cheque: Reiss

Cash: Mango

And now, it looks like celebrities are simply loving these heels

Image Courtesy of Red Carpet Fashion Awards
From Left to Right: Giovanni Battaglia, Solange Knowles and Karolina Kurkova in Fendi Block Coloured Heels

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