Hobo or Snob: Prada vs. River Island

Prada Fall 2011

Apologies about my long absence on here, but better late than never as I just had to share River Island's take on Prada's 60's Mondrian style dresses. As usual with a lot of these high street rip offs the designer versions aren't readily available online just yet, but I predict River Island's take will be a high street hit for all those keen to try the 60's trend so ubiquitous this fall

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Shop the River Island 60's Style

1. Black Colour Drop Waist dress £45 @ River Island
2. Grey Colour Drop Waist Dress £45 @ River Island
3. Green Colour Block pleated Skirt £32 @ River Island
4. Red Colour Block Pleated Kilt Mini Skirt £32 @ River Island

And for those really hungry to rip the Prada style, Zara has got some lovely snakeskin footwear you can pair up with your lovely River Island purchases

1. Two Tone Sandals with Tassels £69.99 @ Zara
2. Snake Skin Wide Heel Boot £129 @ Zara
3. Combined Snake Skin Boot £119 @ Zara

And finally here is how to style it like Prada high street style, add a  polo neck underneath a dress or skirt (as shown below), finish up by accessorizing with snakeskin bag or boots

1. Polo Neck Top £7.99 @ H&M 
2. Combined Snake Skin Boot £119 @ Zara
3. Green Colour Block pleated Skirt £32 @ River Island
4Emma Faux Snake skin Bag £15 @ Boohoo.com

 

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

Dolce & Gabbana Star Print Trend

Star print dresses and Accessories on the Dolce & Gabbana Fall 2011 runway

Following the tremendous success and popularity of their White summery dresses, Dolce & Gabbana are leading the way once more with their star print dresses and accessories which has and is still been worn eagerly by Major A listers, not one to be left behind the high street have jumped on the trend too

Fergie, Evan rachel Wood, Solange and Zoe Saladana are just some of the Celebrities who've been spotted wearing Dolce & Gabbana Star print Clothing

More Star print dresses and Accessories on the Dolce & Gabbana Fall 2011 runway

Helping themselves conveniently to this trend is a fashion website called McBerry, they've successfully ripped off the designs and they have no qualms making the source of their inspiration known as they've included pictures from the Dolce & Gabbana Fall 2011 catwalk alongside their dresses

McBerry's Dolce & Gabbana style Star Print dresses
1. Floral Sequin and Lace Insert Star Print dress £75 @ Mcberry.co.uk
2. Star print puffball Dress £69 @ Mcberry.co.uk
3. Star print dress £79 @ McBerry

4. Star print lace Bustier Dress £65 @ McBerry
5. Star Print navy Puffball dress £69 @ McBerry
6. Star Print Draped Dress £69 @ McBerry.co.uk

The rest of the High Street also have a great star Print Range

1. Belted star print  dress £45 @ Asos2. Star Drop earrings £2.99 @ New Look
3. Star print headscarf £3.99 @ New Look
4. Star print peg Leg trousers £24.99 @ Asos 

5.  Star Print Tank Top £25 @ River Island
6. Horatio Star Print Bow Courts £69 @ Kurt Geiger
7. Star Print Skater Dress £14 @ Matalan.co.uk
8. Star print Wide leg Jumpsuit £80 @ Oasis
9. Star Pussy Bow Sleeveless Blouse £22.99 @ New Look
10. Star tights £8.50 @ Miss Selfridge

Men's Trend Alert: Corduroy Shirts

Corduroy items especially Corduroy Trousers are on every man's shopping list this fall, also trending right now are other corduroy items like jackets and shirts. Although I've never really considered them, I'm loving the idea of a Corduroy shirt these days, they're versatile and can be colour blocked with other shades of corduroy or worn with Chino's or a clean pair of indigo denims, and as usual with most trends these days, I love the fact that there are a wide range out there catering to various incomes/tastes

For the Snobs out there you've got Burberry's super fitted and  luxurious shirts going for £225 at Mr Porter

Right: Orange Cotton corduroy Shirt £225 @ Mr Porter
Left: Camel Corduroy Shirt £225 @ Mr Porter

And for the Hobo's out there River Island & Topman are offering a great range priced between £30 - £32

I especially love River Island's Military style corduroy shirts

1. Red Corduroy Shirt £32 @ River Island
2. Blue Corduroy Shirt £32 @ River Island
3. Tobacco Shirt £32 @ River Island

Topman take things a step further, adding prints to their cord shirts

1. Burgundy Printed shirt £32 @ Topman
2. Red Corduroy Shirt £32 @ Topman
3. Black printed Corduroy Shirt £32 @ Topman

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

Get Rihanna's Billboard Award's Look

Rihanna in Max Azria at the 2011 Billboard music Awards in Las Vegas

Rihanna was without doubt the best dressed celebrity at yesterday's Billboard Music awards, she taps into this summer's White and sleek tailoring trend in her Max Azria pants Suit. While I'm not a big fan of copying everything a celebrity wears or how other public figures dress, It would be naive to think they don't in some way affect the everyday style choices of the average Laura (or insert other suitable name here) or the items stocked in your favourite clothes store, and as I am keen on building my number of readers as well as followers,  I know many Rihanna fans (I know there are lots of you out there) might wonder how to create such a look at very reasonable prices, that's where I shall employ my shopping editor expertise

For an Item like a Pant Suit which I'd view as a Key investment as they're quite versatile, plus if you invest wisely in a nice pair, you can wear the pieces separately with other key items in your wardrobe. When buying a pant's suit the most important things to look for are neat tailoring and versatility. While doing my search on what's out there in the shops the best Pants suit that jumped at me were this neat pair from Mango which I've styled below

1. Nastacia Double Suit Jacket £89.90 @ Mango
2. Nastacia Trousers £49.90 @ Mango
3. Pink Fabric Tassel Necklace £14.99 @ River Island
4. Trapeze Shirt £55 @ Warehouse
5. Patent Studded bow Heel £59.90 @ Zara

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 )