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

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: D&G Fall vs. Topman

Gotta love Topman, they're always bang on  trend, and in some cases ahead of forthcoming trends before other stores catch on. A great case in point are the top looks from the D&G Fall show already appearing in their stores as we shall see soon, from Padded Gilets to Lp Sleeve T-Shirts, Topman are not leaving anything to chance

Take D&G's fall Mickey mouse, Coca Cola and all things Americana trend for instance, Topman are doing it so well with some lovely pieces you can add into your wardrobe right now

D&G Fall 2011

Now lets have at how Topman has translated this trend

1.  Navy American washed T-shirt £22 @ Topman.com
2. Drink Coca Cola T-Shirt £20 @ Topman
3. MTV America T-shirt £20 @ Topman
4. Blue 90's Mickey Mouse Sweat Top £28 @ Topman 

Left: Padded Gilets at D&G Fall
Right: Sporty Green Padded Gilet £50 @ Topman
Sporty Blue Padded Gilet  £50 @ Topman

Remember my previous Post on icon Tshirts and Bryan Ferry Lp T-shirts well Topman have gone back in time to Dig out this Roxy Music Lp PrinT T- Shirt

Summer 2011 Trend: The Icon T-Shirt

From Left to Right: D&G Spring '11, Dolce & Gabbana Fall '11

Dolce and Gabbana's shows are always favourites for me season after season, rarely do those guys disappoint me, and seems I am not the only one who falls head over heels for the D&G looks as the D&G looks, are often a go to source of inspiration for many a  high street store. A great case in point is this season's Icon t- shirt craze at the D&G shows

Dolce & Gabbana Fall 2011

The Icon T shirt seems to be a recurring theme in a lot of their collections (see examples below)

Left: Madonna icon T-Shirt at the D&G Fall 2006 show
Centre: Oscar Wilde Icon T-shirt at the D&G Fall 2009 show
Right: Retro Pepsi Advert Icon T-shirt at the Spring '06 Dolce and Gabbana  show

However its not until this summer that there's been a wild explosion in the popularity of these Icon t-shirts, which seems to be a major seller for D&G this season,  even though they  are priced at a quite ridiculous £150 they seem to be selling out fast

Left: Amanda Lear T shirt
Centre: Elvis Blue Hawaii T-Shirt
Right: Johnny Depp  'Cry baby' T Shirt

James Dean T shirt
Marlon Brando T Shirt
Muhammed Ali T Shirt
Robert De Niro T-Shirt

Richard Gere T-Shirt

But of course thank heavens for the High street, always there to ensure Hobo's like me won't be left behind on the latest fashion trends, just about every High street store is stocking them in a wide variety of style, colour and Icons, below are some great ones

Debbie Harry Icon T shirt
Marlon Brando in The Wild ones Icon T-Shirt
David Bowie Icon T-Shirt

John Lennon Icon T-Shirt
Beastie Boys icon T-Shirt
Nirvana Icon T-Shirt
Hendrix Icon T-Shirt

James Dean Icon T-Shirt
James Dean Icon T-shirt
Bruce Lee T-Shirt

Bruce Lee Icon T-shirt
Bruce Lee T Shirt
Keith Haring Icon T-shirt

Left: John Coltrane Stardust T shirt
John Coltrane The European tour Sleeve T shirt
Mile Davis T shirt 
Thelonious Monk T- Shirt

Zara's range of Icon T shirts are so on point and could even almost be mistaken for D&G, this trend of Album sleeve art on T shirts as seen on the Zara T-shirts above, continues at Dolce & Gabbana this Fall with Bryan Ferry LP sleeves featuring heavily on T-Shirts

Now lets do a designer/ High street comparison on the Album art sleeve T shirts

John Coltrane European tour T-Shirt
Topman Nirvana 'Nevermind' T Shirt 

Better yet still I'd recommend buying yourself a White or coloured T-shirt and creating your own Icon or album art sleeve T-shirt, I'm sure there should be no copyright battles as long as said t-Shirts aren't mass produced for sale

Also trendy this winter as seen on the Dolce & Gabbana Fall shows are Mickey Mouse motifs on T-shirts, Jumpers etc. and seems the high street as usual has caught on early

Mickey Mouse T-Shirt £22 @ Topman

After writing so much about Bryan Ferry I feel like going through his discography but till then his version of 'Jealous Guy' with Roxy Music will always be a favourite, I prefer it to the original by John Lennon

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