Warm toes – what more could you ask for on a freezing cold day close to Christmas?  Ask Santa to do you a favour and drop a pair of these down your chimney:

A: Palm Springs Long Double Zip Boot,* £195.00 GBP by Pied a Terre at House of Fraser

B: Black Leather Cuff Boot,* £70.00 GBP at Miss Selfridge

C: Mousey Boots,* £120.00 GBP at Faith

D: Melissa Slouch Calf Boot,* £80.00 GBP by Dune at House of Fraser

E: Dali Plain High Leg Boot, £85.00 GBP at Topshop

F: Tan Wiggle Knee High Boots,* £89.00 GBP (on sale) by Carvela at Debenhams

G: Black High Heeled Bow Boot,*£30.40 GBP (on sale) by Red Herring at Debenhams

H: Rita Boot,* £140.00 GBP at French Connection

I: Ash Ixcess Chain Detail Boot, £135.00 GBP at ASOS

J: Magnetic Force Grey Leather Boots,* £80.00 GBP at Office

K: Black Suede High Leg Boots,* £59.50 GBP by Nine West at Debenhams

Okay, yes, Matalan isn’t the first place you’d want to admit to going when you’re putting together an outfit for a big night out, but if you’re rushed for time and short on cash, we reckon it’s actually not a bad bet:

A: Et Vous Jacquard Skirt, £20.00 GBP

B: Papaya Loop Stitch Bolero Cardigan, £18.00 GBP

C: Main Range Croc Over Body Bag, £6.00 GBP

D: Red Gold Edged Mini Platform, £14.00 GBP

E: Multi Leopard Pashminetta, £5.00 GBP

French Connection does glamorous, fashion-forward clothing that instantly updates your style and can give you a real boost.  Let’s face it, nothing beats good design and good tailoring:

A: Colour Me Dress,* £100.00 GBP

B: Round Bangle Set,* £20.00 GBP

C: Paint Clutch,* £55.00 GBP

D: Night Dress,* £70.00 GBP

E: Rope Necklace,* £25.00 GBP

F: Penny Top,* £25.00 GBP

G: Cairo Belt,* £30.00 GBP

H: Forest Dress,* £80.00 GBP

I: Jo Shoe,* £110.00 GBP

Being that I’m on a bit of a budget at the moment (plane flights, lots of bills, Christmas on the way, never paid enough, etc), I know how it feels to look in the wardrobe and feel depressed by all the tired, limp clothes that look back at you.  Some clothes do this more than others – I find anything grey or brown (staple winter shades) take on a worn, lank appearance rather quickly.  There is an easy solution to wardrobe misery, however, and it doesn’t have to break the bank – update with a key piece (or two) in a vibrant, fresh colour.  This season it’s berries – cherry and raspberry reds, blackcurrant and blackberry purples, blueberry blues, and lush, juicy strawberries:

A: Red Faux Snakeskin Sandals, £40.00 GBP at Next

B: 120 Den Tights in Grape, £8.00 GBP at TopShop

C: Evangelina Stud Bag in Purple,* £10.00 GBP at BooHoo.com

D: Satin Shift Dress in Sugar Pink,* £18.00 GBP at New Look

E: Red Satin Knot Neck Top,* £28.00 GBP by Jasper Conran at Debenhams

F: Magenta Balloon Sleeve Coat,* £70.00 GBP at Miss Selfridge

G: Linea Cable Knit Gloves,* £5.00 GBP at House of Fraser (currently on sale, normally £10.00)

H: Have A Heart Purse in Red,* £12.50 GBP at White Stuff

I: Carved Oriental Flower Bangle, £6.00 GBP at Accessorize

J: Tokyo Clutch in Violet,* £40.00 GBP at Coast

K: Achain Flats in Purple,* £35.00 GBP at Faith

L: Purple Seam Detail Corset,* £28.00 GBP at Dorothy Perkins

M: Red Short Frill Detail Jacket,* £65.00 GBP at Miss Selfridge

* Why are there asterisks next to some of the above links?

Right, it’s winter, it’s bloody freezing, and you really can’t be bothered wearing another pair of freezing peep-toes, cut out boots (what’s the point?!) or crippling strappy heels.  Solution – ankle boots.  Not just any ankle boots mind, you have to search out a pair that looks sleek, sophisticated, and not at all out of place with a party frock.  Our suggestion would be to check out the selection at Debenhams – go for very sexy black, or pops of this season’s major colours (electric blue or fuschia):

A: Black Shona Ankle Boots,* £90.00 GBP by Carvela

B: Black Bevil Ankle Boots,* £110.00 GBP by Nine West

C: Black Suede Ruched Ankle Boots,* £90.00 GBP by Nine West

D: Pink Suede Graduated Heel Boots,* £65.00 GBP by Jasper Conran

E: Blue Study Ankle Boots,* £150.00 GBP by Carvela

F: Purple Sabom Ankle Boot,* £115.00 GBP by Faith

Every now and then the fashion mags will come up with the idea of ‘cost per wear’ (CPW) to justify big purchases.  When the ‘It Bags’ were around a few years ago, and could set you back several hundred (or thousand) pounds in one go, the fashion pack became cheerleaders of this idea of ignoring the price tag and instead figuring out how much the bag would cost per wear.

Take, for instance, the classic Chanel 2.55 – the only designer handbag I could ever truly justify owning – which has a price range of £1000-£2000 depending on size and additional features.  That’s a sizable amount of cash to outlay, but if you figure you’ll own it for the rest of your life (I’m 25, let’s say I live to 75, giving me fifty years of use), you can break that price down to £20-£40 per year.  Even if you only used the bag only once a week every year for fifty years, that price could be broken down even further to £0.38-£0.76 per wear.  When you look at it in such small numbers, the overall cost doesn’t seem as bad – but don’t be fooled, for the most part it’s simply a marketing ploy by the fashion mags and luxury brands.

My use of CPW is much more practical.  If you follow the basic theory that investing in good quality fashion items usually means they’ll last longer and stay in fashion for several years, you can usually be confident that you’re going to be buying wisely.  Similarly, while buying cheap fashion can seem like a good idea on the day, often it will go out of fashion quickly or won’t be manufactured properly (it may be uncomfortable or may break or fade).  Read the rest of this entry »

Faith could quite possibly be in my top three favourite shoe retailers in the UK.  Possibly even top two.  No brand could ever replace Dune at the number one spot, but Faith does come pretty close.  At the moment I’m loving the winter collection which is in muted greys, purples, blues and browns – perfect for taking an outfit from day to evening.  Throw in the pops of red and the fantastic detailing (pleats, folds and metallics) and you’ve got a one-stop shop for fantastic party-season footwear:

A: Stonie Heels,* £110.00 GBP

B: Cepom Heels,* £55.00 GBP

C: Cazip Heels,* £75.00 GBP

D: Light Sandals,* £95.00 GBP

E: Chell Heels,* £50.00 GBP

F: Cangerina Heels,* £50.00 GBP

G: Cubulu Heels,* £70.00 GBP

H: Clowert Heels,* £80.00 GBP

I: Adandy Flats,* £30.00 GBP