Sexy or whorish?

According to Elle, "as Christmas approaches it's all about over-the-knee boots".
Does Julia Roberts in Pretty Women immediately spring to mind for anyone else or is it just me?

Maybe it's because I'm short (I'm on 5'2) but I just don't see the attraction in these. But if you do, Elle suggests teaming with leggings and leather biker jacket for an edgy, dressed-down look, or with a belted tunic.

For some ideas, go to http://www.elleuk.com/shopping/elle-edits/%28section%29/knee-high-boots-a-w-2008

Damn the rich!

I went, I saw and I conquered (but not as much as I wanted to)

Imagine a room the size of a concert venue and fill it with thousands of women and screaming teenagers. What have you got? The Clothes Show of course!
A day's worth of fashion shows and bargain shopping cheap enough for anyone (even me) to be able to afford and for a minute I was officially in heaven. But unfortunately journalist's wages aren't as glamorous as everyone seems to imagine and so I was stuck with one t-shirt :(
Cue me scowling at every rich woman with six or seven huge bags of bargains - and secretly wishing I was them. Nevermind, I thought, I'm here for the experience.
And an experience it definitely was. Great for Hollyoaks and Shipwrecked fans with semi-naked men aplenty. But on a more serious note the clothes were absolutely fantastic.
The fashion theatre saw six or seven different scenes, each with a different theme, from beachwear to English classic and of course Christmas ball. The choreography meant everyone was kept well entertained - but it was quite hard to concentrate on the clothes with all the dancing going off.
The designer catwalk in the main room gave me more of the fashion fix I craved, showing six designers straight from London Fashion Week. Ever since chavs came in and totally crashed the whole Burberry scene Daniella Westbrook style I've been far from a fan but I liked pretty much everything in the Autumn/Winter collection (unfortunately). There was plenty of futuristic randomness that you would expect from high-end designers but by far my favourite - for the sheer fun factor - was Jean Charles De Castlebajac. He's a hard designer to explain but I smiled all the way through, especially with his Barack Obama I have a Dream dress. I think the best way of explaining is to show you so visit http://www.vogue.co.uk/news/daily/081029-castelbajac-on-backing-obama.aspx
The Maybelline stage gave everyone a chance to see the young designers of the future and the latest collection from New Look - which was unbelievably disappointing.

By 6pm I'd officially shopped til I dropped and my body was screaming at me to leave.
Overall verdict? Not enough freebies (in fact none spring to mind other than a voucher book with online discounts and the odd ones snapped up by the screaming kids at the various stages) but still a great day out. Bring on next year (although I'd better start saving now)

Clothes Show update

Right I've seen the Coca Cola advert which, according to my colleague Shelley, makes it officially almost Christmas. There may be a credit crunch going on but there should always be room in the kitty for presents, no matter how small, there's no excuse for being a Scrooge.

One easy present would be tickets to this year's Clothes Show Live at Birmingham's NEC from December5-10. Tickets cost £24 for a standard ticket, which includes entry into The Style Show presented by Handbag.com and a seat in the Fashion Theatre, and £36 for a platinum ticket where you get VIP treatment with fast track entry and great seats in the Fashion Theatre, a goody bag and showguide.
To book you tickets call: 0844 579 3177 or buy them online at http://www.ticketswitch.com/tickets/web_finder.buy/clothesshowlive

But if your pennies really won't stretch that far, handbag.com has a competition running every Monday until December 5- so get entering!

Another idea would be a magazine subscription, and they're all offering Christmas deals to help you out. One tip though, hang on as long as possible as they get better the later you leave it. It is money well spent just for the warm fuzzy feeling when you see it waiting on your doorstep each month (and Elle do limited edition covers for subscribers).

Highcross Leicester

A thousand apologies for not writing on here in over a month, it won't happen again.

It may have taken me a while but I finally visited it - and I liked what I saw!

Having attended the Derby Westfield opening back in October last year (the first in the country to be owned by the same company) I had high expectations. I'd never been to Leicester before so that was an experience in itself - it took a little while to find but then again my sense of direction has never been a strong point!

Inside I suddenly heard my former editor screaming in my ears - "it looks the same as every other bloody shopping centre, you could anywhere!" Yes you could be anywhere - and it is exactly the same as every other shopping centre - but it's definitely worth a look, especially with Christmas coming and sale days already beginning courtesy of the credit crunch (oh and the new House of Fraser outlet store offering up to 50% off which opens this Saturday).
Leicester's worth checking out too while you're there. Make a day of it.

Next up the new Westfield centre in London...

A very disappointing week

This week has been one massive disappointment for me. Maybe I set my standards too high but what was supposed to be a fantastic shopping experience in London was so sad..

Contrary to popular belief I can admit when I'm wrong, and after all the hype generated by the fashion magazines about Patricia Field's collection for M&S I was really hoping I was this time, but alas it was not to be.
I have just one word - no make that two - for this collection. Truly awful.
This collection could have been gorgeous. Think Sarah Jessica Parker, Anne Hathaway and the good bits of Ugly Betty all rolled into one. And then mix that with the things that make M&S go wrong.
There were bits about almost all the pieces in the collection that could have been really nice but then each time it would be ruined by something trying to hard to make it look good, a common M&S mistake I thought it'd got over. Take the pink dress with frills - could have been fantastic but then there's just something about it that makes it horrible. Maybe it's the length, maybe it's the straps, I'm not sure. But I think you'd have to be a model to make it look good and let's face it if you're a model you can make most things look good.

So I've walked away from M&S and have turned to Primark in despair, looking for a friend that won't let me down (ok so I don't think of Primark as a friend I do have actual friends but you get the picture). I look to buy a t-shirt and suddenly the size I want, a size 12, seems miniscule. I had to buy a size 18 for it to fit like I wanted.
Don't get me wrong there's nothing wrong with a size 18 but what if I had been an 18? That's the biggest size there was, I would have had to walk out of the shop feeling bad about myself. How's that for service? And it's not just Primark, so many shops do this now it's ridiculous.

At what point did it become ok for this to happen and of all places at Primark?! It's about time shops started catering for real sized women - or at least made the right size clothes, a size 12 should be a size 12 as should be a 4, 6, 8, 10, 14, 16, 18 and bigger. Yes I know you can harp on about it til you're blue in the face, it'll never change. But it's annoying. Very annoying.

Rant over...

clothes show

The Clothes Show Live and The Style Show in association with handbag.com website has now been updated, getting the ball rolling for this year's event, which promises to be better than ever.

Whatever your fancy - whether it be high street, boutique, vintage, designer, accessories, beauty, some relaxation or even a bit of everything - it should all be there, packed into Birmingham's NEC from October 5-10.

Tickets are now on sale from the box office on 0844 579 3178. Each one includes a seat in the catwalk show.

Have a look on the site now at www.clothesshowlive.com

Loughborough Uni: Best Dressed?

Right the challenge is on!
New Look is looking for the best dressed students and I think Loughborough need to rise to the bait. The winners not only get the joy of being crowned the winners but a free gig on their campus from pop group Alphabeat.

Scouts will be scouring universities, taking pictures and uploading them on the facebook site as well as holding exclusive Best Dressed launch parties at your local store offering you 25% discount, free booze, guest DJs, New Look stylist & goodie bags for everyone - as long as you have your student card (damn them!)

So girls and boys get ready to look your best, I'll see if I can find out when they're coming to our town.

In the meantime, go to http://www.facebook.com/pages/New-Look-Best-Dressed-University-2008/

Shop of the month: M&S

Never again are you to view M&S as the place confined to your gran.

It's gone sexy. No I'm not talking about the lady from the adverts, it's joined up with Sex and The City, Ugly Betty and The Devil Wears Prada designer and stylist, Patricia Fields, to offer us a chance to get some New York chic into our lives.

And with the launch being midnight tonight, it seemed only right that I use it to kick off the first shop/designer of the month feature.

Patricia said she chose the brand for her one-off ‘Destination Style New York’ line because it understood women of all ages. She wants to bring New York's hottest styles to every woman's wardrobe with her 35-piece collection.

Now I have to say right from the off that from what I've seen so far (and it's not very much as it's been kept pretty well under wraps) it's not exactly my thing. But I think some of it's going to be really nice so if you're looking for something special for a night out, it might be worth a try and well it's worth a look anyway - well you've got to really, even if it's just out of curiosity.

For all of you living in and around Loughborough, you'll have to travel to Leicester and Nottingham to see part of the range and Birmingham if you want to see the whole lot. Otherwise have a look online at http://www.marksandspencer.com/

M&S's green credentials aren't too bad either, helping to raise an extra £1 million for Oxfam since it started working with the charity in January.

In case you're out of the loop, the M&S and Oxfam Clothes Exchange offers you the chance to take your old unwanted M&S clothes to your local Oxfam shop in return for a £5 voucher to spend in M&S, redeemable against a £35 spend on clothing, home or beauty products.

So what are you waiting for? This is the perfect excuse to clear out your wardrobe, help charity and get yourself some new clothes for autumn.

Stocking filler ideas

Yes I know I don't like the fact people are talking about Christmas already either but I'm writing this post anyway. You never know, if you're wondering what to get someone it might even help.

Colleen Rooney is not at the top of my list for people I would feature on here but she's written - well her name's on the book anyway - a style book so I couldn't not feature it really. Now this isn't a review because I haven't read it all but from what I have read it's actually pretty good - as long as you can get past the idea of learning all about the daily routines of a wag .

It's got some good advice, including make-up tips, shopping tips and just general fashion tips, and it's littered with lots of pretty clothes to look at. There is a lot of "I do this" to the extent where I started thinking so what! but I guess you expect that really.

But for anyone who, like me, can't bring herself to buy anything with a wag's face on the front, Gok Wan also has his own book (actually he's got a couple) which might be worth a look. It's by the same publisher and actually looks pretty much the same inside but costs 50p more so I'll leave that one up to you.

Colleen's Real Style is available on Amazon for £8.99. Gok Wan: How to Dress is available for £9.49.

The Clothes Show Live 2008

It's that time of year again. The Clothes Show Live is returning to Birmingham's NEC from December 5- December 10. And with it celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, it looks set to be better than ever.

I'll keep this post short and sweet but I'll be putting regular updates on here every time I learn something new.
In the meantime, keep yourself up to date at http://www.clotheshowlive.com/

Freshers - welcome to Loughborough

I couldn't let Fresher's Week go by without doing something specifically designed for you.

Ok, so you've got your loan through (maybe even grants) and suddenly you've got thousands in your bank account right? Wrong! Tempting as it may seem to have a splash out in Topshop and Miss Selfridge making full use of your student discount or even Primark, stop and think. Believe me I'm talking from experience (I still have clothes I bought in first year of uni I've probably worn twice). You get that money for a reason and technically it's not yours, yes go shopping but watch you don't get too excited with your new found fortune.

Now you don't need me patronising you, just watch the pennies or you'll see yourself totally skint by the end of the term with no money left for drink, clothes or even food! And ok so if you're from a big city Loughborough doesn't exactly offer the height of fashion but it's there if you look.

Meanwhile I want to hear from you, in the hope of maybe doing a fashion tip of the month for those on a budget.

It' s open to everyone. Whether you're out shopping and spot a bargain you think we should know about or think of a new way to reuse something old, I want to know. Contact me on amy_watkins@mrn.co.uk

London Fashion Week

Ok so it's hard enough accepting that it's almost winter, never mind trying to take in the key trends for Spring/Summer 09 but I can't let London Fashion Week pass me by without doing something on it.

My cynical eye goes berserk watching fashion shows. Firstly because of all the emaciated models - I find myself having to stop myself from screaming EAT SOMETHING - and secondly because most normal people wouldn't be seen dead in half of the things you see on the catwalk (and well let's face it we couldn't fit into it either). Nevertheless, these arguments are old and boring now and well fashion shows are still really exciting no matter how skinny the models are.
I'm not going to go through each designer one by one, quite frankly because I don't have the time, but here are some of the things that caught my eye.


Whether you like bright colours and outlandish patterns or something more subdued and sophisticated, London Fashion week, in association with French Connection, had something for pretty much everyone.

Firstly, tights. Eley Kishimoto had matching tights down to a tee, with each pair carefully orchestrated to match the outfits. There were even dresses in this collection I could actually see myself wearing - as opposed to some of those by Christopher Kane were some of the models looked more like Christmas trees and House of Holland where some of the models just looked plain ridiculous!
Now I always thought Jaeger was a designer only fit for the likes of my mum - and even then she'd started turning her nose up at it. But with its new look, I have to say I'm jumping on the Jaeger London bandwagon. Some of next season's collection was beautiful and if I could afford it I'd even consider buying some of it. If you've got a wedding coming up, I'd certainly recommend having a look!

Something I was really looking forward to after last season's offering was Luella's collection. I have to say I was a bit disappointed as it wasn't quite as quirky as her last collection. Her ditsy prints are still here (as is the orange) and there are more of her signature dresses as worn by Alexa Chung. But although there's still the fun come to be expected from her, this season's collection saw a more grown up Luella girl, with an abundance of pearls and tailoring.

Definitely a must-read

Thought I had to put this up.

Got a press release through from The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP), which has produced a unique fashion workout designed to help people get the most out of this season's must have trends.

Firstly all you ladies (maybe even men - see last post) who have been wearing the sky-high stilettos in the shops recently, think again. Regular heel wearers can apparently shorten their calf muscles and throw their whole body out of alignment (argh) and bad shoes can cause bunions, blisters, pain in your ankles, knees and legs. The answer? Wearing different types of shoes of course with preferably with wider, chunkier heels, but if you insist on the razor sharp type...

"In your bare feet you can exercise your calf muscles and take them through their full range of movement. Standing safely on the edge a bottom step, drop your heels as far as they can comfortably go so that you are feeling a stretch in your calf muscles. Hold for 10 seconds then roll on to your tiptoes. Repeat this five times."

Next up is underwear.

How many of you are wearing the wrong size? Probably more than 70% of you! Wearing the wrong bra size not only looks bad but also puts you at risk of neck and shoulder pain, pinched nerve in the neck and sagging boobs - great excuse to go bra shopping eh?

As for using support pants as an alternative to exercise, that just doesn't wash with this lot. They say the key tp getting a smooth and firm bum is exercise - try these:

• go for a brisk walk, taking big strides to work your buttock muscles;


• standing on your left leg, holding your tummy in, lift your right leg straight back 10 times, without resting. Swap legs. Do the same, lifting your right leg straight out to the side. Swap legs ·


• Standing tall, squeeze your buttock muscles as hard as possible, hold for 10 seconds and do this 10 times.

Bags are my biggest problem - and not just mine apparently with bag-related injuries on the increase (symptoms can range from headaches, postural problems, and neck and shoulder pain). A safe weight limit for handbags is to carry no more than a couple of pounds and backpack users shouldn't carry more than 10 per cent of their body weight.

Opt for a wider strap to spread the load and switch sides regularly and use your hands and shoulders. Wrap-around backpacks are good in that they keep the weight of a bag close to your body reducing the risk of injury.

The last tips are about belts as they're apparently great for improving your breathing. Here are some of the physio's tips:

• Breathing in through your nose, bring the air into your tummy and let it push against your belt. Hold for five seconds and release. Do this three times every hour. This will promote deeper breathing, help you take on more oxygen and facilitates the elimination of carbon dioxide


• If you feel your midriff beginning to bulge above and below the belt, counter the sagging by standing or sitting tall, lengthening your spine and draw your belly button towards your spine without holding your breath.

So there we are, fashion and exercise all rolled into one! Think I deserve a rest now..

Metrosexuals gone mad!

We've been getting all girly in the Echo newsroom this week.

Make-up has been the hot topic of conversation after I discovered Superdrug has started stocking a range specifically for men.

Products from TAXI London include the aptly named Manscara and Guy-liner, with a concealer and lip balm available sometime this month and are, according to the company "essentials that a guy would perhaps normally borrow from his other half."

Now call me old fashioned but I hardly class eyeliner as an essential for a man and have certainly never been out with anyone who's borrowed mine (or at least not that I know of)!

I thought I'd drawn the line at skinny emo boys stretching (and, no doubt, seriously injuring themselves) into 15-year-old girl's jeans but nevertheless, it's out there - although all you local boys wanting to rush out for your Manscara and Guyliner (both £6.50) will have to go to Leicester or Nottingham I'm afraid, Loughborough's just not metro-friendly enough just yet.

Apparently, the range of male grooming products stocked on Britain's shelves has doubled in the last three years, with the UK male grooming market now currently worth around £700m annually and predicted to rise to over £820m by 2009.
This I can believe, especially after a quick survey round the newsroom to see how much Echo men spend on grooming products, including the essentials like shampoo and shaving foam.

One member of the newsroom, ahem Colin, uses more products than his wife, spends more time in the bathroom than her and spends about £40 a month on products - more if he's getting his nails done!

Suddenly I'm having flashbacks (or should that be flashforwards) to me one day in the future sharing foundation with my nearest and dearest, with "Have you taken my eyeshadow again" arguments instead of "you look fine without it" ones. But then maybe I'm just being sexist - if it was the other way round I'd probably be the first to start shaking my bra in defiance!

I did actually find myself asking Colin for beauty tips - at least now I know where to go for hand cream.

And I have to admit, he's got pretty good skin so he's obviously doing something right. He says he got it from his dad who, now in his 80s, looks more like 60. As much as I hate to admit it, maybe more men should be moisturising? Come to think of it I'd better start...

• I took to the streets of Loughborough to see how much the rest of the men in the town spent and what people think of men in make-up. See my article in this week's paper.

High Cross Leicester

I'm sure I don't need to remind you all to watch out for the latest news on the Loughborough Echo website but just in case you've missed it, I thought I'd remind you of the articles written by my colleague Matt in the last couple of weeks. The good news is Highcross Leicester is now open, offering all you shoppaholics something else for your bank managers to worry about. The bad news is what it could to Loughborough. See Matt's articles at http://www.loughboroughecho.net/

Don't be shy, get in touch. I've not had chance to get to Highcross yet but I'm interested to hear what you all think of it (particularly compared to Loughborough and the surrounding areas). Let me know either by commenting on here or dropping me an email at amy_watkins@mrn.co.uk
I'd also like to know which towns/cities you like to shop in and which shops and designers you prefer.

Things to look out for

I love French Connection's Autumn/Winter 08 collection.

Not the best label for a tight budget but for something extra special, it's definitely one to look at. I epecially love the coats, dresses and shoes - the things you can get away with splashing a bit more on.

Grey coat £160, black and white knit dress £75 (also in black), Grey knit dress £70 (also in black)

(image courtesy of French Connection)

For something a bit cheaper, Primark wins for me every time! These three are just some of my favourites.

Tartan tiered blue dress £14.00 (but should be warn with something underneath - it scratches!) worn with hooded PU jacket £15.00 in store now. Ladies trilby £3.00 and opaque tights £2.00. Scarf models own.

Two in one belted shirt dress £12.00

Platform town shoe £12.00 due in store end September (I have similar ones and they're surprisingly really comfy)

(Images courtesy of Primark)

Upcoming vintage events

Trawling the pages of Facebook, I've found some events that might be of interest for all you fashionistas out there.

Firstly something a little bit different, the Awesome Autumn burlesque fashion show at the Victoria Quarter in Leeds in aid of the organisation Thyroid-Disease.Org.Uk on October 5. No ticket information yet but sounds pretty interesting. For more information go to http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=78014800200 or email info@burlesquefashionshow.co.uk.

Sticking with the vintage theme, The Affordable Vintage Fashion Fair is stopping off at Sheffield Hallam University's Student Union on Thursday, October 4 from 11am-4pm, followed by Leeds University's Student Union on Friday, October 5 and Liverpool's John Moores Union on Thursday, October 11. With tickets costing just £2, might be worth a look.

Welcome

Welcome to what will soon be an all-singing, all-dancing brand new Loughborough Echo fashion blog.
I'm new to this so be patient with me but I'll do my best to gear it as best I can to all your fashion needs and point you in the right direction to what's out there. Feel free to email me with suggestions at amy_watkins@mrn.co.uk or simply post a comment on here.

Amy