hilkat

Christopher Kane, fashion genius, has launched a new t-shirt range to sit alongside his full RTW collection, which (credit cards at the ready, ladies and gents) goes on sale today at Dover Street Market. Priced at £220, they’re not cheap, but as I like to say, “you can’t put a price on originality”. That and, “I’m sure the landlord won’t mind waiting for his rent”…..

I can’t stand the whole ‘eighties-revival’ that’s all over the catwalk and the high street at the moment - it didn’t look good the first time round and guess what, nothing’s changed. I saw a girl wearing legwarmers the other day, bright pink legwarmers, over skinny jeans with gladiator sandals. It’s like she had a perfectly good outfit, and then thought, “I think I’ll just completely ruin it, I’d much rather look like a total tool.” I’m quite aware that I sound quite mean and rant-y, but they were legwarmers.

Saying that, I’m rather taken with all the crop top-iness that’s going on right now, and in the spirit of fashion adventure (intrepid in motherhood, intrepid in style…) I decided to purchase this little beauty from Topshop:

I’ve always had a bit of an obsession with Paris (currently reading the autobiography of Paul Poiret), and this was the clincher for me. I love the charming little print on the front, and like most of my clothes, it’s a little bit…. eccentric.

Traditionally crop tops are worn with bare midriffs, but since having a baby I wouldn’t dream of inflicting that on the general public, so I decided to get a bit layer-happy with my stripey floral vest-dress from New Look (pictured here with various scarves and a t-shirt from Peacocks, of all places):

I love mixing up the prints and pairing things which shouldn’t really go together, and was immensely happy with the result. Top of the crops indeed.

Congratulations are in order to Henry Holland, who was one of the five winners of the prestigious BFC NEWGEN award for S/S 2010. He cited his inspiration as the Dulux paint cards (I know what you mean Henry, I’ve often stood in B&Q daydreaming about dresses rather than thinking about painting the bedroom) and these were the results…

I’m lusting after that humungous shaggy coat, how better to brighten up dreary days? And those strappy platform boots are quite simply amazing. Nice one, Henry.

Vintage oversize silk shirt raided from the Mother’s wardrobe and leopard scarf courtesy of my little boy for Christmas. Clever man.

Apologies for the awful picture quality - the camera on my phone is not up to much. Must invest in a new camera soon.
I bought a clothes rail because my cupboard was full, and the rail kept protesting every time I tried to hang something else up. Now the overflow rail also overfloweth…..

Since blooms and botanicals are such a big part of the summer trends, I decided to continue with an accessories only post. Here are my favourite six floral add-ons.

Left: Warehouse Floral Print Umbrella, £14
Right: Cath Kidston Floral Wellington, £39.50

Left: ASOS Floral Bangle, £6
Right: Urban Outfitters Cotton Floral Beret, £22

Left: ASOS Upper Fifth Bright Floral Scarf, £20
Right: ASOS Pinko Floral Parka, £145

If you say the words, “eco-fashion” to somebody, they will occasionally look a bit blank, but usually their nose will screw up slightly as they think of brown hemp trousers and hippy-drippy (not to be confused with ethnic chic) cheesecloth blouses. Shapeless, dull, and worst of all, completely unstylish.

Good news, environmentally friendly fashion addicts - there are now several websites dedicated to highly stylish, ethically made garments, and if you look around the high street, you’ll find many chains are also starting to produce more “green” clothes. Topshop now stock an entire Fair Trade range, while New Look have been producing goods made from organic cotton for some time now (I actually own two of their organic t-shirts, which are incredibly good quality).

To prove to you that high fashion doesn’t come at a high price to the earth, I’ve put together my favourite eco-clothing brands and the pieces they’re currently offering. What could be better than helping the environment by simply buying new clothes? Credit cards at the ready ladies….

CIEL
Ciel is a well established environmentally friendly label, stocked in designer boutiques both in the UK and overseas. A firm favourite amongst the celebrities, Cate Blanchett and Sienna Miller own several pieces and are big fans of the brand, who use recycled fabrics, chemical free dyes and work with factories to comply with fair labour laws. What more can you ask for?
For more information, or to buy, go to www.ciel.ltd.uk.

Left: Drape Skirt, £112
Right: Snowdrop Liberty Print Dress, £145

EDUN
Launched in 2005 by Ali Hewson and U2’s Bono, Edun supports sustainable employment and healthier working conditions, particularly in Africa. The label’s main concern is with the production process, and they’ve since launched Edun Live, a spin-off brand which stocks products that are 100% African. They also realise the importance of organic materials, and all the t-shirts are currently made from 100% organic cotton.
I love their oversize printed t-shirts and tunics, perfect with a pair of skinny jeans and summers favourite sandal, the gladiator flat. To see more go to www.edunonline.com.

Left to right:
Grass Collar V-Neck Dress, £152 approx.
Hexagon Sweater, £211 approx.
Feather Scarf T-shirt, £67 approx.
Leopard Sash T-shirt, £62 approx.

PEOPLE TREE
One of the original eco-labels, People Tree is also one of the most well known. Working alongside Fair Trade groups in different countries, People Tree use organic materials, natural dyes and source products locally. The skills of local craftspeople are all put to good use, using handwoven fabrics, hand screen printing and embroidery in many of their garments, meaning gainful employment and a resulting beautiful piece of clothing. A great deal all round, I’d say.
People Tree is another label that attracts celebrity attention, including that of Jo Wood who has become an ambassador for the brand. She recently accompanied Safia Minney, founder of People Tree, on a trip overseas to see just how they’re helping combat poverty and promote fair employment. For more on the trip, or to purchase any of the clothes below go to www.peopletree.com.

Left to right:
Cloudy Leaf Top, £38
Flower Print Empress Dress, £40
Coco Necklace, £20
Stripey Jersey Dress, £28

Left to right:
Recycled Sari Kimono Top, £40
Grecian Top, £28
Plant Print Tea Dress, £35
Bora Aksu Ruched Leggings, £40

EQUA
Brit label Equa are a small boutique located in Islington’s Camden Passage, and stock a multitude of garments made from sustainable products such as organic cotton, bamboo and soya, and use dyes which are completely environmentally friendly. They also concern themselves with how materials are sourced, and buy only from designers who have open supply chains and care about how their clothing is made. For further details, and to buy online go to www.equaclothing.com.

Left to right:
Annie Greenabelle Blazer, £74
Sika Bow Dress, £149
Natalie Dissel Geometric Necklace, £65
Ivana Basilotta Santy Embroidery Blouse, £108

Another belated post, but you know what they say, better late than never. Barbara Hulanicki, of Biba fame, has produced a capsule range for Topshop. Here’s my favourite pieces.

Left to right:
Animal Tie Dress, £55
Button Skirt, £30
Girl Print Sundress, £55

Left to right:
Jersey Skirt, £25
Lady Bug and Spot Scarf, £22
Shoe Print Vest, £18

Left to right:
Girl Print Top, £40
Queen Bee Playsuit, £45
Giant Shopper with Print, £25

Another cheapo outfit, mostly from Matalan (I got a bit grab-happy), but once again made slightly cooler by the presence of my treasured 1940’s vintage jacket. I bought this from a tiny little shop stuffed full of old clothes and trinkets, and the lady who sold it to me informed me that it had been constructed from an old cape.

Anyway, here it is.

Rather delayed considering the collection has been out for a while now, but I couldn’t not post on the latest Kate Moss for Topshop. Here’s my favourite pieces. One of everything please…

Left to right:
Macrame Waistcoat, £60
Daisy Print Tea Dress, £60
Plait One-Shoulder Dress, £40

Left to right:
Macrame Wrap Dress, £120
Clover Heart Print Cardi, £48
Vintage Deco Dress, £130

Left to right:
Jacquard Vest, £40
Bleach Skinny Jeans, £45
Zebra Bandeau Dress, £65