Pick of the High Street: Dresses at Dorothy Perkins

I am loving dresses at the moment so decided it was time to do another feature on them. And where better to look than budget-friendly Dorothy Perkins. Not know as one of the true ‘budget’ stores (Primark, George) it is nonetheless the perfect place to pick up a bargain.


We start with something for you taller ladies. This cobalt blue dress that is only available in the tall range. At just £22 it is an ideal way to wear the hot blue colour of the spring.

Secondly, sticking with the blue theme (it is my favourite colour after all!), this Cobalt Blue Pebble Print Dress is slightly pricier at £30 but I just love the bell shape detailing on the sleeve. Perfect to wear on its own or over jeans to take you into the spring season, it could even be teamed with black tights or leggings to pick out the black in the pattern. I’m just cursing the fact that it‘s not available in a Tall length and I’ve sworn off shopping!!

Outfit: Turquoise Accessories

Brown wool mix pinstripe trousers – Long Tall Sally
Brown wool mix pinstripe jacket – Long Tall Sally
Turquoise cotton rib t shirt-vest – Dorothy Perkins
Turquoise boots with faux fur trim and lacing detail – Splash (Ebay)
Turquoise bead necklace – Accessorize (Gift from friend)
Turquoise 3 disc earrings – Accessorize (Gift from friend)
Turquoise bangles – Oxfam

Outfit: Short Monday

Brown pinstripe/tweed shorts – H&M
Teal cotton rib v neck sweater – Gap
White shirt – Topshop
Brown tights – Topshop
Teal boots – Faith
Teal/green zig zag stripe skinny scarf – Per Una at M&S

The Most Expensive Hairband in the World…Ever?

I have to smile whilst reading the fashion feature in the March issue of Elle magazine. In one picture the model is wearing a yellow plastic hairband and the list of items beside it says: Perspex Hairband, House of Flora, Price on request. Price on request? For a hairband? That’s made of Perspex (is that not just a type of plastic?)? I mean, how much can it be? Usually when it says ‘price on request’ it means ‘if you have to ask, you can’t afford it’. But really, for a hairband?! Perhaps House of Flora are so ashamed they are selling an item for less than £10 (because really, it can’t be more than that, surely?) that they didn’t want to publish the price. Who knows? I tried, unsuccessfully, to find somewhere to request the price online (and a picture, really, it’s only a plastic hairband!) so now we will never know!

Pick of the High Street: Coats at Topshop

After all that snow last week, winter is definitely still with us and that means there’s still call for coats, which is what I am reviewing today. Topshop have come up with some odd pieces for this spring (see the Playsuits section of their website for the biggest crimes against fashion) but this Red Single Breasted Swing Coat is lovely. I always thought swing coats were the very wide ones but this is fitted and looks very flattering. It’s 72% polyester, 28% wool so should keep you warm, and is £75 which I think is quite reasonable for a coat.

Second is this more spring-like Gathered Back Coat. In a gorgeous shade of Aqua it is lighter weight, made of a mix of cotton and linen. It is described as having a gathered hem at the back so without seeing this it makes it difficult to know what they mean by that. Also the double breasted style makes it impractical for those lucky ladies with a fuller bust. It costs £70.

Pick of the High Street: Tops at Dorothy Perkins

Tunics and smocks in bright colours and retro prints are definitely the order of the day for the spring season. And nowhere is this more evident than at Dorothy Perkins. With a large selection of print tunics, such as this Blue and Lime print tunic at just £20, it’s a great place to go to try out this trend at reasonable prices. Wear with jeans and heels or, if you’re felling very bold, over leggings.

For something calmer and more work appropriate, try this Black and White Flower print smock top for £25. It would look fabulous with a black pencil skirt, or a trouser suit.

Outfit: Casual Friday

Denim dress – Miss Selfridge
White long sleeve Favourite T – Gap
Black socks (worn as tights) – Sock Dreams
Red belt – Next
Red ankle boots – Nine West (Century 21)
Red heart pendant – Claire’s Accessories

This Week I Will Be Mostly…

…wearing warm clothes. The snow came!
…reading the March issue of Elle
…watching WAGs Boutique
…eating pizza & lasagne
…shopping my closet for things I’ve not worn for ages

Pick of the High Street – Shoes at Dune

Dune is not somewhere I’ve ever shopped and I think I usually dismiss it as being too expensive. But a quick glance at their website shows that the shoes are not really any more than you would pay at Faith. At £75, this satin covered ‘Chantelle’ shoe with contrast line check pattern would certainly brighten up any outfit, and it’s also available in purple and black.

For a more work appropriate look, this ‘Kangeroo’ pointed Mary Jane in brown is £60.
Dune’s website is well worth a look – the shoes rotate as you hold your mouse over them! They also stock a size 9 (EUR 42) which I never realised so once I can shop again, I will have to check them out properly.

Outfit: No Snow. Again!!

Black pencil skirt – Long Tall Sally
Grey wool rib polo neck sweater – Chainstore seconds shop
Black cotton rich 100 denier tights – ASDA
Red shoes – Next
Red hair flower - Unknown

Outfit: Coffee After Work

I’m meeting friends for coffee after work so going for a less formal look than a suit.

Black & Cream jersey print wrap dress – Dorothy Perkins
Red cotton vest – New Look
Black cotton & cashmere cardi – LTS
Black tights – Silkies
Red shoes - Next

Jeans – Dark Denim, No Fading

This post is especially for my little sister. She is looking for some new jeans and wants some in a dark denim but without any faded patches on the front. Oh and non-stretchy too. So here goes!

Exhibit A
Plain Bootcut Jeans, just £9.50 in M&S (yes I’m loving that store today!)

Exhibit B
Garnet Jeans, £45 at Oasis

Exhibit C
Topaz Tailored Kick Flare Jeans, £45 at Oasis

Exhibit D
Pearl Jeans, £42 at Oasis

Exhibit E
Red Herring X Hatch Jeans, £30 at Debenhams

And really, that’s about all I can find on the high street. All the ones in the right colour and shape (flare or bootcut) at Dorothy Perkins, Topshop, Next, Warehouse and Gap have elastane in them. Not as easy a task as I thought.

Pick of the High Street: Suits at M&S

Good old Marks and Spencer. They can always be relied on for the work basics. But you’d think after all this time in business they’d have learned how to display things properly. No wonder this model doesn’t look happy, her Autograph 3 Button Single Breasted Pin Stripe Suit doesn’t fit her properly (and is also a bit of a mouthful!). I mean, really, how hard is it to get a model who is not several inches too tall for the length of the trousers and so the jacket buttons don’t sit too high on her? If this is what it looks like on I won’t be paying £110 for the jacket and £69 for the trousers.

Now let’s try a skirt suit. This is the Single Breasted One Button Piped Seam Suit and look: it fits the model! Now that wasn’t difficult was it? The jacket is just £45 and the skirt £29.50 and if you buy the two together you can save a tenner. This may be the cheaper suit but to me, it’s definitely the more appealing of the two because of the way it looks on, and the greater imagination that has gone into the detailing.

Be Impressed!

So, my not shopping is going well so far, thanks to the support of some good friends who have even decided to join me! I went out for the day on Saturday with my sister and mum to the local Designer Outlet and I bought nothing. My mum even paid for my lunch as I had driven. Then my sister and I went to the local Next store where I also bought nothing. In fact on Saturday I made a profit of 73p! As all the stores we visited were ones I would not be buying in any more anyway as they don’t stock Tall sizes, it was fairly easy to resist (although we did go in a couple of shoe shops!). I think my will power would have been really tested had we been in Long Tall Sally, or Topshop or Dorothy Perkins. May have to stay away from those for the time being.

Outfit: Red and Black

Black jacket – Long Tall Sally
Black trousers – Long Tall Sally
Red cashmere v neck sweater – George at ASDA
White round neck long sleeve Favourite T – Gap
Red shoes – Next

This Week I Will Be Mostly…

…wearing red shoes
…reading Calendar Girl (the book by the real Calendar Girl that the film was based on)
…watching Sex & The City DVDs. Still. Working my way through them and am on to Season 3
…eating toast and jam. And pancakes.
…shopping my closet (to use a dreadful American expression) to improve my accessorising skills

Pick of the High Street: Boots at Ravel

I love how some stores manage to stock shoes at completely opposite ends of the scale. For example, right now at Ravel, you can get these very sensible ‘Tabatha’ boots, with an almond toe and low heel, available in the ever practical colours brown and black. Also they are sensibly reduced to an affordable £45 in the sale.

But on the other end of the scale, these ‘Taper’ boots are wacky as anything in their loud zebra print. At £75 they certainly make a statement and if the black and white isn’t loud enough for you, they are also available in pink and black.

Pick of the High Street: Skirts at Warehouse

Well, I was going to show you coats at Warehouse today but everything was in grey or black and all parkas or short trenches so there’s not much interest there. Actually, I find Warehouse to be like that quite often, lots of black and white and grey and maybe a few things in one or two colours, pink, blue, teal. So I then moved on to the skirt selection which is also all black with the exception of this monochrome one. It’s £28.
The second pick was this high waisted skirt with braces. Not a style many people could pull off (or want to try to pull off) I would have thought, but they are sold out in sizes 6, 8, and 16. So if you’re somewhere in between those sizes and want one, grab it quickly! £35.

Outfit: Stripy Tights!

Black cotton rib polo neck – M&S
Denim skirt – Tall Girls
Blue and black stripe tights – Topshop
Black Mary Janes – Dolcis

Outfit: Green Tights

Black & cream jersey print wrap dress – Dorothy Perkins
Black cotton vest – Topshop
Green tights – gift from friend (Topshop)
Black brogue style court shoes – Dolcis
Black cardi – Long Tall Sally