Once again, with a few choice items, Topshop has broken my heart

Hurry up and get to the US already!. I probably won't be back in the UK until next April, and these things will all be gone by then!

Yet another reason that I'm moving to England (eventually)

I do adore shoes. I've never considered myself specifically a shoe person, but other people certainly do--my freshman year roomate forbade me from buying any more shoes sometime in March of our freshman year (and I don't blame her--they were taking over the room), a good friend of mine once christened me "Imelda," and one day in rehearsal, when our director mentioned a former student who had 200+ pairs of shoes, amidst shocked cries of "excess!" and the like, one voice rang out, "How many pairs of shoes do you have again, [Principessa]?" Ouch.

So, I've tried to cut back on the shoes. It hasn't been too difficult. Were I back in London, however, I might be having worse problems. Topshop, Office, and Faith were all frequent indulgences for me, and now, I'm regretting having missed Terra Plana. Terra Plana is a sustainable, innovative shoe company that tries to be ethical in all levels of production, and uses completely earth-friendly materials in its production (think recycled material, chemical-free, etc.) Furthermore, their shoes are awesome. The pictured pump reminds me of Marc Jacobs petal-heel shoes, but more creative (sorry, Marc!). The flat makes me think that I just might need another pair of black flats. Plus, it's just awesome that, through buying shoes, you can help save the planet.

But then, the fact that they don't seem to be available stateside is saving my wallet.

Armwarmers galore

I like armwarmers. I have two pairs, and while I can't wait for spring, I must admit, I'll be sorry to bid my armwarmers goodbye. I have a grey pair and a green pair, and it's a good combo--one pair is neutral, the other pair, not so much. Still, I recently saw a streetstyle shot from London (once again--Oooh, how I miss thee!) of a girl who had a pair of purple fairisle--fairisle!--armwarmers peeking out from her jacket. It wasn't precious, it was punk. Sort of. It was cute, it was fresh, and it was quite desireable. I bought both of my pairs of armwarmers while I was in London, so I don't know where to go here in the US to get a pair--save, of course, Etsy!

If you're not familiar with Etsy--get familiar. It's a place where crafters can sell their wares on their own. I know I sound like a broken record, but it's great because you're not just feeding money to corporate America. I had a hunch that some Etsy seller somewhere would be making armwarmers, but little did I know that I would be presented with the best selection ever! There were desireable pairs on the first page, but it just got better and better as I went.

I mean, it's hard to go wrong with stripes. Then again, the crocheted pair is surprisingly badass for a craft that's normallly so precious. And the grungy green is surpsingly appealing. Still, my heart going to the pair that reflects it: the adorable pair of heart-print "gauntlets," made my a seller who makes tons of other scrumptious pairs as well. So, go to Etsy, search for armwarmer, and if you're so inclined, shop without guilt!

Christopher Kane (for real, not Topshop)

Two posts in a row on the same topic? Sacrilege! Actually, they're not quite on the same topic, since this one's about Christopher Kane's show in London Fashion week. I really liked this:

I really didn't like this:

And that about sums it up. Although, I guess that his final mini dress was pretty damn cute, too:

Christopher Kane, blah, blah, blah. . . ok, well, maybe he deserves some of the hype. . .

Christopher Kane for Topshop. Christopher Kane for Topshop. Christopher Kane for Topshop. Christopher Kane for Topshop.

Ok, now that we've talked about it, can we change the subject?

I was really excited to hear about Marios Schwab for Topshop, since I've loved all his shows and his Alaia-esque body-hugging collections. Unfortunately, I was a little disappointed by the collection itself. Now that I'm back stateside, I could only look at it online, which I'm sure can't be the full collection, and probably doesn't do it justice. Still, judging by the Christopher Kane pieces that they put online, his collection is, ok, fine, I admit it. . . better. It just looks far more individual--you can see the designer in it, and at our crappy exchange rate, it's definitely more worth the price. I don't need to show you, since every other fashion blog has already done so (but if you haven't seen it, here you go). I only wish that there was more Marios Schwab worth showing. . . I mean, I'm sure that the whole collection is better than the few pieces they put online. Until they put up more (I hope), I'll be contented to show you this image:


and saying that I really wish I could see someone wear it. It's plain, but I bet it looks hot on.

Know what I miss? Primark!

Know why? Because I got shoes that are pretty much this shoe there:

But mine were only £12. These ones, from Urban Outfitters, are $48.

Oh dear

I love Topshop. Really, I do. They've earned my loyalty forever (and a lot of my money as well). But. . .



No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. No.

Tea time!

I had some errands to run today, so I had the pleasure of walking miles to my car (parking at my school = not good) in the freezing cold. It was snowing a little when I left, but as I was driving home, it really started coming down. I suppose I should feel lucky that I didn't have to drive long in the blizzard, but instead, I chose to sulk as I walked the miles back to my dorm. As I approached main campus, there was one desire in my mind: tea.

Now, I know this is a fashion blog, and a phrase that begins with "one desire" is usually followed by "a pair of Saddlelite jeans," but I promise, this does have to do with fashion. Teen Vogue (shut up, I like it) had a cute little spread on teens having tea parties in their last issue, and it made a good point: sometimes, it's nice to take some time out of your (freezing cold) day just to hang out with good friends and drink some hot beverage. Tea being the posh old institution that it is, it's also a good opportunity for a little bit of a fashion show.

After all, where do you think the term "tea-length dress" comes from? Teatime is an opportunity to make yourself look nice and a bit formal, but in a relaxed, easy way. I say "relaxed" and "easy" because it's important to look ladylike at teatime--it's certainly not eveningwear, and it's hard to make eating a crumbly cream scone look sexy. So, there are a lot of lovely little dresses out there that aren't meant to be worn out to the clubs, but aren't exactly meant for class, either, and I'd like to point a few out.

If you're on a tight budget, this dress by Necessary Objects would be a good choice. It's cute, it has a nice, unpretentious amount of detail, it's probably comfortable as can be, and furthermore, you could wear it over jeans for a casual look. Lots of bang for your buck.

A slightly showier option is this shift from Topshop. It's making me regret coming back to the states (reason #1253. . .), because I love the simple shape and complex pattern, the color palette is to die for, and it's just really, really, really divine. Of course, if I had this, I would wear it everywhere, so it might get a little shabby for tea, but hey, I could throw a bohemian, avant-garde tea, and I would fit right in. So there.

Finally, if you're willing to drop a little cash, this Marc by Marc Jacobs dress is the definition of lovely. I assume that most of you who are reading this can see it, so you can see why it's so lovely, and you don't need me to explain. Mmmm. Lovely.

But I must admit, when I get all my friends together in my room for afternoon tea (sometime!), I'll be wearing the typical college student uniform of a tee shirt (tea shirt?) and jeans. Hey, a good hostess would never make her guests uncomfortable.

But do I really need yet another pair of boots?

I used to find them ugly.

Then, I started thinking that they were hopelessly '80s.

Later, I thought they were somehwat intriguing, but equally trendoid.

But now I've broken down. London has me legitimately wanting my very own pair of ankle boots.