If there is one underrated and unfairly maligned item of winter clothing it is the humble pair of leggings. It pays to be careful though (thanks Tokyito). Here’s why we love leggings.

1. Leggings are cheap!
2. They are highly versatile (can be worn under skirts or dresses or with jeans and trousers if its really cold!)
3. Leggings provide an excellent (and warmer) alternative to tights
4. They can be utilised as a component of the layered look that we posted on previously
5. The most practical combination of is probably denim skirt/black leggings/Converse All Star. We have also seen some glamour looks with leggings and high-heels or cowboy boots – a pretty sexy look if you can pull it off.

We can’t recommend leggings highly enough. What do you wear with yours?

Time For a Winter Coat!

This was my mantra this weekend as we in Scotland were hit by a blast of extreme cold weather, nothing unusual in that you may think – however, it is a little earlier than i would normally purchase my cold weather jacket. I had been offered one as a Christmas present, therefore i had a decision to make – get last years out the wardrobe or get one now. Last years was dismissed as an option as soon as i saw the state of what emerged, a dusty old rag that looked well past its sell by date. Off to the High Street to see the winter coat ranges!

In general, there are alot of elegant winter coats on sale this season. I had a totally open mind as to what i was looking for, as long as it was warm and versatile i wasn’t too bothered with the style. Big buttons, belts, clips, patterned wool and big lapels are all common elements amongst this seasons coats. I think that i may have missed the initial delivery in alot of stores as i found that many of the popular sizes (12, 14) were out of stock. Anyway, i tried a few on and made my decision. In the time honoured Cheap Clothes Rule tradition, here’s the list of the coats i tried!

Top Shop – Check funnel coat. This was the first coat i tried. I liked the understated checked pattern and the simple but elegant style. Unfortunately, they only had a 16 in stock and it was just too big for me. Oh well, next!

Peacocks – Tartan Coat. As i always do i popped into Peacocks and had a look. Being a native Scot, i was drawn to the pretty striking range of tartan coats. Although, i liked the fit and the look of the jacket on – i thought that i would think on it and keep looking – maybe go back!

Tartan Coat from Peacocks

Jane Norman – I loved the look of this coat, the scarf over the collar was a great feature. Sadly, neither the 14 or 16 sat correctly – on the 14 the sleeves were too long and the 16 was sticking out too much at the back. Shame.

John Rocha – Loved the colour and fit of this jacket (i love moleskin!) – however, i had some doubts whether it could withstand the harsh scottish winter.

And the winner was! – Dorothy Perkins – This seemed like the best option overall. An elegant cut that can be worn on any occasion, and i loved the belt holder. I went for the Chocolate colour although there are black and maroon versions available.

Dorothy Perkins - My Choice for Winter Coat!

Anyway, that was my shopping excitement this weekend – please let us know what winter coats you are going for this year.

We have posted a couple of times on our love for Jeans, we often wonder how could we live without them? – What would we wear? The alternatives are almost too traumatic to contemplate – Chinos?!, no thanks – pressed, polyester cotton style (Farah’s-eh, nah, im not my dad) – Trackie Bottoms (“i give up”). Anyway, we thought that we would try out this wonderful new Poll feature on WordPress to guage our readers thoughts on the current status of gods own fabric. This poll is for womens jeans, men shouldn’t be afraid to vote either though.

Layering is once again the look of the Autumn here in the UK: Jackets, Leggings, Boots, Knee-Length Skirts, Scarfs, Wooly Hats, Jumpers, T-Shirts, Chunky Socks and anything else that you can get your hands on are all essential elements of the layered style. Layering is so popular as it is extremely versatile and can be adapted to a number of different weather conditions and social occaisions. As there are so many options with cheap clothing nowadays, it is great fun to experiment with different clothes and put together a look, there are a few things to bear in mind however:

• Try not to overdo it! We have seen many examples of over-layering on the streets – with some wearing so much clothing and accessories we have no idea !
• Don’t try and match unrelated patterns or colour combinations – the ideal colours this winter are block-colour earth-tones (Yellows, greens, reds and browns). Patterned long sleeve tops also look great, light stripes or checks are ideal.
• Layer according to your body type – if you are slim then feel free to layer utilising light fabrics – wider body types shouldn’t be so liberal with layers – one or two should be ideal.

Here are some examples of good layering from the fashion world:

Layering from the Catwalk

Good Layering from Romanian Fashion Week

Have you seen any interesting layered looks recenty?, and what celebrities have got this look right?, don’t hesitate to inform us!…………..

For many years celebrities have been sporting cheap clothes. However, the trend now is for celebrities to have their own discount clothing lines. Infact, if you don’t have your own line now all the other celebrities point at you and laugh. Here’s just a few who have lines of their own :

Jessica Alba, Jessica Simpson, Milla Jovovich, Paula Abdul, JLo, Pamela Anderson, Liz Hurley, Elle McPherson, Kate Moss, KanYe West, Eminem, Mariah Carey, P Diddy, 50 Cent, Beyonce, Madonna, Victoria Beckham, Bono, Jay-Z, Kylie, Matthew McConaughey (Wooderson! what happened?) Pete Doherty! – the list is endless.

The real questions are :

• Are these clothes any good and does anyone actually buy them?
• Would you buy clothes just because they were ‘designed’ by a celeb?
• Are there any potential celebs out there who should have their own lines but don’t?
• Where will it all end? – entire movies where the star only appears if everyone wears their label?

Our minds boggle ……..