Colour block coats

River Island £90

Topshop £110

Warehouse @ Asos £90

ASOS £120

Things that go bump in the night

Zip and skull earrings £8.50 Topshop

slogan tee £18 ASOS

Truly,Madly, Deeply cobweb cut out tee £30 Urban Oufitters

Ironfist gold star platform £69.99 New Look

As comfy as slippers.....

Elle star embroidered slippers £20 Topshop

Vault glitter slipper loafers £20 Topshop

Asos Leo velvet slipper pumps with crest £50

Asos Leo sequin slipper £35

Animal print chain detail slipper £30 River Island

My fashion prayers have been answered with the perfect pair of jeans

Following months and months of searching for a pair of jeans that I can get over my small, but mis-shaped thighs, that are comfy and most importantly don't trail on the floor, and being close to giving up on denim forever, I'm pleased to report my confidence has now been restored in jeans after finding the perfect pair.

Petite Moto Leigh Supersoft Skinny Jeans £38

 Thanks to Topshop's Petite range I can now wear my jeans with pride and not have to worry about them slipping down to below my hips or soaking up the puddles on wet days. So what makes Topshop's Leigh jeans so special? Well they're super soft, stretchy enough so I don't need to worry about overindulging, but not too stretchy that I need to worry about creating unsightly baggy areas around the bottom, the hem of the jeans come to just below my ankles at a 28 inch leg, a rarity, and they come in several on-trend colours including my favourite burgundy, a key shade for Autumn.
 

Topshop I salute you.

Made in Chelsea

Allegra Chelsea platform boots £75 Topshop

Khaki ankle boots £95 River Island

All that glitters-Dorothy eat your heart out!

Amethyst multi glitter boots £70 Topshop

Black glitter peep toe wedges £70 River Island

Behind the scenes at Westfield Stratford

As a self-confessed shopaholic and shopping centre geek, I was so excited to be invited on a behind the scenes tour of Westfield Stratford ahead of the launch on the 13 September.

Stepping outside Stratford station I was taken aback by how large the mall actually is. I'd read about it in magazines and seen adverts on TV, but nothing prepared me for the sheer scale of the 1.9 million square foot centre with three floors of shops and restaurants, retail heaven!

According to the bods at Westfield, the centre will have over 300 fashion, food and lifestyle brands, two supermarkets, two hotels, a 17 screen cinema, 14-lane bowling alley, complete with cocktail bar and restaurant (my three favourite things-bowling, drinking cocktails and bowling) and one of the largest casinos in the country, with two bars, a restaurant and space for performances.

Apparently the design of the mall is based on feedback from the locals, many of whom said they wanted a 'high street' feel to Westfield Stratford, hence the centre's outdoor marketplace, which will house boutique and specialist food stockists, where shoppers can pick up delicious olives and the obligatory cupcake. Restaurants will also line the outside of the centre, with favourites such as Bushbai Eathai, Jamie's Italian, Wahaca and independent eateries including a restaurant owned by an former TV exec, who decided to give it all up to open a Carribean joint.

Westfield Stratford's advertising campaign

Unlike Westfield London, which has a village dedicated to designer brands, the new centre is more mixed, with luxury and high street stores in the same area.

Shops include Primark( over three floors), Topshop, Pandora, River Island, Hollister, Superdry, H&M, Reiss, Zara, just to name a few, and department stores-Marks and Spencers and John Lewis.Some of the Highlights are a huge Forever 21, the second store to come to London, the first ever standalone Kiehl's store and the launch of Tommy Hilfiger Kids.

As if that wasn't enough, throughout the centre are works of art, created as part of the Studio East project led by Tracey Emin, and by top artists. The black tower (below) will be a water feature with a difference, with light effects to create the sense of water, probably a good idea with the British weather.

The tour was also an opportunity to catch a glimpse of the Olympic Stadium, which is literally within touching distance of the mall. For those of you, like me, who failed to get tickets to the Olympics next year, I recommend watching the action from the Marks and Spencers cafe or the glass walled restaurant in the casino.

I know where all my hard earned cash will go come the 13th.

To find out all the latest news, store openings and events at Westfield Stratford visit 

http://www.westfieldstratfordcity2011.com/

Green with envy

Green belted midi skirt £30 River Island

Jersey pencil skirt £25 Topshop

Aaron cardigan £40 ASOS

 

 

Pleated shorts was £35 now £22 ASOS

Begging for dalmatian print

Topshop's dalmatian print, that featured largely in their Autumn/Winter 11 collection at London Fashion Week, has finally started to hit stores. Yes, there is a God, and in the fashion world (high street) his name is Sir Philip Green.

Contrast dalmatian swing coat £98

Madison dalmatian loafers £32

Animal print beaded star tee £32

I wonder if head to toe dalmatian would be considered as taking my love of dogs and all things mutt too far, mmmm.

Get into the groove-Creepers

This Autumn/Winter the creeper is the only shoe to be seen in. In line with the season's seventies trend, these shoes add vital inches and are perfect for petite fashionistas. On trend, and added height, they tick my boxes.

Light grey lace up brogues £40 River Island

Kingston black contrast EVA sole brogues £60 Topshop

 

Miko patent leather lace up creeper brogue £75 ASOS

Underground shoes blue suede creepers £85 Urban Outfitters

Monday's must-haves

Knitted contrast peter pan collar top £36 Topshop

Knitted swan motif cardigan £44 Topshop

Black dalmatian print scarf £22 River Island 

Wednesday's must-have

I've fallen in love with this jade green playsuit from Toppers, which will take me from Summer through to Autumn. I'll be teaming it with espadrille's or gladiators for day during the warmer months, and in Winter, adding sheer black tights and green stilettos.

Green conversational animal print playsuit £50 Topshop.

Topshop's pre fall 11 collection

While everyone is donning playsuits and ditsy dresses and thinking about their holiday wardrobe, I have been getting excited about the arrival of Topshop's pre-fall collection next week. I only have pencil skirts, faux far, fitted boy-ish trousers in mustard, orange and flame red on my mind.

Sock it to me

You can tell the type of person by the socks they wear, or so I like to tell people. Me, I like to co-ordinate my footwear to my outfit, which is probably why I have a drawer full to the brim of SOCKS, from lacy ones, frilly coloured ankle socks to crazy pop art patterned ones and knee highs, don't let anyone tell you socks are a stocking filler!
So when I saw Topshop have a new 'services' sock collection I thought all my Christmases had come at once. With their Navy Policeman and Red Soldier Face ankle socks (£3.50ea), the law will always be by my side.

  

Inside Topshop's Secret Store

Topshop's London flagship store has gone green this summer with it's pop up Wild at Heart florist, created by designer Meadham Kirchhoff.

Behind a curtain of floral arrangements lies a treasure trove of limited edition jewellery from the likes of Pamela Love, Nazir Mazhar and Meadham Kirchhoff.

Inside the store, reminiscent of the bygone era, are rails filled with Topshop's Boutique designs which never made it to production, along with one off designer jewellery at high street prices, with ceramic bejewelled crowns from milliner Nazir Mazhar, a net bag by Emma Cook, Michael Van der Ham's velvet wedge sandals, to die for, and heavy costume jewellery by Pamela Love from her Aztec collection, half of which is already sold out.

Inside the store, reminiscent of the bygone era, are rails filled with Topshop's Boutique designs which never made it to production, along with one off designer jewellery at high street prices, with ceramic bejewelled crowns from milliner Nazir Mazhar, a net bag by Emma Cook, Michael Van der Ham's velvet wedge sandals, to die for, and heavy costume jewellery by Pamela Love from her Aztec collection, half of which is already sold out.

My favourite pieces? Pamela Love's Gold Aztec Inspired Ring (£50), only 200 have been made, and Meadham Kirchhoff's mixed jewellery packs at £80, which have already sold out, Ebay here I come.

My favourite pieces? Pamela Love's Gold Aztec Inspired Ring (£50), only 200 have been made, and Meadham Kirchhoff's mixed jewellery packs at £80, which have already sold out, Ebay here I come.

 My favourite pieces? Pamela Love's Gold Aztec Inspired Ring (£50), only 200 have been made, and Meadham Kirchhoff's mixed jewellery packs at £80, which have already sold out, Ebay here I come.