Dispatches: Fashion's Dirty Secret

I've just come back from a romantic trip to Venice and I was planning on putting up a few outfit posts and general holiday snaps but instead I thought I would write about what I'm currently watching, which is arguably more important than me prancing around in front of the Rialto bridge.

After getting back from the airport minus M, who has gone off on a business trip to Germany, I thought I would catch up on some telly when I came across Dispatches: Fashion's Dirty Secret. The documentary, which aired last week, investigates the working conditions in UK factories that supply the likes of New Look, Topshop and Peacocks (these links will take you to the ethical polices for each brand).

From what I'm seeing the main issues seem to be subcontracting within approved supply chains and while the point of the documentary is to be 'hard hitting', having seen documentaries like this before, I am not as shocked as I should be that this kind of labour is taking place in Britain.

Most savvy shoppers will have seen the likes of BBC Three's Blood, Sweat & T-Shirts and be aware that cut-price fashion can come at a cost. I wrote a post about cheap frills myself earlier this year and have become increasingly aware that in the fashion industry, words like 'ethical' and 'organic' are bounced around with little care.The shock factor with this film is that the long hours, poor working conditions and barely-there wages are happening to workers in Leicester.

Most of the brands approached for a comment either denied all knowledge of the work and/or agreed how it contravened their ethical trading policies. It's hard to love high street when a programme like this shoots down brands such as New Look, which I had always naively assumed was sounds its fashion responsibilities.

Take a look and see for yourself what the real cost of a £25 jumpsuit or Breton t-shirt is and have a read of Ethical Trading Initiative website where there are details on New Look's reaction and response to the film.

Clothes Swap treasures

Apologies for the slacking that has occurred recently - a freelance project has been taking up a lot of my time and when I'm not working the weather has just been too damn lovely to stay inside and blog!

I thought it was about time that I showed off the treasures I found at last weekend's Freakin' Fashion Fair Yeah, using the gorgeous afternoon sunlight as a backdrop. First up is the fantastically kitsch print dress which I think, if the polyester count is anything to go by, is from the 70s. It has a couple of stains and a funky smell to it but is looking much better after a gentle wash.

At present the length is down to my calves, making me look like a midget so I'm planning on chopping off a few inches and using the cut-off as a headband.

Next up is this green woolen shrug from Topshop. This kind of shape isn't normally my thing but I was drawn to the colour and the random lace patterns, which look rather similar to my own haphazard knitting samples from my time at university.



The jury is still out on this grey wool round neck jumper from French Connection. There is beading around the neckline and seams which I don't particularly like but it does fit well and is the perfect shade of grey.

I will take some more photos once I've styled each piece up and done a little tweaking...

All the fun of The Fair

What a weekend - yesterday I not only scored some bargains at the Freakin' Fashion Fair Yeah, but also found a wedding dress the same day (though not at the same event). More on the dress later but here are a few snaps taken from the fair.

Bunting makes everything better. Fact.

A beautiful selection of vintage beaded bags and a vanity set

Raiding the rails - the clothes swap was a little slow to start with but picked up by the afternoon

The sun was shining at Hamilton House, where the fashionable fair was held

My friend Amy B found a lovely cream dress, originally from Urban Outfitters, for £6 and an awesome vintage white bag for a fiver. A little rough a round the edges, the bag redeemed itself by having lots of little compartments and pockets, perfect for all the highly necessary items us girls carry around with us on a daily basis.

I found some fantastic pieces in the Clothes Swap upstairs, exchanging a vintage blouse, Primark dress and handkerchief skirt for a grey French Connection round neck jumper, a dusty green knit cardie from Topshop and a fantastic vintage polyester floral dress.

The floral pattern is a tiny cluster of purple and blue cornflowers repeated all over the dress. There are pleats running from an empire line. At present it is too long and in need of a wash but after I've taken some Persil and a pair of scissors to it I'll post some pictures.

Birthday Treat

My 25th birthday is coming up and this Saturday I'm going to a electro-swing/jazz/circus/burlesque night at The Island which, once upon a time, used to be an old fire station in Broadmead. The night promises to be full of fishnets and top hats and as an early birthday present M has treated me to a new dress for the occasion.

This cream lace shift dress comes from A Wear, a fantastic brand that started in Ireland and is now at Cabot Circus. Some items can be a bit hit and miss but there are some hidden gems such as this dress, that always draw me in to the store.

As well as black fishnet stockings and gold tap shoes, I'll be pairing the dress with an over-sized black bow necklace from American brand Hot Topic, and a black tux with tails from Topshop Boutique, circa 2008.

Blog of The Week: Bargainista Fashionista

For the first Blog of The Week of 2010 I was won over by a teddy bear, or rather a teddy bear beanie hat to be precise. Bargainista Fashionista caught my eye in Sunday's Observer Magazine as part of a 'New Year, New You style feature called 30 Ways To A Better Life, which is definitely worth a read if you're stuck for a New Years resolution.

Anywho, there was Susie Wong in the cutest woolly hat I've seen all season (from River Island in case you're interested), chatting about her blog and how to be a savvy shopper on the high street. The concept of her blog is simple: bargains on the high street in 'real time' - if Susie blogs about it on her lunch break then you can guarantee it will still be there by the time you finish work.

The reason this blog works is because the fashion on show is accessible to everyone. High street, eBay and etsy pieces crop up and River Island, Topshop and New Look all make regular appearances. Susie's genuine passion for fashion extends past item must-haves to how one could where the pieces and what trends they go well with, and of course, every post is about what is in stores NOW, this very second.

The only downside of reading this blog is the likely hood that you will turn into a raging shopaholic...

NYE in style

Above: A, post-midnight, in her gorgeous Topshop dress. Hats are model's own...

Yes, I know I'm a it slow on this but in between all the packing, moving, unpacking and cleaning, I’ve hardly had time to think about New Years Eve. Fortunately F’s party came up trumps, not only for a rather hangover-inducing night, but also for cracking outfits.

A, a creative kindred spirit with whom I have a market stall at STB, was rocking a beautiful pale pink dress from Topshop, above. With tiers of black lace and teamed with black opaque tights, A looked gorgeous. Gold and pink party hats complimented the look...

Steve, pre-midnight, looking rather dapper in handmade tank and striped shirt combo

Another shout-out should go to Steve, of Hynd's blog, for his creative and original outfit. Steve isn’t always as eccentric as his red and white striped shirt paired with aqua blue tank would suggest, but he can always be relied upon for a good party outfit. I believe he borrowed the knitted tank from his father, (handmade by his mum), the shirt is his own, as are the jeans. I can only wonder about the navy blue duck tie...

Regular posts to come once internet/new flat situation has been resolved...

Epic photos courtesy of F and R.

Cabot Circus Fashion Show

A new season in fashion is marked by events across the fashion capitals of the world. Although London Fashion Week has just ended, Bristol is catching up with shows across the city, from Stokes Croft to Cribbs Causeway. This weekend the fashionable folks at Cabot Circus are kicking things off...

A year ago today Cabot Circus opened it's doors to the public and as press I was lucky enough to watch the celebratory events unfold. One year on and Cabot Circus are celebrating with two days of catwalk shows, make-up demonstrations, competitions and give-aways. Today I went down to see the first of several catwalk shows taking place over the next two days and got a front row seat to see what the stores will be showcasing this season.

The show focused on five popular trends; biker chic, knitwear, countryside tweeds, 1940s and the the ever popular decade on the high street: electric 80s. First up were the biker models. Despite clothes from Guess, New Look, G-Star and French Connection, almost all the looks were styled with black wet-look leggings and biker boots. Nothing wrong there but it would have been nice to see a twist on this popular look. A studded black cardigan from French Connection was a highlight, as was the biker jacket from New Look, with it's studded shoulders, see below.

The knitwear portion of the show was fairly commercial, with looks to cater for all members of the audience, from students and young mums to middle aged women and businesswomen on their lunch break. The stand-out model was dressed by River Island, who have gone down a more edgy, expressive route in the last two years. The chunky bright necklace and fuchsia pink ankle boots gave more individuality to the look.

I particularly liked the 'Tweed and Tails' look that came next; with a mix of checks, tweeds and knits that echoed farmers wives and horse riding in the country. The stylists had paired tweed with tweed in the form of skirt/trouser suits but I would have liked to have seen a mix of layers to show how a fitted tweed jacket could enhance a number of more casual outfits such as skinny jeans or tea dresses for example.

To interject a dose of excitement the models performed dances with one another while parading down the catwalk and during the 'Fabulous Forties' section I was quite concerned that one model was showing off more than just her clothes! Luckily the model in question was wearing quite a fitted skirt but it goes to show that in shows like this it is not always wise to go for a front row seat! Once again many of the looks were very commercial but a pink feather shawl from Topshop (layered over a Kate Moss tea dress) proved that you can find unique, quality and on trend pieces for a reasonable price on the high street.

A surprise hit for me was the Dynasty-inspired finale. I'm not normally one for the 80's trend but there were some gorgeous shoes, jumpsuits and dresses on show from Topshop, Reiss, River Island and Karen Millen. My favourite item which is already on my Christmas wish list is a cropped sequined jacket from Dorothy Perkins - gorgeous! Below are some shots of the show - unfortunately mostly the later half as I spent ages sorting out the settings on my camera.

If you're interested in seeing the fashion show then get down to Cabot Circus tomorrow for more shows, give-aways and demonstrations, or click here for more info.

Christopher Kane @ Topshop

Ooh, its that time of year for another celebrity designer to offer up their creations to Topshop customers. This season Christopher Kane is doing the honours and I am love love loving this crocodile tank top for £60. Pricey but when you consider his ape t-shirts from his RTW collection go for more than double that, it's actually not too bad!

Kane sprung into the world of fashion before even finishing his Central St Martins degree after winning a host of awards and setting up his own label in 2006. He started working with Topshop in 2007 and this his third Autumn/Winter range for the company. Normally known for his feminine, body conscious silhouettes and use of fabrics though this season he seems to have gone down a more masculine route as most of the pieces in his Topshop collection are all studs and rivets, dark colours and simple outlines. I'm not hugely into rivets but the prints are gorgeous!

Both the Cabot Circus and Cribbs Causeway stores have a limited to stock so be prepared to bare your teeth if you want one of these pieces!