Knock-Off Fashion

Today I finally met The Magazine Man. I don't want to get him in trouble, but for those that don't know, Magazine Man loiterers around the Bear Pit at the bottom of Stokes Croft, selling magazines at suspiciously cheap prices to passers by.

Previously only a rumor and subject of speculation, I was skeptical as to whether or not such a man existed. M and some other friends have told me about this vendor, as they are well aware of how magazines, fashion magazines in particular, are like crack to me. At the moment I'm forced to buy various publications on rotation each month, but if I had my way I would hold subscriptions to just about every glossy going.

So, when I heard about this mythical creature selling discounted magazines I was curious to say the least. And sure enough, alongside the likes of More and Reveal, there they were; Marie Claire, Grazia, Look and Elle. But Magazine Man was not the man I had pictured in my fantasies - no top hat, no jolly expression, no shouting 'roll up, roll up!' or handing out balloons to small children. In his place was a scruffy, shifty eyed tramp, who was obviously not selling these magazines because he was morally outraged at their RRP.

My eyes lingered over the titles as he slid up to me to let me know his latest deals. I didn't have any cash on me but decided to walk away anyway, unable to get my head around why I hadn't pounced on those glossy fashion bibles. He wasn't there when I came back after meeting S and when I mentioned my reluctance to purchase, she came out with a surprisingly truthful comment; "We buy knock-off fashion all the time" she said, "buying a cheap fashion magazine is no different from shopping for cheap fashion at Primark".

Like most girls I know my wardrobe is 50% cheap-as-chips fashion, 50% God-bless-the-credit-card fashion

This got me thinking about knock-off fashion and it's place in society. Knowingly buying fake designer goods is different from a splurge in shops like Primark but while not exactly a taboo any more, cheap clothes still come with a hefty price tag. Mass production, dodgy labour and production, excessive spending and increased textile waste are all a result of our desire to have the latest catwalk imitation right now.

In recent years documentaries such as Blood, Sweat and T-Shirts have highlighted how little most British consumers know about where their cheap-as-chips fashion comes from. Thanks to the spotlight on climate change retailers are starting to introduce ethically friendly policies and the recession has almost certainly been a factor in the increase of attendance at sewing workshops and vintage fairs. But there is still an obsession with catwalk copies at knock-off prices and I don't see this changing any time soon.

So how can you look achingly on trend without breaking the bank or contributing to child labour? Simple: do your research, make do and mend instead of throwing away perfectly good clothes, shop at vintage stores/jumble sales/charity shops and have a go at making your own clothes - you might be surprised at how satisfying it is once you get past managing to thread a needle without pricking yourself to death.

For more information about ethical fashion on the high street check out the Ethical Fashion Forum and for details of Primark's ethical trading initiative click here.

Cabot Circus Spring/Summer Show pt. 2

Here are a few more snaps from the Spring/Summer fashion show at Cabot Circus yesterday, take on my Canon 450D and the good old point and shoot Olympus Tough, thanks to Amy B.

'Boho Chic' is no longer about floaty skirts and earth colours, as Urban Outfitters shows.

A white polka dot dress from James Lakeland is perfect for summer. Image courtesy of Amy B.

Denim shorts are updated with boyfriend blazers and boater hats.

The sun and blue skies accessorise the 'Mid America' line dancing. Image courtesy of Amy B.

Ship-Shape loves nautical from River Island and Wallis. Image courtesy of Amy B.

Strike a pose: Military vogue from House of Fraser.

A model dances her way through the double denim look. Image courtesy of Amy B.

Towering heels and short hemlines courtesy of A Wear, Ted Baker and Jones.

Cabot Circus Spring/Summer pt. 1

The fashion season has well and truly hit Bristol and this weekend is the turn of Cabot Circus to show us what we should be wearing this Spring. And Spring has well and truly sprung as shoppers crowed into the sunlit centre of Cabot - with a ceiling of blue skies lighting up the bright white catwalk outside House of Fraser.

After the success of their anniversary catwalk show in September, the fashionable brains at Cabot enlisted the help of stylist Ricky Partner to create the two shows that will rotate across the next two days, while choreographer Vicki Jackson ensured the models had the necessary moves to wow the crowds.

With scenes such as 'floral', 'mid America' and 'Italian Riviera' there were many trends to get through to what perhaps could have been one hour long show was split into two shorter segments, advertised as Show A and Show B. My stylish stallholder chum Amy accompanied me to Show A and we were treated to the best nautical, floral and boho chic looks from the likes of Ted Baker, A Wear, Urban Outfitters and River Island.

Men, women and kids were catered for, as were the diverse clientele of shoppers. I'm a bit of a sucker for the nautical trend which ticked all the boxes but I was pleasantly surprised at the 'Boho Chic' scene from Urban Outfitters, New Look and Dorothy Perkins. I was expecting the maxi skirts and off-shoulder tops circa 2004 but this new take on Sienna Miller's favourite fallback was refreshingly modern, with plenty of denim and boyfriend blazers thrown in for good measure.

The 'Mid America' and denim scenes were rather bland and could have benefited from more diversity and accessories but the geek chic scene was spot on, with heavy, black rimmed glasses and nervous, awkward expressions to compliment the buttoned up shirts and prim blouses.

This season Cabot Circus have gone for quality over quantity and while merging both shows might have been a little too long for the average shopper, it would have been great to see more trends per show without having to come back at a later time. However this did give us the opportunity to explore more of the offers and talks within the 'fashion and beauty playground' in neighbouring Quakers Friars.

If you want to be part of the action then head down today or tomorrow for catwalk shows, competitions and talks - all for free! For more info and show times, click here.

Nautical but nice: models show of their moves in this season's cream and navy combo

The men were kept in the loop with the 'Mid America' look from Guess, Republic and Urban Outfitters

Bold colours and patterns characterise the floral trend, courtesy of Monsoon and Ted Baker

Clear blue skies provide the perfect accompaniment to the florals scene

Urban Outfitters show how to do the new 'Boho Chic' with cut-off denim, floral prints and leather ankle boots

Models get the double denim treatment from Zara, Next, Reiss and Dorothy Perkins

Peaches and cream: 'Beauty and the Geek' for guys and girls. Accessorise with heavy black rimmed glasses

Ted Baker, Fred Perry and A Wear tackle geek chic with checked shirts and demure blouses

Military looks by House of Fraser

When Ship-Shape Met Sketchbook...

I've just come back from a fantastically sunny day trip to London, and have managed to fit in plenty of stylish sightseeing in, as well as enjoying a girls day out with some old friends. Sights to see included a trip to Selfridges for the The Girls, Paper Eaters exhibition and the 'for sale' wall by Supermarket Sarah.

First stop though, was a visit to the pop-up 'shop' by Sketchbook Magazine for a talk by Amelia Gregory. Amelia is the creator of the visual feast that is Amelia's Magazine, a bi-annual publication that ran in print from 2004 to 2009, and now takes the form of a website and blog.

Sketchbook are in week three of a four week run of lectures, workshops, sample sales and exhibitions, in their shop just off Carnaby Street. This week the exhibition was the cover illustrations by the gifted John-Paul Thurlow, whose work featured on the most recent cover of Sketchbook - The Fashion Blogger Issue.

As we were ushered downstairs to take our seats I felt all eyes were assessing the competition: the young, fashionable elite have been attending talks like this and with our leather jackets and chunky knit jumpers, we are all competing for a place in the fashion magazine industry.

After everyone had taken their seats Amelia introduced herself and talked at length and speed about the history of Amelia's Magazine and her ideas for the future. She provided tips on how to get ahead within the magazine and business industries and inspired everyone with the answers to her questions (though unfortunately it seems well placed connections are the be-all and end-all in this industry).

After wondering around Carnaby Street and taking an obligatory trip to the haberdashery department in Libertys, I took a trip to Selefridges to see the Paper Eaters exhibition. Andrea Blood and Zoe Sinclair are The Girls, the artistic duo behind the exhibition, The Paper Eaters: Long Live The Photo-Story! and they have covered Selfridges Ultralounge in homage to paper. Old typewriters, paper lanterns, neon pink netting and paper dolls adorned the the walls and as I wondered through the maze of magazines and hanging installations an editorial meeting was taking place.

It felt like the whole city was alive with creativity and style today and as we rounded the trip off with a trip to Portobello Market I couldn't help craving one of the little coloured terraced houses to call home. The quirky jewelery, vintage and antique shops could easily swallow up a month's wages and the chilled out vibe was the perfect accompaniment to a summery afternoon. I wish my trips to London were so few and far between but know that now I'm home I'll have to take solace in the colourful terraced houses of Bristol, and of course the cider, which really is the perfect accompaniment to a sunny afternoon!

Something for the weekend...

This weekend sees the return of the Cabot Circus Fashion Show which I had the fortune of attending last September. The host of events taking place throughout Cabot and Quakers Friar are free to all visitors, with competitions, makeovers and catwalk shows taking place across Friday 16th and Saturday 17th April.

Cabot Circus has only been open for 18 months but it has already made its mark on the South West fashion scene, with high profile stores such as Harvey Nichols, American Apparel and Kurt Geiger taking their place alongside the usual high street suspects such as Oasis, Next, Topshop and House of Fraser.

The A/W anniversary show was fantastic fun and I'll be taking my new camera down to capture the action. If you're still unsure of what you should be wearing this Spring or just fancy a fun afternoon and lots of discounts and goodies then check out the Cabot Circus website for show times and details. To read the Ship-Shape post on the last Cabot Circus show then click here.

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.

Fashion: The years that time remembered

I find there is something rather fascinating about the humble pound shop (just go with me on this one). The peculiar gadgets, the oddball clientele and the sheer volume of products one can purchase for £1. OK so more often than not most of the stuff is rubbish but occasionally, if you look hard enough, you'll come across a little gem in the entertainment section.

At the weekend I found this Cosmopolitan annual type book and I've found it hard to put down! The Best of Cosmopolitan: The 70s & 80s, apparently £15.99 in most good bookshops, is and archive of British Cosmo, from its early days where Micheal Parkinson was considered something of a sex god, to the fashions that time really should have forgot.

Whats worse is that so many of these obvious fashion faux pah's are now seemingly familiar; the skater skirt, the harem pants and oh, the leggings - American Apparel must get a lot of their inspiration from relics like this!

Fashion of the 80's: Emanuel, Liberty and Anna Beltrao

Apparently the 80's was the era of the TCM: the Truly Caring Male

There is only one thing worse than an orange jumpsuit and that's Vidal Sassoon as a Naked Centrefold! (Be grateful I've spared your eyes...)

A feature on New York's famous roller disco, The Roxy