Winter ‘Scape

Angora Lurex Jumper

Twisted rope necklace

Leather chelsea boots

Reverse Geometric Scarf

A grey winter fashion ‘scape with a splash of neon to distract you – all from the current Cos collection.

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Cos/Ellsworth Kelly/Cos

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COS! I want your many jumpers

Cos has finally launched its online shop, which means I can enjoy its jumper selection from the comfort of my sofa. It’s a particular biannual pleasure of mine to invest in a new Cos jumper, preferably grey or navy; I am definitely a jeans and jumper person. It’s a source of never-ending delight that I can wear this uniform to work and no one thinks it’s weird. Currently I could be in the market for a white or red cable-knit sweater but LET’S NOT GO CRAZY.

Oh lovely lovely jumpers. How could I ever choose between your delightful, dull, woollennesses?

This one with ready-snipped thumbholes, may be my dream jumper. This might test the patience of even my colleagues though. For that reason, the one with a bow wins this time.

Tomorrow: more hot jumper action.

S

Pinky nude and see-through

I have always been a total sucker for the vintage-y, nude tones look in chiffon and silk. I spend a lot of time at home due to the nature of my work/study life and I aspire to spend this time wafting around in gothic white lace dresses and other romantic things (in reality I wear pyjama-bottoms and t-shirts, like everyone else – my current favourites are purple with sheep on). Asos’ “new in” selection is going more Grecian than bridal, and I like the Sophia Kokosalaki feel of this dress.

A compromise between my desire to wear nightwear, lace and the need to actually be in public sometimes might be fed by this skirt:

There is something mildy annoying about clothes that require another whole investment buy though – my Topshop maxi skirt didn’t get worn much last year because it really needed a slip to avoid cling and I never wanted to spend the money on it.

I bought a beautiful nude vest from Cos that is literally completely transparent – it wouldn’t even photograph for the blog. So this required the further purchase of a crop top to wear underneath and after spending around 40 seconds in Topshop I went for this dodgy-looking but surprisingly comfortable leopard-print version:

I recommend this because it’s boned and stretchy. I now wear it under anything a bit see-through because vests can thicken you up but I often find I need something opaque between me and the world.

A more clothing-like option, from Asos again:

I think we’re, as a nation, past the situation that happened in 2009 where trousers were practically abolished and that of the year 2000 where a nightie was an acceptable outfit. I’m definitely a lot less literal about the trends now and as a grown-up lady, prefer to channel high fashion via the magic filter of Cos and Asos, which turn bad ideas into good ideas.

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Back to school

It’s September and that means new stationary and things for “turning over a new leaf” (I wasn’t a model student at actual school and got asked to do this a lot). There is so much I would buy this season if only I had the money, so I’ll have to look at these bits and pieces and dream. Cos seriously needs to start doing a student discount AMIRITE.

For work and uni:

For chilling at home, minus the jacket and shoes and plus a blanket and a laptop (like right now):

I have a skirt a bit like this and it gets a lot of wear despite having a really small waistband - I got it from a charity shop. If I had a version that actually fit me I would probably wear it every day.

Or I could go for something a bit different like this high-waisted bow skirt.  I do adore a colourful, prim look but always fall at the last hurdle of scruffbagness. I would need a blouse to go with this as I am dyed in the wool t-shirt person.

Between scruffbagness and Topshop’s student discount, this looking like a favourite to enter my wardrobe. It’s grey jumper CHECK. It has French writing on it CHECK. If I lose my voice while visiting my boyfriend’s family I can just point at my jumper instead.

I’m pretty miffed to discover the shoes I was planning to save up for at F-troupe are already sold out. And that they are a bit more expensive than I thought, at £99.00. So I’m actually wavering over the issue of loafers, a place I never thought I would go. I need flat shoes and the grandmother chic going around looks really tempting to me. I wouldn’t even be wearing them ironically, it would be as a testament to grandmas, a category of person loved by all, especially me. Sometime I wish I could skip being a parent and go straight to being a grandma.

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Signposts

• Amazing Mad Men cover for Rolling Stone.
• Cos, H&M and Monki all getting online stores at last! From Style Bubble.
• Lanvin are doing a collab with H&M. I’m slightly dubious as ever about these but we’ll see. Also rumoured are Bottega Veneta and Carolina Herrerra.

• Elle’s 25th anniversary issue should be on my mat when I get home. My fingers are crossed for the Helena or Coco covers, please not Kate Hudson. I love Elle but its covers haven’t been so good recently.

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Shops bulletin

S reports back from the shops of London, after a whirlwind Christmas shopping trip.

• Anthropologie is half twee tat and half amazing stuff I would exchange A for in a heartbeat. I really recommend going to have a look; the much hyped plant wall is very nice and oxygenating. When I have loads of money (everything is very pricey) I am going there to buy Ella Moss lace slips, perfect girly dresses and probably some aprons or something.
• Urban Outfitters designer sale currently has half-price APC fleece-lined parkas and little coats. If you can scrape together £180 RUN to the Covent Garden branch and nab one. This is what I would do if I had £180.
• I spent money in Cos even though I don’t have it and justified it as a work expense. As of 1pm this afternoon, Cos remains the best shop ever, edging out Anthro because non-millionaires can afford its goods.
• Liberty is the best department store, hands down. So civilised and with such a nice selection of things, especially the Liberty-print things. Pure class, and all the customers look cool.
• The busiest shop in the whole of London (I have checked them all today) is Cath Kidston, where I dropped a few pennies myself buying things for my lovely sister-in-law and my mum. At this stage, everyone knows it’s the tweest, most middle-class brand on earth and we are over feeling embarassed about it. ***MUM DO NOT READ THIS NEXT PART*** I will not knock any shop that sells cool Nintendo DS covers, for that is what my mum is getting for Christmas. Photos to follow next time I have a day that doesn’t involve 13 hours of work.

Why? Just ‘COS’

I popped into Cos the other day and picked up a copy of their A/W collection magazine. I enjoyed the crisp photography and how it didn’t feel too much like an enormous advert, despite being exactly that. Good content and ample visuals helped on their part, and an inate love for Cos clothes probably helped on my part.

It is an unwieldy A3 format but that didn’t put me off (although I can imagine how it might put me off in the future).

The Front Cover

Cos clothes have a habit of looking a bit rubbish on the hanger and then incredible on the body. Unfortunately, I’m not certain whether this photography really gets across how interesting, yet simple, the clothes are. It certainly does a little bit but not the full glory.

I still haven't seen The September Issue but it is on my Lovefilm list

Sam Taylor Wood is interviewed in the mag.

I’m always a bit sceptical of shop magazines but this is a good ‘un; artistic and without the hard sell.

Accessories

The back cover - The End.

Papier = Paper

I’ve recently become fascinated by different materials. Years of shopping at cheap shops made me believe that all fun clothes were always made in that cotton/viscose/spandex mix but as I’ve gotten older, I’ve finally realised that this isn’t how clothes have to be. And shops like Cos prove that clothes really don’t have to be made of that weird, ugly mix – I bought a great black skirt in the sale yesterday (£25) which is a wonderful shape AND cotton/silk mix (photos coming shortly).

This ongoing fascination with materials makes me want to share this. I first came across this bag from Not Just a Label, and it is made of sterling silver backed paper. And it looks like paper on the outside and it crumples beautifully with age. And it is tear and water-proof. And the description charmingly describes the items as ‘Papier (= paper)’, in admiration of which I’ve named this post.

The pictures on the site show you the bag new, how it is made, the different colours available (white, black, yellow) and most importantly, how it’ll look after you’ve shown it a bit of love and use. I imagine you can also draw on it? I might have to put this on the wishlist.

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Nothing rhymes with purple

But I love it anyway. These are the trousers I am now thinking I will bag from Cos after work. I am envisaging so many purple and pink themed outfits. After a period of desiring only to wear black, grey and navy it seems I am emerging from my cocoon.

And clearly these fine trousers need to be worn with such items as these:

Yellow top from ASOS, pink top from COS. Acronymtastic.

S