ThriftMyStyle......Doing it Kenneth Cole Style

A couple of weeks ago was New York Fashion Week and one of the collections to catch my eye was by Kenneth Cole whose designs for Autumn/Winter 2013 are not only uber stylish but totally wearable. 

The collection featured charcoal grey, black, metallics, teal, oxblood and olive for the next winter season. 

Fabrics were also mixed and matched-velvet, tweed, wool, leather and shearling were all featured and layered up to produce different textures within outfits. Double breasted style coats, knits and leather trousers were all covetable separates that will be great style investments and certainly provide solid style inspiration for Winter-I also love how his elbow length leather gloves feature in different colours over different coats and jackets to give individual, layered styling. Here are my favourite picks of his runway collection:

A teal coloured hat brings a chic touch of colour

An easy metallic knit is perfect over grey mannish trousers and those gorgeous peep toe boots

Olive and teal in different textures

Oxblood is a perfect understated colour for layering

Olive military layered with black biker continues to be in trend for next winter

Double breasted grey wool is an inspiring smart look

Colour three ways-tan, teal and olive

Oxblood texturized-silk, wool and leather

Definitely one of my favourite collections from New York Fashion Week-not only inspiring for the use of colours and different textures combined but easy key pieces that can be adapted for trans-seasonal dressing.

A key item that has been lacking in my wardrobe is a classic double breasted style coat, so after looking most of Autumn and Winter I was really pleased to recently find this Kenneth Cole one in black lambswool and cashmere.

I was fortunate to find it in a neighbouring towns Scope charity shop for only £16!! I think you'd be hard pushed to find a winter coat in Primark for that price and that would be man made materials too.

Being in pure lambswool and cashmere has made it such a luxury daytime coat to wear and the cut and fit are just perfect too-it is a USA size 8 which is a UK 12, just right for me:

As I said before I was even looking online and in the shops at full price and sale coats, but everything I saw had a very low-if at all wool content. For me, quality is key, regardless of price and I would rather go without than buy something of an inferior quality that won't last and will just look cheap.

So this was my bargain of the month and I'm sure it will be a firm style staple in my wardrobe plus keeping me cosy in the bargain-what's been your best buy of the month so far?

New Spring boots by Wanted Shoes, Australia

Now Spring seems to be heading our way, if you're in need of some women's boots inspiration then look no further than Australian brand, Wanted Shoes.

If you live there then this is your one stop online shop for some really stylish and up to the minute trend led boots. Here are the pick of my favourite ones, which feature this seasons favourite trends of studs, cut out detailing, bright colour and metal hardware heels:

Kirsty by Urge, $189.95

Adana by Bonbons, $119.95

Isabella by Siren $179.95

Sonia by Urge $179.95

I hope these picks give you some stylish ideas if you are looking for some new boots this season!

Visiting London Fashion Week

Hi everyone! This week is of course London Fashion Week , with over 56 catwalk shows and 20  presentations taking place and over 120 UK and International emerging and established designers showing at The Exhibition-certainly this is a very exciting and innovative time for all concerned!

 

Living only 40 minutes away by car or train, I thought I would go get my exhibition pass on Friday, do some people watching and pop into Oxford Street for some shopping too. Yesterday I had been  invited to attend the Bloody Gray designer showcase of film and installation so myself, eldest son and husband drove down and parked up at the Embankment for the afternoon at Somerset House.

 

 

 

I wore a B-Side satin varsity jacket, River island faux leather panelled leggings, black stud boots from PrettyLittleThing.com, thrifted Marks and Spencer black crepe and satin shirt, Chanel handbag

 

 

 

My invite, blogger exhibition pass and my goody bags

 

 

The Bloody Gray interactive digital AW13 presentation is featuring British and International designers. Martina Spetlova, Jane Bowler, Jayne Pierson, Tom Van Der Borght, Bas Kosters and Barbara Alan are showcasing their collections in an interactive digital environment:

 

 

On the first floor in the Portico Rooms was a perfect pitstop to people watch whilst enjoying a glass of champagne!!!

 

It's always great when you see and meet people too-my eldest son Chris the photographer on the left and his good friend,  freelance stylist Rickardo Mattocks-Maxwell were in attendance yesterday.

 

I was beyond pleased to finally meet the wonderful Pearl Westwood  and her lovely friend Lawrence. Pearl is in full attendance at London Fashion Week for TK Maxx and Style etc magazine- you must check out her style blog for the best up to date LFW news, street style shots, shows and 'what Pearl wore'-she continually looks dynamite in her Vivienne Westwood outfits!! 

 

 

For me, London Fashion Week attendance was a lovely experience to people watch, watch the presentation that I'd been invited to, have a leisurely browse and refreshments at Somerset House and generally breath in the fantastic atmosphere of everything going on! I so admire the press, buyers and bloggers who attend all the shows, you certainly need endurance and stamina and it is of course a truly amazing experience to be part of it- I had my little slice which was  more than good enough for me!!

 

I am linking my LFW outfit post to the lovely Patti at Not Dead Yet Style. I hope you all had a great weekend and have a lovely week ahead!

Thrift Inspiration..........Doing it Asprey style

A structured handbag should be a must have for any woman's wardrobe-they add a chic look to any outfit, giving it a more formal air without looking like you've tried too hard.

Asprey's of London was founded in 1781 and they opened their flagship New Bond Street store in 1847. In 1862 it received it's first Royal Warrant from Queen Victoria, swiftly followed by its second one from King Edward VII in 1889.Since then they have produced fine jewellery, leather goods and silver ware to Royalty around the world.

 Asprey received the Queens Award to industry in 1975, celebrating 200 years

In 2006 Asprey celebrated it's 225th Anniversary by receiving it's own Coat of Arms

In May 2012, the company collaborated with Katie Hillier to design a collection exclusively to Asprey and she continues to consult on their current collection for Spring/Summer 2013.

 Featured here is the Morgan Day Handbag in Sapphire Crocodile, a truly stunning bag which is available online for £15,800:

 As you can imagine, completely out of my price range-so was I pleased then to find this lovely vintage Asprey handbag last month for £15,795 less than the one above in a neighbouring town's Sense charity shop:

This one is in a midnight blue and has quite a few compartments too. It's style is fairly similar to the Hermes Kelly bag, another iconic brand which I unfortunately can't afford either!!

Still I do now have a structured vintage handbag to add to my collection and it's style will inevitably stand the trends of time and be wearable for decades to come.

What style of handbag are you hoping to add to your handbag collection this season- will you be wearing a vintage number on your arm or are you looking for something more modern?

Images:Asprey

New Summer Shoe Boots from Topshop!!

Hi everyone! After ordering a pair of Zara beige suede ankle boots online last month that proved to be no good, I was still on the look out for some light coloured boots or shoes that would be perfect for Spring/Summer. Browsing Topshop online a couple of weeks ago, I saw these Grits slingback Western shoes and really wanted to order them, but held back.

When I think of an item on and off following seeing it, I know this is a good sign that I do really want it, so I succumbed and ordered these on Sunday.

They arrived yesterday and they are a perfect hybrid shoe/boot, with the on trend cut out/strap detailing at the back PLUS they are leather PLUS they have studs and PLUS the colour is perfectly Summer!!

I will wear these with all my different style jeans and I've been wanting an off white pair of shoes to go with my Chanel jacket to enable me to wear it more often.

So here are the shoes which I absolutely love:

 Oh did I not mention the cute gold toe cap too? 

I was wary about the heel height as they are 4 inches, but they feel really sturdy and solid on so I have high hopes they will be fine.

What type of shoes or boots are on your radar for this coming Summer season?