The perfect seasonal shop window from Next

Hi guys,
In the latest in their series of festive themed competitions, Next are asking bloggers to create their perfect Christmassy shop window display. This time the competition is being hosted by the wonderful Jess over at Feeling Stylish.

I love shop window dressings (going to see the Selfridges Christmas windows is something of an annual tradition for me) so I couldn't resist throwing my hat into the ring and creating an entry. I've gone for a festive homespun-style window, complete with bunting, natural decorations, and cozy outfits perfect for snuggling up in under the Christmas tree. No constrictive party dresses and trousers that don't allow a second helping of turkey for me on Christmas day!!

Decorative robin, £10
Hand knit pattern cardigan, £75
Set of 2 bark Christmas trees, £12
Snowflake sequin sweater, £32
Fairisle pattern sweater, £20
Bell heart decorations, £10 for a set of three
Knitted slipper boots, £16
Button ballerina slippers, £10

The competition actually closes today (cutting it close to the wire I know!) but if you'd like to create your own entry, just head over to the Feeling Stylish blog for more info!

Are you ready for Christmas yet? And have you finished your Christmas shopping? We're all done here in the fabfrocks household, and already holed up at my mother in laws, ready to enjoy the festivities!

Love Tor x

It's summer time in Primark!

Hi guys,
Well it may be rainy and miserable outside, but in Primark it's high summer! The majority of the high summer stock has now landed instore, and it is a riot of colour. I popped down on Thursday of last week (to find the Oxford street store surprisingly empty and with no queues) where I picked up a couple more vests (Yes - I know i'm obsessed!) and I couple of shirts for Mike. And whilst I was there, I checked out the windows:


I love the stripey dresses (which everyone is wearing - I would guesstimate I pass one every 2 minutes whilst walking down Oxford street!) I am also a big fan of their wide chiffon palazzo pants, which come in ditzy floral patterns and eye wateringly bright block colours.

Ahh I be a global traveller! It's a phrase that always makes me think of naff photoshoots and simultaneously long to be on holiday: I guess that's what they're going for!

I am no longer buying shoes from Primark (I made a personal promise that I would stop wearing cheap, non-leather shoes, and i've stuck with it!) but window displays like this definitely weaken my resolve. I love the lace up wedges, which come in blue red and green: they're perfect summer going out shoes, and would look great teamed with flirty skirts or cut offs: lust! (Sigh!) I just wish summer would arrive already!

Love, Tor x

What's in the window: Winter has gone!

Hi guys,
Well, winter has officially gone! Yesterday was the first day of Spring, and I am honouring it by wearing floral trousers and pumps: yes, my boots have gone back into my wardrobe, and hopefully that's where they'll stay! I know March is too early for flip flops, but I really can't wait until I can wear sandals again: I love feeling the breeze around my feet and the absolute comfort you get with sandals that I don't get with any other shoes.

I'm not the only one feeling summery. On my wanderings around town yesterday I didn't see a single shop that was still promoting its late winter finery: Spring was everywhere, and in full bloom:

Mulberry:

Reiss:

Zara:


Stella McCartney:


I love the Mulberry and Stella McCartney windows best, although this isn't the finest Stella window I have seen. I walk past both of them on a daily basis, and always slow down a fraction to admire the window displays (and the delicious clothes of course!) Working smack bang in the middle of hundreds of beautiful shop makes me want to spree, but I am very very restrained.

I'm going to try and make do with my summer clothes this year. I've bought some new holiday clothes during the sales in the winter, and I will be combining those with whatever else I have in my wardrobe that looks summery. I will be being innovative, and already have a couple of dresses I am going to alter to make more on trend: shopping spending is officially halted. But I still love looking in shop windows and indulging in a little virtual shopping to get an idea of the styles i'd like to recreate. And to create virtual shopping lists, of course!

Love, Tor xx

What's in the window: Denim is definitely back!

Hi guys,
As an avid skirt and dress lover, it looks like I am going to be very out of fashion this spring/summer. Denim is back, and it is everywhere! I love the aesthetic of the bright Seventies-style denim: flared trousers teamed with denim shirts and lots of tan accessories. But I just don't have the right body shape to pull it off: with my wide hips and short legs, flares look ludicrous on me! The only way denim generally works on my body is either if I wear a denim dress, or if I team a lightweight pair of denim hareem pants (like those in the Hobbs picture below) with a fitted vest or Tshirt.

For something that is widely considered to be an easy "wardrobe staple" I find jeans incredibly difficult to buy, and even more difficult to wear: it takes me much longer to put together a "just thrown on" outfit involving jeans than it does to actually throw on a tea dress!

But just because I can't wear it well doesn't mean denim isn't going to be everywhere we turn for the next six months. Here are some examples of denim on the high street:

H&M:


Armani Exchange:


Hobbs:


It looks like i'm going to have to go and experiment with some jeans shopping doesn't it. Sigh!
Love, Tor xx

What's in the window: Spring is coming!!

Hi guys,
I cannot tell you how much I am longing for Spring. I think that because the cold spell came so early this year it feels long overdue: I keep forgetting that it's only January and wanting to slip my sandals on! And apparently i'm not the only one. The boring 'Sale Now On' signs are coming down (although Topshop are hanging on in, with new 'More lines added' signs in their windows). In there place are exactly what i've been waiting for: flowers, colours, plenty of white, signs that Spring will soon be here!

And to prove it, here's what's in the shop windows this week:

Stella McCartney

I walked past this window three times, admiring the flower heads, before I noticed the beautiful dresses below. How did I miss them? The screen print patterns are breath taking. And matching bags too!

Miu Miu

I love lazer cut outs, so these dresses immediately got my attention. I also loved the contrast between the nude and the neon on the shoes: if I had the money they'd be the perfect addition to my growing shoe collection!

Kenzo

This window immediately makes me think of my mum on a resort holiday. On how I long to wear crisp white shirts and not have to worry about throwing on my coat. Come on Spring: hurry up!!

Love, Tor xxx

What's in the window: Bruton street editon

Hi guys,
Sorry for the long gap between posts: Mike and I had the sudden realisation that the wedding is only 6 months away and we had lots of things still to book, so the last week has been spent emailing/calling vendors! Anyway, enough wedding chat and more fashion! About three months ago my company moved offices into Mayfair. This means that every day on my way to work I have to walk down Bruton street, admiring all of the shop windows and galleries as I go. So I thought it would be nice to write a 'what's in the window' about the windows I am currently enjoying everyday, rather than hitting the high street.

Diane Von Furstenberg:


Matthew Williamson:


Stella McCartney:


Juicy Couture:


I'm not a big fan of Juicy Couture (either the window or the brand) but had to include this picture because I love the beautiful filigree entrance: it's gorgeous! My favourite window, by far, though is Matthew Williamson which is like a beautiful exotic Eygptian holiday (but i'm probably being influenced by all the Eygpt books i've been reading for my honeymoon!) I love the turquoise and its so refreshing to be thinking of spring/summer rather than dreary winter, which i'm sick of!

Rather predicatably, I love the knitted sale sign in Stella McCartney: I also love the vibrant orange dress with the unusual length at the back: if only I went to parties where you could wear dresses like that!

Love, Tor x

Whats in the window: Diesel

Hi guys,
We all know I love nothing more than a good window display (Maybe in a former life I was a window dresser!) so when I was sent these pictures of Diesel's Christmas window displays, how could I not share?



My immediate reaction was that it was a very pagan and dark take on Christmas: not a Santa Claus or bauble in sight! I loved the climbing trees though, which reminded me of a scene from one of the darker fairy tales: think Little Red Riding Hood. According to the press release, it is "a seething mass of eldritch foliage which imagines a pagan journey to the temple of Diesel Black Gold" These pics are from the New Bond Street store.

I know everyone is talking about the Lanvin collaboration today, not window displays, but sadly I don't have a success story to share. Whilst everyone and his dog was joining the endless queue on Regents street this morning I had to be sat in the office, just a torturous 50 yards away. Do people take time of work to get their hands on these designer collaborations, I wonder, or are they only bought by freelancers, bloggers, and students who don't have somewhere to be at 9am on a Tuesday? If I had been able to get anything I would have liked the Tshirt dress with the ruffled collar, the yellow dress, and some of the jewellry. I'll be popping down later to see what's left over, but I won't be holding my breath!

Love, Tor xx

It's that time again: Selfridges Christmas windows 2010

Hi guys,
I'm starting to feel really festive: the Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park is open, i've bought loads of my Christmas presents, and i've seen the Coke (Holiday's are coming) advert on the TV! So I decided it was time to indulge in one of my festive rituals, and yesterday lunchtime I popped down to Selfridges to check out their Christmas window displays.

I wasn't as impressed by this year's windows as I was by previous years. There was no real stand out window, and there didn't seem to be any consistent theme, which there has always been in previous years. Unless you count the lollypop headed people as a theme, which I don't! Maybe it's a nod to our more austere times that the windows are definitely more understated, although I would've thought when times were hard you'd need good windows to entice people in.

Anyway, enough of my chatter. What you really want are the pics and here they are:





Although it's very premature, this is the last weekend Mike and I have without plans between now and Christmas, so we will be spending it sitting down and writing all of our Christmas cards. Present wrapping and tree building will have to slot in around work. I needed this to get me in the Christmas spirit!

Love, Tor xxx

What's in the window: Selfridges Christmas edition

I have had some feedback that not all of you like the "what's in the window" feature. Well actually, one specific person doesn't like the "what's in the window" feature. But I don't feel like other people should be in a position to choose what you do or don't write about, otherwise all blogs would look the same, and that would defeat the object of writing a blog altogether. I also don't see what people thing they can achieve by being nasty about a blog; haven't they got better ways to fill their days? It's a matter of personal taste. And I happen to like shop windows.

There are no shop windows I like more in the world than Selfridges, and my love of them doubles at Christmas time. This year the theme is a pantomine one, with a different panto represented in every window. One of the first things I noticed is that there is something by Vivienne Westwood in every single one; it's not really suprising though. Her style lends itself perfectly to the panto theme.

Each of the windows is trimmed with a lighted garland, like in the last photo. My overriding feeling is that the whole thing is very tongue in cheek. I am especially fond of the bold flashing slogans accompanying every display. And i couldn't believe it when I read that the dress in the third picture is by Alexander McQueen; it's so over the top and opulent that I assumed it had been "created" by the window dressers with yards of fabric and chicken wire! Oh, and what you can't see in the picture is that in the fourth window the cows trousers are pulled down to reveal stockings and suspenders.



This series of displays is my favourite so far, because although it doesn't have the extravagant "wow factor" of last year, you find more little touches and jokes to chuckle about the more you look at it. I am slightly disturbed by the pervy-creepy santa in window six though!

Its definitely worth a walk down Oxford street this month, even if you're only going to view these windows!


Love, Tor xx

What's in the window: Primark Christmas edition

More great windows, more moody people sitting outside waiting forever. And this time there's the addition of bright white Christmas trees. It could only be the Primark 'What's in the window' Christmas tree spectacular!!





Pay particular attention to the electric blue fur in the first picture, for I bought it! I will be showing you pictures of myself dressed up like a big blue yeti (or Sully from Monsters Inc) early next week. Also note that the woman sat down in the second picture looks like she wants to kill me. I was frightened by her angry demeanour - i'm such a wimp!

I know in my head that it's too early to be in the Christmas spirit, but with the gifts on the shelves and most of the stores having their windows decorated, my heart is telling me that it's time to feel festive!! The boyfriend and I are doing our first Christmas shopping trip tomorrow: I have a lot of presents to buy. Please don't judge me!

Love, Tor x

What's in the window: the primark edition!

As you can see, the Primark flagship store in Marble Arch is a whopper: they have a whole lot of windows to fill!! I was actually impressed, especially given that they are such a budget store, by how much effort they had put into their windows. I really like the styling too: very young and trendy and perfect for their target audience.

Also worth noting are the facing of some of the people caught in the pictures: they look like they've been sat waiting for days don't they? That should give some indication of just how big the store is: you can lose whole hours in there without even noticing!!

Have a great Sunday!

Tor xx

What's in the window: the Brent Cross edition

Brent Cross is the nearest shopping centre to my house, so it is often the place I pop if I want a tiny taster shopping trip but to be honest, I was very disapointed with their store windows. Each seemed very formulaic and there was no real creativity or flair like the windows I saw last week on Oxford Street.

.

Nonetheless, here is the best of the selection:

River Island menswear

Office. Mmmm, shoes!
Monsoon
Acessorize. Of all the winters I think this is the best one, and it's the visual that makes it.
.
You see what I mean? I wonder if this is why Malls generally feel so soulless; because everything is so uniform and no real effort is made to present the stores as a present (its weird I know, but I like my stores to be a gift!) or create an atmosphere.
.
Here's hoping next weeks edition of what's in your window will look better and come from somewhere a little more exciting! Where do you suggest?
.
Love, Tor xx