Bag + TV = ?

I've never been famed for my maths skills, but even I can work out the simple sum above! Bag + TV = Bagtv!
Now I must admit, when I first read about the handbag with a TV built in, I was both bemused by, and dubious about, it. Travelling in and out of central London and carrying a bag with a tv built into it seemed like a beacon to muggers calling "rob me! This bag looks expensive, I bet there's lots of nice stuff in it!" However, when I tried taking this one out today I had no problem at all; and it certainly made my commute go faster!

My beloved makes the bagtv work so that I can take it out for a stroll!
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I think the reason I had no problem is because the built in dvd player (for despite it's name it is a dvd rather than a tv!) is actually quite discrete; to the unknowing observer, you're just carrying a normal patent leather bag! It looks like a normal handbag until you remove the convenient leather slip and the TV appears in the window! It's also a lot lighter than I expected and very slimline, so the player has its own pouch inside the bag without interfering with your purse, keys, diary, make up bag, and whatever else you accumulate in there throughout the day! The weight of it was my main concern; my bag is heavy enough without adding to it! But I actually didnt notice any weight difference at all.

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And whilst i'm talking about problems I was expecting to have with the bag (i'm not very positive am I!?) it's time to mention the battery life; the battery lasts 2.5 hours before you have to charge it. This is perfect for me (my commute is just under an hour each way) but not so great if you were hoping to take it long haul. If you have the scratch you can buy extra battery bars for longer life, but I just cant see that being worth it (buy a video ipod instead!) It comes with a mains charger you can use at home in the car, which is super easy, but to me this is definitely a commuter bag, not an alternative to a TV!

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Also, although its not to my usual tastes (not enough crazy details and bells and whistles!) I actually think the bag looks pretty good: very sophisticated and expensive looking. The finishing is very well done, and the colour is very rich; the berry shade is perfect for Autumn/Winter (my mum would love a bag like this!)

BagTv poses with it's remote control and a selection of my favourite kids dvds (including the shoe people!)
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Speaking of my mum, when I told her about this clever gadget she said; "I wish i'd had one of them for you three (me and my sisters) when you were little" and that, I think, is where bagtv will find its niche; busy mums who want to entertain their kids on buses, planes, trains and automobiles will be able to tune them into their favourite cartoons whilst still carrying her bag full of essentials, and without sacrificing on looking good!
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I'm normally a book on the tube kind of girl, and I dont think i'd like to sit in front of the goggle-box everyday and sacrifice my reading time, but it was really fun to watch red dwarf as the world, and the rest of the commuters, passed me by; a very welcome occasional diverson that I can highly recommend!

Bagtv comes in seven different colours (the blue and white one looks very nautical and is my favourite) and they are all available for £199. And it's definitely for you if you like to be the centre of attention; my friends couldnt get enough of playing with it- the perfect combination of fashion and gadget!

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Love, Tor x

The River Island sale

Hi guys,
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There are benefits of being a big girl in a slim city (London is the slimmest city in the UK): despite totally missing the boat on the river island sale, three weeks on and all of the sale stock they have left is in my size or bigger! I didn't go in store expecting to find any sale stock left (to be honest i'd forgotten all about it!) but found a treasure trove of lovely dresses:

I loved the bird patterned one shoulder dress with the big purple bow belt (which came with!) I thought it was the perfect day to evening dress for those impromptu weekends where you have no idea what you're going to end up doing! £15

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The black and white stripey dress (£10), whilst emphasising my figure and making my waist look tiny, made me too much of an hour glass I think; I felt like an all boob version of Betty Boop! The floral strapless number (£15) was lovely, and if I had a wedding or a garden party coming up it would have been perfect; sadly I don't, so it stayed on the rail!
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My favourite of all the items though was the aptly named "vamp" floral playsuit (£20). I don't know if you can see very clearly, but above the belt it buttons up and darts, creating a gorgeous shape, and I love the flare of the collotes. Thats why I bought this and smuggled it home with me; all these sales are going to get me in trouble!!

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I would suggest if you are a size 14 or up that you get to the river island at OXford Circus promto to pick up some bargains!

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Love, Tor

Emma Cook @ Topshop

I went down to oxford street this evening with the specific intention of buying the deer print dress from the new Emma Cook at Topshop collection.

I'd been lusting over it for weeks! When I tried it on though, I was disapointed by how it looked; certainly not one for my body shape! Which is a shame, because as you can see by the close up of the pattern, it is perfect!I am beginning to wonder if people are beginning to lose interest in the designer collaborations. I think design is certainly taking precedence over the cache of having a designer name attached to a collection. The sale section of the store is absolutely jam packed full of Kate Moss, and almost every piece from the Barbara Hulanicki collection. See the BH dress and the KM playsuit below:

If you liked the look of these collections I would definitely recommend that you get down and have a look; the floor length Kate Moss dresses have been reduced to almost nothing! I also found these (not for me but great for somebody else!) vibrant coloured Dr Martin boots reduced to £30: What I ended up buying is for another post, but I can tell you this; I loved the pattern of the Emma Cook dress, but the fit definitely wasn't for me. And £85 seemed a little rich anyway! (well, thats what i'm telling myself to hide the disapointment anyway!)

Love Tor x

Daily wear;a dirty city gent!

Continuing my theme of daily wears from the random and mundane places I spend my weekdays, today I bring you the ikea car park:

Tshirt dress; topshop, bag; warehouse, long necklaces;warren james/oasis, name necklace; my name necklace.

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I was thinking of Mary Quant when I got dressed this morning; of how the men she referred to as "bowler hats" inspired her to use tweed in her dresses and use the fabrics usually kept for men. This of course explains the bowler hat, and the union jack t shirt further emphasises the "cool brittania" sixties feel. But in a really frubby rocker way, obviously. Despite being really disapointed with Mary Quant when I interviewed her, I appreciate wholeheartedly the influence she had on the era to which I have dedicated my academic life. Putting too much thought into my outfit? Probably!!

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And how amazing is my blog name necklace?! It arrived this morning! When the lovely folks at My Name Necklace asked if I would like them to make me a necklace, I immediately said yes: i'd always loved the name necklace that Carrie wears in Sex and the city. But my name is too short and pathetic to turn into a necklace. What to do?! Why have the blog name turned into a necklace of course! Shameless self promotion are us! Still, it's a great way of showing that those clever folks really can do any name you want! I love it!!

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The important question now is where will next weeks daily wear post come from? Tescos? KFC? The local pub carpark? Maybe I should start a weekly quiz complete with a winners prize! Whereever it is, you can be sure it will be another shocking insight into my wholly unglamourous life!

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Love, Tor xx

Why not buy yourself some shoes?!

Because you never need an excuse to buy new shoes (well, I don't anyway!)
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Today is shoe day over at the fabfrocks shop, with six wonderful pairs selected from my wardrobe (including a gorgeous pair of winter boots for those of you that like to be prepared!)

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Here are two pairs to whet your appetite, but if you want to see the rest you'll have to head over to the shoppy! There are also more pictures of these shoes there; close ups of the details and the soles so that you can see how wasteful I am; 5 of the 6 pairs have only been worn once!

I keep clearing out my wardrobe but I still have enough clothes/shoes/bags/everything fashion for ten people! I will be having another big clear out this weekend, and this time I intend to be ruthless, so keep checking back if you love the highstreet as much as I do and you want to pick up a bargain!

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Lots of love,

Tor x

NB - P&P is not included in any of the list prices and is £5 per item unless otherwise stated. (£7 for International)

London hosts first ever high street fashion week

I have been thinking about high street fashion week frequently since I first read about it a couple of weeks ago. And I still don't know if I think it is a good or a bad thing; is it fashion trying to include the "ordinary folk" in a world most are either in awe or frightened of, or is it just a money making gimmick from the New West End company?

Highstreet = topshop. Enter gratuitous topshop model pic here. God I love topshop!


Certainly, they are yet to confirm any stores or companies that are taking part, and I am yet to hear of the event including even one catwalk show. Some retailers have announced fashion and beauty advice workshops, late-night shopping, and discounts as part of the fashion week; all great things, but not that different from the great service we already receive on the British high street: there are very few Saturday afternoons that you could wander down oxford street and not find a make over or some kind of in-store event going on! Wow that sentence used a lot of colons!

New West End’s spokesman Jace Tyrell said: "During London Fashion Week, the West End sees a big increase in sales. This way we can commercialise it and show everyone we have the best high street and the best designers." And obviously these are businesses, and they have to make money (especially at this difficult time, blah,blah,blah!) But i just wish they were pushing the potential of this event a little harder. Because take away the glamourous Highstreet Fashion Week title and what do you have? A normal week on oxford street with a few discounts thrown in!


Having said that, its too soon for me to condemn, and there are still a couple of months to finalise plans and reveal a schedule. I just hope that what we end up with is a week of celebration and excitement that the British high street (in my opinion the best in the world!) truly deserves.


Highstreet fashion week runs from September 7-11. As soon as I have more news of events and what not, you can guarentee I will post them here for your viewing pleasure!


Love, Tor x

Fab frocks visits....the topshop outlet store

OK, OK, so i'm there all the time, but I thought I would take you all on a magical tour into the changing room of the Topshop outlet store. Pickings were especially good today, especially skirts and trousers (lots of jeans for around £10 BOGOF) and especially in sizes 10 and 12.

Here's what I tried:

1. Silk top with draw string waist £10*
2. Floral play suit £38*
3. Silk and cotton trapeze dress £15*
4. Silk topshop boutique ruffle neck top £15* (I bought this one!)
A close up of the collar:
I don't know if i've mentioned it before, but I collect brooches. Old costume jewellery from the 60s-80s mostly, which i pick up from antique shops or car boot sales so i'm sure you can understand why I couldn't resist these: All the freedom jewellery in the magical land is £2 buy one get one free. Can you imagine!? That's £1 per item: how could anyone resist? My favourite is the shiny plastic heart and key brooch. It reminds me of something I once saw in the Betsey Johnson store in Florida.

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I really like going to the topshop outlet store; I suppose its because I love getting a bargain! It also never ceases to amaze me; you can pop in there and pick up a dress you considered paying the full £60 price tag for, for just £10. There are also loads of tshirt tops and other casual wears for just £5; bring in the bogof factor, and that works out at just £2.50 an item.

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The fun is that you dont always know what your going to get; one week you can go in and they have loads of shoes, the next week they've had a jean delivery. Its definitely not the place to go if your looking for something specific, but if your a browser shopper like me: Give it a go!

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Love Tor

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*Obviously all these prices are buy one get one free, so I guess you could effectively half them!!

Quote of the day

Our quote of the day comes from uber model Agyness Deyne:

"You know, even though i'm in fashion, I don't, like, do fashion. Fashion isnt me, even though I work in it. It's just materialistic stuff. I just want to do whatever makes me happy."

Well, you know Aggy, if you want to free yourself from all that materialistic nonsense, I would be more than happy to take all those freebies, goody bags and samples off your hands!

And now for the more exciting news: using a random number generator, I picked a competition winner for the gorgeous Mink Pink dress, and the winner is: sunchicka.

Congratulations, I hope the dress looks fabulous on you! Thanks to everyone else who entered, and keep checking back for more competitions!!


Love, Tor x

Pretty Vacant

The title of the Stolen Girlfriends Club's Winter '09 collection pretty much sums up my state of mind today; it's about to rain, my washing machine has packed in and i'm wearing my last pair of clean knickers (bar those buttery ones that i'm still relunctant to wear all day) and everything is fairly blah; I have no real feelings on anything either way. Perhaps it's because I didn't get any sleep last night. Oh woe is me and tiny violins etcetera.

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Still, there's nothing missing (or vacant. See what I did? See how i stopped it being about me and made it about clothes) about this collection. Here are all the things I covet:

Oooh cobweb legs! I am loving unusual legwear lately and love the overtly gothiness of these. I also like the so thin it's almost cobweb-esque sweater.

More luschious legs! Big fan of these leggings and their combination with the ankle boots. The checked shirt dress is something i've seen a million times, before and since though.

OK so I wouldnt wear this. But the Kurt Cobain loving teenage version of myself certainly would. I remember attempting this grungy look myself, but not so slutty of course, or my dad would never have let me out the front door! Oh and also, I want a hair beard!

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I resaw a picture of a body con dress from this collection today and it spurred me on to revisit the rest. Not only the title but also the clothes kind of reflect my mood. Sum it up in less than 10 words, Tor? OK, I will. Paint it black, make it easy. Don't Smile.

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Hope you are all having a great and sun-shiny day!

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Love Tor x

Love is... every single piece by Gadofka!

A blog post by Queen Michelle directed me to not just a label, and what I found there was a love that is pure and true. Because I have moments of fashion dunce-ary, I had never heard of the website, nor of my favourite label on it; Gadofka.

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The collection is entitled africanalprogressivemadness, and although i'm going to rave on amount this a little more, i'm pretty sure that one word and these pictures sum the whole collection up:

I love the prints, the sheer leggings, the baloon pants. I love the Fred Butler-esque necklace in the third picture which is made of the same fabric as the rest of the clothes in the collection. And the pose and styling of the final picture makes the model look like a modern-day dishevelled Cleopatra. The collection, the styling, the ideas behind it, all seem so full of whimsy and fun, fun, fun. I especially love the blurb about the collection, which I have printed in full below:
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The label GADOFKA is Achamyelsh Biftu Bojia a womangirl whose imagination is filled with curiosity,innocence,fantasy,theatre, experimental films, modern dance , no boundaries, tradition and music. Achamyelesh Biftu Bojia was born in Germany and is originally from Ethiopia but she believes in another life she was married to Jean Michel Basquiat and the daughter of Miles Davies.However Gadofka was born in 2008 after Achamyelesh Biftu Bojia created the collection AFRICANICALPROGRESSIVEMADNESS for A/W 09, which is expressing all her experience in life and everything she has observed trough her journey so far. That includes the African heritage materials from Ethiopia and Nigeria. The collection itself is an echo for her life. Gadofka is a storyteller, it is the messenger of the african culture .Every print is telling a vibrant colourful story. Achamyelesh Biftu Bojia is a messenger of her own and culture, a true storyteller. She celebrates life and she believes in no boundaries and with a little bit of fantasy, braveness ,patience and optimism we can break limitations!
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I know its a big fat cliche, but I love the urbanisation of the African fabrics; the collection is very modern, very big city, and very wearable. It's true love!
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Love Tor x

Stop press...it's almost an Oscar!

The lovely Deena from a fab blog I recently discovered called Fat girls like nice clothes too has given me a one lovely blog award; my first ever award for this blog (can you believe it?!)

Naturally i'm delighted and would like to thank my parents, my kindergarden teacher, the bus driver that took me to work this morning, that guy who gives me my London Paper every night....I could go on, but luckily I won't. Actually, writing this has reminded me of the tardiness acceptance speech that Travis gives in Clueless. It doesn't matter how many times I watch it, that is still one of my favourite films!

"I would like to say this. Tardiness is not something you can do on your own. Many, many people contributed to my tardiness. I would like to thank my parents for never giving me a ride to school, the LA city bus driver who took a chance on an unknown kid and last but not least, the wonderful crew from McDonalds who spend hours making those egg McMuffins without which I'd never be tardy."

Oh yeah, and back to the point, I am now obliged to bestow this award on 15 other blogs that I have recently discovered and love. However I'm a bad terrible blogger and am only doing five (sorry!!) Here they are, and you're all fab:

1. Margie hearts clothes
2. Tempest in the tea cup
3. Miggy likes the internet
4. Mademoiselle robot (I know everyone else has been reading it forever, but it's new to me!)
5. Francis new york blog

Love, Tor x

Quick daily wear!

Here is the outfit I wore to work and then on to TGI's for dinner last night (yup, because i'm classy like that!)

Excuse my moody face! Isn't it depressing that there are so many layers in an outfit that i'm wearing in July!?
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Nonetheless, I really like this outfit! The ruffle hemmed dress is from dorothy perkins, layered over primark leggings and a long sleeve top. The oversized leather bag was a gift many moons ago. The silk crop sleeved blazer is from topshop boutique and the brooches on the lapel are from various locations; the top brooch was a gift from the boyfriend from an antique shop, and the bottom two are car boot sale purchases. The long term plan is to buy two more and have all five of them thread their way all the way down the lapel.

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I love this slouchy silk jacket; it's so versatile, dressing up both casual and smart dresses and looking amazing paired with jeans and t-shirts. I can see it being an investment piece that i'll just keep wearing and wearing; a smart buy!

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Love, Tor x

Walking with giants

There are some brands that immediately make you think of your nan or grandma, and not only the things they buy themselves, but the things they buy for you. Marks and Spencers means pajamas and cotton t shirts for her and knickers and school uniform-thick tights for me. Woolworths (RIP) meant birthday cards and extra mugs for her (because you can't have enough mugs!) and pick and mix for me. And Avon means bubble bath for her and the obligatory shower gel and flannel (much appreciated thanks nan!) in my Christmas stocking every year.
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Isn't it funny how these stalwarts of the British retail industry have turned those stereotypes on their heads and started targeting a younger generation again?

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Marks and Spencers have been at it for years: First with Per Una, then the limited collection, and collaborations with Patricia Fields and now Zandra Rhodes. Woolworths is now woolworths.co.uk: far too cool for an actual shop, they've moved online and lowered the prices (and i'm sure you'll be as relieved as I was to learn they still do pick and mix!) And Avon? Well although they still sell bubble bath and my favourite festive shower gel in unprecedented amounts, as you can see from the goodie bag that the Avon Press office sent me last week, they also do so much more:

My immediate suprise was some of the colour ranges. Look at the eye catching jewel-bright tone of this coral nail varnish! It goes on like a dream and in only one coat too; could there be a rival to my Barry M love? Maybe. It's certainly a far cry from the mauves and lavenders I was expecting. For the rest of the products I relied on my trusty testing panel to give you a thorough opinion.
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The panel is otherwise called "my family" and made up of my mum (Lorraine) and sisters Amie and Lucy. It is worth noting that regardless of what they say, the eye shadow was by far the best product we all tried; it was easy to apply, looked great and lasted all day, despite feeling so lightweight you barely noticed it on your skin. Want to know why I know it is the best product? Because when I said they could each choose an item to keep, a small yet dignified cat fight broke out over the aforementioned eyeshadows! It's a sure-fire test!

Amie kindly models the eye quad!
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My favourite product was the face primer; so impressed was I by how soft and velvety it made my skin that I put some on my hands at work and had everyone touch them!

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Amie (queen of cow-length pitch black eye lashes) was disapointed by the super shock mascara; the formula apparently is excellent, with the perfect consistency but the brush is too thick and bulky, so accuracy is lost (I can attest to this, having seen her in the mirror with mascara all over her nose!) Although at £4 the price point of that mascara is fairly unbeatable!

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And Lucy? Well Lucy has such sensitive skin that she has to patch test anything that goes on her face on her hand for 24 hours. And i'm pleased to say that all the make up was great for her very sensitive ezema prone skin; Lucy loved the novelty of the Spectra Coloured lipstick, and I must admit, I thought it was a clever idea too: with seven shades in the one tube, you just click the setting to decide how intense you want your colour!

Worth noting is that if you do have very sensitive skin (like my poor guinea pig mum!) then the perfume probably isn't for you; one spritz on each wrist left them red and inflamed for the whole day and the next. It did smell good though!
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Overall I was very impressed: from gentle day make up to smokey intense night out eyes, Avon is certainly much much more than the bubble bath and pink lipstick outfit I was expecting. And for all of us living in the twenty-first century, you no longer have to order from a little book posted through your front door either: they have a website. But I do love the little touch of bringing the catalogue online as well; all of the products you can order convieniently on the website, but brought to you in a teeny well layed out magazine; genius!

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Love, Tor x

The Monsoon sale: A quick pick!

Who knew Monsoon on Oxford Street opened at 8.00 am?! Perfect for a quick fashion fix when you get into town a little earlier than anticipated! I've never been a massive fan of Monsoon; a brand I usually associate with eccentric teachers and middle aged women. However finding myself with early morning time to kill, I was suprised to find lots of stuff I liked.
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Here are my favourite three dresses from the sale: The skirt on the first dress was so wide and stiff, but despite the fact it would have been impossible to walk in, it was certainly a princess gown! I loved the second dress and couldn't photograph it well enough to do it justice; there were tiny bows up the back in the same fabric as the skirt, and the stiff brocade of the top was very flattering! The green dress: I am definitely not a big fan. But still, two out of three ain't bad! And the price point in the sale was very reasonable indeed given the quality of the dresses: they were all fully lined and had handy details like hidden hooks and fasteners to ensure an even better fit.
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Definitely a shop that is now on my radar!

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Love, Tor x

PS - Don't forget my Mink Pink dress competition ends on Friday, so get entering now!

I can't believe it's not topshop!

Check out the amazing range of transitional season shoes that have landed in Primark this week. The quality and finish is much much better than you would normally expect from Primark combined with their usual fashion forward detailing:

I am a massive fan of the coral jazz shoes with the black laces and the fringed tan stillettos. And this morning I saw a girl trying on the blue suede shoes with the thick boot-like ankle strap, and they looked absolutely amazing; much better than in the picture! I wanted to have them all, but because I knew that I had new shoes arriving from the asos man on Friday, I was able to resist: I really do think i'm getting better!

And why was I able to get these photos without hoardes of summer holiday shoppers obscuring my view, I hear you asking? Well its time to share my little secret: the primark on oxford circus has started opening its doors at 8.30. Yes, that is AM. So if you can drag yourself out of bed before work that little bit early and get there for doors open, you will find that you have practically the whole store yourself, you can get straight into the changing room to actually try things on (something impossible at any other time) and the whole shopping experience is much more pleasant!

Don't tell everyone though, or you'll ruin it for all of us!

Love, Tor x