Fashion Blog: My Favourite High Street Stores

I like to buy good quality pieces of clothing. These can nearly always be found on the designer rails, but with careful inspection and fussy choosing, really lovely items can be found in some high street stores. And it's such a good feeling when you do find something this way, like you should receive an award when you open the bag at home.

My favourite high street stores for quality clothing are:

1. Zara : zara.com
For really nicely cut pieces at the right price with designs reminiscent of the designer collections. Lots of choice and regular new arrivals. The online store experience is just as pleasurable as looking around the real life boutique.

2. H&M : hm.com
Whilst you have to really have a look at the items in store to see the quality, some items are good and others not so much, there are some gems in this store. Nice leather belts, good day dresses, scarves and gloves. The fit is good too, often you can find a dress with detail and nice buttons, but you will have to re-do the hem to make it look good quality.

3. Uterque : uterque.com
A small, but perfectly put together collection of clothes you can wear every day and still look polished and pristine. The leather goods and footwear are really luxe too. A little more expensive than Zara, but the garments are made better. Good for quality knitwear. Good photographs online.

Couturenet loves...

This Uterque.com stylish pair of high heel ankle boots with buckle. Was £79.90. Now £69.90 (UK & Europe). Bovine leather ankle boots with tough rubber track sole, ideal for winter. Side zip fastener and strap with buckle detail at ankle height. With a very wearable heel height: 3.9 inches & platform: 0.6 inches.

This pair of ankle boots boasts the equestrian style of Ralph Lauren at a tenth of the price and they are so versatile to wear in the dark brown leather option.
 

And... a warm yet chic Chloe-esque Sweater also from Uterque.com. Wavy Sweater. Was £99.00. Now £64.90. This is very soft with 37% alpaca and 18% wool.

Fashion Blog: On My Wishlist... Michael Van Der Ham Silk Scarf

My scarves obsession continues. This one is on my wishlist, I need desperately to wrap myself in it!

Michael Van Der Ham 
Pink Torn Print Silk Scarf
£165 at Liberty London

A large silk scarf featuring a pink pattern and speckled grey torn patch print on a white background with a midnight blue and yellow border. www.liberty.co.uk 

Super Offer: 25% off One Item Online at H&M

Enjoy 25 % off 1 item of your choice from the new season collection when you buy something in the H&M online shop. The offer is valid until 4/9/11 when you enter discount code 9382.

I like this H&M crepe blazer jacket £19.99 (£15.00 with the 25% discount), the longer front lapels will probably need fixing in place with a fews hidden stitches. It is available in black or pale grey, the grey is more versatile and looks better quality in this style and fabric (elastane, viscose, polyester mix).

This is a good piece to buy if it fits you properly (A - C cup maximum), it lends itself well to dresses, trousers and skirts, the unstructured style makes this a multi-tasking jacket. It may not be a true investment piece as it will probably not last for years, but you'll certianly get your money's worth out of it.

hm.com

Super Offer: 10% off your entire purchase at H&M Online

At hm.com you’ll get 10% off* on your entire purchase until 21st August when you enter discount code 9349. * Only valid on new orders. Cannot be combined with other offers and does not apply to reduced items.

I like this Luxe High Street Find: H&M 100% wool felt plum hat at £12.99. The hat has a Gucci AW Fall 2011 feel about it. And to take advantage of the 10% off I have just ordered the H&M Tan Leather Gloves at £14.99 I recently blogged about.

Luxe High Street Find: H&M Tan Leather Gloves

I'm an addict. I think this post confirms it (and all the previous posts too). Tan leather accessories are my guilty pleasure, when I spot a piece in a shop I have to go over and touch the leather and then I have to try on!

Today I spotted these tan leather gloves new in at H&M. They are £14.99, lined in wool and the length is great, they are slightly longer in the cuff and so look a little more luxe and chic with a wool coat or fitted dress.

They are available in black too. I love the tan! No surprises there then.

These are a must have item for me and will fill the emotional void left when I forgot my loved and cherished Diane Von Furstenberg plum leather gloves circa. Fall 2008 on a train early this year when the weather was freezing cold.

H&M Leather Goves in Tan or black. £14.99.

High Street Luxe Find: H&M Leather Cross Body Bag and Belt.

I have a deep love of tan leather accessories, nothing more so than a tan leather cross body bag. Always stylish for any casual look from jeans to summer dresses and essential for hands free shopping.



I recently jotted a note about this tan leather belt from H&M reduced in the sale from £7.99 to £3.99. Yesterday I spotted another H&M bargain, a tan leather cross body bag reduced to £19.99, this H&M bag bears a  style resemblance to the Chloe Marcie Bag, whilst I don't think the style of the Chloe bag makes it an investment piece worth spending on, you can certainly get the look with a leather bag from the H&M alternative. Wear together with a shirt dress or jeans and add summer wedges for effortless casual chic with seventies style.


Object of Desire
The Chloe Marcie Bag £695. (Shown above)
The Chloe Mini Marcie Bag £340
netaporter.com

Quality Cash Saving Alternative
The H&M Leather Cross Body Bag £19.99. (shown top)
handm.com

20% off Your Purchase on Thursday 7th at H&M

To celebrate the grand opening of the 200th H&M store across the UK and Republic of Ireland H&M are offering 20% off your purchase on Thursday 7th July. Click here to print off the voucher to take in store to redeem your discount.

I like this tan leather belt from H&M reduced in the sale from £7.99 to £3.99. Wrap it round a summer dress and wear with tan sandals and a seventies style tan leather cross body bag for relaxed summer chic.

High Street Luxe Find: H&M Shirt Dress (Yes another shirt dress!)

This H&M shirt dress (above image) is a super skin flattering colour for summer, a wardrobe staple for everyday with tan leather and a holiday essential.

Spotting this could not have happened at a more opportune moment, I was loving and on the tip of buying the Rag & Bone Ohara Shirt Dress £263.77 / $415.00 (bottom image) when next in Colorado.

I bought the H&M dress online and await delivery, it was a bargain too, reduced from £29.99 to £14.99, the delivery charge is their standard £3.90, but I did get the added 10% off one item discount for signing up to their email newsletter, total £15.14.

Looking at the H&M Dress online I think I will have to tidy up the hem at the bottom of the dress but I do love the unfussy pockets, slinky silk like fabric, nice shoulder detail and casual but elegant sleeves. I have tan leather accessories ready to add to this dress.

Investment piece? Perhaps for one season - it may not last - more like a functional chic piece. It certainly will be worth the price paid as I can see it worn time and time again. A great style buy too as the V neck option (undo a few buttons) elongates the body for a slimmer taller silhouette.

Object of Desire...

Rag & Bone Ohara Shirt Dress £263.77 / $415.00

Shopbop.com

Quality Value Alternative...

H&M Shirt Dress £29.99 reduced to £14.99

hm.com

Sign up to the H&M Newsletter and receive 10% off one item online.

UPDATE: Rag & Bone Exclusives at ShopBop - they ship worldwide!

shopbop.com

Fashion Blog: Luxe High Street Find : H&M Shirt Dress for £24.99

High Street Find. A surprisingly well constructed Shirt Dress from H&M £24.99, in stores now to buy.

Whilst I am not expecting it to be a durable classic, the qualities I noted that made me buy this dress are: 1. Looks like matt silk. 2. Good fit across shoulders, underarms and sleeves (the sleeves are roomy). 3. Nice seams, quality metal buttons and a good length. The whole dress hangs nicely. Side seams are fluid and sit flush to your figure. If the quality lasts until spring 2011, it is on trend with the DKNY SS2011 Collection when I will add one of the gorgeous DKNY big scarves.

I have worn this all day to run errands, it has stood the test of a day, styled with quality accessories to bring this dress up to the mark. I have kept the original tie belt that came with the dress, but I will be substituting this for a dark brown leather belt, the Alexander McQueen Wide Classic Belt, a perfect investment belt that will go with everything and revive many archived classics.

Download the iPhone App, if you shake your iPhone you will recieve 20% off a purchase. HM.com