… a word from the Editor & Blogger

Hola Zipsters. I have been in Ibiza this week and spent half the time hanging around airports. I noticed a new must have accessory on at least five different girls all travelling to and from the white isle. I have fallen in love with it too. Move over Hermès Birkins and Céline luggage totes, there’s a new it bag in town, and for once it isn’t “designer”.

Make way for the rainbow-hued Kurt Geiger Kensington handbag,which has been in and out of stock online since launching earlier this year. I went online to order one and there are currently none left at the inn.

I noticed the in-demand bag being adorned by Love Island winner Dani Dyer and model Abbey Clancey whilst flicking through my gossip mags.

It costs a cool £199. But it is 100% leather so it actually represents good value, at a fraction of the price of designer equivalents.

If anyone else is on the hunt for the rainbow-coloured Kensington, get your skates on as this gorgeous bag is bound to end up out of stock in shops very soon. However, it does also come in standard black or red, if you’re looking for something lower key.

Let me know if you find one.

Onto this week’s blog and we check out Vegan Stan Smiths, cream to banish your bingo wings and the cheapest and most on trend tracksuit in existence right now.

Stella McCartney Vegan Stan Smiths

Have you noticed how popular Veganism is in 2018? Well, it has spread from food to fashion. Sportwear giant Adidas have teamed up with British designer Stella McCartneyto create a vegan-friendly version of their iconic Stan Smith trainer.

Who doesn’t love a pair of the cult cool Stan Smiths? The new footwear – which looks very similar to the originals – features a portrait of McCartney on the tongue, a row of three stars along the side and striped pattern detailing on the heel.

They’re completely leather free, meaning vegans everywhere can sport the classic trainer without guilt. But at £235(three times the price of normal Stan Smiths) the absurd price tag may make even the most ardent vegans think twice.

The shoe is the first of its kind for Adidas and is also bang on point for Stella McCartney. McCartney has long championed eco-friendly, vegetarian alternatives in her designs – her collections have always been leather and fur free.

The new shoes, for both men and women, are available to order online at www.stellamccartney.com or buy in stores now.

The Best Selling £25 Tracksuit

I’m a Gemini and apparently, we are couch potatoes. This could well be true, as I love to lounge around in a cosy tracky at weekends. So, you can imagine my joy at this news: a £25 tracksuit set has emerged as this season’s unlikely fashionmust-have.

The polyester two-piece, comprising baggy t-shirt and high-waisted trousers, is sweeping social media after being snapped up by high-profile Instagrammers.

Championed for its ultra-comfy details, the coveted casual ensemble from MissPapis so adored by bloggers it has now emerged as the brand’s number-one bestselling item.

The lounge suit comes in two styles – the Gina(V-neck) and the Sara (round-neck), both available in grey, wine, khaki, black and camel.

Comprising a t-shirt and straight leg trouser jogger bottoms with an elasticated waistband, they are currently on sale at just £20 per set in the sale.

A spokesperson for MissPap, whose celebrity fans include the drop-dead Ferne McCann, described the cut-price casuals as ‘Instagram’s most spotted items this season’.

They are billed as ‘one of our most versatile sets’, perfect for either a casual look or an ‘evening vibe’.

The budget brand’s mission statement is ‘offering the biggest fashion trends at affordable prices’.

And the brand is certainly living up to its promise, with its coveted two-piece costing just a fraction of the price of similar styles from the likes of Armani and Hugo Boss, which can stand you upwards of £200.

Based in West Lancashire, MissPap currently has 993k followers on Instagram and counting. Plus a dedicated celebrity following, thanks to lucrative collaborations with high-profile influencers and reality stars.

Miracle Bingo Wing Cream

Summer maybe over and it’s seasonal time to cover up, but some of us are still nervous about exposing certain parts of the body. Let’s say you wanted to wear a vest top but are a tad embarrassed about “bingo wings”?

Well, there’s a new cream that has just hit the market, which claims to be a miracle in a pot for those concerned about sagging skin.

While it’s far from cheap NECTFIRM, priced at around £80 ish, has been formulated to medical-grade quality and it claims to restore and revitalise the skin around tummy, neck, arms and knees.

The formulation was originally designed to help revive skin on the neck which had lost its elasticity.

However, broader testing has revealed the cream to be just as effective on other areas of the body where the skin has lost firmness.

A trial was conducted over a period of eight to 12 weeks. Significant improvement was seen after 12 weeks, although changes were reported after eight weeks.

Nectifirm is made using a blend of plant extracts, antioxidants and peptides to reduce the appearance of sagging skin, fine lines and wrinkles. It also comes packed with Vitamins C and E C & E to help skin appear brighter and more even-toned.

The  ‘medical grade’ description owes itself to a formula using clinically proven ingredients at higher concentrations. The higher percentages of ingredients mean your skin will react quicker and more intensely.

I’ll take ten pots please.

… a word from the Editor & Blogger Amanda

As the hottest summer, like ever, trails behind us and becomes a distant memory, it’s time to embrace my very favourite fashion time of the year, and the shops are full it.

 Fabulous Autumn/ Winter wear 2018 has landed.

I had a brief mooch around my local shopping mall in North London today and it was all about designer prints, camel coats, red boots and again, timeless snakeskin and leopard print clothing.

The reason I love an A/W collection is because it’s always smart, not quite summer, not quite winter but enough to cover up any summer pounds you’ve gained on your holidays.

Gone are all the garish yellows, pinks and pastel colours. And bikinis, thank god.

Autumnal reds, camel and greys are in full effect, along with textured fabrics and cosy comforts.

Strong influenced prints which could easily be mistaken for Versace or Gucci are ruling the rails, and this year it’s all about wearing printed blouses (or shirts) with matching pants (or trews). Yes (she gulps) it’s eye catching, but it’s all about getting noticed in 2018.

Strongest ranges this year can be found at Zara, obvs.

I walked in, took one look around and asked my daughter to gently guide me out of the store before my credit card became red hot and my husband confiscated it.

So, keep your eyes peeled out there on the high street and embrace the red boot and camel coat – which we Zip Up today, and of course I’ll bring you all the latest prints to be seen in over the coming weeks.

This week we celebrate 10 years of Victoria Beckham and discover the magic of Magnesium.

The Camel Coat

The traditional Camel Coat has long been considered something of an icon when it comes to outerwear. Smart, flattering, timeless and versatile, it has serious wardrobe staying power. That’s why they come in and out of fashion every so many years and why it’s so important you to get yours this Autumn.

I’m not alone in championing the iconic coat. Year in and year out, street-stylers and the fashion conscious continue to choose the classic coat in favour of other options, confirming that this universally adored item remains the ultimate investment piece.

There are many brands specializing in this wardrobe staple in 2018 from & Other Stories to Zara.

Whether you wear yours over black leather jeans and a black polo neck, like I would, or a little black dress and red heels, or even a grey hoodie and grey jeans, the Camel Coat will always look classy and expensive.

Lately, camel coats with asymmetric hemlines, oversized silhouettes and belts have caught my eye, but although a classic double-breasted Crombie will always tick the boxes, sometimes it’s good to experiment with different silhouettes to suit your own individual style tastes.

Here are the very best – all at Zararight now. Expect to pay around £100.

10 Years Of Victoria Beckham

She might not be able to sing, but love her or loath her, Victoria Beckhamhas found her fashion voice, and this week she celebrates 10 years in the business with an upcoming show featuring her new collection at London Fashion Week.

 

This week we saw October’s Vogue front cover, featuring VB and her brood of young Beckhams, controversially without golden balls, David. The rumour mill is in overdrive.

It caused heated debates all over, which she probably loved as it keeps brand Beckham very much alive and kicking.

He appeared inside, instead.

She may receive criticism for her relationship and lack of smiles but there’s no denying the success of her fashion empire.

Bursting onto the scene in 2009 with her pixie cropped hair and slim fitted dresses, she hasn’t looked back since.

She was nervous back then, which was unusual for a Spice Girl who had performed in front of thousands, probably because fashion editors don’t take kindly to ‘celebrities moonlighting as designers’ but VB shone through.

Her brand is stocked in 400 stores in 50 countries and the business, spanning womenswear, shoes, bags, denim and eyewear is worth a cool £36m.

She obviously has a strong team behind her and has always been careful not to tread on other designer’s toes, pinching ideas.

Her success is truly down to honesty, humility and hard work.

I personally love everything she’s ever done (including the Spice Girls) from the shapes of her dresses – I have two – to her fabulous sunnies – I own three pairs.

People will always be interested in VB because of her background story. A Spice girl who married a (gorgeous) superstar footballer, quit singing, built a fashion empire and had four perfect children – all famous in their own ways now too. We might be envious of her jet set lifestyle but she’s super stylish and when she graces the front cover of any magazine from Vogue to Heat, they sell.

Hell, even the young royals wear VB.

So, here’s looking forward to her S/S ’19 collection at LFW. All the gossip socials and tabloids are currently trying to destroy her marriage with tales of affairs and being a business brand only.

Those Rebecca Loos rumours will be firmly at the back of her mind as her girls strut the catwalk in what will inevitably be another killer collection.

Long may she reign.

Magic Of Magnesium

Modern life is packed full of hurdles we need to leap – most of which we have set up ourselves.

Pressured careers, parenthood, keeping up with social media, we are constantly spinning plates around the clock. But as our stress levels build up, how do we ensure we don’t fall?

Other than booking yourself in for a relaxing treatment or mastering easy breathing techniques and meditating, there is an essential vitamin which you probably didn’t realise had a relaxing effect on your well-being.

It was recommended to me by a diet guru friend of mine, Jenny Lilly, last year.

Known as ‘nature’s chill pill’, Magnesiumis essential in keeping the body ticking over nicely. In fact, this mineral is needed in over 600 metabolic functions and is the second most common deficiency in developed countries after Vitamin D.

While magnesium intake has dropped over the last five decades, social anxiety has increased. Our bodies need this vitamin to help it restrict stress hormones, reduce inflammation, improve focus and keep blood sugar levels stable.

So, make sure you’re getting the daily dose (300mg for men, 270mg for women) via your diet. The best sources include green leafy vegetables – such as spinach plus nuts, wholegrain bread, fish, meat and brown rice. I also buy the capsules on line and noticed a massive change in my relaxation habits.

What could be better? Stress-busting while eating!

… a word from the Editor & Blogger

Dear Zipsters. Firstly, some words that I hate to utter. Welcome to the end of Summer and to the beginning of Autumn.

Don’t you just love autumn. I have just had my annual “end of summer” cold, along with some wisdom teeth problems for good measure. But it wasn’t all bad,  allowing for some time in bed, wrapped up reading the latest fashion news and gossip.

One of my favourite online fashion emporiums MISGUIDED, have used a lingerie model called Amanda(!) in a new campaign featuring her actualstretch marks. What a breath of fresh air in this fake airbrushed world. So unusual was it, that the model had to insist that her stretch marks are REAL, after folk claimed that they had been photoshopped onto her bum by the clothing giant.

The model commented: “It’s important to show young women that it’s not about striving for perfection, it’s okay to have stretch marks – we all do, and they shouldn’t be something that’s covered up.”

The brand also commented on their Instagram, calling those who claimed they used photoshop “haters”.  But despite Misguided’s best efforts, some fans were still unconvinced. It seems there is simply ‘no winning’. Sigh.

I say, embrace your flaws, celebrate individuality, and avoid that fruitless search for what the media perceives as ‘perfection’.  Because, basically, it doesn’t exist. It’s OK to be “you”.

Onto this week’s blog and we go neon green, high visibility and celebrate the Hawaiian or floral shirt for men.

Thanks to Fran Fox & Mira Manley for contributing to this week’s instalment. Love you girls. xx

Floral Shirts For Men

Fashion trends are recycled every few years or so. Even the previously ridiculed shiny shell-suit, originally bought in a long-forgotten decade, has found its way back into contemporary style. I’ve seen them at Urban Outfitters this summer.

We’ve also had a resurgence of 1950s-style short trousers; everything from the 1980s and hell, even flares are supposedly cool again. Garish 1990s trainers ( la Fila) are in vogue too. Surely, soon, overly gelled hair, ridiculously baggy jeans and cheap metal chains will return.

So it’s no surprise that Hawaiian and floral shirts have made a resounding comeback. After heydays in the 1950s and 1980s, a 30-year cycle seems to have emerged, and they can be spotted everywhere. Previously, barely acceptable holiday fare– always worn in jest – the Hawaiian shirt is a now a 2018 summer staple.

At online retailer ASOS, where they come with all sorts of patterns, sales are up 64% on last year. Everyone from Harry Styles to Brooklyn Beckham has the look. They are cool again.

The pieces are said to have been introduced to Hawaii in the 1930s and have roots in Chinese and Japanese immigration. Also known as Aloha shirts, Hawaiian shirts are incredibly varied, ranging from highly questionable to more hipster.

Cinema has played a crucial role in giving Hawaiian shirts their iconic status. In 1961, Elvis Presley wore a simple, elegant red shirt for the hit Blue Hawaii. And who could forget Al Pacino in a similar red number, blood pouring down his cheeks in Scarface.

Men’s retailers at all levels of the marketplace are embracing the revival. Upmarket outlets stocking them include an exclusive range by Prada. Their elegant floral shirts can be yours for a prohibitive £640. But for the friendlier price of £85, All Saints have all manner of colourful, flowery offerings.

The tropical shirt says something very positive about you. It boasts confidence and effuses a bright aura. If you’re that kind of guy, then get Hawaiian!