Better fashion! Better trend! Better shopping experiences!
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And more 'golden boxes' :)
Forget about going to rehab at the Priory. If you really wanna put any shopaholics like me into a therapy better get me into any stores. No shopping required. Put me in just to get all the juices flowing by only looking at what the stores has to offer. I think that's what I've been doing all these while. Nggg...
Hey, shopping (or window shopping) is a major exercise too, you know. And exercise gives you endorphin. Endorphin makes you happy. And happy people don't kill others (oopps, think I just borrow that line from Legally Blonde, lol!)
Btw. One store that really make me feel good is COS. Why? It's their decor. Full stop. Very simple, modern, chic Scandinavian feel really put me at ease. That's even before I look at the clothes, which is another feel good factor. Though Zara also has modern decor, but COS is never messy. Everything is very neat and clean, the clothes are in a thematic color scheme, and the fitting room is great - with proper door which I can lock.
They're a couple of COS in London. About 5 to be precise. Regent St, Long Acre @ Covent Garden, High Street Kensington, Westfield and their new concession @ Selfridges. The one that I always go after a long day at highstreet is their Regent St store, coz it's just around the corner at Oxford Circus Station. Pop inside, and feel the warmth of the store - then I'm ready to leave for home. Lol. True therapy, isn't it? :D
Btw, indulge yourself with the cool pics of their store. Truly wonderful. :)
(P/S: They're missing their Westfield store pic, btw)
COS @ Regent Street
COS @ Long Acre, Covent Garden
COS @ High Street Kensington
"Our always-sharp contributing editor in Tokyo, W. David Marx,
penned a piece on Uniqlo, which in our view,
was the most important fashion brand of 2009.
In the middle of the greatest economic slowdown in several generations,
Uniqlo continued its global expansion, increased profits and sales,
and brought in the formidable talent of Jil Sander to create
one of the most successful high-street designer collaborations to date."
Looking at what's in my wardrobe - the jeans, the cardi, the jumpers and all of other stuff from Uniqlo - I couldn't agree more. I love their clothing line. And they're by far the most highly visited store in Oxford Street. Always full, even during weekdays and non-sale seasons. With the price that is always highly affordable, they keep on updating the pieces season after season.
And talking about what's new in Uniqlo, I grab some cardi and jumpers which I think quite cool. One thing about them is the material used: cotton cashmere. Softer than usual cotton, yet at a cost of much cheaper than the luxe cashmere.
I love the white cardi with navy trim. Love the contrast look it made. The fit is great (though I should tried a smaller one instead). Because of the material, it hugs the body nicely.
They comes in other colors too, like black with dark grey trim and blue withdark blue trim. Like this one. All priced at less than £25! (Wait a bit longer then it'll drop to £20. :D)
Another new into the collection is striped sweaters. This navy on white look quite nautical. Stripes are quite hot too this season and are also seen at designers (but for womenswear) like Balmain. Since the material is not typical wool and quite light, it's also great for spring/summer too. They come in various colors like light grey, blue and navy. Great fit, great price. :)
Mentioning new collection , just a gentle reminder to myself that +J collection for Spring 2010 will be in store next Thursday. Gotta save my money for that! :)
One thing that I always look for during sale is the shirt. The formal shirt. It's pretty hard to get a nice shirt with a brilliant cut and good quality fabrics. Too thin, then whatever you wear underneath (or not wearing one :D) might be peeking. Too thick, then it's pretty darn hard to iron, and creases will stay for as long as you wear it. I would never go for polyester coz it felt cheap and always cruel to my body contour. And talking about fit - the slim cut (or some store call it fashion fit) is always my choice coz they flatters the body.
So. My quest to find great shirts always brought me to some highstreet store. Either COS, Zara, Mexx or H&M, and sometimes Burton Black Label. They got great selection of quality fabrics and nice design. A friend used to ask why I didn't buy any designer clothes? My take is easy: anything that will undergo detergent, not worth buying designers. They'll eventually worn out and fade. If I ever wanna buy designer stuff, it always has to be leatherwear or things that doesn't make me wash it again and again, like suits and jacket. And shoes. :)
Talking about shirt, the other dilemma is how to pair ties with 'em? Well, our friend at GQ has given some pictorial guide on the ways to match shirt-n-tie. My verdict? They're not too bad provided that you could be sensible in what you choose. Though I'm not pretty ecstatic to go for collegiate tie (the one with diagonal stripe and crest) coz they look more like me going to the University Challenge. Yikes! :P
Another GQ tips. When you're not wearing a tie, the collar on your dress shirt flattens out and sinks beneath the lapels of your jacket. It made you look sloppy. The solution? First, look for dress shirts with firm collars that stand up on their own, framing your face. Second, use collar stays. Every proper dress shirt has slots for them. Even +J shirts by Uniqlo also has the spare little plastic thingy to get your collar erected again. :)
Talking about ties, hmmm.. which one should I wear?
So you think I can stop shopping? No way. Ahaks!
Day 4 Winter Sale.
After the previous three days in and out of some stores, I still found there some I havne't gone to. Oh, it's Westfield. How can I missed that out? So, there I am, not contempt to be missing out bargains at the biggest shopping mall in London, I head west to Westfield in a drenchy rain.
The first thing in mind? No Name, coz I've been wanting to get some pieces I'm lusting before. Thank God, they are having Winter Sale too though not all items are on discount. Yet, i managed to try on the jumper which is very cool and fits very awesomely. (which is later going back home with me :D)
Next stop. COS. I love COS - coz their clothes are very simple yet edgy. Chic without ever need to try very hard. And their shirts are one of the best. The fabric is great and the cut is awesome too. While I was finding some things on Sale, I pulled this new cardi in mesh wool. Pretty nice. Different like no other cardi that I found. Love it. Still, it's quite pricey (given that I've bought a lot of stuff already, lol!). Yet i think pairing it with some nude color underneath will bring the sex appeal to this cardi. Bet I have to have it in my next visit.
Items on sale. One of it is this wool jacket. I love the fit so much, but not pretty crazy about the length. A tad too long under the bum, which is not that cool. But the material. Mwah. Love it. Very luxe yet with a price that i can afford.
But the one that I really love is this waistcoat. Why do I like it? It's monotonal - with all the same color of wool mix fabric front to back. Not like most at highstreet where you always find different material used on back and front. Plus, the neckline is slightly low which is much edgier. The fit? SUPERB! I've got to scour hard on the rails to find a size smaller coz waistcoat is always about the fit under the arm/chest. And good news: I got it! And it's mine at half price. :)
So. That's it for now. Have to take a break for a while otherwise I'll go broke. With massive sale still lurking around London (and luring you to it too), I've gotta curb this temptation. But for how long? That's a big question for me to answer. :D
Anyway. Day 3 Winter Sale.
After the breakfast, my bro asked am I going shopping again? While I was still unsure, suddenly there's the Going Places mag (the Malaysian Airline in-flight mag) on the table. I opened to read it, suddenly this flyer just fell. OMG! Is it a sign? It says...
(Fyi, at this time in Malaysia, we're having YES - Year End Sale too).
Looking at the flyer, without hesitation I answer my bro's question. I said, maybe. Just to get the velvet Armani shoes that I didn't managed to find previous day. And thats if I'm lucky, should the size is available for me.
After quite sometimes at the brunch, we're off to Knightsbridge again. My bro to Harrods, and me to Armani store just nearby.
And boy, am I lucky or what. The shoe is in stock!! The gorgeous velvet Armani loafer is in my size! Gotta have it!! While I'm about to leave, I suddenly felt a sleepy rush. Why am i feeling dizzy. Oh, probably too heavy carbs I'm eating and the coffee there didn't do the job well. I've got to have another caffeine kick one more time. Thank God, Armani Caffe is just on the first floor.
After a quick black coffee there, I'm off to Harvey Nicks.
Ugghh. I hate Harvey Nichols. Alway did. Their store is too claustrophobic to me, especially the menswear dept which I find too cramp! And the shoes, eeeew. Not great selection at all. Though I truly like the black and white Oliver Sweeney brogues, it's still too pricey. Anyway, nothing much in there. So I better make my way out.
Next stop- Sloane Street. For Gucci.
Oohh.. I love Gucci. Always am and always will. Though they got much more shoes than the other Bond St store, yet I don't find most of them very appealling. Probably after 3 Gucci's for just 2 days, I started feeling the kick. Gotta stop. I better wait for their Cruise collection to go on sale pretty soon. I hope.
Take a stroll back, and went into Burberry at the Knightbridge junction. Hmmm... those flat shoe with patent leather toecap, it look bland in real life! Dunno why people are lusting over it. And those macs? Is that what you call cool? They fabric is kinda blah. Dunno why people are lusting over that either. I think one thing that people should buy is the ties. In grey Brit check. That is a great buy.
Anyway. I'm outta here. Started feeling so damn tired after these three days of non-stop bargain hunting. Need a long rest. A long beauty nap.
All I can say, so far I've made great purchases. With bags and bags filling on my bed, how can I'm not happy with it. Right? :D
Day 2 Winter Sale.
After great night sleep to recoup, it's time to hit the street again. This time is to Harrods one more time coz didn't manage to get into the perfume department the day before. Though has to queue again , but yes!! I'm in! And another day, another Lady Gaga Bad Romance playing again. Hey, is it me or everyone at Harrods truly love this song?? lol.
Btw. Perfume sale at Harrods is the best! Almost all perfumes gone at half price, including new releases. That's why loads of people can't wait for their sale. From Boss Bottled Platinum Collector's edition, CK Euphoria (repackaged I supposed), YSL Homme, Givenchy Ange du Demon, Vera Wang Princess, etc..etc. Everything is at 50% discount. Or even less. I managed to get some flower by Marc Jacobs and another flower by Valentino for my nieces. Hope they'll love it!
Time's ticking. OK. I'm out of there. On to New Bond Street again coz didn't manage to get into any of the designer stores previously. Holla! I'm in Emporio Armani. OMG. I love Armani!! The suits, the shirts, the shoes and aha! The boots! Something that I've been searching all this while, at last I found it. As I put 'em on, boy am I loving the fit and the color of the Chelsea boots. Gotta grab it! What's the price? I hardly care... :)
And aaaaaa! I love those velvet loafers. Damn it. No size for me. Btw, I might find it at other Armani store later.
Next stop. Gucci. Why didn't I came here before? Anyway, where's the shoe section? On the basement. You gotta queue, sir. The security said. Ok, I'll queue. But after less than 10 minutes, I'm in. OMG! All fall/winter collection at half price??? YOU CANNOT BE SERIOUS! The Gucci petrol boots...aaaaagghh. But crap, none in my size. Suddenly there's something caught my attention. Aha! It fits! As I'm about to pay, one Asian guy is caressing the shoes too. Right in front of me when I'm about to pay. Back off, bastard! This beauty is mine, mine, mine!!
So, after 10 min queue and quite sometime making up my mind at Gucci shoe dept - does it worth it? With the golden box and shopping bag on my shoulder, only my smiles can tell. :D
My phone suddenly rang. Oh, a friend has just invited for dinner at 6.00. But gotta check with my bro, F, how to get there together. Btw, on my way out of New Bond St, I stopped at Bally. Most fall/winter collection are at half price too. Oooh, didn't that wool tote look delicious? But if I wait say in February or March, the same bag will go to Bicester Village at 75% off. Voila.. I'll grab it later. Gotta to go for a break before dinner tonite.
Out for a quick break. On the way, I passed by Boots at Piccadilly Circus. Why am I suddenly went in? Oh, they got perfumes at half price too??! Awesome. And those CK Free giftset at 50% off!? Gotta have it. Not one, but two please... :)
Tick, tock, tick, tock, I've gotta rush home now. It's almost dark and coz later on have to meet my bro at Bond St station to whisk off to West London for a dinner with a family friend. And with two hands full of shopping bags again, there's no way I'm carrying 'em with me for that dinner. My arms are aching! Gotta continue again tomorrow.
Another day, another savings... I love it!
Man, why Zara started way too early this time? Anyway, as I said last time in my summer sale verdict - the shirts collection for winter sale @ Zara is always the thing that I love. The cut, the material and the prices too. But what I don't like, the sizes available are... ehem.. for bigger people. Hey, where's the mercy for the size zero people??! Anyway, managed to grab one shirts on sale.
Oh, time for lunch. Went to the MH Cafe at Bayswater for a very heavy meal. I need more energy, okay. Right after, on to another Zara at High Street Ken. Managed to get another 3 shirts. And oooh... that suede laced shoes are in stock. Damn. None in my size? Hey, that's unfair!
Next stop - Zara @ Sloane Square. Hmmm... pretty much the same. No shirts in my size. I need more, more and more shirts! Gimme some. I'll better check out at other Zara's. On to Bond St. OMG. I have to brave myself this time coz at Oxford Street the scene is getting worse. Millions tends to flock in. At Zara Bond St alone, is like none other. As if you are thrown into a big fat jumble sale. Massive discounts, rumbles of clothes on the benches and massive queues! Purely and utterly nitemare. I said to myself, there's no way I'm gonna get into that queue for the tills. I'm outta here.
In to Debenhams across street. OMG. I just can't believe it!? All the perfumes are gone, gone, gone!? Whaatttt?? This is definitely a rare scene, yet it happens at Debenhams. Am I dreaming? Nope. Hmm.. CK briefs are also no more?? This cannot be serious. Oh, I just remember they did open their door at 7.00 am. That's why things are already finished...
Since I'm already in Bond St, might as well I go to the designer stores. Make a beeline towards New Bond St. OMG! Massive queue outside Dolce & Gabbana? But it's already half past 3?! Same as at Emporio Armani coz they're just neighbors. I can't be bothered. And Calvin Klein underwear store at Bond St too? I've gotta queue to get in? No way. I'll come back tomorrow. Ok, next stop. Time to recharge...
After one choc truffel cheesecake and a medium mocha with cream on top, I realised outside is already dark. But hey, it's still early. Where should I go? Covent Garden it is.
Took Northern line to southbound and exit at Leicester Square. Out from the station and OMG. why theres loads of people here too??! Ok, gotta go to the Calvin Klein Underwear coz not many people are in. And boy, am I very lucky to get everything half price? Pity for those who came early coz they only got 30% discount. Holla to me. I'm happy. I can say from now on my Calvin's supply is enough for a month, with a fresh new one every day. Errk.. :)
Next stop. Zara Covent Garden. Hmm.. same old, same old. Why I can't find anything that i want? Oh, btw they got new boots which is pretty cool.
Out of Covent Garden, in to another Zara at Regent St. (Zara again??) Yes. Another Zara, another hmmmm.... but managed to get the snakeprint shoe one more pair. Just for a replacement, should my previous one got worn out. Plus it's on discount! :)
While making my way to Oxford Circus, I stumbled upon Reiss which is having sale too. Why suddenly everyone did SALE all at the same time? Not fair!! Btw, went at the basement for the mesnwear. My, I love Reiss' stuff and most are discounted. OMG! The Fawley bag that I've been lusting for. Should I, shouldn't I? Maybe not. But as me being too mathematical and analytical at the same time - I made my mind. I've been wanting it since last year. So, it'e better be mine this time. By the time I'm about to pay, these Indian couple about to snatch it. Back off, lady! This is mine!!
Another two Zara at Oxford Circus, is all like the others. Same things, same big sizes for fat ass. No way, Jose. I'm totally outta here. And it's already dark. Gotta continue the next day...
After 12 hours on the street, more than 15,000 steps along the way all around Central London, £600+ savings made, 3 'recharge' break and 2 hands full of shopping bags, I can say not bad for a first day of Winter Sale. :)
So. What's happening that day? I tried to recall what truly happenned that day since I'm on the street about 12 hours non-stop. Going in and out of the stores searching for bargains. Yes, it's a tough job, yet I'm a tough cookie too. I think no one would have my stamina to match. Lol!
My day started at 7.20 am and I'm already in the NEXT store near the house in North London. No Tube, so have to walk all the way to the store. It may be just 20 minutes after it's opening, yet most stuffs are already gone in 60 seconds. Wth?!! Arrrggghh.... What's left are just like Primark. Not gonna buy that, am I? So, left empty handed.
After a quick breakfast at home and put the tele on, I saw this huge crowd on TV already lined up at Selfridges. Some even been there since 2 am in the morning. And almost 70% are Asians. My, guess those Asians has more buying power, huh?
Ooops, time's ticking. I'm at Selfridges 15 minutes late after the door opens. Massive queue is sttill there as if the scene from last Summer Sale repeated for itself. How should I get in? Do I have to queue too?
Suddenly the security shouted "This queue is for Gucci and Prada only, For anything else go to the side door". Oh, thank God someone answer my question without being asked. Took the door at the centre, and voila. I'm in. On my way to the menswear, I am not surprise to see the Vivienne Westwood and Marc Jacobs bags at women section are already gone. Then as I was about to take the escalator up, the Empire State of Mind song just finished playing. Oh, crap. When my fav song has just finished, it's a bad sign. What's gonna be the bad luck to me this time?
Made a beeline to the shoe section. Ooohh.. did I just see the Gucci petrol blue laced shoe and white patent Oxford with black trim by Dolce & Gabbana in my size? Gotta try that. Then I sat on the lounge chair to put 'em on. Hmm.. why suddenly I'm not feeling them? They don't click. Then I put back. What else Selfridges got? Scour, scour, scour. Nothing. Crap. Aussiebum undie. Sorry. Only for big ass people. CK undie. None either. Bags. Hmm... why there one left look so bad. Arrgghhh. I'm outta here!
Time's ticking. Oooh, almost 10 am. Gotta catch the Tube to Knightsbridge for Harrods. Oh, Amanda Holden already gone? Damn. Btw. Loads of people. And OMG!!!! Suddenly something on air gone “Ra ra ah ah ah… Roma roma ma..” OMG!! It’s Lady Gaga Bad Romance. Oh, this is definitely a good luck. Lady Gaga = Lady Luck? I said to myself 'come on Harrods. Give me something after previous two bad lucks. J'veux ton amour. Et je veux ton revenge. J'veux ton amour.... I need u to pay the revenge now" Ahaks!!
So I walk, walk fashion baby to the shoe section. Move, bitch. I got that Prada monk strap first! As if that's my action said when this lady try to grab the shoe for her husband. Then tried it on. Shit. It doesn't click with me again. Damn.
Then I looked around the size 43 and 44 sections. What should I try. Gucci lace-up? Ugghh, no more lace-ups please. Got too much of them. Then there's McQueen, another Prada, Lanvin, and aha... Gucci boots similar to the petrol one that I used to write about. But, man why I'm not feeling it?
Next perfume section. Damn. I can't get in. People have to queue, and it's massive crowd out there! Last time in summer sale, you can go in without restriction. But this time the crowd are like mad and the security has to control it. Oh, well. I come the next day...
Then it's time to check other sections. On to Dior. Hmmm... is it me or the Dior sneakers on sale are just too bland? Last season is million miles better. Oh, the patent leather boots looks cool. But damn, too pricey.
Next to the basement. Gotta check the Burberry things. Eeeewww... is this what you call good trench coat? H&M did way better. And the bags. Doesn't really look that nice like in the pics. Hmmm... Ok. I'm totally outta here!
With two Gucci in hands, I walk out from the store. Satisfied with the purchase so far. Thank you Harrods. I'll be back tomorrow....
Should I? Probably not this time. ;)
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need more detail? ahaks! :D