What's hot in River Island after my last snooping at the store a couple of weeks ago? There's lots of stuff actually. From the knitwear for Fall/Winter collection to some tribal-inspired headgear ala punk to the military-themed outfits suits for the incoming seasonal trends.
One of the items that I tried is this white shirt with blingy collar. Where have I seen like this before? Oh yes, from Prada Fall/Winter 09 last year, which is also inspired Uniqlo to have on their own version with the one in black that I bought last time.
This one from River Island feels a bit 'cheap' in a way that the studded material is nothing like Uniqlo did. They're made of plastic which is similar to the stuff that my sis-in-law used to use to accessorize her scarf. And to add to that, the fabric is also a bit thin and kinda peeking, that I can even see the tag when I hid it underneath.
Second up, the cardigan with leopard print. The fit is quite ok though I'm not really feeling the design as a whole since the 'amount' of the leopard spots are quite scarce making it more like a genetically-modified leopard rather than a real one. Unlike my leopard jumper by Zara, which is better. This one made it feel more like chav rather than chic. I think if the spots are much smaller (and a lot) that went all the way to the sleeves - then I might consider getting it.
The army theme is hot and none can do better than River Island at highstreet level. They got loads of military look from the peacot-style to the leather jackets, shirts and cardi with army there in mind as well as overcoats like this one. I think I've written about this jacket before though then I haven't got a chance to try it on. And voila... now I'm giving you straight on from River Island fitting room - the grey double-breasted military coat.
In general I truly adore the design. The material feel quite expensive though it may come across a bit like felt. The fit is awesome - very slimfitting and the drop is just perfect slightly above the knee. I love the extra details like the double-strip epaulettes and on the cuff which truly made it more 'army'. Yet, there's a 'but' in this coat though - I hate the use of plastic buttons. With the given price of £95, I'm expecting all the hardware must be metals, just like the drummer boy jacket that I bought before. It's like an anti-climax coz the buttons really drop the value of it from being truly outstandingly okay, to pretty cheap to my eyes. Though I know one can go to the shop and buy metal buttons, but come 'on... who wanna fork out extra money when you've already paid 95 quid for the jacket, right?
