Dear Fur Coaters and No Knickerers!
Christmas
is over, all your relatives are safely installed back in their homes
and the credit card statements have started to roll in. It's a bit
depressing isn't it? According to Dr Cliff Arnall (a UK psychologist),
January 24th 2010 is set to be the saddest day of the year. Mmm...now
is the time to keep your spirits up without spending a lot of cash.
This month, we give you the key tips for next season, how to shop
vintage for Spring/Summer 2010 and we give you our views on bed jackets
and the inimitable "Slanket"! FCaNK are choosing to match what they
spend on clothes with putting money in the Haiti Red Cross Emergency Appeal and this is proving to be really good for our souls!
Colour-up to face down those Winter blues!
Ok,
so we are fighting the desire to curl up under a duvet and not get out
until the end of March...so we need to fall in love and colour up our
lives a little. The clutch bag is a great low investment way of adding
a touch of fun to a wardrobe that you are slightly bored of! This
Frech Connection Taupe clutch is great value at £10 (78% off!)and a cute little addition for the transition from Winter into Spring. Thank you ASOS.com!
Per Una at M&S have surprised us this season with their shopper bag
in a variety of on trend colours. Out of all the colours we like the
pink...great price for £25, especially when you compare it with this
one from Oliver Bonas, which is pure leather but pricey at £112!
Use the sales to grab a few colourful cardigans that we always need in our British Summers. When it comes to cardigans, we love Brora.
These cardigans are still in the sale and will be a lovely transition
cover up for Spring/Summer. We love the Arctic and Pomegranate colours!
You
can't really beat a colourful scarf and mismatched equally colourful
pair of gloves to create a quirky and bland free January look! For
more info, check out our Accessories link at FCaNK.
A quick peek at Spring/ Summer 2010
The air stewardess look is in. Square silk scarves and shoulder pads are in and all the rage for spring. Topshop
have excelled themselves and have designed some fabulous chain scarves
that would look perfect on Princess Ann in the 1980's, but we love
them! They are very tongue in cheek and are give a mini tribute to the
Spring/Summer preoccupation with graphics, chains and out there
jewellery!
Spots, stripes ..ooh la la!
Every year, stripes and spots fill the shops to herald the beginnings of Spring/Summer fashion. This year is no exception with shops brimming with the 'bateau mouche' French Riviera feel. We found this fabulous, on trend, half price, Reiss stripy clutch in the Asos sale...what a bargain! We love it and it is £40 ...purchase while stocks last!Nude and Sparkles
Mix your nautical fashion with nude colours and a touch of sparkle to bring it into the 10's! We love Bora Aksu's sequin nude tights for romantic appeal and we think that these will be replicated in abundance for Spring on the high street. If you are going for spots, these are going to be very
retro
vintage and will take the form of shocking 80's rehashed ra ra skirts,
puff balls and ...my goodness...my goodness...all in one pants suit.
Spots are easy to accessorise and spotty scarves will be all around us
this season! Team them with a cute, colourful ballet pump for a petite,
cutesy, curstey to the Parisians! More on the nude colour ways, FCaNK love the sugary almond colours this season. Hit colours from the early 80's like baby blue, nude pinks, mint and lemon will make a re -entrance this season!
Nude and Natural
Fake tan is being upstaged by a natural look this season, although we may all get too frustrated by mid - July and opt out for a Fake Bake or St Tropez session!Midi Heels and Mini Skirts
Skirts
will be shorter and heels will be smaller this season. The mid-heel
continues to make sense for fashionistas everywhere, but there are many
of us who rely on a higher heel to wear a shorter skirt ...so assess
your legs situation before acting on the fashion advice! We love the
Emily and Fin mini dresses at Oliver Bonas or at Fashion Beans...very
cutesome if you have the legs! If not, kitten heels and the mid heel
are fab with jeans, so that everyone can have fun with the midi heel!The Neutral Basic
FCaNK are really pleased that the white shirt is yet again having another seasonal revival. Other colour ways like neutrals, shell, cream and ivory basics will also be abundant this season. Simple lines, frillly and lacy shirts will be very much on trend. These are a great early Spring treat to liven up the usual winter warmers. This is not one to buy from a charity shop or vintage shop...they may look yellow or stained. Instead, go to your fave shop for this purchase!Metallica and Snakeskin!
Metallic threads are going to be used a lot in the season ahead, especially for separates. This could be a great vintage addition to your wardrobe and you may be able to pick up a retro vintage metallic shirt from a charity shop. If you are a vintage virgin...it's probably better to check out the high street first before going solo, or take a vintage expert with you. Metallic looks will abound with over stated ornate jewellery, chains and pearls..oh and there will be a few metallic bags...back in....again...but we have had enough of the metallic shopper and are heading out for some colourful clutch bags instead!Snakeskin is an ever present painful reminder of the worst of the 80's and belts will be painfully python this season. No Knickers will need convincing on this fashion statement but then she is a self confessed reptile phobe!
Seasonal tips for the Vintage shopper
Vintage virgin easy to find: - Retro spotty scarf. It will be very difficult to go wrong with this accessory.
- Pastel cardigans, preferably from a 1950's Scottish wool shop with pearl buttons and feminine sleeves....we love!
- A touch of sparkle...we will give you more advice on this as the season unfolds!
- Out
there, dramatically ornate jewellery. The contents of your
grandmother's jewellery box would be perfect for this season, as long
as you where everything, all at once. Less is certainly not more this
season!
- Metallic threaded shirt...just watch out for comfort. Some metallic thread seventies shirts were aggravatingly itchy and heroically uncomfortable!
- Colourful retro clutch bag.
"Slankets" , blankets and bed jackets
The "Slanket" phenomenon took the nation by storm before Christmas. For those of us who missed it, the Slanket is a blanket with sleeves. You see, sl(eeves)-(bl)anket = Slanket. UUggghhh! If you want to cosy up with another Slanket fan, a Siamese Slanket will enable you to cuddle up together on the sofa!
As the Slanket is fast becoming a trendy and branded product, FCaNK has a horrible premonition that Autumn/Winter 2010, we may see blankets with head holes and sleeves on the catwalk. Didn't we used to call this a poncho? Mmm, let's wait and see, but for now FCaNK prefer gorgeous, aesthetic, Cashmere blankets...but without the sleeves...oh and the hole(s) for
your
head(s). Better still, FCaNK prefers this lovely mohair throw from The
White Company to cosy up with on a Winter's night! A steal at just £40!FCaNK are big believers in the bed jacket and are looking for its restoration as a staple winter cosy up for bed time snuggling. Perfect for cups of tea and buttered toast in bed. We want to see some Scandinavian designers delivering on some cosy up bed jackets just for us next Winter. For now though, we will make do with a cardigown. This is the season to be throwing some cash at cosiness because we have a couple more months of wintry nights yet to come. We love the hush cardigown which comes in numerous colours and will take you to bed or round to your local corner shop for a pint of milk! Actually, this cardigan would transport itself to a pub and not look out of place...Oh ladies you need never get dressed up again! However, the Fur Coated amongst us only wear this £75 cardigown to bed. Either way, it's perfect for all your cosy requirements!
Keep posting us your comments and views on Spring/Summer 2010 and we will be updating you throughout the season, so you will not be alone fighting your way through the 80's mayhem! Here's to a happy 2010 and plenty of fun and fashion games!
Happy Days Ladies,
Signing off,
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