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This weeks picks of the week, come courtesy of All Saints! It's not often that I dedicate all three picks of the week from one retailer but I think this is very deserved. I was pleasantly surprised to discover colour, lots of colour, when I visited their store recently! All Saints is now so well known for being home to grey, beige and black that I was overwhelmed by their current collection. Pastel colours, light wash denims and cool prints are very much the order of the day. Don't get me wrong, All Saints style is still rugged and industrial but it's now available in a summer friendly colour palette.
First up is this colourful tourist print t-shirt. Whilst it isn't the same tourist prints you'll see in Topman or River Island, All Saints have adapted the trend without compromising their brand identity. I think the colours are really fresh and current and the beauty of not having a New York skyscraper print is that this t-shirt will be able to live past the current trend.
If you didn't know already, printed short sleeve shirts are EVERYWHERE. Aztec, Hawaiian, 80's and everything in between can be seen printed onto short sleeve shirts across the high st right now. Again, All Saints have adapted the trend to fit their own style and the end result is something quirky and easy to wear.
I originally featured this jacket in a post about denim jackets a few weeks ago. Now that their spring/summer collection is in full bloom in store, I'm loving this jacket even more. It's a great fit and although the £95 price tag might seem steep compared to some of the alternatives on the high st, the quality is worth every penny!
Following on from 'Sportsday' comes Colonial, phase two of Topman Ltd's spring collection.
Colonial is a mixture of statement prints and patterns with a transitional colour palette of blues, burgundy and mustard. The collection feels like a natural move on from Sportsday with some of the key staples like the coloured shorts and peg leg trousers allowing you to mix between the two looks.
Here are some of my favourite pieces from the collection.
I don't know about you lot but the brighter, warmer days of the past week have got me in the mood for spring!
I'm bored of wearing layers now, bring on shorts weather!
This weeks picks are inspired by the current warmer climate and something to get you all excited for Spring! Also, they are all 'value' items for their trend so you won't break the bank updating your wardrobe.
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I posted about Hawaiian print shirts earlier in the week and Burton have just released their take on the trend. I seen the shirts at their High Summer Press Day back in January and this beauty was my favourite! I'm so glad it's finally available to buy, and the £22 price tag means its cheaper than the competition!
I love this vintage print aqua t-shirt from H&M. It's great for wearing with shirts or chinos making it great for spring or summer! H&M have maintained affordable fashion over the past few years and it's great to see that they haven't compromised on quality prints during tough economical times.
Republic's White Label continues to go from strength to strength. Through A/W they produced a value fashion offer through shirts and chinos and these chino shorts are the perfect seasonal follow up. The colour way makes the, transitional through lots of trends and the styling is great! I've worn my White Label shirt (from their A/W collection) to death so I'm hoping for similar quality from the spring/summer collection.
There's no denying the huge increase in popularity of shirts this season, thanks largely to the current Aztec trend. I featured the new shirt trends in a post back in January and this is the follow up!
Hawaiian print shirts (or tropical print shirts) are going to be a big look this spring/summer. Designers such as James Long, Givenchy and Kenzo featured the prints on shirts, trousers, shorts and jumpers in their s/s12 collections.
The look is now starting to build on the high st and already there are a range of prints to suit everyone. Note that the majority will appear on short sleeve shirts. With prints this busy it would be difficult for every man to pull off the look in a long sleeves.
Much like the Aztec prints, you will either love this look or hate it. Personally, i love the look. Menswear is more exciting now than it has been for a while and we seem to be given options which are usually reserved for women. The nautical and Aztec trends both appeared at the same time as they did for women and Hawaiian prints seem to be following suit. So why not release the chains of those check shirts and reach for something more fun?
It's fair to say that low cost air travel isn't always as low cost as it may seem. Whilst the cost for your seat might be reasonable, some of the additional charges and taxes aren't.
I love to travel abroad and I'm always lured in by the adverts of return flights to exciting European cities for under £20. Yet by the time I get to the payment screen the price has doubled, if not tripled. And the one charge I always begrudgingly pay is for check-in baggage. Not that I don't want the extra kilos (believe me I do), its just that the cost attached for the privilege is extortionate.
A friend of mine tweeted at me a couple of weeks ago with the only solution to to avoiding check-in baggage costs, hand luggage.
Never one to shy away from a challenge, I started thinking about what I would pack for a seven night stay in Spain using hand luggage. I excluded toiletries and sun lotion as I'd buy them at the destination to allow maximum room for clothes!
My top tips for packing for a hand luggage holiday are:
1. Plan your outfits. I always lay out my tops and match my trousers or shorts to ensure I have outfit options. There's no point packing your favourite shirt, if you have nothing to wear with it. Also, try and wear the bulkiest items on the journey.
2. Pack versatile pieces. It's important to have a good mix of basics and patterns to ensure you can mix and match the things that you pack.
3. Contingencies. Although your space is tight, try and make sure you have packed more tops than you have the number of days you are staying. This is to cover any unplanned activities or accidents.
Whenever I go on a summer holiday I always pack too many footwear options! I always kid myself that I will be able to comfortably wear gladiator sandals around the city but the truth is, I usually wear them on the first day, burn my feet and can't wear them again because the straps rub against the sunburn. So what I have now learnt is that I spend the majority of my summer holidays wearing flip flops. Comfortable, great for the beach and the city and you can wear them with anything. I also always take a pair of shoes for the flight and for going out at night. There's nothing worse than getting off the plane on your journey home to wet weather when you're wearing flip flops. Trust me, those aircraft steps are a hazard in the rain.
For a seven night, hand luggage holiday I would take three pairs of shorts. I love mixing prints through tops and shorts so I would pack one plain pair that I could wear with print tops and one patterned pair I could wear with plain tops. When I'm on holiday I prefer to explore the place I'm visiting rather than stay by the beach everyday so one pair of swim shorts would be enough for me. I love these bright orange ones inspired by the S/S collection from DSquared2.
If you're going somewhere like Spain then you are almost guaranteed sunshine and warm weather so unless you are incredibly unlucky, you should be spending most of your time in shorts. Personally, I never like to fly in shorts as I always get cold. So these chinos are a great travel and evening wear option.
I can not go on holiday to a hot climate country without a selection of vests. I think that slub vests are the most comfortable thing to wear during the day and look cool on the beach or when you're off exploring. The loose fit means that they keep you cool and if you haven't had time to hit the gym, they won't show you up. I always try and pack a selection of different prints from a selection of trends to try and create a different look each day.
With t-shirts I always try to include a few basics to wear with the patterned shorts and also as layering pieces for your shirts.
I never usually pack many shirts as I find them too restrictive to wear when the weather is hot. It's good to have a little selection though for daytime and evening wear.
This hoodie is perfect for travelling. It's lightweight and it will keep you warm during the flight. Plus it's always good to have jacket incase the weather takes a turn for the worse or the nights get cold.
Sunglasses and a straw trilby are a must have for a summer holiday, they're both essential for sun protection. I always carry or wear my hat on board as packing it usually ruins it and I hang my sunglasses from my t-shirt.
