#LFW Street Style: What I'll be Wearing

London Fashion Week in T minus 3 days guys...

To those of us that work on High Street mags, it isn't the be all and end all, i.e. we won't be front row with Harry Styles and Pixie Geldof, but it is SUCH a buzz and so much fun to get the chance to go to the shows. I always look forward to the Topshop Unique show (see here for a review of their SS13 show where I met Cara and Jourdan backstage) as it's so exciting to see a High Street brand put on a MAJOR catwalk affair. Plus the celeb spotting, new model face scouting and general fashion high. Oh and the champers and canapes, can't forget those.

For a feature for Look magazine this week they wanted to see what we, the editors, would be wearing to the shows. Uh - oh, This means a picture. Of me. In the mag. I prefer to be the other side telling people what to do but thank God it was a pal and old colleague, the very talented Alicia Clarke, who took our pics.

I scrubbed up a bit more than I usually would (bit of a scruffbag sometimes, me) and got to borrow some lovely bits from my PR pals including including ASOS, Topshop, River Island, Marks & Spencer's and Schuh.

I mixed in my usual faves - stripe, denim, neon and neutrals. Here's a couple of my looks:

Coat and jeans, ASOS; heels and jumper, Topshop; bag, River Island; sunglasses (in hand), Miu Miu

Dress and bag, Marks & Spencer; coat, ASOS; shoes, Schuh

All pictures ©Alicia Clarke/Look Magazine

Latest Editorial | The New Colour Rules

I love nothing more than shooting in a studio on a plain white cove and letting the clothes and the girl do the talking.

This week's main fashion story for Look Magazine was just that. I got to shoot with a fantastic team who worked hard to achieve a great shoot.

Now back to prepping for a mahoosive trip to NYC in 11 days and counting! (5 days of which are Bank Hol/weekend? Eek!)

WIBTW (What I Bought This Week) | Midi Skirts, AKA Mum Skirts

There's something quite comforting about slipping on the latest trend in midi skirts.

I get weird flashbacks to hiding behind my mums leg's aged about four, as these comfy, easy-to-wear, not-overly-flattering skirts scream 80s mum to me. But I like that. The light cotton and retro prints would have totally been a separate of choice for Mrs.Wood back in the day.

The midi trend is huge and this week I have totally emersed myself in 80s mum-ness and purchased these two lovelies from Topshop and Asos.

Leopard print midi with thigh slits, £36. Buy here.

Multi stripe midi, £36, Asos. Buy here.

Waiting for a train in the sun, wearing Office shoes.

Waiting for a train in the rain, wearing Office shoes again.

Metallics shoot | From moodboard to magazine...

The last of my Barbados shoots was out the other week and I was really pleased with how I managed to achieve the original concept I had with this one. It doesn't always work like that and sometimes you have to let go of much-loved original ideas.

It was a metallics story, "7 days of shine" - how to add a bit of sparkle or shimmer to your Summer wardrobe.

Here is a picture of the original moodboard I made a few weeks before we shot when I was brainstorming story ideas:

And here's the moodboard from my shoot:

I never wanted to copy any of the shots form the moodboard but wanted to capture those mouthwatering blues, the warmth, and the shine of the clothes.

It was a long hard day that day - our final shoot on a ten day trip, but we pulled it out the (sequin clutch) bag. Thanks to a fantastic team.

All the clothes are High Street unlike all the designer on the original moodboard. Check out the cheap as chips white blazer from Primark...

Here are the final pictures that went into the magazine:

Barbados editorial | Neon story

One of my favourite stories from our recent trip to Barbados was out last week in Look magazine, the neon story.

When we were location scouting around Barbados there were so many brightly coloured properties that we could have shot against (apparently it is the thing to have a neon house over there, how very on trend!) but in very busy or residential areas. So we were very chuffed when we came across a whole village of just-built vacant houses in every colour under the sun. It was a new government housing scheme - the equivalent to a British council block basically. I know what I'd prefer...

The derelict site gave an almost futuristic feel to the shoot, almost like an eerily empty movie set, hence the head "The Girl Who Fell To Earth".

Here's the finished story:

All pictures © Look Magazine

SNEAK PEEK: TOPSHOP AW13

It seems to make perfect sense to be thinking about Winter clothes at the moment. Because it's so ruddy cold!

AW13 Press Shows are in full swing, with too many to even get to at the moment. So I thought I'd bring you a sneaky glimpse at what High Street legends Topshop will have in store (literally) for Autumn.

Heavy 60s and 90s influences are still apparent in this Topshop collection, following from their strong Summer presence. Check out the Christopher Kane-esque wedge heel Chelsea boot with neon elastic, just like the ones I swooned over back in April! Also I'm loving the update to the biker that I'm starting to see everywhere for next Season - fur-lined aviator styles. Let's call them the Hairy Biker...

So while bikinis are filling the rails in the shops, think warm thoughts with my edit of what I love from the first of the new Topshop collections hitting down in mid July...

Matte sequin sweat

Bird print skirt

Leather collar top

Neon detail Chelsea boots

Grey patent skirt

Fur-lined leather jacket

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WIBTW (What I Bought This Week): Too old for Topshop?

I need to face facts. I'm over 30 and the shame of dancing next to a 16 year old girl in the same H&M floral dress as me at V Festival last Summer made me think perhaps it's time to grow up a little.

Part of me wants to shop on ASOS all day and buy bombers and beanies and crop tops... but I think it's time to leave that to the teens.

Plus anyway, I am now loving the labels I never really bought (or could afford) in my teens and twenties; COS, Reiss, Jigsaw, Whistles etc. And also picking up on alternatives to cheaper High Street brands. For example the uber-quirky Monki, which has a shop in Carnaby Street and is also stocked in Selfridges. The reasonable prices always surprise me and still not everyone knows about it. I love their take on fashion - check out the description online of the top I bought as pictured below: "It's all about the back with Ann - the chunky silver zip, and the elegantly shaped opening that allows curious admirers (and dogs with cold noses, bent on surprising someone) access to a bit of the small of your back."

So I am really trying nowadays to buy pieces with a little more longevity (obviously previous post on a Brian Lichtenberg sweat was just a blip in the new-found way of thinking...)

Here are this week's purchases, and not a neon beanie in sight...

COS top, £45

COS silk & knit cardigan, £55,  a great alternative to this season's bomber

Zara leopard coat, £89

Zara sheer check shirt, £25

Zara sweat with handy underlay, £25

Monki pink shell top, £25

Check out the nose hole for a dog!

ASOS burgundy chelsea boots, £50

Topshop Limited Edition Christmas dresses

Topshop's Limited Edition Christmas dresses have just hit down in store and they are stunning.

They're not your usual sequin-all-over-never-wear-again one-off office party frocks, these are stylish wear-forever pieces. 

Buy them here - but hurry, sizes are running out! 

Prices range from £150 - £195 but I think it's worth spending a little more on a dress like this, and if these gorgeous lookbook shots don't convince you I don't know what will...

All pictures © Topshop 

It's the TOPSHOP SS13 preview!

So it wouldn't be much of a blog if I didn't give you a peek at what I saw at the Topshop SS13 press preview, right? RIGHT.

I'm meant to be your eyes and ears for the latest High Street fashion, and seeing as practically the whole world and her sister shop at the mighty Topshop, here is an essential insider preview of what you'll all be buying in the Spring.

Note that some pieces are customized samples so they won't be identical to what goes into production.  Some of what we see at press days are raw designs by the creatives before they get the High Street tone-down treatment.

So, here are some snaps of my favourite new pieces from one of my favourite brands. Just got to wait for them to hit the rails now...