Top of the Wish List

Boots.  Kinky boots.  Ok not really kinky boots - vaguely kinky (I guess..) as they are over the knee.  Yes I'm talking about The Boots.  The Lowland Boots from Stuart Weitzman.  Oh and this is where the confusion started.  

So.  SW for Russell & Bromley.  They are £595.

At Selfridges, the "same boots" without the Russell & Bromley tag - so purely Stuart Weitzman are £695.  According to the Sales Assistant, it's a better quality of suede....  How crap would I expect the suede to be on a pair of "merely" £595 boots.... Huh?

In the US they were $795 with tax on top, which made them around $860 (can't remember the exact figure).  I do know that they were only marginally cheaper therefore than buying then in the UK (the Selfridges ones and so identical) and much more expensive than the "clearly inferior" SW for R&B ones. 

All that chuntering on is a very long and dull way of me saying, I didn't come back with any boots. 

But I am now certain that a) I definitely definitely want a pair and b) I'm going to get them in the khaki (Loden if you're a SW fan...).  It was The Husband who suggested the khaki pair may be better (this was until he realised how much they cost and I can't quite describe how quickly he went quiet) and Pasquale (seen here, being rather too close to my leg) agreed. 

I also predict (based on absolutely nothing bar a feeling in my bones - which really means totally zilch) that higher (up the leg, not heel!) boots are going to be big ticket next A/W. 

So they are top of my list for my Wish List - my procrastination I guess is that they are clearly a properly horrific amount of money to spend on a pair of boots and will I get the wear out of them?..... I may have been seduced by all the - cough - sandals in the shops (I feel vaguely sick writing that, especially as I'm on snow watch like a hawk as my mother is due to be going home tomorrow.  She has to go home tomorrow otherwise I'll be looking at a life sentence in Sing Sing.  There is only so much tongue biting I can do.  The gems she's come out with that I could report back, are truly mind blowing...... Needless to say I'm on the wine) 

Back to my happy place and The Boots.  I think I will.... I think now with skinnies and dresses, skirts and tights and then as soon as it gets slightly warmer - instead of fake tanning the legs, hey presto, these will come into their own for a month or two.  Or is that just wishful thinking..... I put it open to the public - I am on the fence.  Your thoughts please. 

One thing I did think they would be fantastic with though, is a denim dress.  Back to my interesting (?!) New York observations though which I plan on revealing in chapter and verse tomorrow.
But as a sneak preview of my rantings, one of my favourite stores I went into was the (Swedish) & Other Stories.   This chambray dress stood out for sure.

Bold Zip Dress from & Other Stories £39



However as lovely as that looked, surrounded by gorgeous summery bits of bliss, reality bit when I went outside into Arctic temps.  This dress is about as much use now as a bikini. 

You may or may not have noticed that I have a penchant for clothes that work hard for me.  I have very little interest in anything that I can only wear a couple of times or that has a limited life span in my wardrobe (bar the odd Special Dress that we do all need).  A denim shirt dress is something that doesn't exist in my wardrobe but an item that... for example with my new boots (that I don't own yet).. would be perfect for the next couple of months with a layer underneath and a coat or blazer over it (even a jumper...... hmmmmm) and then with bare legs and sandals or sneakers for the Summer. 

Top of my list is for sure this one from Hush.  Oh I am so excited at seeing their new season goodies.  And due to my lack of heating, I was unable to go to their Press Day last week, so this is the first glimpse of a their S/S collection.  They currently have a preview online and there is 10% off with free p&p plus free returns (promo code SPRING15) , so it would be rude not to, no?  This is only one of five things I could order.

Denim Shirt Dress £65 from Hush




Another that would be easier to wear now is be this shirt dress from Boden - styled fabulously relevantly here for this weather with a layer and tights.  And wear just the dress in the Summer with sandals.  Perfect. 

To make it just a little more tempting, there is 20% off with the code A56L (off everything bar sales)

Casual Shirt Dress from Boden £79



This one from Dorothy Perkins is on the shorter side by the looks of things and it does have the shirt traditional style scallop at the side (see pics online).  Which some people love.. I'm not going to lie.  On me, being tall and therefore the dress actually looking more shirt than dress, it looks like I've just forgotten to put my trousers on.  And seeing as I'm possibly nearer the age of dementia than I am the "ooh look I'm cool" generation, I fear that someone may simply call the men in white coats. 

But if you're shorter, you won't have this issue and, if you're looking for a lighter wash, then this could be for you. 

Mid Wash Denim Plain Shirt Dress £26



Speaking of true shirt style, this one from New Look is similar but it has a belt which I think waves a magic wand and definitely transforms it into "dress" material.  

New Look Blue Denim Grandad Collared Shirt £24.99



This doesn't fit the shirt dress brief that I sort of added in, but it's definitely denim and I LOVE it.  I honestly honestly love it, even though I fear it would be snatch flashing on me were I to bend over (alas denim isn't the most forgiving of fabrics when it comes to drape) 

Frayed-edge denim dress from Aries at Matches £195




If you are looking for something a bit more summery - either to get ahead of the game or maybe you're off to sunnier climes for half term (in which case I hate you, although maybe not as much I would hate having to get my hirsute self defuzzed, so I therefore forgive you) - then there are some short sleeved tunic style dresses.  These look great dressed down but I think if you threw some heels on, there's no reason why you couldn't wear them out in the evening. 

I'm just going to add in case anyone else is thinking about the over the knee boots in a Spring shade (please god let someone join me on this slightly crazy plan...) then I'm pondering these dresses on a Spring day with the OTK boots and a little blazer or even a 70's style chunky knit oversized cardie.....  (can you see the method in my apparent madness now?) 

Indigo wash t-shirt dress from Topshop £38



Again from Boden at £69 pre 20% discount, the Verity dress which comes in three lengths 


This is perhaps stretching the brief and I should perhaps have kept it for another blog I have planned but call off the dogs.  It is denim by all accounts - I love it.  I totally and utterly adore it.  Not entirely sure I could swing it with khaki boots but forget them, with opaques and black ankle boots for nights out now, for during the day with lower boots, with skater shoes and bare legs and oh hello, I have the perfect white and black sliders from last year which would be a no brainer with this.  It is just perfect. (I haven't even mentioned the two pairs of navy boots I have....)
ASOS White Denim Printed Panelled dress £65



There definitely is a 70's vibe to a denim dress, although I do also love the twist on a classic fabric with the ASOS White one at the end.  Surely I need a pair of the khaki boots to go with them??!  

Finishing with my outfit from yesterday.  No snow.  We had it for an hour in the morning.  The children were gutted to see it go, I was elated.  Snow in February makes it firmly onto the list of things I loathe.  Don't even get me started on snow in March or, god forbid, April.  At that point I start looking at farms in Italy (yes it sends me doolally as you can see)



Black jumper (I am wearing one, believe me) - Reiss
Black fringe poncho - Reiss
Black tie dye jeans - Sandro
Grey wrist warmers - Toast
Black buckle boots - Toga Pulla
Black Faridah hobo bag - Marc by Marc Jacobs

It's Wednesday and I am on the wine and crisps for dinner.  Continuing lamenting my pathetic shopping effort in the Big Apple, I'll be back tomorrow with more.  Meanwhile, thoughts on denim dresses and be gentle with me about the boots.... (my mother is still here and I have drunk a lot of wine)