I found out I was expecting a baby in February and all that excitement and wonder has filled all non-essential bits of my mind since then. Also tying one's jeans closed with a big rubber band has the effect of making you very sure fashion is something for someone else to concern themselves with and not you. But today when my jaw literally dropped upon seeing pictures from the Penneys/Primark Autumn/Winter 2012 lookbook I felt that fashion love again!
Here are some of my favourite pieces, I've had to rob them from a fellow blogger thefashionnomad as I cannot get access to the lookbook through my usual avenues!
There is, as my fellow blogger points out, no coherent common thread running through the collection, except that it is very retro, more 60s/70s than the 50s/60s Summer collection but also very quirky and much less populist than the average Penneys collection. The cape/blouse below in particular is a case in point, it is striking and unusual and a brave piece to choose for a shop that aims for mass appeal.
I'm assuming Ms.Chung was the inspiration here. Note the different tone between top and bottom of the dress, and the beautiful fitted jacket.
I will be buying all the pencil skirts I can find from this collection, it's a very flattering length for me. Again I can't see it appealing to the vast majority of Penney's customer base who tend to be very young but I appreciate their choice! The 3/4 length sleeve on the jumper is very cute, and the detailing on the shirt is great.
These tweed look trousers are fantastic
I adore these boots, the ultimate 60s chelsea boot.
This skirt is a lovely elegant length with a 1930s feel and would look amazing worn any number of ways. No fear of me fitting into it for a while but I may buy one in the hope I'll get back into normal clothes eventually!
Pictures all from thefashionnomad's blog
Franzi the blog's author makes the point that she hopes the clothes will be better than the usual Penney's quality. Personally I think the clothes are so cheap it makes sense to buy two of the same item if you love it, I always do. You may not get that long out of the first admittedly but I'm always delighted to crack open the fresh second item as I'm deeply in love with the top/dress/whatever at that stage, and by the time you've worn out that second item there will be a new season to shop for. The total cost will still have only been a fraction of what you would spend elsewhere. Shopping sensibly helps of course, patterns printed onto woven/knitted material will never survive more than a few washes, nor will very brightly coloured items or very detailed patterns but by and large the stitching is sound ( or can be repaired if not) and the items often made of pure cotton, not a problem in my book!
Can't wait!
