'Shop The Window'

I got very excited when logging on to the Topshop website yesterday - as the 'Shop The Window' feature is back. The window in question is the feature window from Topshop Oxford Circus, and I was lucky enough to be there in store on the day that it was being designed.



The graffiti design background took two artists a whole day to create, and has a theme of 'summer brights' to compliment the summer looks on show. I absolutely love the graffiti design, and kind of wish there was a picture of it seperately from the clothes so I could print it and hang it on my wall! It would also be quite nice if there was a piece on the Topshop website about the design of the window - and all other windows they feature. The process looked so interesting, and it would have been nice to see pictures of all the various stages of creating the window, before the final shot.

However it is nice to see Topshop trying to introduce something of interest on to its website - yes it revolves around the clothes but its quite enjoyable to look at other aspects of the brand and its advertising techniques.

Topshop Make-up Range = Excited!

Whilst flicking through the May edition of Elle magazine I got extremely excited upon arriving at this page inparticular...



(Beautifully scanned in, may I add)

The article details make-up artist Hannah Murray busily creating plans for the forthcoming Topshop Unique show. She has collaborated with Topshop to create a new make-up range for the brand. However it doesn't actually state anywhere in the article when the range will be on-sale...quite annoying!

The article details several products that will be on offer, such as lipstick at £8 and nail polish at £5. Not crazily expensive, but level with well known actual make-up brands. Fashion brand's make-up ranges, in my opinion, never tend to be that successful. I can't name one that I have ever found particularly good. River Island's nail polish lasted all of a couple of hours before I looked like a crazy woman with chipped nail varnish, and New Look make-up is just not pretty, or wearable.

So I have high hopes for the Topshop range, and hope that they have put as much thought, care and quality in to it as they do for their clothing. If it works then Topshop will have successfully diversified in to another field - good news. However I do not believe that this will bring in new customers to the stores, simply encourage current ones to spend a little bit more when they shop with well advertised "pick-ups".

Topshop Update.

This weekend has been rather Topshop-orientated, and sadly hasn't been that much fun. Firstly, as seen in the post below, I am currently lusting after the Topshop 'Fashion Targets Breast Cancer' tee - which at £16 I was very happy to fork out for. However after traipsing around looking to purchase one this weekend, I may have changed my mind.

The first store visited - Topshop Weston Super Mare - on Friday was unsuccessful. Although I did buy some very pretty earrings <3 The store, which is my store of focus for the current uni project, was a longshot to say the least as it is a small store. But I did have a glimmer of hope that it would be in stock but sadly not. However the sales assistant did comment that 'they had only been sent a very small selection'. I do understand this being a small store, but that doesn't help me!

This trip was followed by another on Saturday, to Topshop Cabot Circus Bristol. Where again it was out of stock. Now this is a much larger store so I had real, actual hope. But no. And I wasn't particularly thrilled with the sales assistant simply seeming to grunt at me when asked if there were any in stock. Atleast in the small Weston Super Mare store the assistants are polite and helpful - it seems to be a trend that in large Topshop stores staff MUST be rude and unhelpful.

So here I am on Sunday, visiting the Topshop website. The top is in stock, in my size, HURRAH! However one major downside - £4 for delivery! Are you kidding? That's a quarter of the price I'm paying! I'm a student! Yes the student loan has come through, but I definitely begrudge paying that much for delivery. Plus I know that my very unhelpful postman won't even bother ringing the doorbell, as he never does, and it'll be shipped off to the Royal Delivery Office, where there will be a humongous queue and I will get angry. This whole things seems to be ruining my excitedness for the tee.

So I'm currently debating whether to just get on with it and buy it online, or chance it and wait until Friday when the next Topshop trip will take place. Hmmmm.

P.S. And another thing to rant about. The latest Topshop Style Notes email. As pathetic as it sounds I really do look forward to these emails, mostly for the offers yes but just the pretty pictures do it for me. However the latest one is rather thin on substance. Yes I definitely liked the first look, 'Summer Fete' which was rather cute;



The bag in particular I'm a huge fan of. However the other look seemed, well, old. The bodysuit has been in stores for several weeks, and pictured in magazines worn by Sugababes and Saturdays members. I look forward to the email to see new items!



Ok, rant over. I'm going to have to buy the top now to cheer myself up. Sod the delivery charge.

Fashion Targets Breast Cancer

Now whilst fashion is supposed to be a passion, a way of life, or perhaps just for fun, this month at Topshop it has gotten serious. And I like it! The brand is currently supporting the cause for Breast Cancer by offering us products such a vest, friendship bracelets and pin badges.



Now as bad as it may sound to say, and I do feel terrible saying it, clothing in support of such causes/charities normally seems to be...boring. And unfashionable. And not something I would wear. But this vest is flipping gorgeous! And at only £16, which is good for both my pocket and for Topshop - when I first saw it I was expecting to fork out a good 30 quid - this is perfect. And a huge £5 per vest will go to Fashion Targets Breast Cancer.

So as soon as the uni loan comes through and the minus figure in my bank account is not quite as large as it is now, this top shall be purchased. Looking good AND helping a worthy cause, I don't think it can get any better than that!