Returning Items = still sometimes a nightmare.

I thought that these days with all the technological advances going on, returning one little item to a shop wouldn't be a problem. And usually its not, but I've had the week from hell with a little Topshop number. Here goes the story;

I bought a pretty little summer dress from the Topshop website last week, as you can see its very cute;



But when it arrived it had a black mark on it. Yes it may have been quite small but it's a pale/white dress and I wasn't happy! So I took it in to Topshop Southampton store to exchange it. Firstly they didn't have my size, which I wasn't too concerned about as I was happy enough to return it and try elsewhere or buy again online.

BUT then the sales assistant tried to tell me that I couldn't refund OR exchange it as it was purchased online. Ummm hello are you from 2005? Yes, I can do either of those in store thank you very much - i've studied your brand in such great depth I pretty much know everything there is to know about Topshop. And I KNOW that I can refund it in store. Obviously I didn't give her that rant but still. She was so unhelpful! I asked to speak to the manager and she simply replied "busy". Now I know why everyone I know complains about Topshop staff service. Eventuuuuually another staff member confirmed the fact that I was RIGHT and there was no problem at all, but did I get an apology? No of course I bloody didn't.

Topshop most definitely need to teach their staff to be polite and helpful little employees, not the sulky and uneducated "staff" they are now.

'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!

The new French Connection Look Book - yum.

So now to what my post was supposed to be about today - The S/S 10 French Connection Look Book. Now I picked up my copy in the Southampton store last week, and couldn't resist having a flick through whilst in store. And I can tell you that it actually made me quite excitable! The book is presented in a simply gorgeous way - very French Connection; simple, huge on images and small on writing (which works for me as all I need to know is the price to be honest. Anything else just distracts me)



Each double page spread features one page with just a picture of the model, and the page opposite then features S/S items - either displayed in several 'looks' or seperately with accessories. The information given includes the product name, price, colour ways and sizes available.



Each page featuring just the model has a slogan, which I found interesting to flick through and read, and made it different from every other ad campaign. As to whether it summed up the French Connection customer I am unsure, but I'm an FC customer and I liked it all the same.

The book was for both men and women - depending on which way round you started, I obviously started with the women section, and this is how it was displayed in store. But turn it round and flip it over and you have the mens section;



The female and male model are being used in all advertising campaigns; from the Look Book, to the website and videos available, to magazine ads. I have found myself liking this much more than say Topshop who, it seems to me, use a million different models each season. I feel using the same one or two gives it continuity, and when I see an advert I automatically relate it to the brand, and the other adverts I have seen for it.

So all in all, good job French Connection. Nice items inside the Look Book too!

Oh River Island, you've wasted all your hard work.

Morning (just) ladies and gents! Now I was going to publish a post on French Connection's beautiful Look Book now in store - but that will have to wait for a minute. I have just been on Facebook, as we all do every morning I'm sure, and River Island have posted their 'Favourite Just Arrived Pieces This Week' and they are HORRIBLE. I'm not just saying this as they do not suit my personal taste, I am pretty sure that it will be the general consensus that these new items are awful. And so 90s River Island. Please observe;



Is River Island back to being 'chavvy'? With these new items I certainly think so. It even hurts me to say new, as they look as if they've been lurking in the store cupboard of a cheap poundland-type-store for years on end. It's such a shame after last season - A/W 09 had some BEAUTIFUL pieces, and now they're offering this!

Neither the dress or skirt seem on trend, and I'm waiting to see chavtastic 14 year old girls with wet perms wearing them, they are not remotely appropriate for Spring/Summer. And I can't even begin to try and explain the shoes or think of the reason behind selling them at this 'brand'.

Even the comments posted on the River Island Facebook page following this post are not that great, with negative comments such as;

"I don't really like any of these, they're not original, definatly 'copy-cat'"
"Dont like any of it :("
"the shoes are awful !"

And these comments are coming from River Island's core customer base, those who have taken the time to sign up to their Facebook page.

Maybe time for a rethink if they want to try and compete with brands such as Topshop and All Saints?