All Wrapped Up

Akin to my yearly strife with the agonizing winter boot purchase, trying to decide what coat to buy, or rather, invest in, this winter presents another huge decision. Camel coats, shearling jackets, capes and classic, simple-lined styles; the A/W runways have left us spoilt for choice with an impressive selection of delectable designs and left me in the grips of a dilemma.

Chloé

Fendi

Stella McCartney

Burberry Prosum

Céline

In light of this I've decided to wait until I've met 'the one': be it hanging in all it's overpriced glory on a rail in Topshop or shoved in a bin bag in the back of a Salvation Army branch somewhere, I'm not losing hope that my perfect match for A/W 2010/11 is out there and instead of rushing into something, I want our eventual union to be 'special'.

Thankfully, as a wise, poodle-permed ex boy-band member once sang: "what goes around comes around" and in this case it's my beloved Zara blanket wrap coat. Purchased in November 2008, at £120 it was the most expensive thing I'd ever dared buy, after months of lusting after it's cosy, fringed, alpaca-mix glory.

Conveniently, the blanket wrap (though hardly one of this seasons super-trends) was seen scattered throughout the Autumn Ready-to-Wear collections; interpreted particularly well by Kenzo, Guy Laroche and Wunderkind. Even Chloe exhibited a beautiful charcoal-coloured, fringed number. 

Kenzo

Kenzo

Kenzo

Wunderkind

Guy Laroche

Wunderkind

Chloé

In muted shades of grey with buckles, tassels and the odd flash of colour, this year's blanket wrap provides the wearer with an easier, more versatile, yet no less chic alternative to the cape: allowing one full use of one's arms and eliminating the handbag issue. Undoubtedly less likely to date than my idealised, camel-coloured, shearling cape trend hybrid (and currently hanging in my wardrobe), I think I've found my perfect companion for no strings attached (aside from the tassels) winter warming.

Until 'the one' finds me I'm quite content with that.

The September Issue...Resolved!

I caved.

I blame the appaulling weather and abundance of beautiful boots on the high street right now.

The search was inevitably sped up due to the fact that the seams of my beloved £15 black lace-ups have finally come apart, rendering them completely unwearable and leaving me with nothing but  soggy, soluble footwear.

Therefore, I don't feel quite so guilty about completely failing at this, my most ardent of resolutions.

After scouring the best of the high street my little town has to offer for a simple pair of black ankle boots (there's no way I won't wear them if they're a fail safe..right?) I came across some strong (but very pricey) contenders in Office, a surprisingly poor selection in Topshop and, shockingly, my winning (and most inexpensive) pair in Clarks. Which is somewhere I haven't set foot since I was allowed to upgrade my 'bootlegs' to the infinitely cooler Pod's in the autumn of 2002.

Branching out slightly from last year's beloved, second-hand pixie boots; I opted for a simple, chunky, black suede Chelsea style. A complete steal at £40 and far less likely to dissolve and leave me with the early stages of trench foot during Manchester's impending monsoon season; a true novelty for one accustomed to wearing little except ballet shoes and battered old boots perennially, rain or shine. Maybe I'm getting sensible in my old age?

Here they are! Fairly unassuming, but fantastically versatile (in theory).

I'm 85% sure on them, and since Clarks don't really appeal hugely to my demographic, here's hoping they won't be the ankle boots Du Jour of every other girl in the Fallowfield area this autumn, and at £40 it wouldn't be too hard to justify another pair come October...would it?

So the saga continues..

Here are my pick of the best black ankle boots on the provincial high-street (price restriction considered, unfortunately, otherwise Chloé would have certainly triumphed over Clarks).

£65 from Topshop

£69.99 from Clarks, complete with very on-trend shearling lining.

£69.99 from Clarks, a bit too sophisticated for me,
 but I love the equestrian detailing

£92 from Office.

£65 from Topshop.

£89 from Clarks.

£88 from Office

The September Issue

Every year, sick of disposable summer fashion and all the arduous grooming procedures it necessitates, August rolls in, the A/W runways have rolled out and the quest of meticulously devising my winter wardrobe becomes my all-consuming devotion. Without fail, this results in at least one pair of boots; perennially purchased amidst the Autumnal excitement of the arrival of the new season stock, being forsaken by mid-September, never to grace my fickle feet for the remainder of that or any later season. So this year I am resolute. I am abstaining from the all-important winter boot purchase until late September, making do with my beaten up lace-ups, which now, having been dearly loved and well-worn since last October, resemble the footwear of a Mary Poppins-era chimney sweep and have since May, ceased to stop being functional footwear and instead are now completely permeable and void of their proper soles. Only a month or so go, and in the meantime I get to be a penniless shoe-perv, frugal footwear voyeur etc

Manifestations of my new vocation to come.