by Ellen

Am slightly disappointed with the summer sales this year. We've launched them on MSN Shopping but otherwise the high street is proving somewhat uninspiring.

All I've snapped up so far (not for want of trying) is a pair of £9.99 skinny jeans and some flat black sandals. The jeans are nearly the wrong side of stonewashed and feel like some 1992 girlband rip-offs, but they're very skinny and 'proper' denim rather than the stretchy alternatives. I'm still on the look out for more bargains but right now it seems, what with the credit crunch and all, I might actually spend less in the sales than ever.

by Ellen

Walk into any number of high street shops and you would be forgiven for getting an eerie sense of deja-vu. Yep, the shops are filled with the same few key trends over and over again. Obviously this happens every season but this summer it seems really distinct. Here's my favourite and the one I'm really not digging:

Yes Please: Graphic Flag Prints

You might as well just rip down a Stars and Stripes and wrap me  in it - I can't get enough of the red, the white and the blue, and stripes especially.

These colours are my basic staples all year round and this season's clashing of colours and prints is an easy upgrade. I'm particularly fond of stripes on skirts, especially the Riviera-feel ones, similar to the sold-out Topshop version.

All a slight update of the nautical look, which we decided can be worn by everyone.

No Thanks: Candy Colours

Walking into one high street shop this week I felt like I'd just stepped into a giant piece of candy floss. Coated in marshmallows. The trends for feminine, floaty fabrics and cuts is all well and good but the overdose on pastel pinks, creams and peaches is really pushing me to the brink.

While it looked elegant and stylish on the catwalk, how to transfer this to your daily commute without looking like a 5 year old who got lost in a Fondant Fancies factory is tough. Still, if you think it'll work for you, be my guest.

by Ellen

No, this is not a bad Little Britain sketch. Croydon is getting its own Fashion Week. 

Instead of making jokes about the Croydon face-lift or rambling on about Kate Moss, I am feeling a tad proud of my home town. Everyone is defensive of the place they come from, and with Croydon I am all the more vehement with my big-ups as there is little wrong with the place.

The centre might be a tad urban and grey, it might seem a little soulless at times, and a Friday night in the George might still be my idea of hell, but overall, Croydon is pleasant enough. It's just sad the news has turned it into an opportunity to roll out all the anti-Croydon jibes and forgotten about the creative talent and love of fashion the event will be celebrating. Surprisingly enough, people from Croydon can be stylish and into fashion. Can you believe it?!

• Bright orange nail varnish - maybe from somewhere funky like MAC.
• Infusion d Iris perfume by Prada - fresh and grown-up for summer.
• A big new purse - mine is looking very bashed up now but I can't be doing with little purses.
• Belts - skinny or wide but definitely for the waist.

And I am also after a new skill - I want to learn to cook (so this may be by going to classes or by 'shadowing' a friend - hint hint Tess!).

by Ellen

..doesn't end with their provocative advertising campaigns it seems. One of my favourite shops, that I've been a fan of for a while, is getting the kind of publicity which for once isn't praising its fair treatment of employees and anti-sweatshop mass-production of clothes.

Its founder, Dov Charney, has been sued by an employee for sexual harassment. Tales of him walking around the office in a thong, performing sex acts in front of an interviewer and employing only hot women in his office tie in with the often soft-focused, sleepy-eyed young (pre-pubescent seems an exaggeration, but still) girls suggestively playing with their brightly coloured jersey T-shirts and tight dresses.

All the allegations have painted Charney as a Terry Richardson character in my head; while I like the clothes his company produces and admire their ethics when it comes to making the garments, I wonder how this will affect the brand overall. The slightly seedy, sexual side to AA has resulted in legendary advertising campaigns which make it a favourite shop for the Vice generation.

How will they cope with the slightly sordid (potential) reality? I haven't burnt my (American Apparel, naturally) bra in protest just yet, although I do feel saddened that he comes across somewhat unintelligent, and if I'm honest, a bit sad. Will it affect sales? No. Will thousands of 19 year old boys in their cotton T-shirts think he's a legend? Oh yes.

by Ellen

There's nothing better than the annual birthday blog to get you excited about growing another year older.

Anyway, this year I'm feeling far too busy and broke and tired to do much shopping of my own, so the prospect of gifts is quite an exciting one.

Here's my birthday wish list:

1. A 'Keep Calm' print. I keep changing my mind but all of the retro-looking slogan prints are incredible and I always need more things for walls.

2. Biotherm Biosource Clarifying Cleansing Gel. I tried this last year and am about to finish my current face wash. Perfect timing.

3. A new liquid eyeliner. My current one is completely un-smudge proof and driving me mad.

4. A grown-up wallet. I've always made use with coin purses which aren't very sophisticated so I think my 24th birthday will be the time to take the plunge with a proper grown up look.

5. A teapot. I'm trying to cut down on my caffeine intake so I'm sure some fancy serveware would encourage me to drink more herbal teas.

Bookmark with:
Digg	del.icio.us	Reddit
Facebook	Newsvine	StumbleUpon

by Ellen

The shops may have been selling bikinis and flip flops since November, but for us the summer shop at MSN Shopping is only just launching now.

I am ECSTATIC as it means you can officially start buying nice summer things which will sit in the back of your wardrobe and only see the light of day either a) on holiday, or b) the one warm day Britain gets this year. I have the excuse of going to Barcelona next week, but with a forecast of rain I'm not getting my hopes up.

Bookmark with:
Digg	del.icio.us	Reddit
Facebook	Newsvine	StumbleUpon

• Sunshine, lunch in the park, big sunglasses (pollen-defense solution)
• Pimms, Pimms, Pimms
• Running outside in my new cross trainers
• Cheerful new cushions for my living room - bit like deckchair covers
• Flat thong sandals - suddenly everyone is wearing them and I want some
• Martini glasses and cocktails on the patio
• Fake tan, scrubs and lotions - with all the short skirts around it's time to prep the pins!

by Ellen

Whenever the mercury begins to rise, the air conditioning in the office starts getting sketchy, and lunchtime turns into a mad dash to eat your meal deal in the park, the debate about shorts in the office returns. Should guys or girls wear shorts in a professional office environment?

For girls, shorts have become easy enough to smarten up if the situation requires. Tailored shorts of a decent length can look just as smart as a pencil skirt or trousers.

For guys, it's more blurred. Our office dress-code is casual for the most part; for a lot of people it's jeans and a t-shirt every day. But does that mean shorts are OK? What is it about blokes showing their ankles that people find a bit too casual? I say go with the shorts, fellas. It's sunny outside so why not bring some of the summer into the office and show off a bit of skin while you're at it.

Bookmark with:
Digg	del.icio.us	Reddit
Facebook	Newsvine	StumbleUpon

• Coloured 'ethnic' scarves - I know everyone is wearing them but still.
• My new glasses - it's like I now have two personas (glasses on/glasses off).
• Brown leather - belts, bags, sandals. Tan-tastic!
• A-line skirts - full, floral and flouncy please.
• Gin & tonic - woohoo it's the long weekend.

by Ellen

Finding a bikini has been stressing me out for the past couple of weeks. I kept finding ones I liked and then they were either out of stock or came to £40 for the set, which I find excessive considering it's going to get covered in sand/seaweed/ice cream etc.

Finding the right shape is always an issue too, and while I've been lusting over bandeau tops and the gorgeous retro one-pieces, I finally settled on a red and white stringy bikini, with ruffles and a cute belt on the bottoms. It's a bit nautical without overdoing the anchor motifs and I am pretty much overdosing on all things stripy right now anyway. I hope the beaches of Barcelona and Nice are ready for me.

Bookmark with:
Digg	del.icio.us	Reddit
Facebook	Newsvine	StumbleUpon

by Ellen

If I read one more article about the credit crunch or hear the word 'recession' again I'm going to go nuts. Interest rates, inflation and the weak Euro are making me miserable, mostly because it means, essentially, we have less money to spend. That's the crux of it, right?

And so at times like this everyone talks about becoming a more 'savvy consumer' but it shouldn't only be something we think about when we're facing spiraling debts and costs and misery. We have some new Which? consumer guides online which offer impartial advice when it comes to buying a new MP3 player, sat-nav, lawnmower, mobile phone, and loads more. So with all this hoo-ha about sensible spending, I don't think we should be cutting down, just doing it more wisely. And I don't really need an economist to tell me that.

by Ellen

Our March Mailbag includes the age-old piece of feedback we seem to get every month; include more fashion for plus-sizes. One piece on celebs wearing spring trends prompted one use to write in with "When highlighting the current styles there should be some inclusion of styles which compliment the plus size woman and also info for women with bigger feet", which is fair enough, and we do have a few articles on plus-size fashion and a selection of plus-size clothes.

The user went on to say "This page is also not taking into consideration the budgets of working class people. It is instead drilling the ideology into women and young women of today that you need to spend more to look a particular way and also how to go about not being an individual." With regards to people's budgets, the page includes items which go from £19.95 upwards, so we do try and include a range of prices. Fashion in general isn't always to do with being an individual, and as the seasons change and designers and shops follow trends, those who wish to keep up with these trends will read articles such as our feature, and obviously those who aren't interested will hold little regard for what we say is fashionable.

Another user stated she wanted to see more fashion for petites, and we do have a guide to petite clothes and will be featuring more tips for smaller sizes in the future.

Finally, one user commented on our gift guide, saying "I really could do with a section for geriatrics in the gift areas, e.g. home and garden,travel ,books etc. Any chance?" In our future gift guides, older people and grandparents are definitely an area we could do more in, as it's an area often forgotten about so keep checking back and hopefully we'll have some soon!

by Ellen

At first glance, gladiator sandals are a whole heap of NO NO NOS! In fact, at second and third glance, I'm struggling to love this trend. Aesthetically, they are verging on the hideous. They are awkward and lumbering and involve too much leather and buckles for anyone's sanity. Any anything which draws too much attention to your ankles isn't going to be the most flattering of footwear, and more often than not will shorten your legs.

While this is of no concern if you're 5'11 with legs like Gisele's, I'm a bit scared. It's not just the fact it's difficult to find a flattering pair, it's just they remind me of peasant skirts and smock tops. All these things can actually work in moderation, but when the high street is literally spilling over with cheap versions of them, they're mostly no good.

Sadly for me, gladiator sandals were all over the catwalk last summer, and this year they're slowly creeping back in the shops. Rather than bother with a boring high street version, I think I'm just going to go the whole hog and head down the nearest fancy dress shop. Russell Crowe has nothing on me.

Bookmark with:
Digg	del.icio.us	Reddit
Facebook	Newsvine	StumbleUpon