THE recent spring sunshine calls for a wardrobe refresh – and the high street is brimming with new pieces to update your day-to-day looks.
Just like so many of us, the Fabulous fashion team take one look at their wardrobe on a sunny day and think: ‘I have nothing to wear!’
COS.COM; MANGO.COMShop new-in high-street essentials the Fashion team have added to their baskets[/caption]Whether it’s a new-season frock to wear for work and on holiday, or a dress that matches your drink for cocktail hour, it’s timeto make way for new, warmer weather essentials.
From graphic T-shirts to designer-inspired handbags and swimwear, we’ve scoured the shops for the luxe-looking goods you need.
Here, the team reveals what they’ve added to their shopping baskets this week.
Abby McHale, 30, Deputy Fashion Editor
Nobodyschild.com; riversisland.com; Marksandspencer.com; aligne.co; reserved.com; zara.com; next.comFrom structured denim to graphic tees, Abby’s going bold this season[/caption] Dress, £89, Nobody’s Child – BUY NOW Necklace, £20, River Island – BUY NOW Shorts, £19.50, M&S Collection at Marks and Spencer – BUY NOW Denim top, £89, Aligne – BUY NOW T-shirt, £12.99, Reserved – BUY NOW Bag, £49.99, Zara – BUY NOW Shoes, £36, Next – BUY NOWSpring/Summer is my favourite season to dress for and now the weather has improved, I’m getting excited about all the new products in stores.
I have a lot of gingham in my wardrobe already, but after seeing these brown check shorts from M&S for just £19.50, I had to add them to my basket.
I’m also a sucker for a graphic T-shirt, and this espresso one from Reserved is just £12.99 – bargain.
Accessory-wise, I’m all about charm necklaces, fancy flats and bejewelled bags, so the high street really has me covered.
I’m also seeing a lot of people wearing more structured denim and this top from Aligne is ticking all the boxes.
Nobody’s Child also has lots of lovely new-in dresses ready for the warmer months ahead, and I love this orange strappy linen mini, which would match perfectly with an Aperol in my hand.
Clemmie Fieldsend, 34, Fashion Editor
very.co.uk; newlook.com; mango.com; cos.com; newlook.com; mintvelvet.comClemmie’s spring buys are for work and play[/caption] Blouse, £40, Very.co.uk – BUY NOW Swimsuit, £30.99, New Look – BUY NOW Blazer, £139.99, Mango – BUY NOW Dress, £135, COS – BUY NOW Tote bag, £135, COS – BUY NOW Bag, £27.99, New Look – BUY NOW Shoes, £99, Mint Velvet – BUY NOWThe glorious spring weather has heavily influenced my favourite new-in pieces this week – and there are so many stunning finds to choose from.
This bargain blouse from Very looks so expensive in real life.
The fabric looks and feels like silk, and the cutout detailing is so beautiful I can’t believe it’s only £40 – it’s gone straight into my basket.
I’m also besotted with this do-everything dress from COS that’s great with sandals on holiday (or pumps in the UK), and with this khaki blazer from Mango worn over the top, that’s a brand-new work outfit sorted.
New Look has come up trumps this week, too – I love the swimwear brand Away That Day, but £225 for a swimsuit isn’t do-able for me, and New Look’s dupe for £30.99 is definitely more my bag.
Plus, this gorgeous raffia bag with ruffled detailing from New Look is a must-have too.
Now, get me on that plane!
Tracey Lea Sayer, 53, Fashion Director
mango.com; cos.com; stories.com; zara.com; massimodutti.com; parfois.com; next.co.ukTracey loves a high-street bargain that looks designer[/caption] Suit jacket, £109.99, Mango – BUY NOW Suit trousers, £79.99, Mango – BUY NOW Swimsuit, £65, COS – BUY NOW Sunglasses, £32, & Other Stories – BUY NOW Earrings, £17.99, Zara – BUY NOW Bag, £149, Massimo Dutti – BUY NOW Dress, £155, COS – BUY NOW Jacket, £129, Parfois – BUY NOW Sandals, £29, Next – BUY NOWI love the thrill of finding a new high-street piece that looks like it should be hanging in a designer boutique.
I’ve always had expensive taste, but unfortunately have a beer-money budget, so shopping the high street has always been my go-to.
There are some absolute belters on my spring wish list.
These pieces will revive all the old stuff I have already and inject some newness into my wardrobe.
This dress from COS will also be the perfect holiday-wardrobe item, teamed with strappy sandals and a woven clutch, plus these beautiful Zara ceramic earrings.
I haven’t bought a new bag for about four years, so this spring I want to invest and Massimo Dutti is my go-to high-street store for bags.
In my opinion, its leather and suede bags look designer for a fifth of the price – this cute woven bag is under £150 and will work with everything.
Suede jackets can be so expensive, even on the high street, but step forward Portuguese online brand, Parfois.
The brand has great cropped suede jackets in four different colours for only £129 – I’m sold.
This chic suit from Mango is perfect eventwear for either the races or a special dinner, and the skinny belt gives it a real edge.
This COS swimsuit and & Other Stories sunglasses both look like they should be on Net-a-Porter – poolside chic personified.
Why the high street still rules!
Fabulous’ Fashion Director, Tracey Lea Sayer shares her thoughts.
I WAS 10 when I first discovered the utter joy of high-street shopping for clothes with my mum and nan.
Going into town on Saturday became a family tradition – a girls’ day out we would look forward to all week.
My mum’s favourite shop was M&S, where she would gaze at jackets with big shoulder pads and floral sundresses, while my nan would make a beeline for John Lewis and their classic coats and elegant court shoes.
I was all over Tammy Girl – Etam’s little sister – and Chelsea Girl, which was later rebranded to high-street fave River Island.
I would spend hours in the changing rooms, watched keenly by my two cheerleaders, who gave the thumbs up – or thumbs down – on what I was trying on.
Frilly ra-ra skirts, duster coats, polka dot leggings, puff balls, boob tubes… I tried them all, often making my nan howl with laughter.
Fashion wasn’t so fast back in the 1980s and every item was cherished and worn until it fell apart – literally – at the seams.
At 18, I went to art college and my tastes became more refined.
Extra cash from a part-time job in a bar meant I could move on to slightly more expensive stores, like Warehouse, Miss Selfridge and the mecca that was Topshop.
I knew at this point I wanted to work in fashion because the high street had totally seduced me.
One day, I wrote an article for a competition in a glossy mag about my love of retail therapy and my favourite LBD – and I won!
That led me to where I am today – Fashion Director of Fabulous.
It’s not just me that loves the high street – big-name designers are fans, too. When Cool Britannia hit in the ’90s, they all turned up in one big store.
Designers at Debenhams was a stroke of genius by Debenhams CEO Belinda Earl, designer Ben de Lisi and fashion director Spencer Hawken, who introduced diffusion ranges from John Rocha, Matthew Williamson and Betty Jackson, to name a few.
This meant we could all afford a bit of luxury and wear a well-known designer’s signature style.
Years later, I hosted a night with Debenhams and Fabulous for 250 readers, who were in awe meeting all the designers. It was a real career highlight for me.
In 2004, H&M started rolling out their international designer collabs.
Karl Lagerfeld was first, followed by Roberto Cavalli, Marni, Stella McCartney, Maison Martin Margiela, Sonia Rykiel, Comme des Garçons, Balmain, Versace and many, many more. I could barely contain myself!
Then in 2007, Kate Moss launched her first collection with Topshop, with thousands queuing along London’s Oxford Street.
I remember sitting behind Ms Moss and Topshop boss Philip Green at a London Fashion Week Topshop Unique catwalk show.
I had my three-year-old daughter, Frankie, in tow and we both made the news the next day after we were papped behind Kate, my supermodel girl crush.
At the time, the high street was on fire. Who needed designer buys when Mango stocked tin foil trousers just like the designer Isabel Marant ones and you could buy a bit of Barbara Hulanicki’s legendary brand Biba from Topshop?
High street stores even started to storm London Fashion week.
Although Topshop Unique had shown collections since 2001, in 2013 River Island showed its first collection in collaboration with global superstar Rihanna, who was flown in by a friend of mine on a private jet. KER-CHING!
A whole new generation of high profile high street collabs followed.
Beyoncé created Ivy Park with Topshop’s Philip Green and I even flew to LA for Fabulous to shoot the Kardashian sisters in their bodycon “Kollection” for Dorothy Perkins.
I am pleased to say they were the absolute dream cover stars.
Fast forward to 2024 and while the high street doesn’t look exactly like it did pre-Covid, it has made a gallant comeback.
Stores like M&S, Reserved and Zara, and designer collabs like Victoria Beckham X Mango and Rochelle Humes for Next are giving me all the feels.
The supermarkets have really come into their own, too, smashing it with gorgeous collections that look expensive, but at prices that still allow us to afford the weekly shop.
The last 30 years of high street fashion have been one big adventure for me. Bring on the next 30!
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